First Bolt Rifle: .223 or .308

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I am considering getting a Remington 700 SPS Tactical bolt rifle. 20" heavy barrel. AFAIK they are offered in .223 and .308. I am in the Army right now and will be in civilian law enforcement soon. I would like to get into some sort of marksmen unit in either organization at some point, so this rifle will be used primarily for training myself, not hunting. I am wondering which caliber would be preferable for this purpose. .308 obviously is the real deal and has longer range, but the price of rounds is much lower for .223. Plus when I buy rounds for my AR-15, they can double as bolt gun practice rounds. I don't plan on doing any life-taking with this rifle, animals or otherwise, though I won't rule out hunting in the future. But if the point of the gun is practice for the future, is getting a bolt gun in .223 worth the difference in feel and range for the savings cost of rounds?

 

[TexasRifleman]

Well if the real purpose is to get used to what you would see in an LE role then the .308 is it, period.

It's gonna cost more sure, but if the purpose is to train like you might someday fight, use the .308.

And if you DO ever decide to hunt in the future you'll have what you need for that as well.

That's how I would approach it anyway.

You might want to look into reloading to keep the costs down, and .308 is a sweetheart to reload.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I was leaning that way, but the cost of rounds was bugging me. I was just looking for some encouragement Thanks

 

[gvnwst]

I agree with Texas Rifleman, if you are going into LE, then you might as well pratice with the same round as you will be firing (if you can get into that marksminship unit) for training. Reloading is also a good idea.

 

[adam500]

Once more thing you may want to consider.... When shooting the rifle you will be using better ammunition than you would for say your AR if you want to keep the group sub MOA. I normally used Hornady TAP FPD and my gun store has them .223 and 308 both for 15 dollars per 20.

Just a thought to consider.

 

[gotime242]

Any trigger time is good time.

I am in a huge debate over .308 vs .223 for my bolt gun as well.

I do agree with everyone above, but ill also add that with .223 you might have the mindset that gets you to the range more, and practice more due to the cost.

Id say either way you will be in good shape. Do what feels right.

 

[SwampWolf]

I'd recommend getting the .223 for exactly the reason you are concerned about: cost, especially if you don't reload. You'll learn a lot more by shooting twice as much for the same money. Not disparaging the argument that you should practice with what you are issued, just that you can
"step up" later on the respective agency's dime while refining the art of marksmanship in the meanwhile by being able to shoot more with less money.

 

[sohcgt2]

Many urban units are dropping back from .308 to .223 in tactical situations due to public fears of over penetration, with this in mind the .223 might actually give you an edge in the training dept. Of course if there is ever a chance of using it to hunt than .308 it the way to go, but I suspect that far down the road you may decide to buy a hunting rifle.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Many urban units are dropping back from .308 to .223 in tactical situations due to public fears of over penetration

Like who?

Not saying it isn't true but I haven't seen anything about that.

 

[erict]

I have both and my answer would be to get both, if not now, then later down the road if possible.

If you are really serious about the training, accuracy, and possible LE uses I would go with the .308 if you can only get one.

 

[Seafarer12]

I would go with the 223 myself. It is cheaper to shoot, less recoil. If you do get into any marksman type position they will get you a gun and buy your ammo.

 

[tweakkkk]

- I would say .223 would give you more use. Basic trigger technique should be the same for any caliber you shoot. A .223 is affordable to use often, and you will have more legitimate targets for it. Hunting seasons are brief... bottles and gophers are fair game all year round.

- I think you would find more choices in premium .308 match-grade ammo, since it is a mainstay of long-range shooting competition.

- However, if your goal is to train as a sharpshooter, I'm not sure if you would see the benefits from using match .308 in a 700 Tactical SPS.

- I hear they have good accuracy, but for serious precision shooting, it really does take more than a $500 stock factory Remington to squeeze the higher accuracy potential out of the .308 - A precision rifle and custom tuning handloads for it.

- If you don't need to get THAT precise, The accuracy potential of the 700 Tactical might be a better fit for the inherent performance of a .223. Within the range of the .223 factory loads, the 700 Tactical should be sufficient.

- Are you married to .308 and .223? There are cartridges that arguably have ballistics that are better suited to long-range accuracy.. less drift and drop. No accuracy would not world-class from a factory rifle in your price range, but would probably give an edge over both the .308 and .223

I can think of 6.5x55, .270 Winchester.... a variety of 6mm rounds. You always hear people say that the .308 is a cartridge that just tends to be accurate. While there may be something to what they say, 7mm-08 and especially .260 Rem seem to be more efficient in the same case. They don't lose energy as quickly and fly flatter and are less affected by wind. There are of course other options, but these are the more common ones. The .260 is a caliber that I personally fancy, I've been impressed every time I shot one. You see 6.5mm bullets cropping up in serious shooting matches all over, and the .260 just has the convenience of being a modified .308 case.

 

[LTR shooter]

I've owned both in various 700s - .308 in 700VS and 700P and .223 in 700VLS , 700LTR , 700SPS Varmint and 700 VLS Thumbhole.

Of those the my 700LTR is probably most similar to the SPS Tactical with the 20" barrel and 1 in 9" twist for .223. Main difference is HS stock and barrel flutes on the LTR.

Anyway the LTR .223 was the most consistently accurate of all the 700s I have owned. Although the "least accurate" of the group was still pretty darn good. Although I have yet to fire the VLS Thumbhole.

I have gravitated to the .223 and no longer have the .308s partly due to cost and the limited distance of my range.

 

[Leaky Waders]

I'd vote the 308...you can use it for hunting should you ever decide too.

Also, you already have a .223 black rifle. So by getting a 308 you're getting a more diversity in your battery.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I think I am going with the .308. I've decide to get a decent .22lr bolt action as well and use that for volume shooting and fundamentals. That way I can shoot a moderate amount of .308 after I've warmed up on the .22lr. Thanks guys. Now All I have to do is find one available.

 

[ShunZu]

All the advice is good and valid. But when you're in the LE role, there's a good chance that it'll be an issued weapon by the city, because some don't allow use of personal weapons by local statutes. That varies from city to city, state to state.

Assuming it'll be a .308 bolt (and that assumption is a giant leap because it might end up being a .308 semi or .223 bolt gun), I'd lean toward personal purchase of a .223 simply because of cost considerations. You'll be able to spend much less and get many more rounds down range for the same $ in .223.... and just hope the city issues you a .308 tactical bolt.

If it were a perfect world, and money was no issue, a bolt gun in both calibers would be the solution. With enough ammo stored away to wear out both barrels.

Ahhhh... the good 'ole days when ammo was cheap....