Remington 700 SPS: Stainless or varmint?

[sprice]

I want a good rifle in .308. I'm going to be using it to learn long range shooting and marksmanship. I will eventually rebarrel it and I will switch out the stock as soon as I get it. I will be packing this rifle so the lighter the better.

So should I get the 24" stainless standard profile barrel or the 26" heavy profile? The length of the varmint is kind of a turn off for me and I know it's going to be heavy. What difference in accuracy will I see?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

If I were carrying it, I'd go lighter.

 

[JDGray]

dupe

 

[JDGray]

For the cost of a good stock + the SPS varmint, your better off going with a LTR
http://www.remingtonle.com/rifles/700pltr.htm

 

[blackops]

I accidentally picked varmint. If you are carrying get a sporter barrel. Obviously a heavy barrel is going to shoot more consistently over longer shot strings, but the first shot is all you need and you are going to carry this rifle.

 

[jmr40]

Just save your pennies and get the 5R. No need to change the barrel or stock.

If that is way over your budget I'd get the SPS tactical. A 20" barrel will do what you need.

 

[unwise11]

I work out, I will probably buy heavy barreled rifles for a long time... until I get the money for an M-70 Sporter in 6.5x55 or .30-06...
Holding a 12 pound rifle feels pretty light after pushups, pullups, and chest presses on a universal for months, then I curl a 20lb dumbell and am getting a 30lb soon..
I like heavy barrels, they are better for the type of shooting I like, which is target shooting at 100-300 yards, I will also carry a Rem SPS Tactical in .223 for this deer season if I feel like it... I guess it's all about preference..

 

[chrome_austex]

I had a varmint, sold it to a friend. It was accurate enough to learn on, seemed like a solid 1.5 moa gun, but I was looking for something a bit better. At worst, you should budget for a barrel sooner than later.

How accurate are the stainless models? the 24" barrel is probably fine if you aren't shooting at 1000y right away.

 

[dnthmn]

If you are going to be packing the rifle, I see no reason you'd go with the Varmint. You'll want to keep the weight down and the extra 2" will do nothing for you other than make the rifle more unwieldy. Accuracy will be uneffected by barrel length. I plan to get a Varmint as soon as I can scrape together the money, but for your use, I'd go with the lighter, smaller stainless.

 

[txhoghunter]

Holding a 12 pound rifle feels pretty light after pushups, pullups, and chest presses on a universal for months, then I curl a 20lb dumbell and am getting a 30lb soon..

If all you are carrying when you are elk or caribou hunting this would make since....unfortunately, the rifle is a lighter part of the pack when doing that business.

Sprice, if you are just going to a deer blind, the heavy barrel won't take too much out of you to carry. However, for those mountainous adventures, you will want the sporter barrel, because every pound you get rid of counts.

 

[unwise11]

Makes sense.. I've been deer hunting once, I carried a 10.5lb Howa M-1500 in .308, I had a bag, but I left it in the truck since I wouldn't need it..
This season I'll carry the .308 or the .223 depending on the mood I'm in, but I might have a new pet rifle by then I really like the Savage 10PC, but wish it was offered in .260 or .243 because I already have a .308 and a .223..
This season I'm confident I'll be carrying a pack, at least 15lbs, but that's still light..
I look at it like this most of the time though.
A Sniper carries an M40, or M24, and occasionally an M82A1, which is the Barrett .50, All of those rifles are pretty hefty, they also carry a ruck, wear plates, and carry ammo, and possibly a handgun or an M4...
I'm not saying they carry all that.. but some of it yes.. I bet the most macho man elk hunter would stop worrying about the weight of his rifle after carrying that load for a day.
And since I'm hoping to become a sniper when I enlist I'm going to get used to it early.

 

[joed]

Oops, I picked stainless thinking it was a heavy barrel like the one I own. You're the one that has to make the choice, base it on what you intend to use the rifle for. Ask yourself this question, "Are you a hunter or sniper".

I'm a sniper pure and simple. I don't walk 10 miles carrying my gun. I will walk a mile and hide waiting for varmints or other game. If I were walking lots yes I'd want a lighter rifle.

But, I've owned a Remington 700 VS in .25-06 for 34 years. I've used it for deer hunting and even went to Canada on a bear hunt with it. I'm now 62 and still carry a heavy barrel rifle. Am I in great shape? Not really, I sit behind a desk, have for 28 years. I'm 15 lbs overweight too. I actually chuckle when I read how someone complains about the weight of a rifle and I know they're 30 years younger then me.