An M1A might be exciting.
Posted on 02/07/2013 4:00:51 PM PST by M.K. Borders
Considering an upgrade into. 308 Winchester for some long shooting. Mostly predator hunting but also some competition. Lots of folks pointing me to the Remington 700 but I'm not getting real excited about that particular gun. Don't like that particular nylon stock and the action seems loose. Leaning toward Savage but would like some opinions.
My wife bought me a Sako Model 85 Hunter in .308 last year. I teamed it up with a Leupold 4x12 scope and together they make one of the finest rifles I have ever owned. 200 yard shots are a piece of cake. 400 yards is very doable and exciting. Can’t wait until spring as I’m planning on eliminating a few coyotes.
That's the rifle I'm seriously looking at. Looking forward to the comments.
I like! That looks a lot like Ruger’s new American the way the receiver is not an open top but just has an ejection port. That has got to be good and rigid.
Um, no, the 770 was not an improvement except with regards to increasing Remington’s margins. The 770 was much inferior to the 700.
Pulled my M100 out of the closet, and I still like it: it fits me. I wouldn’t think of using it as a target rifle though, as it is just accurate enough to be a short range hunting rifle.
Which works here in NH.
I’ve an M1A for the range and for distance shots.
But I do note that there was a recall back in 1990 for firing pin replacement that I didn’t know about, so thanks for the comment.
“For those who do not know, the Howa M1500 and the Weatherby Vanguard 2 are essentially the same rifle.”
There are some differences. For one, I like the Weatherby stock and cheek rest much better. Have a look:
http://www.weatherby.com/product/rifles/vanguard_2/series_2_synthetic
I would suggest that whoever told you the 770 was an improvement should be ignored on the subject of firearms and never given money by you again.
Look into a Remington 700P/PSS.
I agree, I like the Weatherby stock a lot better but you pay a premium price for it with about a $200 difference. I had a Howa in .308 with a Nikko Nighteater on layaway at Buds and was trading in a ... older ranch-style rifle in .223 for $400, but when I saw what my rifle was selling for ($8-900) I cancelled the deal.
My .308 is a TC Icon.
Fantastic gun but can’t swim for sh!^!
I’ve made a bunch of pro-Remington posts on this thread and realized that I didn’t note the fact that the Savage 10/110 types are just as good a product, just as accurate and worthy of consideration. The only issue is that if you get into competition, you’ll find that more accessories are available for the 700 than the Savage product.
Ruger Model 77 .308 - great rifle.
Just curious, where are you located? Which state, etc.?
Just talked with a fella here at the lodge and that was his recommendation
Finding the ammo for it has lately been a BIG problem...;)
Years ago I had a Savage model 99D chambered in .308 Win (7.62 NATO). Leupold 3x9 variable scope... Great rifle - the barrel was a little short for long range work but was just fine in tight woods. Wish I still had it.
That's not bad !! What was your shooting position ? Using a rest ?
Yeah, IMHO he’s an idiot. It’s like walking into a German car dealer looking for a Porsche 911 and driving out in a VW Old Beetle assembled in Mexico on the day after Cinco De Mayo.
An M1A might be exciting.
If you want to compete, chamber either rifle in a 6.5-284. Both rifles are fine but Savage gives you more bang for the buck. Either rifle can be used as a base to improve upon. Re-crown the (heavy) barrel, upgrade the stock, lap the bolt, light trigger pull, and with optics paying a fortune is not always worth the expense. I prefer Savage just because it costs less initially and I change much of it out anyway. Nothing wrong with a .308. The key to accuracy with any caliber once you have the rifle and know how to shoot is loading your ammo as consistently as possible. Every round must be just like the one before and after it. It is totally possible to shoot at and hit quarters at 500 with an old yet accurized Savage chambered in .308. There is a wealth of information out there on how to go about what I just described. Either rifle will shoot just fine right out of the box but to get that 3” group at 1000 you’ll need to play with every detail of the rifle and ammo, and of course shoot often. Most important is to enjoy doing all of it and to not be afraid to fail trying new variations.
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