Need help picking new rifle

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catfan

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I am going to be buying a new hunting/ precision rifle and need help picking which one. I have the caliber figured out - 300 win mag. So far I have the choices narrowed down to 2 remingtons
1 - 700 XCR Tactical Long Range
2 - 700 Sendero
I am going to put a Leupold Mark 4 scope. Thanks for your input.
 
Easier to answer that question if u are more specific, what do u consider long range? paper puncher or hard target? what kind of hunting? generally long range target rigs are waaaaay to heavy to cart around in the bush, at least in my opinion.
 
I am planning on benchrest shooting out to about 500 - 600 yards and it would just be paper targets. As far as hunting it would be elk, moose and deer. I am not really worried about the weight of either of these rifles for walking around in the bush, by the end of the day they would be heavy but least of my consern.
 
Both are fine hunting rifles, neither are good target rifles. The XCR has a sporter profile on the barrel and will heat up far to much and too fast for shooting long target strings.

The Sendero has a nice stock, but it is a hammer forged barrel with flutes. That is marginally beneficial from a weight perspective, but it is a crap shoot from an accuracy perspective since fluting is a form of stress relieving. They have some nice features that you would want to maximize potential accuracy but once again, for the one or two shots needed to kill, that is fine but it is not a target barrel.
 
Sorry to hijack here but how does cutting into your barrel relieve the stress? The only way to relieve stress is to heat the metal up and cool it in a slow controlled enviroment. Thats like saying the rifling in your barrel relieves stress. Sounds like nonsense, but looks cool.
 
The .300 mag really isn't a very good benchrest caliber. It is fine for moose and elk but a little overkill for deer IMHO.
You could go with a Savage with a heavy barrel and stock and lighter caliber for BR and a lighter barrel and different stock for hunting.
 
Spydr said:
Sorry to hijack here but how does cutting into your barrel relieve the stress? The only way to relieve stress is to heat the metal up and cool it in a slow controlled enviroment. Thats like saying the rifling in your barrel relieves stress. Sounds like nonsense, but looks cool.
Click to expand...

Button rifled and hammer forged barrels have their lands and grooves created by beating the steel or by ramming a button down the bore at about 20,000 lbs of force pushing the material into the barrel and compressing the steel. Heating will relieve most of the stresses, but not all. If the steel used was perfectly homogenous, it would not be an issue, but most barrel steel isn't.

Fluting has the same effect on a barrel as making relief cuts in wood or bent aluminum when you are cutting it. The fluting can produce runout, particularly as the barrel heats-up due to latent stresses.

All barrels can be affected by fluting which is why you see relatively few serious long-distance competitors using fluted barrels, but button barrels are the most susceptible. many barrel manufacturers void their warranty if you flute. Shilen being one.
 
Catfan,
I'd choose 7mm over the 300.
7mm has lots of good bullets for target shooting, including long range. It's also a respected hunting caliber.

Another option is .308.
 
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Well for your target rifle, i would recomend something light to start like a 223 for punching paper,they are ideal because they are very cheap to shoot and reload for, you can develop skills easier with light recoil and work your way up to the boomers. And as far as accuracy there are guys here shooting 223 to a mile. And for a hunting rifle there is nothing wrong with the 300 in either one of your choices.
 
i have heard some nice things about the XCR tactical it's not a bad rifle haven't heard much about the sendero if they are higher end models i doubt you coudl go wrong with them

savage makes a packaged tactical model that would come in about even for what those rifles will cost you the only thing is i don't know if it comes in 300 win mag it might as they do make a tactical 300 win mag


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if your not going with a remington or considering other rilfe take a look at this
www.savagearms.com/10fpxp-hsprec.htm if you ever wann change it to say a 243 Ai a pretty good BR catridge all you'd have to do is a barrel swap of if you can get the specs and make them your self the 6.5 mysic is an option and can be feed from the mag

plus the acutrigger is so smoothe and so crisp short and is les proneto acidental missfires then other triggers the same pull the one on this can be safly lowered to 1.5 lbs
 
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As mentioned, niether of these rifles are BR rifles but both are good hunting rifles. IMO get the Sendero in a 300 WM it is excellent on moose, elk and deer with a 180gr load and if you feel a 180gr is overkill(which it isn't) you can go with 165gr.

Ivo
 
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