Advice and tips

[CSACANNONEER]

Everyone should have at least one bolt action .22lr.

[bsumoba]

Everyone should have at least one bolt action .22lr.

you mean this...

16" stainless barrel, laminate stock, lightweight, Simmon 4x scope, less than $200, shoots $0.08 cent per round ammo, perfect squirrel/rabbit gun out to 100yds

[toby]

If everyone rationalized every aspect of a rifle and cartridge then everyone would only own a 30-06 and what a boring life that would be.

[Mega-Ken]

to give you a little more help on you decision:

Mfg
* Savage makes rifles in the 308, 6.5 and I think the 260 as well (dont quote me on the 260 though). Less choices for aftermarket stuff like triggers, stocks, etc. You could customize it, but again, the limitations on aftermarkets parts can become an issue.
* Remington I dont think does the 6.5 or the 260, or if they do, its very limited, so youre probably limited to the .223 or .308. I dont really recommend any other caliber than these at this point because you dont reload. A lot of gunsmiths work on 700 type actions and are easy to blueprint so if you wanted to upgrade, there is no need to get another rifle...just customize the one you have.

Distance
if you plan on shooting 800+ yards, go with something like a 6.5 creedmoor, 260rem, 6.5x47 lapua, or something similar. again, my advice is probably the 6.5 creedmoor since you dont reload yet and you can accumulate brass (SAVE THE BRASS!). The 308 in the heavier weight bullets like 175+ grain can/will go to a grand and beyond, but factors like wind and bullet drop are killer for the 308 and make it a challenge to get on target at times. If you stay under 800, then maybe the 308 is good enough, but like many people I know...once they get a taste of long range, they typically want to go farther and the 308 has its limitations.

Longevity
308 barrel life is MUCH better than the 6.5 or 260, with round counts between 4-10K. The 260 or 6.5 will go 2-4K depending on a lot of various factors (how hot the loads are, rate of fire, etc).

Recoil
The 308 without the brake, although manageable, is still a little taxing on the shoulder, especially if you like to put a lot of rounds downrange. Put a brake on it, and its not so bad at all, but your colleagues will despise you . The 260 and 6.5 will probably not need a brake, but you could put one on to make it feel almost like a .223. Most stock rifles will not have a brake. I think Remington makes a 308 with a threaded muzzle though. Not sure which model it is though. I try to minimize the recoil as I like to shoot a lot and a bruised/sore shoulder sucks and could cause bad shooting habits like flinching.

Ammo
308 will have the best choices since its a popular round by far. The 6.5 creedmoor is picking up steam, but there is only a couple/few places to get good factory match ammo, hornady being one of them. The 260 remington has a few more choices, but you will pay for it. the 6.5 and 260 are most beneficial when/if you can reload. I can load match 308 ammo for about $0.42/round, FYI. My 6.5 creedmoor is around $0.48-$0.62 depending on the components I choose, but it is match quality ammo. Not sure on the 260 rem, but it will be similar to the 6.5 creedmoor.

Accuracy, Bullet Drop & Wind
All these can be tack drivers as far as accuracy goes. Each will have match ammo offerings to attain good accuracy, but the only way to really optimize it is to reload and work a load up for you rifle. All are capable of shooting sub-MOA, and even sub- 1/2" MOA or better.
Wind is a different story. The 6.5 and 260 will have the edge with its higher BC bullet offerings. The 308, although typically heavier, suffers a bit in the wind, especially at distance. It simply doesnt have the bullet BC that the 6.5mm caliber bullets have.
Bullet drop is also a problem when going out to longer distances with the 308. The 6.5 and 260 beat it hands down out to distance. Up close, the 308 is fine though for government work

You know my choice, which is the 6.5 creedmoor.

Now...to throw a monkey wrench in the picture, maybe consider 300 Win Mag! Lots of factory rifles in this cartridge. It will be a little more expensive to shoot, but performance wise with the right bullet, you can get EXCELLENT performance with this. Recoil will be more, but nothing a brake cant help alleviate a bit, you can go out to LONG distances. If you're just target shooting though, one would argue why you need the 300 win mag when you have the 6.5mm calibers that can perform out to 1000+ yards, which is what most people max out at as far as distance goes or accessibility. The 300 Win Mag will probably take most game we have on the North American continent.

Now, if this still scares, you...go with a 308 remington 700, shoot the hell out of it, then when/if you want to upgrade, you can with relative ease.

okay, im done typing.

Awesome info thank you sir

[RNE228]

Yes...

Saw a Winchester 52 with a Unertl on it a bit ago. That would be nice

Have been involved with 4h and Scouts; done shoots at El Dorado and Sac Valley. They have some awesome bull barrel match 22's for the junior programs. Shot a few of those rifles while working with the kids. Sweet...

Everyone should have at least one bolt action .22lr.

[MongooseV8]

to give you a little more help on you decision:

Mfg
* Savage makes rifles in the 308, 6.5 and I think the 260 as well (dont quote me on the 260 though). Less choices for aftermarket stuff like triggers, stocks, etc. You could customize it, but again, the limitations on aftermarkets parts can become an issue.

Just wanted to point out. These days there are very few things you can get for a 700 that you cant get for a Savage. In many cases there are things you can get for the Savage that cannot be had for the Remington.

[TomReloaded]

I see some guys pop off 25 rounds and go home. I might shoot off 300. For that, .223 is really nice on shoulders.

Id like a 308 for hunting, but .223 has its advantages for shooting paper for fun.

[CSACANNONEER]

I see some guys pop off 25 rounds and go home. I might shoot off 300. For that, .223 is really nice on shoulders.

Id like a 308 for hunting, but .223 has its advantages for shooting paper for fun.

I've gone to a range and fired 7 shots. 2 to sight in, 3 to confirm and see the group and then 2 at longer yardage just for fun. Other times, I've run +100 rounds of 50BMG along with a few hundred rounds of small stuff like 8mm, .308, 7.5 Swiss, etc. None of it is hard on the shoulder. Felt or perceived recoil has as much to do with the firearm and how it fits the shooter as it does the cartridge.

[Mega-Ken]

So i cruised over to my local Turners which is Oxnard, ( i always good customer here ), picked up a few items which i had on 10 day wait. I was checking out the Remington 700 SPS nice rifle but they didn't have any Savage 10 in stock to look or compare so far I am for sure to go with .308 caliber. Thank you all for the comments and feedback.

[ar15barrels]

So i cruised over to my local Turners which is Oxnard, ( i always good customer here ), picked up a few items which i had on 10 day wait. I was checking out the Remington 700 SPS nice rifle but they didn't have any Savage 10 in stock to look or compare so far I am for sure to go with .308 caliber. Thank you all for the comments and feedback.

Get the 700 and don't look back.
It's a much nicer action to work with.
If you really want to learn how to shoot precision rifles, take the CAPRC clinics next year.

[Motor Man]

The Mossberg MVP Varmint comes in 308 now and can be had at Big 5 when they have their 20% sale for about $500 (plus tax and Vaseline). I'm not recommending the MVP as I have no experience with it, but I've heard good things about it. just putting it out there.

I have a R700 currently and would like to try a Savage someday. Guess I just want one of each.

[Mega-Ken]

Worse case scenerio is this

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/MARKIITRRSR with decent optics i can practice.

[jj805]

I plan reload in later time due to time and expense. Plus kinda scared of reloading lol.

There is local help for that. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...816190&page=11