Rifle choices

[03mossy]

as much as i enjoy toting the omega through the woods, i think its time for a rifle. it will open up my choices for stand location and well... i want a rifle.
anyway i have been doing my homework. goin to different stores to handle all i can. i have decided for sure on a 300 win mag, i want one do-it-all rifle. i want to make this purchuse once and be done with it, so quility and reliability are my first priorities. so far the front runners are...

winchester model 70 (new model)
TC icon
Remington 700

i am still unsure if i want a stainless version or blued or matte. i think i like the looks of the stainless the best. the win would be most expensive then the tc then the rem. but i want to do this once so if i have to save a few more months then so be it. or do i buy the cheaper one so i can spend more on optics. (we will get to the optics later) sorry for the babble but i'm just trying to get this topic started.

 

[Bucker]

rifle

winmag will kill any and all comers. Remington 700 is an old name and people i hunt w/ have shot them forever w/ no problems. If you ever want resale on tis gun look at Browning A-Bolt as well.

 

[RAF]

You also might want to consider a Tikka. They claim MOA right out of the box with factory loads. I have a T3 light in 300 WSM and their claim is legit. And it gets better with hand loads. Only down side is recoil, but only notice in on the range.

 

[Bucker]

wsm

My buddy is a youngish guy but still gets hit w/ that 300 wsm. I have never felt a shotj go off when shooting at game. Sometimes i am suprised i shot.

 

[choc-dog]

A 30-06 loaded with a Barnes 168 gr TSX and hunt any where in the world.

The all copper (monolithic) bullets have changed the bar as far a cartridge needs in todays hunting invironment.

chocdog

 

[Bucker]

rifle

x2 choc dog, I was responding to his choice of caliber. I use an 06' exclusively, next are my inlines and flints.

 

[SWThomas]

I don't own one, but based on friends experiences, I would reconsider going with a 300. A .30-06 would be a better choice and the ammo is a lot easier to find.

 

[DPH]

I've been shooting a Remington 700 .30-06 since 1984. It has killed everything up to (and including) Kudu and Wildebeeste in Africa, and a lot of game here in the USA. With my two pet handloads - 150 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip and 180 gr. Nosler Partition - I would be confident in hunting anything in North America.

When I decided to get a bigger rifle, I couldn't see that the .300 Win Mag was that much better than the .30-06, so I went to a Browning A-bolt in .338 Win Mag.

Good luck on whatever you choose.

 

[03mossy]

now don't get me wrong i appreciate all the responses so far, but i stated i was going to go 300 win mag as to not get into a caliber dispute. it's too big off a can a worms to get into. there's always going to be a .06 fan that can shoot the eye out of an eagle at 400 yards and then the guy with the .338 that says the .06 is a under powerd bb gun. we all know it comes down to shot placement. period. (i am still open to the .06, but for now its the 300)
anyway back to the topic... i heard somewhere the 700 SPS is a stripped down version with a cheaper trigger and stock, now i was understanding that the 770 is the stripped down version. anybody know the truth, remingtons site is unclear. i can find a SPS for about $500.

 

[jims]

I do not have the TC Icon but what I have read about it, it seems like a quality rifle.

 

[DPH]

now don't get me wrong i appreciate all the responses so far, but i stated i was going to go 300 win mag as to not get into a caliber dispute. it's too big off a can a worms to get into. there's always going to be a .06 fan that can shoot the eye out of an eagle at 400 yards and then the guy with the .338 that says the .06 is a under powerd bb gun. we all know it comes down to shot placement. period. (i am still open to the .06, but for now its the 300)
anyway back to the topic... i heard somewhere the 700 SPS is a stripped down version with a cheaper trigger and stock, now i was understanding that the 770 is the stripped down version. anybody know the truth, remingtons site is unclear. i can find a SPS for about $500.

The 700 will be a better gun than the 770. The 770 is an upgraded 710 (as I understand it). An inferior action to the 700.

If you want a 300 mag, go for it. It will do everything the .06 will, just have more of a kick.

Get good low mounts, and a good scope and you'll never regret it.

