I'm looking into buying my first long range hunting/target gun and have been checking out the Remington 700 Sendero SF II in 300 win mag. Anybody shoot this gun or have helpful suggestions on other similarly priced guns in similar calibers? I'm leaning towards the Remington because it seems like it would be an easy enough gun to find custom parts for come the day for upgrading and the price is right. Thanks guys!
First long range gun, any suggestions?
- Thread starter jables
- Start date
See here ( If you can get past the guys burning me for using the "S" word
) : http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=761994
Jordan Smith
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
What will you be hunting with it? Out to what range?
A hunting rifle and a target rifle (precision rifle for puching paper) are 2 different animals. The Remington 700 Sendero SF II in 300 win mag would be an excellent moose/elk rifle. However it wouldn't be something you would want to shoot all day long as target rifle.
The cost of shooting a .300 wm for target would be prohibitive not to mention the recoil over long strings. Mind you if you are just plinking it wouldn't be that bad. If it were me a .308 will knock down just about anything you might care to take a poke at if you hit it in the right spot. Cheap to load for and there is a plethora of load info out there.
I'd consider building a rifle, since upgradeing is on your mind anyway.A sendero is a good rifle, but an expensive donor.
An action, custom barrel and McMillan does cost more than a Sendero on sale, but it also costs less than a Sendero, custom barrel and McMillan.
An action, custom barrel and McMillan does cost more than a Sendero on sale, but it also costs less than a Sendero, custom barrel and McMillan.
Thanks for the help guys. Recoil isn't much of an issue, but the more I talk to people the more a fully custom rifle seems to fit the bill; only issue is the amount of time I'm away from home due to to work (finding the time); customizing isn't an option for a couple of years, so something off the shelf that can fire tight groups would be ideal. I'm looking at hunting elk and moose, and I have a deer gun that suits me fine, but looking to hit pie plates past 5-600 yards and still have the take down power for large game. I'm also not the kind of shooter to go out and blast 300 WM all day, i have a Weatherby 22-250 for that.
600 yards ? Dont waste your money on a custom. Sendero is fine. i would say 7 Rem, but1-10 twist in a factory Sendero so all you can shoot acurately at long range will be a 168 berger. 180 will most likely need 1-9... Bin there done that. I'd say 300wm is your only option for a factory if you want to go with bigger bullets.
I started my long range hobby at 600 yards with my 7mm and soon realized with night force NXS250 a 1000 yards isnt that far. But if your gonna shoot that far i would consider custom. I personally shoot ... Mcmillan A3 sporter stock, Jewel trigger,27 inch Hart hand lapped match barrel,on a remington 700 action... However you could take that Sendero , buy a jewel trigger and a hand lapped barrel, have the action " PILLAR BEDDED" and spend the rest of your money on a Night Force NXS 250. That HS precision stock that comes on a sendero is as good as any other for long range percision shooting. i prefer the ergonomics of the A3. Research your the bullet weight you want to shoot to make sure you order the right twist in your barrel. heavier bullets like tighter twist. EG 7mm 168 berger likes 1-10 ... 180gr berger likes 1-9.
If you buy a factory sendero in 300 wm and shoot 180gr whatever out of it and your hand loading you'll be banging the sh*t out of your 600 yard pie plate with good optics...I promise !
I started my long range hobby at 600 yards with my 7mm and soon realized with night force NXS250 a 1000 yards isnt that far. But if your gonna shoot that far i would consider custom. I personally shoot ... Mcmillan A3 sporter stock, Jewel trigger,27 inch Hart hand lapped match barrel,on a remington 700 action... However you could take that Sendero , buy a jewel trigger and a hand lapped barrel, have the action " PILLAR BEDDED" and spend the rest of your money on a Night Force NXS 250. That HS precision stock that comes on a sendero is as good as any other for long range percision shooting. i prefer the ergonomics of the A3. Research your the bullet weight you want to shoot to make sure you order the right twist in your barrel. heavier bullets like tighter twist. EG 7mm 168 berger likes 1-10 ... 180gr berger likes 1-9.
