help me choose a 308 target rifle

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snakeyes76

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i've been wanting to get into long range shooting for some time now but couldn't convince myself (& wife) i needed another gun lol
with this whole ban thing going on, i figured i need to grab one now in case mr. potatohead decides to ban more although i'm staying positive the CCFR is going to kick a$$ in court
that being said, i've been looking at the remington 700 PCR and heard some pretty good things about it but i can't get Tikka outta my mind ever since i tried the action on one at Sail a few months ago... it was night & day better than the remington .. like glass sliding through butter
the Tikka T3x CTR is in the same price range as the 700 PCR although it lacks a precision stock.
does it really make that much of a difference?
is the Tikka that much more accurate than the Remington?
have the QC issues been resolved with remington?
ideally i'd like it in the 24" barrel but i can't find any in stock anywhere
are there any others in that price range that would be just as good or better?
 
Didn’t spend much time behind both,
But when helping friends to load dev I’ve noticed the following.

Stock Tikkas we’re able to touch lands within mag lenght, Remingtons always ended with a jump.
Stock Tikkas grouped much better than stock Remington.

I may be totally wrong but I see stock Remingtons as overpriced cheaper offerings.
In my long range circles never saw anyone regret a Tikka.

Do take my opinion with a grain of salt, as I said limited time spent with each.
But since I know my future hunting rifle will be Tikka.

Edit : If you’re into self barrel swapping you can play with Savage and/or custom actions that take savage barrel threads. Got a few now and I’m hooked!
Favourite one being the Bighorn Origin.
 
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Honestly if you can afford the Tikka, get it. I don't have any experience with Remington rifles but I have a very beloved Tikka T3 Tactical in .308. Tikka is so much quality and accuracy at a reasonable price. Besides, the Tikka T3X CTR is praised so highly everywhere you look. SUPER expensive mags, however.
Based on all the reviews I've seen, the only Remington 700 worth getting is the 700 5R. To be fair, the 700 5R is considered a spectacular gun based on what I've seen.
As for the stock, take a look at the weight of the rifles. Personally, there isn't much advantage in chassis compared to stock EXCEPT for the adjustments (which may be huge to some people) and slots for accessories. The sheer weight of a chassis let alone the barreled action disqualifies them for me.
24" barrels for .308 are for velocity. 20" seems to be completely adequate for 1000 yards, although I have no personal experience shooting that far. You gain no accuracy after about 16" of barrel for .308. With .308, bullet weight is EVERYTHING.
A short list of comparable .308 rifles including the CTR:
-Tikka T3X CTR
-Remington 700 5-R
-Bergara B-14 HMR (Rem 700 footprint if you want an aftermarket stock)
-Howa 1500 Bravo
-Savage 10 Ashbury (not easy to find but it's apparently excellent)
-Ruger PRC

Please consider that what I said is just my experience and readings of other people's experiences.
 
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Another point towards Tikka, you can buy prefit shouldered barrels or barrel nut style barrels. The factory single stage trigger is also very good. And if you want to set it even lower than the factory spring allows you can buy a spring for $25.
 
Buy the tikka CTR and slap it into an MDT chassis later on when you can afford it. I have 2 tikkas, and I could never get over their crappy stocks. I could deal with the CTR and it’s factory stock for a hunting rig, and it’s certainly workable for a long range setup. The tikka bolt gets even better with more rounds through it.
 
Tikka for sure. And I own a Remington.... Grab yourself a 308 varmint model, toss it in a krg bravo or chassis of your choice and you're good to go. Get it threaded for a brake if you need.
 
had a feeling the vast majority would say Tikka.. i guess i was just looking for a little confirmation.. i'll check out all your suggestions in regards to versions and aftermarket stocks... thanks guys
 
I'm going to throw in something different (and wooden), I use my CZ 557 for long range and it's fantastic with the 25.6" barrel. Action is smooth and tight, groups well, I really have nothing bad to say about it. A friend has a CTR and it's definitely a very nice shooter too.
 
Its hard to beat a Tikka....but... I recently acquired a Bergara b14 HMR to try out. Overall, i'm very impressed. I would put it on par with the tikka, if not better for a few reasons.
1) Takes AICS mags
2) Better stock (comfier, cheek riser, better quality)
3) Sako Extractor
4) Remington 700 Footprint (uses model 700 triggers, stocks etc)
5) Damn straight actions- I asked my smith about these actions before I got it with hopes of rebarreling it to something neat. His words were "In my opinion, they are the best factory action money can buy, straighter then a remington, better extractor and just as smooth as a tikka" And after playing with the one I got, I agree with him.

Check the EE out for one. I saw one the other day as package with viper scope, dies brass and leads for a very reasonable price. Wouldn't need anything more!
 
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Ganderite said:
If you want a target rifle, buy a real target rifle. Single shot, solid bottom receiver.
Click to expand...

I think this the best post in this thread.
If you want long range precision, this is precisely the general format that leading F Class competitors follow. Single shot, stiff benchrest type action.

No arguement from me that an off-the-shelf Tikka will generally outperform an off-the-shelf Rem 700...

But if you want a good target rifle, why limit yourself to just those two options?

Personally, I prefer the Rem 700 FOOTPRINT over any other type of action because there is a vast abundance of selection in aftermarket goodness.
Rem 700 is the world's most popular bolt action rifle and the availability of upgrades and interchangeable parts confirms this.

I've owned Rem 700 in the past, and I'll probably will never own a factory Rem 700 again.
Rem 700 is a great design but the factory quality control and tolerances are sloppy.

I currently compete F T/R with a Defiance Elite (single shot) which has a Rem 700 FOOTPRINT.
Its a different story... awesome/tight tolerances and rigorous quality control on a platform that is common.

After I went with Defiance Action I'll never go back to Rem 700 ... I've been to Paris, I can't go back to the farm.

My point... consider building/dream your own rifle?
Design your own gun... get all the parts that you want.

Do the research on what what your looking for in an action first...
Who knows you might like a Kelby Panda, or a BAT, or whatever over a Rem 700 or aTikka.
Then research barrrels... chasssis. stocks etc etc
 
I don't get the argument for limiting yourself to a single shot action. Mag fed is much more versatile, and you can get some incredible accuracy out of mag fed rifles. Almost all of the "precision magic" starts with a quality barrel blank and a quality chamber job with a chamber optimized to the ammo you shoot.

If someone was absolutely set on doing solely benchrest or F-class comps, then sure, I wouldn't talk you out of a dedicated single shot action. But otherwise, I don't see any reason to pigeonhole yourself to a single shot action, when mag fed is much more versatile and can be made to be incredibly accurate.

To the OP, Tikka is always a solid choice. I don't think anything beats a Tikka on a performance per dollar basis. And you don't need Savage threads and barrel nuts to change out barrels yourself. Shouldered barrels are very easy to change out, just need the right tools. And some manufacturers are confident enough in Tikkas tolerances that they make shouldered prefits that you can buy off the shelf.
 
i'm myself torn between the T3X TAC A1 and the CTR in .308 ...i feel torn because the look of any given gun seems to drives the rcmp decisions of hammering down guns based on look rather than function. if you can afford it,get the tikka. most accurate gun in stock form. i'd prefer the tac a1 because the adjustable stock and pistol grip which i feel is more convenient and confortable for me.
 
I almost bought a Tac A1 for a pretty good deal. Instead I found a tikka T3X CTR Demo model, Sold the stock and magazine, purchased an MDT ESS with carbon fiber handguard and folding Skelton stock, used the accurate mags I had on hand, and was still cheaper than the Tac A1 and it’s a much nicer rifle.
 
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