Choosing between Rem 700 SPS Varmint & Savage 16/116 FCSS in 308

Remington 700 SPS Varmint or Savage 16/116 FCSS in 308?

  • Remington 700 SPS Varmint is a better gun for the money!

    Votes: 26 41.3%

  • Savage 16/116 FCSS is a way to go!

    Votes: 29 46.0%

  • Other, I will post my arguments below...

    Votes: 8 12.7%
  • Total voters
    63
svt-40

svt-40

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The gun will be used by my two kids as an upgrade to Stevens 200 in 223 in their continuing training and possibly for hunting 'yotes a couple years from now.

Rem's heavy contour barrel is on one hand, but Savage's SS barrel, detachable clip and accutrigger are on another. We usually fire 50 rounds per trip to the range and train weekly.

The rifle will be used in stock configuration w/o any upgrades or modifications.
Which is a better choice?
 
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i dont have an SPS-V, but i have an SPS SS and a 700P as well as a Savage 16FCSS (in .308).

on the Savage ive found the detachable mag to be more of a liability than the asset i thought it would be when i ordered the rifle. aftermarket stocks for the new magazine inlet are scarce, the small folded metal tab retaining the magazine is not the greatest design (i already had to repair one of my mags by welding/filing - although Savage customer service is great and if one breaks they will send you a replacement within a couple of days. i just wanted to see if they could be repaired).

also consider the stainless Ruger Hawkeyes, which are - IMO - a much better gun and value than either the Savages or Remingtons. they might cost a few bucks more but you will save $100 on rings/bases so cost works out to the same or less. controlled round feed, much better floorplate, fixed blade ejector, bigass claw extractor, much better designed/more solid 3 position safety, nicer finish, etc.

the Savage FCSS and .25-06 SPS SS that i own were attempts to build 'budget' stainless rifles. in retrospect i wish i would have just picked up an M77 or Hawkeye instead of the cheaper Remingtons/Savages. in the end by the time i added quality rings and steel weaver bases i was at the price of the Rugers which are much nicer.

savage16aa2.jpg

on my FCSS i filled the checkering and barrel channel honeycomb with fibreglass, bedded the action in the stock, and refinished the stock. i also added a large factory Savage tactical bolt knob ($20 from Brownells) because i hate the tiny knurled factory SS one.
 
I'd take the 700 over the Savage, but make mine a sporter barrel. Heavy barrel may be nice on the bench, but your kids won't want to lug it around anywhere...

BTW the SPS Stainless is usually only ~$60 more than the blued version...
 
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I'd go SPS-V, heavier barrel diameter will heat up slower on those range days. If it was to be drug out for deer the Savage would win, only because of the weight factor. But I'd rather have a regular SPS than the savage
 
The cheap bastard in me won, as usual, and I bought Stevens 200 in 308 from Epps, Leupold 1 piece base with medium Leupold rings and topped it up with a cheap Tasco 6-24x42 mildot scope, that I got on final sale from Lebaron for $89 (10 bucks cheaper than Cabelas!). When I came home and opened an unusually large box with Tasco, there were two sandbags inside - front and rear, worth probably another $10 or so. Taking to the range as soon as I load some ammo!
 
You'll probably find that the Stevens 200 .308 Win will work out fine.:cool:

On the original questions.... I would've opted for a Rem 700 SPS stainless instead..... ;)
 
im sure youll be happy with the Stevens, although im curious to see how that Tasco works out for you in the long run. if you really want a heavy barrel you could also keep an eye out for Savage 10FP take-offs in the EE, i see them there now and then.
no more heavy barrels for me. i have an SPS-SS in .25-06 i was going to rebarrel with a 26" straight contour barrel but my common sense got the better of me in the end and i reconsidered.... no more 14lb monsters for me :runaway:
 
For that price, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the Tasco. I have one on my CZ452 for target shooting and it's pretty decent for the money.

And judging from many people's experience with a Stevens, I'd say you made the right choice.
 
The only thing that surprises me in 308 Stevens is a single row mag. The 223 mag is staggered, why not making a staggered mag for 308? There is space, as the mag has two indents to keep the rounds in one row.
 
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