Best current production bolt-action .308 under $1200?

[philthygeezer]

X2

Having talked to a few people that have picked up the new Model 70, they are all sub MOA performers, the fit and finish is fantastic, the triggers are quite good, and the price is a bargain compared to Remingtons recent, to be frank, crap. It has no production equal in that price range.
The All Weather is just as good of a snag.
I also really like the Sako A7; whine about the stock if you like but the other guys injection moulding is just as bad.
A Featherweight with Talley's and a 2.5-8x36 Leupold would make a smashing setup. Nice and handy, without a pencil barrel, and nice wood to boot.

Still not sure about the pencil barrel part...

 

[mquality]

I have had my t/c icon weather shield in .308 for one year now and it is great. I would by another t/c without question.

 

[rem338win]

Still not sure about the pencil barrel part...

That's a short shank, not a pencil barrel. The 30-06 I mic'd was 0.6" at the muzzle. That isn't pencil.

 

[Gun Lover]

X2

Having talked to a few people that have picked up the new Model 70, they are all sub MOA performers, the fit and finish is fantastic, the triggers are quite good, and the price is a bargain compared to Remingtons recent, to be frank, crap. It has no production equal in that price range.
The All Weather is just as good of a snag.
I also really like the Sako A7; whine about the stock if you like but the other guys injection moulding is just as bad.
A Featherweight with Talley's and a 2.5-8x36 Leupold would make a smashing setup. Nice and handy, without a pencil barrel, and nice wood to boot.

Just FYI, with very little load development, mine in .308 Win, has indeed proven to be a sub MOA rifle (best group so far is .492" @ 100M) But it doesn't shoot like that for long, because the barrel fowls at an amazingly fast pace. After the first 10 shots, there's very little chance it'll shoot another sub MOA group, unless I clean the barrel again.

The triggers are better than many, but in my opinion no way better than the trigger on the M700 (once adjusted properly, which is very easy to do).

If you're thinking of getting the all weather model (it looks very good to me in pictures), make sure you handle one before you buy. I found the stock was unnecessarily big; way too thick for my taste, specially at the wrist, and its trigger pull a bit too long.

I agree 100% with everything else on your post.

 

[Gun Lover]

It ain't a pencil barrel, it isn't even THAT light, just light enough to make it fun to be carried around.

If you want a pencil barrel, you'll have to look at the Ruger compacts. Man, I was going to buy one of those in .30-06 SPLD, but got scared and went with the M70 instead.

Yes I'm sure they're up to the task, as most any Ruger firearm is, but I decided I just didn't need a barrel that light.