Best Bolt Action
- Thread starter Are Pal
- Start date
RangerPark
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Near Edmonton, AB
+1 for the Remington 700 5R. They shoot really well. My current build is based on the Gen2 5R and i'm really happy with it. They are getting pricey though...
This.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If you find the idea of the .308 intimidating, and you have no intention of shooting big game, begin your centerfire shooting career with a .223, otherwise you can handload the .308 to a comfortable level. Ammunition for the .223, surplus, sporting, or match, is more affordable than similar .308 ammo; to get good you have to shoot a lot, so the cost of the ammunition, factory or handloads, has a far greater impact than the initial cost of the rifle. You should purchase a rifle with fast a twist rifling pitch; you'll find that 1:9 or faster is beneficial once you decide to shoot beyond 300 yards, and realize the advantage of long for caliber match and VLD bullets.
To my way of thinking a Remington 700 Tactical in .223 with the longer 20" heavy contour barrel option is a good choice for you. The 20" barrel is a suitable length for the small powder charge of the .223, and the 1:9 twist is suitable for bullets shorter than the 70 gr Berger VLD (.976"). The M-700 magazine is long enough to seat bullets out to minimize the jump to the rifling once you begin handloading. The push feed allows you to drop a round on top of the magazine follower and close the bolt, whereas a controlled round feed action like the CZ-527 (a trim little rifle that I'm particularly fond of) should be fed from the magazine to prevent damage to the extractor, although it will tolerate loading loose rounds for a while. The combination of a short magazine box and an inability to close the bolt on a loose round is a problem if you want to load bullets that make the cartridge too long for the magazine.
The M-700 Tactical is listed at less than 8 pounds, making it a reasonable weight to carry afield. At some point in the future you might opt for a stock upgrade; anyone who manufactures custom rifle stocks, makes one for a 700 Remington. When going that route, a stock that provides adjustment for the length of pull and has an adjustable comb is beneficial, particularly if the rifle is going to be used outdoors all year round. A quality aftermarket stock, either wood or fiberglass is easier to glass bed than the overmolded Hogue stock.
While not really pertinent to the choice of the rifle, optics are not a good place to economize; purchase the best you can afford. Thanks to Korth Group's fine warranty and repair depot in Canada, Leupold is a good choice. You can, for example, purchase a used 4-12X40 Vari-X II at an attractive price, have Korth check it out, install target turrets for fast elevation and windage adjustments, and even upgrade the reticle if you want something other than a duplex. Scope mounts should be rugged, strong, and precise. A Picatinny rail provides the greatest versatility for positioning the scope on the rifle, but good quality rings need not be the heavy, expensive tactical type, but their height should take the bell diameter of the scope and the untapered barrel into consideration.
To my way of thinking a Remington 700 Tactical in .223 with the longer 20" heavy contour barrel option is a good choice for you. The 20" barrel is a suitable length for the small powder charge of the .223, and the 1:9 twist is suitable for bullets shorter than the 70 gr Berger VLD (.976"). The M-700 magazine is long enough to seat bullets out to minimize the jump to the rifling once you begin handloading. The push feed allows you to drop a round on top of the magazine follower and close the bolt, whereas a controlled round feed action like the CZ-527 (a trim little rifle that I'm particularly fond of) should be fed from the magazine to prevent damage to the extractor, although it will tolerate loading loose rounds for a while. The combination of a short magazine box and an inability to close the bolt on a loose round is a problem if you want to load bullets that make the cartridge too long for the magazine.
The M-700 Tactical is listed at less than 8 pounds, making it a reasonable weight to carry afield. At some point in the future you might opt for a stock upgrade; anyone who manufactures custom rifle stocks, makes one for a 700 Remington. When going that route, a stock that provides adjustment for the length of pull and has an adjustable comb is beneficial, particularly if the rifle is going to be used outdoors all year round. A quality aftermarket stock, either wood or fiberglass is easier to glass bed than the overmolded Hogue stock.
While not really pertinent to the choice of the rifle, optics are not a good place to economize; purchase the best you can afford. Thanks to Korth Group's fine warranty and repair depot in Canada, Leupold is a good choice. You can, for example, purchase a used 4-12X40 Vari-X II at an attractive price, have Korth check it out, install target turrets for fast elevation and windage adjustments, and even upgrade the reticle if you want something other than a duplex. Scope mounts should be rugged, strong, and precise. A Picatinny rail provides the greatest versatility for positioning the scope on the rifle, but good quality rings need not be the heavy, expensive tactical type, but their height should take the bell diameter of the scope and the untapered barrel into consideration.
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