Remington 700: Tactical vs Varmint

[rifleman14]

Hey guys. Im looking to get a "tactical" remington 700 in 308 and am having trouble deciding between the SPS tactical and the SPS varmint. The tactical has a 20" heavy bbl and hogue overmolded stock, which i find a little on the ugly side on the pistol grip part. The disadvantage in this rifle that i see is the short barrel. Ive heard that this decreases velocity and effective range. so this is my first question: How much velocity is lost in comparison of the varmint with 26" hvy bbl and the tactical with 20" hvy bbl? Is there going to be a decrease in effective/accurate range? The varmint has a 26" hvy bbl which i find a bit long but its got a nice feel to it and seems like a decent length. Disadvantage of this rifle is its less manuverable, heavier, and ive heard its about 1/4" less accurate than the tactical. SO...i will be using this rifle for hunting, anywhere up to 500 yards most likely if possible and if i ever have to take a shot that far. i probably wont but i want to have the ability to. So again, my questions were 1) Will there be a velocity loss from the 6" difference in barrel length and how much of a loss? 2) Will there be a maximum accurate/effective range difference from the 6" difference in barrel lenth and how much of a difference? 3) What is the largest game i can humanely hunt with the 308 cartridge and whats the maximum distance i should take a shot on game, considering the rifle is the only variable(my abilities enable me to take the shot and the shooting conditions are good).
Pictures of rifles and group sizes are appreciated and any experince with the rifles will help
Thanks everyone
Dylan

 

[Kurt_D]

I guess in my research and limited experience if 500 yds is your max range a 20" barrel is fine and will save weight. If going to 1000 yds the 26" barrel will have an advantage with extra velocity without loading to higher pressure. The 26" barrel should also shoot flatter b/c of the extra velocity.

I've had my AR-10 with Noveske 21" barrel out to 675 yards using Blackhills 168 SMK. It was accurate no problem. Working with handloads and 175 SMK now because I want it to be capable of reaching 1000 yds; which in theory should work. I'm hitting 2650 fps at 15ft and 100 yd groups are holding at under 1 inch. Of course a 26" barrel and being a bolt gun would make it easier.

On hunting, .308 should be able to kill anything in North America with the right load and bullet at 500 yards.

 

[rifleman14]

thank you for the answer on the calibers capabilities.

also would like to know what the accuracy of the varmint is compared to the tactical. it seems that the varmint doesnt shoot sub MOA in all cases, but every picture of the tacticals groups have been well under one MOA. any thoughts, opinions, experiences?

 

[C-grunt]

Ive heard the varmint model has a slower twist rate and might not stabilize the heavier bullets well. Dont know how true that is but its what I heard.

 

[IdahoLT1]

Is this gun going to be a hunting gun or a bench gun that gets used once in a while to hunt? I ask because even at my young age of 24 and being in good shape, the thought of me lugging around a 10lb rifle through the mountains makes my shoulder ache. I usually like to cover a few miles, so a lighter weight rifle makes it more enjoyable. Also, you are very likely to shoot from either a sitting or prone position while hunting. This is a disadvantage to heavy bull barrels as its more challenging to hold steady than a traditional barrel.

If this is going to be a bench/hunting gun, I would opt for the shorter barrel. If you want just a hunting rifle, id say neither and get a Sako A7 in .308. It will run around the same price ($700 to $800) and Sako has a factory 5-shot 1-moa guarantee.

 

[Geno]

I own the SPS Tactical in .308 Win, and the SPS Varmint in .223 Rem.

SPS Tactical's +s and -s:
(+) The stock is "sticky" providing a tremendous grip.
(+) The shorter barrel provides excellent balance on the bench, or firing seated.
(+) At 7.5 pounds, it is .5 Lb lighter than my Winchester Super Grade .30-06.
(+) The 1-12 twist will stabilize bullets in the 168 to 175 range, but I hear it is at its best with 155s.
(+) Pillar-bedded stock is viciously accurate. I use a 36X, and sometimes a 6-24 on mine. It will produce 0.25" to 0.50" 3-shot groups easily, so long as I do my work.
(+) The new trigger is like snapping a piece of glass, smooth and consistent.
(+/-) The 20" barrel will produce a lower velocity than the 26" barrel. To the 500 yard range, it will not be enough to remove it from serious hunting and target applications. The benefit is that the rifle is near perfectly balanced.

