Too keep building the 308 or go 300winmag

baker42

baker42

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
118   0   0
Location
behind a rock near a tall tree
Alright so I don't post on here much....if not at all... so here we go with a few sody pops:)evil:) in me to ask a question out there because I am at a loss and no amount of my own research has come up with a what I am looking for.

Should I keep building my Remington sps varmint in 308, or jump on a 5r 300winmag that I found.

Background;

SPS currently sits in its original flimsy stock with a Leupold 3.5x10 TMR brown with M2 turrets. I have been able to pull off .75 moa 5rnds groups repeatably(played with rounds to get that) and have hit 10inch steal at 700m. Also it is my go to farm rifle, and has taken one wolf and a few yotes. So this seems to do what I want it too, but could be better with new stock (aics or A5) and switch to higher magnification optics in mil/mil (so I don't have to do the 3.6 math anymore)

I would like to shoot competitively this coming year (not sure exactly what discipline yet) and personally like to push 1000-1200m within the next year or so.

I have always longed for the 5r 300winmag (and yes the 5r 308, but pretty much stole the sps for the price I got it for) and have come across one that's worth snatching up (new/unfired)

With the 5r 300winmag I would place good optics with 20moa rail, and bed the stock then find the rounds to do what I need it to due.

Both require about the same total investment (sps-stock,optics...5r-rifle price,optics/rail)

Can only do one at this time.. unless I sell/trade my ar15 (Check my EE add if interested:cool:)

What should I do between the two?

Help me fellow GUNNUTERZZ
 
If you want to do long range hunting, skip the 300 and get a 338 Lap or Edge. You'll end up there eventually anyway.
 
build a 30-06, its right in the middle of the two cases your looking at...........

or a 308/30 WSM switch barrel, one action, one stock and one optic set up, two calibers to play with..........
 
1st thing is to figure out which of the competitive disciples you want to pursue. I LOVE 300 Win Mag but in the tactical matches it is not allowed. F Class has different rules as well, so to look into the caliber restrictions is the 1st step.
308 Win is a boring but incredibly practical cartridge and is easily capable of 1000 yard work, and beyond.
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
1st thing is to figure out which of the competitive disciples you want to pursue. I LOVE 300 Win Mag but in the tactical matches it is not allowed. F Class has different rules as well, so to look into the caliber restrictions is the 1st step.
308 Win is a boring but incredibly practical cartridge and is easily capable of 1000 yard work, and beyond.
Click to expand...

^^is exactly why I have gone to posting this question to gather the ideas of others!! I have researched all the restrictions on calibers, and such heck even down to shoots in the states to see what would broaden my horizons. That's why I am undecided at this time to what disciple I wish to shoot, because I am at a lose as to the cal I wish to invest in at this time haha

and you also hit on my other factor of the boring of the 308, everyone does it, everyone has it, and yet it is able to do what I would like with some time and money.....

Just to clarify too... the SPS would still be in the vault just would be put on the project side table....
 
Im fairly new in the Long range game. I found a noticeable different in 308 to 300 WIN MAG. I shot both before buying.... Now when we go out (me and my range buddy) I like to rub it in. He is switching to a 300 win mag from his 30-06.

On a calm day, a person with relative skill can make good shots with both. What proved it to me was I was shooting on a VERY windy day, around 50 mph at points. My buddy with the 30-06 was all over the map, missed the square foot gong at 700 his first 8 shots.... Then finally got it with the 9th.... I took up position, nailed it first shot, second, third. Tore the gong up. He is much more experienced then me in longer range shooting (600+) and once he took the rifle he found it much easier also was banging the gong. Thus prompting him to sell a couple guns and get a 300 Win Mag... Almost all stores have a good selection of ammo ranging from a buck a shot to 3.50 a shot. Believe it or not Canadian tire has an excellent selection.

Mind you the 300 I find kicks like a mule, so quick fallow ups (if ur into that) are hard without a break on the BA rifles. The recoil is fine if you get a nice butt stock pad if your rifle does not already have one on it.
 
