Questions about Remington ADL ???

G

Guyon

New member
Howdy all,

I'm thinking seriously about getting my first bolt action rifle in either 30-06 or .308.

First, what is a good price on a Remington 700 ADL in a synthetic stock? My local sporting goods store has them at $329 with 15% off. That puts me at $303 tax included. What do you think about this price? Could I do better?

Second, though I know there is no easy answer, what about the caliber choice? I guess the 30-06 vs. .308 is sort of like Winchester vs. Marlin (lever actions), Mossberg vs. Remington (shotguns), 9mm vs. 45ACP (defensive round). Everybody has a favorite. Well, what's your favorite if given the choice between these two rifle calibers and why?

I also welcome recommendations for the best caliber for this particular gun. In the 700 ADL Synthetic, both the 30-06 and the .308 come with a 22" barrel with a 10" rate of twist. Weight is not all that different. The 30-06 is only a couple of ounces heavier according to the Remington website (7 3/8 lbs. versus 7 1/4 lbs.).


------------------
Guyon
NRA, GOA, & TFA Member
Protect your RTBA!!!



[This message has been edited by Guyon (edited November 12, 2000).]
 
I prefer the .308. Almost as versatile as the .30-06, lots of surplus stuff out there for cheap, casual shooting, and the shorter cartridge allows for a shorter action, which translates into a lighter rifle. But you won't go wrong with either cartridge.
 
I don't think it's worth trying to save $15 by going to WallyWorld; it's worth it to make yourself a known customer at the gunshop.

For the 22" barrel, I think I'd recommend the .308. The '06 works better with 24" or 26" barrel lengths. The cheap MilSpec ammo is a plus, also.

I have an ADL in .308; I have a 26" Weatherby in .30-'06, aside from quite a few other '06s through the years. I'm still playing around with loads for the .308, and getting used to the ADL. Ain't sure, yet, but it ain't a bad gun, so far.

I've been using Weaver rings and bases for 50 years, now. If you can afford a Leupold Vari-X II in 3X9, I think that's about as good as you'll get. Now, if your hunting is expected to be at closer ranges, and you're not really worried about long-range target shooting/plinking, a Weaver K4 would do you just as well.

FWIW, Art
 
I'd go with the .308. Back in the '70s, surplus 30-06 was plentiful and inexpensive. Today, that's easier said of the .308 than 30-06. The one advantage of the ADL over the BDL is that it doesn't have a magazine floorplate. While the tradeoff may be slower unloading, the advantage of less metal makes for a more comfortable gun to carry in cold weather.
 
$303 is an excellent price.

I'm going to break ranks and recommend the 30-06, with a couple of provisos.

The .308 will work in a shorter action, but are you actually getting the short action in the .308 ADL? I don't know, but since it's the economy model, I'd guess they're all .30-06 length. If you really do get the short action, going .308 is OK.

The .30-06 is more versatile, IF you handload. There's not much difference in the lighter buller weights, but the '06 starts to show a defininte edge in velocity with the heavier bullets. If you don't handload, there's no difference.
 
Well, I guess I'll put my .02 in here. Both cartridges have their advantages. The .308 is accurate, and there are lot's of milsurp ammo to play with. Rifles in .308 can be made lighter. My lightest is only 5 pounds loaded with sling scope and a full magazine. Recoil is slightly less in the .308, but I doubt you'd notice the difference.
The 30-06, on the other hand doen't have much milsurp ammo available anymore, but if you should need to find ammo in some remote area? Well the good old "06" has it there.
As far as ballistics goes, the .308 is reputed to be about 100 FPS slower with equal weight bullets. Probably true in most cases, but not necessarily so. Factory "06" with 220 gr. bullets does about 2410 FPS according to one factory ballistic sheet I have. I have gotten 2350 FPS from a 22 inch barrelled .308 with 220 gr. Sierra's with excellent accuracy (3/8 inch groups). That is chronographed, not guessed at. So much for the .308 not handling the heavier bullets.
So which one is best? Your guess is as good as mine. I have both, with various barrel lengths from 18 inches to 22 inches in .308 and 22 inches to 26 inches in 30-06. I'm comfortable with either on game up to and including elk. What I'm trying to say is this. You really can't go wrong with either.
Paul B.
 
I really doubt you'll beat that price anywhere. Snap one or two up ASAP. Wallyworld generally sells the ADL for about $365.
 
I've had an ADL in 30-06 for years and wouldn't trade it, but if I had it all to do over again I would buy the 308 version. It all really comes down to just one question for me- How much are you going to shoot it?
Will you shoot it enough for the military surplus to be an advantage? Otherwise there is little practical difference between the two until you start hot rodding the 30-06 and we won't talk about that here.
 
Building 5-pound .308's is great, but it's irrelevant to choosing between two rifles off the rack. ;)
 
$303 is an excellent price! Lots of times a local gun store DOES have sales and at that time their prices are really close to WallyMart. Get it at the gun store if you can!

------------------
Carlyle Hebert
 
The .308 Remington ADL uses a short action receiver even though it is there "economy model". The ADL uses the same action as the BDL minus the floorplate and the cosmetics. Stocks mount differently due to this also.

Alot of folks buy the ADL to build custom rifles since they can get the complete rifle cheaper than they can get the action and bolt.

$303 is a very good price.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top