SPS Varmint's +s and -s:
(+) The stock is "slippery" providing a difficult grip; apply some skateboard tape.
(+) The longer barrel provides excellent balance on the bench with a bi-pod and sandbag, but poor balance when in the field and firing seated. It is pretty front-heavy. This is because the Varmint model's stock is lighter, but the barrel is heavier.
(+) At 8.5 pounds, it is .5 Lb heavier than my Winchester Super Grade .30-06.
(+) The 1-12 twist will stabilize bullets in the 168 to 175 range, but I hear it is at its best with 155s.
(+) While not listed as such, mine does have pillar-bedding, and is very accurate I use a 36X, and sometimes a 6-24 on mine. It will produce 0.182" to 0.50" 3-shot groups easily, so long as I do my work. The norm for this rifle, using factory loads is 0.25".
(+) The new trigger is like snapping a piece of glass, smooth and consistent.
(+/-) The 26" barrel will produce a higher velocity than the 20" barrel. However, to the 500 yard range, it will not be enough to swing consideration from the Tactical for hunting and target applications. The pay-off is that the rifle is front-heavy.

I say go with the Tactical. It is what I bought for the .308, and now you have the +s and the -s of why I did. Yes, the Tactical is what I took deer hunting this year, and where I hunt shots on average are between 280 yards and 500 yards.

Geno

 

[Gordon]

My SPS Tactical has a 1 in 10" twist. My 5R has a one in 11" twist. The %R is a big gun and heavy. The Tac isn't, makes a great jeep hunting gun IMHO. The 5R is an F class competition gun.

 

[Uncle Mike]

i will be using this rifle for hunting, anywhere up to 500 yards most likely if possible and if i ever have to take a shot that far. i probably wont but i want to have the ability to

For your intended use, I should consider the Tactical over the Varmint, for the weight savings and length.

Neither would be my first choice for a dedicated 'hunting' gun but to each their own.

The SPS Tactical(p/n 84207) and the SPS Varmint(p/n 84218) both, have a 1/12" twist.

So the only deciding factor is the barrel length and weight of the rifles.
The extra 6" of barrel on the SPS-V will lend to increased long range velocity, resulting in a 'slightly' flatter trajectory and additional energy on target.

Will you be able to notice this, and benefit from it, maybe... if you intend on doing long range work on a regular basis, and then the rifle in question may not be a great long range shooter.

What you will notice however is the extra 6" of tube during brush busting, if that would even bother you, and the slight increase in weight.

Like I said, between the two you ponder, I would field the Tactical before the Varmint for use as a 'hunting' gun.

 

[SpeedAKL]

I have the SPS-V model and have shot both guns.

Both are highly accurate guns that make a great way to get into long-range shooting. The SPS-T is lighter in weight and has a higher-quality stock. Like previous posters have mentioned, the longer-barreled SPS-V will have a slight ballistic advantage at long range.

My advice? Buy the one you can get the best deal on. Neither are bad choices.

 

[rifleman14]

thanks for all the replies guys. it looks like im leaning towards the tactical. no it is not my first choice for a dedicated hunting rifle but when youre on a budget and can only get one gun, its nice to get one you can use for target, long range, and hunting. once i get some more money i plan on getting a remington 700 CDL in a magnum chambering for my dedicated hunting rifle

 

[xX45Xx]

I recently purchased the Tactical in 223 but I got lucky. My tactical for some reason had the varmint stock which I liked a whole lot better than the Hogue overmolded. I compared them side by side. It was exactly what I wanted in a new rifle.

 

[rifleman14]

thats odd xX45Xx. was it new from the factory with that stock? anyway, hows the accuracy? whats your experience with the rifle?

 

[rifleman14]

ok so ive heard that the tactical is about 1/4" more accurate than the varmint at 100 yards...could this accuracy difference be evened out by free floating the barrel on the varmint?

 

[NCdrummer]

Be careful with any SPS in bad weather. They rust quickly. I would save a few extra bucks and buy a 700SS 5R (brushed stainless) or LTR with TriNite finish. I hunt with a 5R in treestands and ground blinds, but at 24" it's a little tight in a small box stand. That's where my 20" model seven stainless rules the earth. The .308 with a 165 NAB @2850 has over 1500 ft/lbs at 425 yards (5R load). 150 NAB at 2900 is great from 20" tube. More than enough energy for my hunting. BTW, the 5R has 1:11.25 twist, the US Army Marksmanship Unit's favorite for 165-175 grain bullets. Who's to argue with those guys? Good luck!

 

[JDGray]

Get the shorty! Love my Savage 10fp 20", heavy enough at that length