Advice on first Precision Rifle

jcuffe6240

jcuffe6240

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I have been searching the forum for ideas and advice on the purchase of a new long range rifle and I have come to the conclusion that I would like a Remington 700 series rifle in 308 Win. However, I am conflicted between the Rem 700P and Rem 700 SPS Tactical. What would be the pros and cons of either? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
First difference I believe is the SPS Tactical has a 20" barrel as opposed to a 24" barrel on the 700P. Biggest difference is the stock. The SPS Tactical has a Hogue stock which you will want to replace if you are serious about precision. The 700P comes with a HS Precision stock. I personally had the same debate and went with the cheaper SPS Tactical and immediately replaced the stock. I found the palm swell on the 700P uncomfortable (little girly hands). Get your hands on a 700P and decide for yourself if you like the stock. Other than that it's all the same
 
In terms of the end result, they will be exactly the same. If you are using factory ammo, simply go witht he one that fits your budget and your style. In time you will want to change things and upgrade different things, so to be honest, I would simply reccommend the cheaper of the two options and spend the money on wise upgrades later on.

More money does NOT mean more accurate.
 
If you like the HS precision stock I would buy the police. You can upgrade the shlit out of the rest of your gun and still have a good stock. I personally love the HS stocks. I have recently gone through pretty much the same quandary. One of the conclusions I came up with was unless you are going to accurize (blueprint) your rem 700 action yourself, your better off (read $$$$) to start with a custom or semi custom action if you want to stay in a 700 style action.

Depending on your needs a savage could fit the bill quite nicely too. A bbl change can get you into the .2's easily and savages are very easy to work on yourself since the floating bolt head design eliminates much of the problems blueprinting would normally correct and the brewer collar allows bbl swaps with a minimum of tools. Many of the brand name, custom, competition winning bbl makers offer savage bbls prechambered and ready for drop in installation.
 
I'm not too sure of the price differences between the P and SPS but you can generally pick up a take off HS stock on the EE for around $250 any day of the week from P owners who have changed out the stock.

I too was not in love with the palm swell on the HS for prone shooting and changed out to a Bell & Carlson Medalist A5 and haven't looked back (HS Precision stock still sits in my basement).
 
I have been the road you are on before. I went with a Rem. 700 that I then later had blue printed, new barrel, mag kit, different recoil lug, pillar bedded ect; I spent as pile of money. If I were to do it all again I would just order a Tikka heavy barrel. The actions are way smoother than anything else I have tried, they have a one MOA guarantee, the mags work well and you can buy a bunch, and they shoot. Any I have ever seen shoot at least three quarter MOA with most ammo, some half that. That will keep bullets in the Bull out to 1000 meters; after 300 meters it is just a wind reading game anyway.

With regards to barrel length it doesn`t really matter. The longer barrels gain velocity but it is barrel quality, not length that will determine accuracy. Shorter barrels just mean a few more clicks on the elevation of your scope at distance.

Good luck with whatever you decide; it is great to have to make these kinds of decisions.
 
As already stated, the HS Precision stock is far superior to the Hogue offering. Why haven't you considered purchasing a 700 LTR? You'll no doubt find the stock to be far more comfortable than that of the 700P, especially if you have smaller hands. The palm swell on the 700P leaves a great deal to be desired.

If budget is a consideration, why not consider the 700SPS Varmint and buy a take off LTR stock in the EE here on CGN? You can then have a gunsmith chop the barrel length to whatever you want and have it re-crowned. Going this route would save you a considerable amount of money and you'd have a similar end result.

I've bought (2) LTR stocks from the EE for around $300 each, so they're not that hard to find.
 
Obtunded said:
In terms of the end result, they will be exactly the same. If you are using factory ammo, simply go witht he one that fits your budget and your style. In time you will want to change things and upgrade different things, so to be honest, I would simply reccommend the cheaper of the two options and spend the money on wise upgrades later on.

More money does NOT mean more accurate.
Click to expand...

i will have to say yes to this one.
 
This all just seems to be more confusing now. So is the only difference to the 700P, 700 SPS Tactical, 700 SPS Varmint and 700 LTR the stock? Does the rilfes still have the heavy barrel and I imagine the bolts and receivers are the same as well?
 
Yup!

A Remington 700 is a Remington 700. The actions are all mechanically identical, with cosmetics being the only difference between and Sendero and an SPS. The barrels are all identical on the inside, it is only the exterior dimensions and lengths that differ.

The 5R models (which for some reason are not even on Remington's website) utilize a different rifling profile, and are made of stainless. I like their stock and thier action. The guns can shoot very well, and the one and only upgrade needed to convert it to a true 'precision" rifle, is a barrel upgrade that you can do down the road.

Until you are doing your own reloading and load development, don't bother with a barrel upgrade. Just shoot, have fun, and network with other shooters at the range.
 
I would add that finish is a difference between the 700's. The parkerized finish on the P and LTR's is far better than the bluing or whatever it is that is on the SPS's.

I have also found the actions smoother and the overall fit and finish of parts better on the P, 5R, and LTR's. This could be due to the examples I have handled, though. Many are more then happy with their SPS's.

For certain my 5R was far and away better finished and cared for by the factory than my SPSV- of course it was twice the price...

It isn't an easy decision to say the least. If it helps, figure out what you must have. For example, I decided a fast twist rate and stainless steel to be priorities. I went with the 5R, as it met those two requirements. I didn't give much thought to the stock as I knew I would try a few different ones before settling.
 
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Barrel twist is another difference. Most if not all the tactical/P versions of the .223 are 1:9, The SPS Varmint and other hunting models are 1:12. The faster twist being more desirable for shooting heavier bullets (up to about 70 gr.)
 
I have obtained CMP surplus 40x stocks to put my 40x 223/243 barrelled actions in. Couldn't find any new stocks to do this. The CMP 40x stocks are in exc shape. Finding the addition stock accessories is trying!
 
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