Just bought a Remington 700. Now what?

[CuddlesTheSheep]

Bought a Rem 700 SPS AAC-SD in .308 that's currently in jail from gunfighter tactical.

Will be mostly a range gun but also my hunting gun. Don't have any rifles yet (sig 229/220 & AR Pistol) so I don't know too much about them. Basically I want to add a bi-pod and scope.

Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50 seems like a solid deal but then again I don't know much. Any recommendations for a solid scope out to 600-700+ yards?

Any recommendations for mounts? Bipods? Anyone with first person experience?

[vintagearms]

Ditch the factory trigger for a Timney. Bipod- Harris S-BRM.

[vliberatore]

What is your budget for glass?

I know you said it is a range gun, but are you planning on shooting only known distances or unknown as well?

Preference of MOA or MIL?

[CuddlesTheSheep]

Known and unknown and don't really have any preference because I've never compared. I'd like to spend less than 650ish.

[milotrain]

I like the vortex scopes. Everyone says that 175gr Federal Gold Medal match runs wonderfully in those rifles. Agreed on ditching the factory trigger for pretty much anything else.

[vliberatore]

I like the vortex scopes. Everyone says that 175gr Federal Gold Medal match runs wonderfully in those rifles. Agreed on ditching the factory trigger for pretty much anything else.

+1 on this.

I know you can pick up a used Viper PST FFP 4-16x50 or 6-24x50 in the $750-800 ballpark on SnipersHide if you keep your eyes out and act quickly. Under that you're not likely going to find a first focal plane scope. Here is a good write up about the differences between first and second focal plane scopes (which I generally prefer for precision shooting). FFP generally cost more than SFP in the same scope.

[webcruzzer]

Glass it, then shoot it and when you want to get < moa groups upgrade it. I bought a rem700 aac about 2 years ago. I first got a trigger (improvement was slight) second I replaced that pos of a stock (groups shrank big time) now I have a new barrel sitting in a box (cant wait). Shoot and enjoy.

[CuddlesTheSheep]

Is 6-24x50mm. Good all around scope?

[glockman19]

I put a Bushnell Elite 6500 6-24x50 on my 700 CDL in .30-06.
It was $485 from Opticsplanet.com

[deviljon]

OP, I just acquired the same rifle but with an AICS 1.5 stock and a Harris bipod. It's my first 308 and bolt action and I did a little research on glass. I'm going to try out the Primary Arms 4-14x 44mm FFP scope first and see how it goes from there. For under $300, it looks decent and received good reviews. Plus it comes with a 3 year warranty and PA has great customer service.

Once I've gotten used to it and figured out what I like or don't like, I will drop the cash on something higher end and put this on a future 308 AR build.

Just my input!

[jmf_tracy]

I just bought a rem 5R with the X mark trigger and honestly i like it. this rifle left the factory with the recall already done. I will not be changing the stock or the trigger. YMMV.
As for scope, i went with the Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21X50 with Badger Ordnance 20 MOA base & Low Rings.
I like Vortex as well, but in this instance on a .308 IMO the Bushnell DMR is perfect.
here is a high end scope comparison from PRB that reviews the DMR

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/09/19/tactical-scopes-field-test-results-summary/

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/03/07/best-long-range-scopes-buyers-guide-and-features-to-look-for/

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/10/24/best-tactical-scopes-what-the-pros-use/

My next scope will be the Vortex Razor HD Gen2 4.5-27X56 which is going on my .338 build

[triggs75]

If your talking hunting as well I would not get such a powerful scope. Try to find a 3x12 or 3x15 at most. These will also get you out pretty far as a range gun.

And yes for that price range look at the viper hs scopes

[vliberatore]

Is 6-24x50mm. Good all around scope?

I just saw that you were planning on using this as your hunting gun too, disregard what I previously stated about scopes.

I'll say it before Randall does.

I always suggest separate guns for hunting and target shooting to the people that are always looking for "one bolt gun for hunting and target shooting"...
A Tikka T3 lite makes an excellent hunting gun.
A heavy barrelled Remington 700 makes an excellent target rifle.

Is it a hunting gun or a target gun.
Decide that FIRST.
Then, build the best gun that you can for that job.

Hunting with a target gun sucks.
Target shooting with a hunting gun sucks.
A hunting gun has a much lower magnification scope.
A target rifle is heavy as hell so you can shoot it all day long.
Trying to compromise to do both just means it will suck for both.

[Divernhunter]

A 6.5X20 is too much for hunting.
For hunting a Leupold 3X9X40 or at max a 4X12X40 or 4.5X14X40 NON-AO would be good choices.
If you want to shoot paper(long range especially) get a different rifle from one you will hunt with.
Harris Bipods are excellent.

[JMP]

Yes, as others have mentioned, scrap the XMP trigger as it is rubbish. Most people put in Timney 510s as they tend to be the cheapest aftermarket trigger. They are decent triggers, but nothing to write home about.

For the bipod, you'll probably be suited with a Harris as you only have a loop on your stock to mount to. For bipods that fit a loop, Harris is about the best you'll do. Again, it's nothing special, but it's most commonly used since it generally attaches to a factory configuration and it is economically priced.

For the mount get a 1-piece picatinny rail for a short action R700. Most people use one with a 20 MOA mount to get more elevation adjustment. But, having a canted base isn't necessary if you are getting a mount that has a cant, or f you run a 34mm+ tube, you don't need any cant as the scope should have plenty of adjustment to dial up on a .308 Win.

For a scope, the best all around scope for this setup would be a Schmidt & Bender 5-25x56. Those do really well up close as the parallax focus adjusts all the way down to 10m. Most larger scopes don't focus until about 50m. The Schmidt is well-built, usser friends, reliable, and performs excellently. Schmidt & Bender is your best bet for an all around scope. If you are looking to shoot mostly at long ranges, then I'd look at a Hensoldt as you will not find a clearer picture.