Rem 700 caliber ?

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chiappa1911

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Battle creek, Mi
So im thinking about getting a 700 and have narrowed it donlwn to 3 callibers..243, .308, and 30-06. What one do you guys think i should get. I wont be using this for hunting just for a target rifle.
 
For anything less than big bears the 308 is fine. 308 for all the MI deer you will ever shoot.

Get that stock to fit, with the three jackets the shooter will wear for hunting season and shoot 3 or 4 boxes of shells/year and you will kill all you shoot at in MI.
 
If you're committed to target shooting, I'd recommend the .308 Win Mod. 700 SPS Varmint. I believe it's currently on sale and has a rebate bringing its cost down to $499 and with the 26" bbl, it's excellent for target shooting, but short and long range. I'd plan on a stock replacement, and Stocky's Stocks sells a number of Bell and Carlson tactical stocks with full aluminum bedding block that work out very well. I have one I'm very pleased with that I put on a B&C Medalist A5 stock on. I glass bedded the stock and it delivers 0.5-0.75 MOA with all my match hand loads.

While I like the .30-06 (and have a few), I would prefer the .308 to it for target work. The .243 is also an excellent round but ammo will be slightly more expensive (at least I have found it so) and barrel life will be shorter than the .308, which should last for 5,000-8,000 rounds.

FH
 
I would avoid the 30-06 for a target rifle. If you reload I would choose the 243, otherwise 308.
 
At first I thought, .30-06 all the way but then saw you wanted it for a target rifle only. That being considered, .308 would be my choice.
 
I'd go with a .308 as well. Barrel will last longer. .308 is also very easy to load for. You don't have to search much to find an accurate load.
 
308 is the traditional choice,but lots of long range target shooters are giving the 243 serious looks. Much less recoil, flat trajectory and plenty of power to punch thorough a paper target.
 
308 for the reasons above, available ammo, and multi purpose use forever. 243 is #2 choice b/c it will fit different applications than the 30-06/308 does (I have owned 3 30-06's and love the round as the best gen purpose hunting cartridge with the 308 only barely following 2nd.
 
Ok ill bite!!!!

My opinion is based on only the thoughts of your use given you live in mi.
A .243 is a good choice for deer and smaller size game,cyote,groundhog,ect.

.308 is good for all the above plus bear size. But not elephant size game.

30.06 is a few hundred feet persecond faster than .308 and can throw heavier bullets up to 200 grainers. Now this cartridge is good for long range elk or moose hunting.


The .243 and .308 is the same cartridge with different bullet diamiters. .308 will pack a heavier punch, but 30.06 is by far the most powerfull of the three.

Personaly i have a 6mm remington as my all around caliber..270 for deer and up.
Soooo my advice to you sir is if only one gun had to fit the bill for the whole 9 yards is go .308.
 
The OP said that he won't be using this rifle for hunting. He's going to be target shooting, which implies that he's going to be shooting a lot. For target shooting, neither the .243 nor the .30-06 are going to do anything the .308 won't, except burns barrels faster and cost more to shoot.
 
For target shooting, neither the .243 nor the .30-06 are going to do anything the .308 won't, except burns barrels faster and cost more to shoot.
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My thoughts exactly. And recoil is definitely manageable. There is no reason to take the .243 over the .308 due solely to recoil, get a slip-on recoil pad if you are recoil sensitive.
 
Yes i read ya the op said not for hunting purposes,just target.

But at the same time there talking about buying a rem. 700 <~~~~~ a hunting gun. Not a bench or f class gun.

So at some point i can only asume that they will probably hunt with it sometime or another.

Or if there plans is to make modifications, then i guess were debating long or short action.
 
But at the same time there talking about buying a rem. 700 <~~~~~ a hunting gun. Not a bench or f class gun.
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Since when is a Remington 700 a "hunting gun?"

Then I suppose this is my "hunting gun"....
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Although I hunt paper and steel with it.

Don't be presumptuous. Remington 700s are pretty popular in benchrest and F Class. In fact, the guy that put this rifle together for me is a big into benchrest and F Class. It started life as a Remington 700, SPS Tactical. Or maybe that was my other 700.
 
.308 or .223 will allow you to shoot in F Class TR if you have the matches in your area.
 
I get the impression you don't have a lot of CF shooting experience, so i'd say get the .243, as it has a LOT less recoil and generally they are quite accurate.

DM
 
308. Ammos lower in cost, more choice for bullets and weights over the 243. Can shoot 7.62-51mm ammo. Shorter and lighter rifle compared to the 06. Barrel will out last a 243 .
 
The barrel will outlast the .243 because you'll stop shootin at around round 15 or so with the '06 due to recoil, lol.
 
The .243 bbl will easily last several thousands of rounds, most newer shooters won't ever put that many rounds through the rifle, and if they do, they will want to make some changes by then anyway.

My vote is for the lower recoil of a .243, so the shooter can concentrate on technique ect...

DM
 
I'll recommend the 243. Primarily for less recoil, but also for cost. The cost for average quality 243 ammo is usually equal to 308 with a small price break on the premium stuff. You won't find dirt cheap plinking ammo for 243, but that ammo is meant for fun with semi-autos. If you keep shooting for accuracy, you might as well reload and .243/6mm bullets are cheaper than 308/7.62mm.

On the other hand, target-match style loaded ammo in 243 win is very uncommon. If you will never reload and shoot alot then 243 win is not right. You really need a 223. If you won't listen to reason listen to 56hawk.
56hawk said:
I would avoid the 30-06 for a target rifle. If you reload I would choose the 243, otherwise 308.
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Are you saying that Rem. 700's can't be "hunying" guns??
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No, that's not what I'm saying; but if you had read the post that I was responding to, you may have seen that the poster stated that a Remington 700 IS a "hunting gun."

As for the .243, it is a fine round. It shoots flat, is more wind resistant (if I recall, almost half the wind drift of a .308 at 600 yards) and, as mentioned, has less recoil; but nothing comes without a price.

Assuming similar use, a .243 will have about half the barrel life of a .308. I know that your intention is to target shoot, but I don't know what this means to you. To me, it means that I only have to change barrels once a year, as opposed to twice a year.

You should also keep in mind that your major decision is whether to go with a short action or a long action. If you stick with a short action and go with a .308 to start, you can always have the rifle rebarreled later to a .243 and vice versa.

I don't know what the future holds for you, but if you're like me, you'll get bitten by the long range bug pretty badly. What you might consider doing is starting off with a .308. Build your skill level (it took a LOT of shooting for me) and when things calm down and taper off, then have the rifle rebarreled to .243.

Yes, .243 does have less recoil than a .308, but the .308 doesn't pound you either. I'm all of 5'2" tall and weigh between 150 and 160 and I have no problems putting 200 rounds through my rifle in a single session.
 
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