New Rem 700
- Thread starter Sphawley
- Start date
Well it would take longer to heat up, naturally due to being thicker. Also from what i understand, and i'm not positive on this, but a barrel flexes or shifts in a sense when you fire a round through it, a heavy barrel as such flexes less thus usually being more accurate. But that being said if the barrel is a good barrel it's going to be accurate and usually it's hard to find an un-accurate .308. We have a old Rem. 700 .308 with a very thin sporter profiled barrel, thing has been a tack driver since my father bought it in his youth. All in all you have nothing to worry about, unless you want a heavy barrel.
One day in a fit of curiosity, I started putting a caliper on my rifle barrels. The Remington sporter taper is larger than my Savage sporter taper at the muzzle. It's got more metal, so it should be stiffer if all things are equal, and in rifles, all things are never equal.
It's fashionable these days to use heavier barrels. Some of this fashion is from the extreme accuracy the benchrest guys get from their heavy barrel rifles, the other motivator to this fashion is from the magnificent job our guys are conducting in the sandbox with sniper rifles.
Don't misunderstand, I'm not discounting the absolutely marvelous job our guys are doing in the Middle East. They're young men, magnificently fit and they're lugging around 10-12 pound rifles in conditions that would give an old fart like me the dry heaves.
Heavy barrels are stiffer than sporting tapers. They don't vibrate as much when the bullet travels down the tube and they are easier to hold steady. That muzzle-forward weight contributes to good accuracy.
However, a standard sporting taper is eminently shootable, capable of fine accuracy. My Remington 700 is a 1983 model with the sporter taper and it turns in fine accuracy, in the neighborhood of 0.9" with my handloads and my indifferent shooting technique. In the hands of a capable rifleman it might show me how well it can shoot, but in the overall scheme of things I'm pleased with it.
You'll do fine with that rifle.
It's fashionable these days to use heavier barrels. Some of this fashion is from the extreme accuracy the benchrest guys get from their heavy barrel rifles, the other motivator to this fashion is from the magnificent job our guys are conducting in the sandbox with sniper rifles.
Don't misunderstand, I'm not discounting the absolutely marvelous job our guys are doing in the Middle East. They're young men, magnificently fit and they're lugging around 10-12 pound rifles in conditions that would give an old fart like me the dry heaves.
Heavy barrels are stiffer than sporting tapers. They don't vibrate as much when the bullet travels down the tube and they are easier to hold steady. That muzzle-forward weight contributes to good accuracy.
However, a standard sporting taper is eminently shootable, capable of fine accuracy. My Remington 700 is a 1983 model with the sporter taper and it turns in fine accuracy, in the neighborhood of 0.9" with my handloads and my indifferent shooting technique. In the hands of a capable rifleman it might show me how well it can shoot, but in the overall scheme of things I'm pleased with it.
You'll do fine with that rifle.
I've bought and built tons of guns over the years and the one I keep coming back to for a hunting rifle is the Remington 700 BDL or ADL. Doesn't really matter. That gun in .30-06 or .270 will touch it's own holes from 100-300yds. Plus, they're light and don't kick much. If you get one used, and get tired of it, you can always get rid of it for what you gave! 
WildBill45
New member
A hunting rifle is light:
Hunting rifles are carried 99% of all hunting hours, and only shot 1% of the time, OR LESS!
A target rifle is heavy for multiple reasons based on sound reasoning!
Choose one, because either has limitations. Which use will you do more. Hauling an 11 to 12 pound rifle or more up the mountains in Colorado for a week or so will make up your mind for you, TRUST ME!
OR, BUY TWO RIFLES!
You can shoot a lightweight rifle at the range, and work around its limitations, which is easier than carrying a Heavy rifle every season all about, so you look better at the range.
Hunting rifles are carried 99% of all hunting hours, and only shot 1% of the time, OR LESS!
A target rifle is heavy for multiple reasons based on sound reasoning!
Choose one, because either has limitations. Which use will you do more. Hauling an 11 to 12 pound rifle or more up the mountains in Colorado for a week or so will make up your mind for you, TRUST ME!
OR, BUY TWO RIFLES!
You can shoot a lightweight rifle at the range, and work around its limitations, which is easier than carrying a Heavy rifle every season all about, so you look better at the range.
fatwhiteboy
New member
On the bench, I shoot a heavy barreled Rem 700 in .308. Out in the field, I carry a Winchester Model 70 in .270 Win. It has a tapered barrel and is considerably lighter than the Remmie. It is very accurate...