Is the Rem 700 SPS Tactical A 'Hunting Rifle'?

Glenfilthie

Glenfilthie

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I hope it is because I just bought one of these little buggers in 308 with the big bull barrel pipe and it isn't much longer than a Daisy BB gun - she is short, dumpy and heavy - just like me! All it needs is a GI leather sling, a high end 3x9 and I say that puppy is ready for deer or moose! Should be fun to play with on the range too...

Only gripe I have at this point is the two position safety - I like the old mauser types that have three setttings where one actually locks the action up so it won't open or fire.

Any of you guys have good hunting and target loads to share...?
 
Put a 6-24x50 tactical scope on it and shoot'em right 'tween the eyes.
Yep, it will work for hunting.
 
Because it's a Tactical rifle any critter you shot with it will simply shrug and walk away. Also I don't think a 308 is very useful for any kind of big game hunting ;)

The only thing different about the tactical that I can see is the 1 in 10 twist. Great if you want to send those larger grain sausages far down range. It's also a bit on the heavier side at 7.5 lbs, but well within the hunting rifle range. Should be a killer!

I may have been looking at a different model, but does it not have a 20" barrel? That would be fine for hunting.

Enjoy. G
 
I have one and its a really good shooter. However, due to the forward weight on it, its not pleasant to carry for very far and its difficult to shoot offhand for the same reason. IMHO a lighter rifle would make a better hunting rifle.
 
I had one in .223 and sold it because it was too heavy. Great for long range precision shooting, not so much for hunting, climbing hills, etc. It had a HS Precision stock, and with the scope and ammo weighed in at over 11.5 lbs. So, off it went to a new home. It was a great compact package that shot very well. I am sure that one day I will regret that I sold it, but for now I am really liking my T3 Varmint in 243. And at 1.5 lbs lighter it is more pleasant to carry.
 
If you are walking to a stand to sit and hunt coyotes or Varmints it is a great rifle for that and for the range. I use a 14lb 6.5x47L with no issues. I have an SPS Varmint in 308 with the barrel cut down to 22" (essentialy the same as yours) and took it deer hunting last week..carrying it through the bush all day it started to get a little heavy but not unbearable. I still would have preffered something a little lighter.

Just my 2 cents.
 
I think the fact you asked the question proves you know it isn't ideal. That doesn't mean you can't make it work, just as long as you are willing to tolerate those aspects of the gun (like weight for example) that make it less than ideal for hunting. My advice is, if you want a rifle you will enjoy when you take it hunting, get another gun designed for hunting.

The "tactical" fad is really just that, a fad. How much "tactical" stuff, for which your rifle may be better suited, do you (or anyone for that matter) actually do? Properly designed tools always make the job more enjoyable, and often make the operator more effective too.
 
Never fired one, but had a good look at one this summer, while shopping for hunting rifle. I wasn't so much turned off by the weight, as the balance. Very front heavy. Good from a rest position, but it would take some getting used to for shooting from awkward positions. To be truthful, I made my choice by finding the best trigger pull, at a reasonable price. The Remington has a good trigger, at an above average price. I found something with a great trigger at an average price.
 
Well fellas a bit of clarification on my part might help.

For years I carried that big-ass Ruger No.1 Varminter in 25-06 and probably shot about a dozen animals with it - mostly deer and a few moose and coyotes. I remember one day a great big fat slob laughed at me for carrying that rifle, saying it was a target gun and belongs on the range. I never said anything at the time but I thought to myself that if I were a big fat slob like that guy I would probably not want a deadly accurate target gun out in the field either.

Fast forward 15 years...and about 30 lbs...and I have become that big, fat obese slob! Throw in a major case of arthritis and my days of lugging big rifles all day long are over. I am pretty much set up in my spot at the crack of dawn, drinking coffee and waiting for the light to grow and for the animals to star moving around.

I loved that old bull barrel No.1 with all my heart, and nearly wept when the bore scope showed that her tack driving days were over and I would need either a new barrel or a new gun. A new barrel would be at least four or five hundred and this little Rem was 600 bucks and change right off the rack and ready to rip! Being a leatherworker helps, I am going to a biathalon style sling for it which should make life a bit easier for the hike in to my spot. You are right about the balance though, this one is much heavier out front than my trusty ol' No.1 was.

Thanks for the comments lads, and good luck with the rest of your season!
 
A pal of mine has one, his logic is that he can't afford both a hunting rifle and a long range target rifle, so this is his compromise. I don't consider it a particularly good one though. Field marksmanship is related to, but not the same as intrinsic rifle accuracy, and few hunters can shoot within 2 MOA in the field, on a live target. Neither do they need to. A heavy rifle will fatigue you more over a long day in the field, and fatigue is detrimental to both marksmanship and to the speed of the shot. Now that I'm a bit older I notice the weight of my .458 after several hours on foot in rough country, and find my .30/06 more comfortable though not as comforting.

But consider this, its only the first shot out of your rifle that matters. If a light and a heavy barrel are of equal quality, both will place the cold bore shot on the point of aim with properly adjusted sights. Game is not killed by shooting tight groups, which is the domain of a heavy barrel, so there is little need for a subsequent shot to land within a quarter inch of the first. In fact, the results on a game animal might be better if it doesn't. The wound volume is then greater when the backup shot impacts several inches away, rather than when it overlaps with the initial wound.

As a test of field marksmanship, make a short run of 25 yards, drop into the shooting position of your choice, and within 5 seconds of hitting the ground fire at a softball size target from 100 yards. Now in the field, your target isn't soft ball sized, but it might be partially obscured, and no game animal will wait around endlessly to be shot, so the hunter must fire as quickly as he can make a deliberate shot. The run will take the place of excitement and normal exertion felt in the field. If you take more than 5 seconds to shoot, consider your target gone. But if you make the shot within 5 seconds, how far did it print from your point of aim? If you can shoot within 2 minutes, the bullet hole will be within an inch either side of your point of aim, and if you manage it, can you do it on demand?
 
25 yards? Gee whiz, some of us with bad knees and large bellies will be wheezing, huffing and puffing. After 15 yards, any game sticking around will be deaf, blind and lost their sense of smell. Would have to hang for a couple extra weeks just to be tender enough to chew through with dentures. Yuk Yuk
 
Well Boomer I actually agree with you on most of that...but for me, the last 8 or 10 animals I have shot were 'gimmees'. The longest one was a smidge over two hundred and I was actually able to lie down, sling up and do it in one. I am out for fun and if I don't like the shot I am offered I have no qualms about turning my nose up at it.

I used to shoot all the time - I burned up my beloved No.1 on targets shooting from the positions and it made for a huge advantage out in the field. I need to get back to that; there is nothing better in the world than throwing your rifle up to the shoulder and just letting a good shot happen.

It will give me a chance to harass my fellow shooters on the range too!
 
I have heard it mentioned that while the 308 is a great target round, anybody that would hunt with one would fornicate with sheep as well. Twasn`t me that said it, just heard it in a shooting range club houise, got real quiet but non of the 308 shooters argued with the fellow.cou: :)
 
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