 

[n8dawg6]

i dont think there's anything wrong w/ the 300 mag. if you can shoot it accurately w/ the additional recoil, its probably the best all-around cartridge made.

hard to pick one out of those 3 rifles as being better than the rest ... i would go up to the dealer and try each one to see which feels best to you. the model 70 and the icon supposedly have more "custom" features than the stock 700 ... but probably any one of those 3 could benefit from some gunsmith tweaking. having had some real good gunsmithing work done for me in the past few months, i'd probably buy a stock rifle and then take it to the gunsmith to get it exactly where i wanted. gotta have a guy you trust to do that, though.

as far as accuracy goes ... i seriously doubt you'll be able to tell much of a difference with any of those 3.

as far as blued or stainless ... if you like the looks of stainless better, go w/ stainless. the only advantage of blued in my mind would be looks ... ive gotten to where i prefer the look of blued and walnut. but you cant go wrong w/ synthetic and stainless. factory synthetic stocks tend to feel really cheap, though, depending on the model of rifle you buy. doesnt necessarily mean they perform poorly ... just feel cheap.



not trying to upset your choices, either, but .... i'd also take a look at the savages ...

 

[Doohan]

To me it is a toss up for the 700 Classic and a T/C Icon.

Since I have several 700's I would most likely go Icon BUT the 700 is most likely the best deal.

Tough choice.

 

[black powder]

have u tried the .300 wsm with boss ..there are a lot of options out there ,take ur time ,and chose the one that feels right...

 

[jessedvw]

now don't get me wrong i appreciate all the responses so far, but i stated i was going to go 300 win mag as to not get into a caliber dispute. it's too big off a can a worms to get into. there's always going to be a .06 fan that can shoot the eye out of an eagle at 400 yards and then the guy with the .338 that says the .06 is a under powerd bb gun. we all know it comes down to shot placement. period. (i am still open to the .06, but for now its the 300)
anyway back to the topic... i heard somewhere the 700 SPS is a stripped down version with a cheaper trigger and stock, now i was understanding that the 770 is the stripped down version. anybody know the truth, remingtons site is unclear. i can find a SPS for about $500.

The 700 will be a better gun than the 770. The 770 is an upgraded 710 (as I understand it). An inferior action to the 700.

If you want a 300 mag, go for it. It will do everything the .06 will, just have more of a kick.

Get good low mounts, and a good scope and you'll never regret it.

im gonna agree with that, dont get the 770, i had the 710 and 770 both in .270 and i could never get better than a 3-4" group at 100 yards with either gun, my brother-in-law has a tikka t3 in .270 and was printing sub moa groups consistently

 

[BCS]

The Winchester's have Controlled Round Feeding

Never handled an Icon, but the look like a very nice rifle!

 

[AJ]

Yeah, I would not recommend the 770. I have seen some that shot very well, but I don't like the configuration. Like DPH said, its a newer version of the 710. It is not a knockoff of the 700. Its a different design.

The 798 is a good gun, a bit overpriced since Remington bought the rights to import them though. They were previously marketed as the Interarms Mark X and more recently the Charles Daly Mauser. I have a few of these and they are good solid guns.

The 700 is a benchmark in bolt rifles. The 700 really has not changed much since it was introduced back in 1962. The stock material has changed a bit but the barreled action is the same. The trigger has had a few tweaks over the years. It is a push feed design but I have never found that to be a draw back.

The Winchester 70 is another classic rifle that will fit the bill nicely. Like BCS said, it has controlled feeding like the 798 does if that trips your trigger. The FN company makes some very nice rifles so I wold imagine this to be top of the line in quality.

I don't have any experience with the TC Icon. The design has some interesting ponts that I like, but I can't bring myself to buy one. I am just not a big fan of TC (even though I have 4 of their guns).

How about the Savage line of guns? They are as good as any others here. The model 114 American Classic is a nice looking rifle that will hang with Remington, Winchester, Browning, Ruger, etc. Just throwing another option in.

You will not go wrong with any of the guns you listed. Pick which one you like the best, add some good glass, and shoot the heck out of it.

 

[minst7877]

I have a browning A-Bolt in 300 Win Mag and absolutely love it. Do yourself a favor and put a good recoil pad on it and you will have a gun for every occasion

 

[teacherboy]

My advice would be to handle them all and see what fits and feels best. I shoot a Tikka and wouldn't trade it for anything. It fits me nicely and has the best trigger I have felt. All the guns you have listed are great choices. But give them all a shot.

 

[Swampman]

The Remington 700 CDL in .30-06 is my choice. The Remington Core-Lokt bullet will do anything I ask it to.