Tell me about rem 700 sps Varmint Vs Tactical??

[Countryguy1982]

Wanting to get me a rem 700 sps tactical or sps Varmint in 308 . Shooting will be around 350 yrds max on hunting and probably bench shooting to... What do i have to gain in one vs the other??? am i gonna tell much difference in bullet drop with a 20 vs a 26 inch barrel from the FPS goin up or down with the shorter vs the longer barrel? also these are 1:12 twist i believe. How are they gonna do at stabilizing lighter loads like the 125 grain loads or lighter?

 

[Countryguy1982]

also tight quarters really aren't an issue for me, and long distance walking isn't much in either.....

 

[mastiffhound]

1 in 12 will stabilize lighter(shorter) bullets just fine. From what I've gathered the 1 in 10 is for the heavier stuff. I have been looking at .308 bolt guns and I've decided to not go remington. They have had some quality controll issues and some just plain quality problems. I will be getting a Savage, I just haven't decided which one.

 

[Ehtereon11B]

I usually like the dare say it "tactical" versions of weapons because of the polymer stocks for durability over wood.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

My Rem 700 SPS Varmint is a pretty good shooter:



Factory Federal Gold Medal Match at 100 yds

FH

 

[Detritus]

What do i have to gain in one vs the other??? am i gonna tell much difference in bullet drop with a 20 vs a 26 inch barrel from the FPS goin up or down with the shorter vs the longer barrel?

If one is less expensive than the other, then the lower priced one gains you some money not spent...

with your stated upper limit of 350yrds, there is not enough velocity loss/gain between 20 and 26 inches of barrel to amount to anything. If you were or had a high likelihood of begining to shoot beyond 600 on a regular basis, then the longer barrel would keep a given load supersonic a little further and would be a noticable advantage.

I bought the 26" SPS-Varmint because not only do i plan to shoot beyond 600 with it, but when i bought it the tacticals were an additional $100 or more for a shorter barrel and a Hogue stock i knew i'd toss anyway.

 

[captmoto]

Most likely the difference is the length of the barrel, 20 vs 26. Better stock on the tactical, H&S vs. Hgue. I have about 100 rounds through my "tactical", no issues and if I could shoot worth a schit it would be an easy 1 inch gun right out of the box.

 

[CharlieDeltaJuliet]

This is a SPS Tactical AAC-SD. shooting Federal match 175SMK factory loads at 100 yards. Don't buy into the "all the new Remington's are crap". They like all other mass produced rifles make good and bad. This is the most impressive out of the box rifle I have ever purchased(out of 19, Remingtons ,Winchesters, Marlins, Savages, and a Sako). The Sako is the only one to match the accuracy with factory ammo, not to mention my hand loads. I love the 20" barrel, but that is just me. I wanted something with a heavy barrel and fast twist. I shoot it out to 800-850 yards.

 

[Detritus]

Better stock on the tactical, H&S vs. Hgue.

Neither has an HS precison stock, the tactical (and tactical AAC-SD) has a Hogue overmolded stock (which I think has pillars or a bedding block).
The Varmint has an injection molded pillar-less piece of near tupperware that amounts to the standard SPS stock with a wide forend and wider barrel channel, that i've been lead to beleive is made by Bell and Carlson.

even then the Hogue isn't exactly a quantum leap ahead of the base model stock. a better stock should be budgeted for regardless of which SPS variant one buys.

 

[captmoto]

Detritus, correct on the stock, I was thinking of the 700PSS that came with the H&S stock.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

I replaced the factory stock on my SPS-Varmint with a B&C Medalist A5 and glass-bedded it. Results are as above.

FH

 

[minutemen1776]

As others have mentioned, the primary difference is barrel length. I once had a 700 VLS with a 26" barrel, which I thought would be no big deal. Though it was fine at the bench, the long length was a problem for me when it came to hunting, as it made it more difficult to maneuver in and out of shooting houses and stands. I sold the VLS to a family member and later bought the SPS Tactical, primarily because I wanted the heavy barrel in a shorter length. I like the 20" barrel MUCH better. It also outshoots my old VLS, even in the Hogue stock that so many speak of so poorly.