If you find the .308 boring, what excitement/challenge are you expecting from a faster cartridge less affected by the wind? I'm confused. It's always fun buying a new more powerful rifle but then what are you gonna do next?? .338, .416, .50... it never ends... appreciate what you have else never will happiness be. That said, buy a new gun, piss off a liberal 8)
 
The way I think, its all the same excitement/challenges just at greater ranges, more body control, playing with new loads, reading wind at greater ranges. The farther you go in range the more the little things matter

It actually never ends, I started with a .22LR pushed it to its limits (amazing what it can do actually with the right rounds), made it to a 50bmg for a short while, then went back down to the .22, guess now I am on my way back up....
 
The 308 is a great choice and one you won't outgrow any day soon,
you will in time want something different depending on your needs but
you will have to send alot of lead downrange before you can decide what
to move onto.
BB
 
I have recently gone through this thought process.

I have a .308 and a .338LM.

When shooting the .338LM at longer ranges (900 - 1200 yards) in windy conditions, the .338LM is much more forgiving than the .308, it shoots much flatter and wind does not effect the bullet near as much as the .308.

Although the .308 is capable of 1000+ yard shots, bullet drop and compensating for the wind effect is much more challenging when compared to the .338LM.

Now, back to what I have been contemplating. If you like your current rifle, as far as fit and feel and the condition of the action goes, why change guns?

What I am thinking of doing is re-barreling my .308 action with a quality match barrel. At this point, I am not sure what caliber to go with, but being somewhat limited to a short action, plus limited to .270 or less to shoot varmints in southern Ont., I am considering a .260 Rem, 260 AI, or a 6.5..............or?

I have had some converations with Shawn at North Shore about this. When I 'pull the trigger' I will be getting Shawn to do the gunsmith work when I make up my mind.

For me, being limted to .270 and under, these calibers allow me to shoot the likes of coyotes, plus reach out accurately for some long range target shooting.

From what I have read, these SA cartridges shoot much flatter, buck the wind very well and are not as expensive to experiment and develope 'ideal'cartridge combinations. However, reloading is a must for tuning reloads for long range accuracy. Cost of reloading these rounds is less, when compared to a .300 WM, or the likes of my .338LM.

Also, similar to you, I like a bit of challenge, plus a means to put a lot of rounds down range to improve my shooting skills.
After reading some of Jerry Teo's (Mystic) long range shooting accomplishments using a .223 with a tight twist barrel with heavy 'pills', I am almost finished putting together a single shot Savage target action/barrel (12 LRPV) mounted in a Choate custom tactical stock (thanks to Jerry), along with a NF 5.5-22 X 56 scope on a 20 moa rail to see what I can accomplish.

Good luck with your project, wherever it takes you.

Merry Christmas to all.
 
Last edited:
The morning clarification with coffee instead of pops :)

Ya, re-barreling this rifle isn't in the books, it shoots great I know my 308 tables like that back of my hand(sometimes where I write them also haha) This rifle can do .5moa I know it and maybe better on a decaf coffee day. I know what I have to do to get it there. A new stock will do, and well physics dictates I get rid of the flimsy Varmint stock with something solid/free float/bedded I will not hinder the barrel harmonics. Also if I up the magnification of my current scope I can insure more exact shot to shot placement and well mil/mil is just a personal preference on the easier math for corrections. This end result would do exactly what I want it too, and I would feel comfortable at 1000m+ with it as I have done in the past when there was a lot more hair and a lot less belly on myself. This caliber would also allow me to do a lot of different competitive disciplines.

