Precision Rifle Advice

[JCook5003]

Hi Guys-

My dad and grandfather are both into their 6mm BR rifles for precision paper hole punching. I'm not ready to move to a dedicated caliber yet but do want to have an accurate rifle in the gun safe.

I'd really like a .308, for me there are lots of questions around this?

1. Which platform, AR, Bolt, which bolt, or M1A.

2. I would like to keep it affordable in the beginning and improve as I go along, to me this scream bolt action Remington 700.

3. Barrel length, lots of folks swear by 20" .308's I doubt the USMC was wrong with 24" barrels either, the M40A1 is a battle proven design.

4. Start with a whole rifle or just an action and build from there? Two things here, I could start with a stripped AR10 or Rem 700 action and upgrade, or I could shop for something like a 700P or 700SPS Tactical. Any other better 700 choices for a tack driver?

5. Any other advice suggestions or tips you could share I always welcome help!

Thanks
Josh

 

[USSR]

Use/Purpose?

Don

 

[JCook5003]

Just punching paper, 100 yards at first and hopefully one day 500 yard shooting, nothing competitive just something I've always wanted to learn

 

[USSR]

Well, since you mention "accurate" and "precision", I'd have to agree with your instincts to go with a good boltgun such as the Remington 700P. If all you intend to do is go out to 500 yards, then the barrel length doesn't really matter, go with what you like or what is available.

Don

 

[jpwilly]

I'd recommend a good Bolt Action rifle the Rem 700, Savage 10, and for that matter most other production "Varmint" or Police, Precision, Tactical models work pretty well.

I choose a savage because I'm a tinkerer and in the end changing out the barrel, stock, trigger etc etc can and will happen. I can work on the Savage at home with just a few special tools.

 

[essayons21]

If you want it affordable and to be able to build it as you go, definitely stick with a Remington 700P or a Savage 10.

There are better actions out there, but the availability of parts and smiths for the Remington and Savage actions make it much more affordable and will get you 99% of the performance.

I would say your best bet is to shop around for a used 700P or LTR.

 

[txhoghunter]

I think you have a perfect idea with that Rem 700P. It will shoot perfectly well out to 500 yds if you do your part. You will love it, and you can make changes to the stock, barrel, etc. when you are ready to

 

[rr2241tx]

Savage 12 VLP DBM SKU:18470 308 WIN 1 in 10" 26" 46.25" 10 lbs

Stainless, laminated stock, more precise than your ammo right out of the box. Plus, you won't look like an Armchair Rambo at the range.

 

[BrocLuno]

Tikka 308 Varmint. Almost light enough to tote in the field for a few miles, and with 5 rounds in the mag, you can do a full target workout. Syn stock will take bipod if you need to go that way? It's not a full on bench gun, or a 14 lb long range shooter in the traditional sense. But, it is a very good compromise gun

Sub MOA out of the box with select factory ammo Closed top receiver makes for a very strong and stable action. Lot's really good thinking gone into this one. They make a tactical version of same for $500 more, but the civilian shooter may not need the extra tuning at first? If you do, work into it as you progress with your gun smith

 

[TonyAngel]

Just find a rifle that you think looks cool and is of reasonable quality. I've only messed with Remingtons and Savages, but I can say that all of the target/"tactical" models that I've seen/shot would shoot sub MOA groups at 100 yards with the right driver and ammo. A rifle shooting sub MOA is no big deal these days. Building the skill to shoot a rifle that well is a big deal and what you'll need to concentrate on.

I opted for the Remington for a couple of reasons. The first is that I like Remingtons and the second is that I don't like the design of the Savage bolt. Purely subjective reasons. If you want bang for the buck, the 700 SPS Tactical is a heck of a deal at around $550 or so. I shot plenty of .2 and .3" groups with mine when it was in stock form. Don't worry about all of the talk about how much the stock sucks and how much the trigger sucks. They are more than serviceable and the 700 action is a good platform to build on.

Considering how all of the big names are building reasonably priced accurate rifles, I'd be more concerned about the glass that you're going to put on top of it. Yes, I'll admit that I'm the kind of guy that will put a $1500 scope on top of a $500 rifle, but to me being able to see clearly is very important.

I'd get an SPS Tactical. Get the best scope that you can afford with a rock solid mounting system. Shoot the rifle for awhile and have fun with it. Then I'd get a better trigger. Shillen or Timney are hard to beat for around $100. Then I'd get a better stock.

 

[Rem700SD]

Buy a Rem700 w/ a 20 inch bbl. 20in is enough bbl for a .308, and not too long. The only way the length will matter is velocity, not precision. I say Remington because I'm partial to them, and because they accurate out of the box. There's also a world of aftermarket goodies for them, as well as gunsmiths who know them well.

2)Get a gunsmith to stone and adjust the trigger. Around two pounds is good. If you don't like the results, you can buy a more expensive trigger later.

3) Do some research and get the best scope you can afford. 10X is good, anything over 20x is overkill, and is susceptable to mirage.

4) Buy 500-1000 rds of match ammo to get you started. Save your brass.

5)Get into reloading. Ammo prices will eat you up!

Just my opinion, YMMV