If you buy a factory sendero in 300 wm and shoot 180gr whatever out of it and your hand loading you'll be banging the sh*t out of your 600 yard pie plate with good optics...I promise !
paperslayer
Regular
- Location
- Chilliwack
brother maynard (sorry... have to be a monty python fan) is right. hunting rifles are not designed to shoot a whole box of shells in a short time. they heat up and shots wander all over the place. senderos are 700s with a prettier finish. don't shoot any more accurate and they aren't any straighter. there isn't game on this continent that hasn't been taken down with a 30-30 and in canada i'd say the 303 has killed more large game than just about anything else. doesn't matter what the hell you are shooting as long as you can hit it in the right spot. there are many 3-legged deer around because some daniel boon thought he could take down an animal from too far away. lungs are soft and you only have to get half way through. got to hit it there first.
if you want to shoot at paper and hit it precisely i would spend more money learning how to reload and shoot than i would on a fancy gun. lots of used 308 around such as sportcos that can be had for a couple hundred bucks and if they still have any rifling, they will be better than any hunting rifle for targets. even a half decent varmint rifle can be a good teacher without the recoil.
if you want to shoot at paper and hit it precisely i would spend more money learning how to reload and shoot than i would on a fancy gun. lots of used 308 around such as sportcos that can be had for a couple hundred bucks and if they still have any rifling, they will be better than any hunting rifle for targets. even a half decent varmint rifle can be a good teacher without the recoil.
The Sendero should be fine for what you're proposeing. A custom rifle might shave some inches or fractions off the group, but you are already at a range where wind drift can be measured in feet. That's the somewhat bigger problem.
I'm not new to hunting or shooting, just wanting to get into shooting long range and willing to practice with a gun that I can grow into and eventually customize when I become a better shooter. I'm not one of those people who will go out and start blasting at the first deer I see half a mile away, hence the part on practicing on targets before I take a gun like a 300 win mag on a long range hunt. I also have an old 30-30 that I've taken quite a few deer and moose with clean shots and a 22-250 that I'm learning to reload for. After shooting several other guns there are quite a few good reasons I won't be shooting my 30-30 at any kind of long range at deer, or any other animal. And I also don't mind spending a little extra on a "fancy" gun, gotta treat yourself with things you want sometimes! Just because I'm new to the site doesn't mean I'm new to hunting or shooting, just looking for some good advice on a little gift to myself.
porterhouse
Regular
- Location
- Lower Mainland
life's too short to own ugly guns
- Location
- V.I. British Columbia
my choice is .270Wthby & 150gr. for a stanard mag class. Look it up its fast and flat, hard hitting. 06 recoil.
i own a 300 win mag sendero sf mounted on top of a bell and carlson medalist tactical adjustable stock,,sightron 8-32x56 scope,,,really love this rifle,,,i ve added some weight,,,now close to 16 pounds 4 ounces,,,,a little bit too much for hunting,,,,recoil feel like or less than a 308
can shoot all day long without pain to shoulder,,,,still in load developpement but for now consistantly shoot under .800 moa to 600 vrg with 208 gr match bullet,,,i suspect the shooter(me) to be the weakest link for now,,,but trying to improve
brass and powder is about double in cost than a 308,,other component are same price
if you shoot a lot,,,you ll need a new barrel every 1300-1500 shot
but if you like your rifle ,,,who care about cost
can shoot all day long without pain to shoulder,,,,still in load developpement but for now consistantly shoot under .800 moa to 600 vrg with 208 gr match bullet,,,i suspect the shooter(me) to be the weakest link for now,,,but trying to improve
brass and powder is about double in cost than a 308,,other component are same price
if you shoot a lot,,,you ll need a new barrel every 1300-1500 shot
but if you like your rifle ,,,who care about cost
I was looking into the weatherby mark V accumark in a 270 wby mag, but to start out with I think the ammo is a little more expensive than I plan on spending, but once I get into reloading it might be an option at some point becaue I am a fan of the ballistics for both hunting and target. Hopefully by the time I put 1500 rounds through a 300 win mag I'll already have a custom barrel on it, which will be in a good couple of years or more for how much I plan on shooting the gun. I'm not planning on changing the stock anytime soon if I do end up buying the sendero because it will be my primary big game hunting rifle for a little while and want something that's still easy enough to carry around. I was looking into soem of the vortex viper line of scopes but haven't decided yet, I'll have to check out some more at the shop as well before I make my choice, hopefully going to spend less than 800... but who knows