Budget for upgrades $2500

The 5r 300winmag is a firearm on my list of want to haves. I know it kicks, less then 338, more then 308. I know its capable of 1200m+ for paper punching and can be loaded down for hunting purposes. I know that if I bed the HS stock, 20moa rail, good quality optics I will have a very capable rifle pretty much out of the box, but I would also have my 308 in the vault. Just it would not be up to the standards I feel it is capable of, thus probably not in my mind a competition ready rifle (note in my mind). The 5r would be competition ready just not in every discipline, but I feel would help in some USA competitions I have researched that are on my list of "have to try".

budget 2600 bucks (includes purchase of rifle)

End result is I will own a 5r in all calibers eventually just a collectors mind set on that one. Also the 308 I own will have a new stock and optics in time. The question I was onto last night was more of that should I do; finish the 308 make it the .5moa I know it can do or jump on the deal I found of the 5r set it up and run it..... both eats up my current saved budget

I am a long time lurker on here and many other sights so I have read and reread thousands of ballistic tables and know the theoretical abilities of most different loads of many different rounds and have read what other people have done with them. I hoped this post didn't turn into a what caliber is better or just build a full custom rifle over 6-12 months, because nobody wins on those comments as everything is personal preference and every caliber has its own time/place/target. (no offense to anyone is made by the last paragraph as I know from reading on here some might take)

Just looking for an outside opinion on my two current options in my mind.... as I can't seem to make up my own mind haha

blackacres- sounds like a good plan you got going there, 223 fun round good luck
 
Last edited:
Of the $2500 you have allowed for upgrades for the .308 the most important upgrades (in order) would be
1. Barrel replacement
2. Proper stock (while AI stocks look cool there are many better options out there)
3. Match Trigger

These will increase the accuracy of the rifle far beyond anything else.
 
CyaN1de said:
Of the $2500 you have allowed for upgrades for the .308 the most important upgrades (in order) would be
1. Barrel replacement
2. Proper stock (while AI stocks look cool there are many better options out there)
3. Match Trigger
These will increase the accuracy of the rifle far beyond anything else.
Click to expand...

I am sorry but that doesn't help me with my question at all.........

and now I rant I am sorry

See I don't see the barrel replacement on the list. If the rifle didn't shoot consistently and didn't come with a heavy varmint contour I would tend to agree. But it does, so why would I think about that. I realize that the factory barrel may not be as centric as a custom barrel and may not have same heat dispersion rates that could affect consistency over strings of rounds, but from what I have discovered what people most commonly think is a issues with the barrel is normally actually related to the poor harmonics, EI the cheap rubber made flex and touches the barrel on the least bit of pressure from bags or bipods would be of more concern. Though it is possible to get consistent groups well impeding the harmonics, if the rifle is zeroed and shot with the same amount of pressure, though I wouldn't recommend relying on the ability to maintain equal pressure.

Most of all that is 4-500 that could be spent on ammo bettering your abilities at reading wind and atmospherics instead of spending on something to gain that 0.1moa that miss judging that wind would screw it up anyway(1mph wind at 1000y can shift a bullet left or right up to 9-10inchs)!! Most factory barrels shoot better then most people think. If that was the route I would take and scrap the whole gun and start with an action... I never understood why people buy heavy barreled rifles then first thing they do is go scrap the heavy barrel and put a custom one of the same caliber.... if thats your plan just go buy an action and start from there


Again sorry I rant, probably why I don't post much.....
 
Well you mentioned wanting to get into competitive shooting and IF you were serious about that then the barrel would be the first thing to get replaced.

I've only been shooting competitively for 8yrs but you obviously know something about barrels that I don't if you believe it has to do more with harmonics than a quality barrel?

[/help]
 
But why the first thing. Give me a reason then..... other then shooting competitively. all that tells me is you follow the heard, because all your fellow competitors do. I haven't shot competition in 16 years, so it's like starting new. Even then stayed competitive with a factory heavy barrel, just didn't know much then . Plus just because I haven't shot competitive in that long doesn't mean I haven't been out in the real world shooting, figuring out what actually works and what you can do with what you have.

But when it comes down to it you posted something that didn't have a thing to do with the main topic.... I didn't ask what mods should I do, I laid out my plan. Just because you don't agree doesn't mean you need to share what you think I should do to the 308. Now back to the topic originally posted. Between the two options I laid out, only those two...which would you choose?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom