Thinking of getting a .308 bolt action

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UPDATE:
Hi everybody thankyou for your advice. I appreciate all the suggestions but I was really only asking about the Remington 700 vs the Winchester Model 70 in this post :D, but now I have a lot of idea to keep in mind for my next gun so the other suggestions won't go to waist! :thumbup:

As for the conclusion I just got back from my local FFL a few hours ago and I ended up with the Remington 700, ( I also consulted with my uncle who has both ). The decision was mostly made by availability and I did have to give up on by blued barrel and walnut stock. After some searching on gun broker, cabbalas/bassproshop, buds guns, ect, ect... I found that the availability of Remington 700's available for sale in .308 was essentially non-existent. I was luckily able to find one at my favorite local FFL, I swear these guys have been magicians when it having stuff in-stock during this shortage (they are always complaining their stock is pitiful at the moment but I swear they are 20x better than any of the other shops at the moment.) It was black cerakote barrel and with a magpul chassis.

It was a little more than I wanted to pay ($1200) but was reasonable given the current market and locally guns tend to more expensive than the national average anyways. But they cut me a deal on my optic and once all the fees and taxes are paid and I have filed my PD-219 with DC I will still be under $1800.

I will post pictures after I am able to pick it up from the store which will be 10 days or whenever I get my PD-219 back whichever is longer :(

And remember to support your favorite Pro 2-A groups because there are people that advocate that everywhere should have the same kind of ridiculousness we have here in DC, and going through this for the first time in over a year has reminded why I donate to organizations that fight for our rights! (like seriously it is absolutely ridiculous even the cops that work in the gun registration office seem to think the laws it's their job to enforce are ridiculous like people that support gun registration have never had to go through it, I literally know lawyers that I shoot with that have screwed up the registration process in DC, if lawyers can't keep up with the rules what hope is there for the rest of us!)
 
Not for nothin’, but Remington ain’t “Remington” any more, especially so now. Remington’s firearms division was bought out of bankruptcy by a couple of failed paintball scheisters and isn’t expected to recover even to their recent quality, let alone their historic legacy.

And for what it’s worth, Winchester ain’t “Winchester” any more either, they sold their brand name and others are making them these days.

Savage has changed hands, but in a relatively positive direction, with continuous management, staff, and operation, and the operators buying out the corporate investors from Vista to take their destiny into their own hands.

Ruger’s largely the last remaining American manufacturer which hasn’t been traded around like a village bicycle.
 
SwampWolf said:
What about Mossberg? Are they still the family-type (Mossberg and Sons) business they used to be? I like to think so.
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Since Mossberg’s bolt action line is only 6yrs old, I don’t really associate any legacy reputation value to their Savage copy rifles.
 
Have a Howa 1500 with a heavy barrel and the Hogue stock ... Love it.

The Ruger American series is also a great gun for the money.
 
When reading “Bolt-action .308”, my very first thought was about the very high quality of CZ and VZ guns, I Googled “CZ .308”.

…but their .308 selections appear to be Discontinued. :confused:

I have a CZ handgun (my third) and a VZ rifle.
Without a doubt I would gladly buy another Czech rifle , even with no chance to first handle a given type or model.
 
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There are about as many choices in 308 as their are members in some forums. I have two 308 rifles. A Ruger GSR and a Remington 700 Milspec. The 700 much more accurate, but also heavy. Not made for hunting necessarily anyhow. The GSR with a synthetic stock, aftermarket trigger, non forward mount scope, and muzzle break is a fun filled rifle. So much I got one from my son when he got out of the Marines. I do take the GSR hunting. It seems to be made for just that.

I looked over what people suggested and it sucks to be you. So many rifles, so many choices. I think for the most part if you put them all in a hat and choose one out, you'd probably make a good choice.
 
Cowhide Cliff said:
If budget is an issue check out the Ruger American. I have one in 308 and it is amazingly accurate right out of the box. I bought it at Rural King on sale for a beat around truck gun and was surprised that its price does not reflect on it's performance.
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How robust is it, though?
 
peacebutready said:
How robust is it, though?
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Plenty enough that I turned one into a swap barrel rifle with the "large" chambering being .458Winchester.........only got about 100rnds down the pipe so far tho.

That said there are two likely (and by that I mean Ive SEEN it happen to one, and think it COULD happen to the other) points of failure.
The bolt stop isnt a solid piece its molded and relatively thin. that bolt is big and heavy, and packs alot of mass, Ive broken one bolt stop and i could see it happening again.
The other is the sliding extractor, that while effective is also relatively small....still Ive had well over a dozen guns that use that system, and pounded a number of bolts without having an extractor fail.
 
peacebutready said:
How robust is it, though?
Click to expand...

It's my beat around truck gun, still a tack driver. My only beef is the forearm of the stock should be more rigid. I'm thinking of milling a slot through the factory webbing and acraglassing an aluminum rod in the forearm but never have taken the time to do it.

I suppose as long as it isn't hitting the barrel it's probably a non issue anyway. The barrel is free floated and the action is mounted with pillar blocks in the stock. More like a chassis than a stock since it does not use a bottom metal. Definitely not shabby for an inexpensive rifle and probably why they achieve such accuracy.
 
Gun4Fun90 said:
UPDATE:
Hi everybody thankyou for your advice. I appreciate all the suggestions but I was really only asking about the Remington 700 vs the Winchester Model 70 in this post :D, but now I have a lot of idea to keep in mind for my next gun so the other suggestions won't go to waist! :thumbup:

As for the conclusion I just got back from my local FFL a few hours ago and I ended up with the Remington 700, ( I also consulted with my uncle who has both ). The decision was mostly made by availability and I did have to give up on by blued barrel and walnut stock. After some searching on gun broker, cabbalas/bassproshop, buds guns, ect, ect... I found that the availability of Remington 700's available for sale in .308 was essentially non-existent. I was luckily able to find one at my favorite local FFL, I swear these guys have been magicians when it having stuff in-stock during this shortage (they are always complaining their stock is pitiful at the moment but I swear they are 20x better than any of the other shops at the moment.) It was black cerakote barrel and with a magpul chassis.

It was a little more than I wanted to pay ($1200) but was reasonable given the current market and locally guns tend to more expensive than the national average anyways. But they cut me a deal on my optic and once all the fees and taxes are paid and I have filed my PD-219 with DC I will still be under $1800.

I will post pictures after I am able to pick it up from the store which will be 10 days or whenever I get my PD-219 back whichever is longer :(

And remember to support your favorite Pro 2-A groups because there are people that advocate that everywhere should have the same kind of ridiculousness we have here in DC, and going through this for the first time in over a year has reminded why I donate to organizations that fight for our rights! (like seriously it is absolutely ridiculous even the cops that work in the gun registration office seem to think the laws it's their job to enforce are ridiculous like people that support gun registration have never had to go through it, I literally know lawyers that I shoot with that have screwed up the registration process in DC, if lawyers can't keep up with the rules what hope is there for the rest of us!)
Click to expand...

I think you will be happy with your 700. I've hunted with one for years with no problems except one accidental discharge. This was my fault and was caused by a very dirty trigger. Once cleaned up the trigger performed flawlessly but I did replace it.

I have several 700's. I've hunted with one, shot one in competition, both of my Sons have one or more, my Grandson has a couple, my Brother has one. I just dropped one of mine off at my rifle builder to be rebarreled with a Krieger barrel and also a new 40X action to have a barrel fitted, also a Krieger. Yeah, I guess I like them.
 
I’ve got a Winchester model 70 westerner in a .270 with a walnut stock that is much more accurate than me. I like the advise of the wood stock tikkas and bergaras. Why wood stock? I have plenty but have chosen synthetic for my last several. Easy to clean, more accurate, last forever, and you don’t worry about scratches. My last rifle I chose a Christensen Arms Mesa and couldn’t be more happy. It’s a little more expensive than your $1000 but not much. It has a cerakoted finish on all metal, a great trigger tech trigger, and comes with a nice break. Just wondering why the wood? 9E6A762A-CDD3-4584-895E-CAE27378CEDB.jpeg
 
Cowhide Cliff said:
My only beef is the forearm of the stock should be more rigid. I'm thinking of milling a slot through the factory webbing and acraglassing an aluminum rod in the forearm but never have taken the time to do it.
Click to expand...

Use a piece of aluminum angle (L shaped cross section). Angle is stiffer for the same weight than the common all thread or round stock rods guys use.
 
gotboostvr said:
Would you suggest angle aluminum or a carbon fiber arrow shaft?
Click to expand...

