Bolt Action - Remington 700 or Savage

[Slick]

Picking out a bolt action for the "spring thaw"
Which to choose, the Remington 700 ADL, or a Savage like the 10GX or 11FX? Probably in .243, maybe .308.
Hey, there's another question, .243 or .308 and why...
Primary uses, targets and varmints.
Thanks,
Slick

 

[Kahr carrier]

Remington 700-308Cal.

 

[dakotasin]

remington 700 chambered to 308.

 

[Quintin Likely]

Either one would do you fine. I've got a Savage and a Remington, both are fine, reliable, accurate shooters when I do my part. If its targets and varmints you're after, and if you aren't gonna be toting this rifle around in the woods, I'd suggest one of the heavy barreled versions, since they won't heat up as much as a light barreled rifle would after repeated firing.

Re. caliber: .308 would give you plenty of flexiblity to reach out there and touch Mr. Wile E. Coyote or perforate paper all day to your hearts content. Recoil isn't all that harsh, and there's plenty of different loads out there, be it varmints, hunting, or match ammo. .223 is another possiblity, although if you're gonna go with a .223, I'd stick with Savage unless you wanted to pony up for a 700P; all other Remington 700s in .223 have a 1:12 twist, AFAIK, so they won't stabilize the big heavy match bullets. Savages are 1:9, at least my 10FP is, so throwing those 69 gr Match Kings are no problem. Some say the .223 is a little wimpy for some varmint types, but I don't think Wile E. will know the difference

 

[Stinger]

I recently went to Wally World looking to purchase a 700 in .308. They didn't have any, and were going to have to order one. Of course it was back-ordered, and was going to take about 6 months, according to the clerk.

I checked their inventory list, and they had two 30.06's. Well, my major headache when trying to decide on calibers had been between these two, and I narrowly decided on the .308, I decided to go for the 06.

I was definitely pleased when the clerk rang up the sale, and it was on clearance. $75 off the regular price.

I put a Redfield scope on her, and my first two boxes have been about 1 1/2". I plan on narrowing that gap this afternoon. I know that the rifle will shoot better than that. I am still a newbie with rifles, and have yet to find a rifle that can't outshoot me.

Good luck,

Stinger

 

[Loach]

I own a 700 ADL in 30-06 and a 110 in .260Rem. They're both pretty good shooters, easy to take care of and solid guns. I'm partial to the 700 though, mostly because I have better optics on it, so it's no fault of the Savage.

 

[Slick]

Is nobody fond of the .243? It seems everybody I talk to steers me toward .223 or .308. What's the matter with the .243?
Slick

 

[Stinger]

Nothing wrong with the 243, Slick.

Get whatever you want. 308 is a great all around cartridge, and 223 is a great varmit cartridge. People usually like to recommend the one's they are most familiar with. 243 would be good for the uses you mentioned. But if you think you might be stepping up to bigger game, the 308 would be better.

Stinger

 

[dakotasin]

i'm quite familiar w/ all 3... of the three, i have very little use for the 223. that leaves the 243 and 308, and the 308 is, i feel, more versatile than the 243.

nothing wrong w/ the 243, just the 308 offers more of everything over the 243.

 

[Lone Star]

Why not a Remington M700BDL? They're nicer, and you can dump the ammo out the bottom of the rifle.

I really prefer the Winchester M70 to either, though. I take it you're in an economic situation where you aren't looking for a Sako or a good Mannlicher-Schoeneuer...if you can even find a really nice example of the latter. These won't outshoot a Remington or Savage, but are more satisfying to own, if one likes class in guns.

The M-S does need special 'scope mounts, and the bolt handle is too far forward for the fastest operation.

Lone Star

 

[johnAK]

tikka

I have savage 10FP with valdada scope,
my friend used to have rem, he sold it and bought tikka .308
damn, right out of the box, i shot that tikka 0.7" at 100yrds target with federal gold medal match (to zero scope with friend).
I want to have tikka now.

 

[cratz2]

Is nobody fond of the .243? It seems everybody I talk to steers me toward .223 or .308. What's the matter with the .243?

The .243, along with the 25-06, is my current favorite cartridge though I have a hankerin' for a couple other .25 and 6.5mm cartridges for some reason.

The 223 and the 308 are both available in fairly low priced quality ammo for blasting practice and in a lot of variations come hunting time. The 223 is a very capable varmint cartridge but pretty much limited to varmints and targets for most shooters in most parts of the country.

On the other hand, the 308 is a very capable cartridge that can be used for varmints, pests, deer, elk and larger animals with proper loadings and can be had in the 105 Gr VMax for handloaders.

In the middle there, is the excellent .243 Winchester. Very little recoil, esp in a heavy barrel varmint type rifle. Capable of taking deer as Mr Eatman will attest. And available in factory loadings anywhere from the 58 Gr VMax to the 100 Gr Nosler Partitions with Speer Nitrex Grand Slams and Federal Game Kings in between. The options for handloaders are nearly limitless.

I can, without reservation, recommend the 243 for most non-moose and non-bear applications. Assuming proper shot placement and proper bullet use.