Suggestions for gen. purpose bolt action .308

H

Hilton

New member
I'm looking for some suggestions for a general purpose .308 rifle. My rifles so far consist of a pile of AR types, but I feel the need for a bolt action .308 for times when the .223 isn't enough. I'm primarily looking toward using it for misc. hunting. I've played with the Steyr Scouts a little, but they pose some problems for me, not the least of which is their light weight (=hard recoil), difficult to deploy bipod design, potentially limiting low mag scope. I DO like the ergonomics and modular aspects of the gun/stock design though. With that in mind, here are my basic parameters:
1) light/medium weight: I'm willing to hump some extra weight to cut recoil, but must be able to shoot offhand/sitting with the weapon
2) bipod compatible
3) synthetic stock, available with or modifiable to shorter (~13") length of pull.
4) easy to maneuver - ie. shorter bbl length, probably 20"
5) optics flexibility - can scout OR longer optic tubes be mounted to most receivers? If not, then I'll stick with a 3-9x format
6) around $500 for base gun, no accessories

Read about the new Rem. 700 Lt. Tac Rifle, but also considering the Win. M70, for it's claw extractor and fixed ejector. Thanks in advance for any assistance.
 
Hilton,

It ias hard to go wrong with a simple Remington 700 with the appropriate length barrel. The wieght will be reasonable and you can add just about any accssory you want.

A Harris bipod on the front sling stud would add wieght and they are much quicker to use thatn the Steyr design.

My gunsmith is currently using a set of mounts that allow the use of either a scout scope of a traditional higher magnification scope, both quick release, return to zero mounts, with a tritium ghost ring as ultimate back up.

Add a third sling point and a stock cuff type extra shell holder and you should have a pretty handy all-purpose rifle. The base rifle w. Synthetic stock should be very easy to find for under $375.00.

------------------
-Essayons
 
My .308 bolt gun is an older Ruger 77. No complaints, good rifle, I like it.
However,I think just about any good quality rifle with a few simple modifications would do you just fine.
I 've been quite impressed with the Remington Model 7. Short, handy and fairly light.
 
Hilton,

See my thread of 1 March about my Savage 10FP....sold my Remington 700VS and haven't looked back.

-=[Bob]=-
 
Hilton-
Also see Mad Dog's and others comments in the "Best .308" thread on this forum. Regarding the Scout, it really isn't that punishing unless you're doing a fair amount of bench rest work. From standard off hand or supported positions, it's a pussy cat.
Rich
 
Hilton:
Depending on what exactly is the intended mission of Mr. .308, you may want to look into some options on the whole rifle:

-One instructor I know has 2 examples of what I call a "Utility Scout" or "Glassless Scout" which are .308 bolt guns with ghost ring sights and no scope. I imagine such a setup is VERY light, but also tougher on recoil. Said instructor took on to Thunder Ranch for Urban Carbine and except for multiple bad guys at close range, he held his own with his 5 round fixed mag rifle.
-The Rem 700 I will be getting shortly will have a stud on the front end of the stock for a Parker-Hale bipod. If you are familiar with them, PH bipods are heavy, expensive, and very stable. They also are very quick to attach/detach from said stud.
-For non-scout scope optics, I prefer Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x40. Mine gathers more light at dusk than 7x50 Steiner binoculars.
-Also note that many bolt guns are like a stock 1911: for really good performance they need a trip to a good riflesmith for cutting the chamber shorter, recrowning the muzzle, truing the action, lapping the bolt lugs, and rough zeroing of the scope. (Some rifles come from the factory out of kilter in the scope mounting holes)

Whatever, just some food for thought, Hilton.

Edmund
 
I'd stick with the Steyr Scout. It's a superior weapon. Recoil with the SS isn't that bad. It's no fun to shoot off the bench or bipod, but not that punishing if you shoot it in moderation in this fashion. I don't think the bipod is much of an issue. The three point sling is faster than any bipod and about as stable. The SS also supports other optics. An extra set of rings and a relatively low powered 'scope (say the Leupold 6x Mk4 M3) can extend it's range significantly for precision use. For quick hits, though, the scoutscope is hard to beat.
 
Thanks everyone for the input. I'm at a toss up at this point b/w a Win. M70 or the Steyr Scout. I'm going to get out and really shoot one of the Scouts in a few months, so I'll be able to form a final opinion on it. So the Scout receiver is drilled and tapped for standard scope mount rings too? If so, that's a big plus.
 
Vanna,I'd like to solve the puzzle -- Steyr Prohunter Mountain Rifle. I just got mine, and am setting it up now. Steyr Scout rifle quality without the George Jetson look. Seriously, I find this variant of the Steyr Prohunter to be an amazingly versatile package. Features include Steyr synthetic stock (same material and color as Scout) with removable spacers to adjust length of pull (I find it is perfect with 1 spacer removed), hammer forged 20" barrel, SUPERB trigger, SBS short-action proof tested at 120k psi, detachable 10 round mag and shroud are standard (extra 5 round mag comes with it), drilled and tapped for Browning A-bolt bases, matte blue finish, takes conventional Harris bi-pod with $6.00 Millet adaptor from Brownells, 7 pounds without scope or ammo. I'm putting a 3-10x Shepherd rangefinding scope on mine with Leupold QD lever rings. Back up scope is a 2.5 Leupold compact with the same rings. I can change pre-zeroed scopes in less time than it took to type this sentence. I haven't shot it yet as I'm waiting on low rings which should arrive from Natchez SS today. Tomorrow may be range day if the rings arrive at it stops raining! I'll report back how it groups after my first range trip. This short rifle weighs next to nothing, carries 10 rounds of .308 in each QD magazine, and can be converted in seconds from a long-range precision rifle to a fast swinging brush gun by simply changing the optics and detaching the Harris. I expect its 20" medium weight barrel to equal if not exceed the whiplike Scout barrel in accuracy. If it does, it may be the perfect light rifle. Trade offs? No iron sights, no mag carrier in the stock, no integral bi-pod, no third swivel for a Ching Sling. Cost for the rifle was $735 with tax, 5 and 10 round mags, and 10 round shroud. How's that for a bargain? Huge
 
Hilton, I'm confused. I assume you changed your $500 parameter? (I do this to myself all the time ;) ) The Steyr Scout is about a $2,400 rifle, no?

Thanks for the thread - I'm working through the same question.
 
Hilton-
If you are willing to shell out the money for a SS then you can have a rifle built to your specs by a custom shop. You can pick the action, barrel, stock, sights and finish you want and have it built to a higher standard of quality then you will find off the rack. If you want the names of some smiths you can email me or Rich has my phone #.
Personal weapons are the last place that you want to do things cheaply.
Bruce
 
The Steyr Scout has about of foot of Weaver rail for mounting whatever optics might float your boat. Choice of rings is up to you (as long as they're Weaver). You don't need bases with this setup.

As for money, SS can be had for around $1600 without rings or Leupold Scoutscope. With the JC package, SS can be had for around $2200-$2400 depending. Like most things, you get what you pay for. The SS exceeds most custom rifles from the box. Of course, you pay accordingly.

As an aside, in the same price range (which is to say, stratospheric), the R93 Blaser rifles are quite amazing. I've just recently examined the so-called Blaser Tactical (or Long Range Sporter, if you prefer...) and it's very impressive. Something to think about....
 
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