Angle.

Aluminum arrows aren’t nearly as stiff since the walls aren’t very thick, and carbon arrows almost aren’t stiff at all.

A guy can pour the entire forend full of epoxy and it comes out stiff as a beam, but you add a pound and a half of epoxy. Adding an arrow, rod, all thread, etc does add stiffness over just raw epoxy, but it’s kind of “dumb weight,” while we could get much more stiffness out of that same mass, or the same stiffness with less mass if it were structurally intelligent, instead of just “fill holes so it can’t bend, then it won’t bend.”

Also, angle can be laid “V up” in the barrel channel so its channel will nest with the barrel channel, kinda reducing its profile in the stock. A rod or tube with similar stiffness is larger in profile, so it has to be sank deeper into the stock. For the weight and intrusion into the forend, I really like angle.
 
I have not bought a Rem 700 in the last year -or ever, but I can tell you why. Plastic.... cheap, black died recycled milk jugs. thats what their "hi-end" rifles bottom "metal" was made from. I would buy a Savage if it has to be bolt. I wasn't impressed with Savage either (issue with no wood stock/Iron sight option, not quality) and ended up with a PA-10. Its 1lb heavier though.
 
Varminterror said:
Angle.

Aluminum arrows aren’t nearly as stiff since the walls aren’t very thick, and carbon arrows almost aren’t stiff at all.

A guy can pour the entire forend full of epoxy and it comes out stiff as a beam, but you add a pound and a half of epoxy. Adding an arrow, rod, all thread, etc does add stiffness over just raw epoxy, but it’s kind of “dumb weight,” while we could get much more stiffness out of that same mass, or the same stiffness with less mass if it were structurally intelligent, instead of just “fill holes so it can’t bend, then it won’t bend.”

Also, angle can be laid “V up” in the barrel channel so its channel will nest with the barrel channel, kinda reducing its profile in the stock. A rod or tube with similar stiffness is larger in profile, so it has to be sank deeper into the stock. For the weight and intrusion into the forend, I really like angle.
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Noted, I'll keep that in mind for future application.
 
Remington M700 got it's good name from highly modified actions (benchrest, USMC,etc) most off the shelf versions are simply not as good. I'd strongly prefer to buy a bolt gun w a claw extractor.
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
of four friends with 700s or 721s, two have broken extractors that they've not yet found a local smith to fix.
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That's a bit odd. They discontinued the riveted extractors in the mid 1980s. I can understand the frustration of finding some to repair an old gun. Most gunsmith today are part swappers rather than the old machinists who can and do make darned near anything. Not sure what bearing that might have on newer rifles.

Gun4Fun90 said:
I found that the availability of Remington 700's available for sale in .308 was essentially non-existent. I was luckily able to find one at my favorite local FFL, I swear these guys have been magicians when it having stuff in-stock during this shortage (they are always complaining their stock is pitiful at the moment but I swear they are 20x better than any of the other shops at the moment.) It was black cerakote barrel and with a magpul chassis
Click to expand...

From your description I assume that's a used rifle someone customized? Would be interested to know what trigger is in it. Hope you enjoy it!
 
illinoisburt said:
That's a bit odd. They discontinued the riveted extractors in the mid 1980s. I can understand the frustration of finding some to repair an old gun. Most gunsmith today are part swappers rather than the old machinists who can and do make darned near anything. Not sure what bearing that might have on newer rifles.



From your description I assume that's a used rifle someone customized? Would be interested to know what trigger is in it. Hope you enjoy it!
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no factory. Comes with a magpul hunter chassis and a cerakote barrel that is treaded to accept a muzzle device. Item number REM700-84293 if you look it up you can find the specs online.

edit: I will post a picture after I pick it up. Unfortunately DC is dragging there feet on approving my registration. They say they are backed up, but it’s basically impossible to get them on the phone to check the status. If I go by the what the nice lady who works the front desk told me the registration office at mpd is about a month behind on registrations. But it took me a week to get an appointment to register it, and it’s been a week since the appointment. So judging by how long this is taking I believe her when she says they are behind. Remember to donate to your favorite gun rights group because trust me you don’t want DC style gun laws to make it to your neck of the woods!
 
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