What rifle to buy REM or WTBY opinions please !

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THE RAVEN

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Hello all...! I ran across this forum by chance,and after reading a couple pages decided this was a great place to ask for opinions on buying a new rifle.....I don't have much experience with bolt action rifles,mainly pistols,shotguns and the AR platform......I have my choices narrowed down to two makers and thier models....Not the cheapest,not the most expensive but from what I can tell both are mid-range quality and will do what I want them to do at the range or in the woods....

1:Remington Model 700 VTR .308
2:Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 RC Varmint .308

Why you would/wouldn't chose eiher or rifle would be great...! Thanks a bunch in advance,I will appreciate any help I can get from you experts.
 
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The Vanguards have a big following and obviously are great rifles with such a fan club.

I would pick the Remington because I am one of few that actually like their triggers and have had great success in getting them adjusted to where i like them.
 
Either is good.

The vanguard is a rebranded Howa 1500 action.

My Howa 1500 7mm mag is a great gun.

However id choose a savage model over both. cheaper and more accurate.
 
I own a Vanguard, and I love it,,, but I also like the older Rem. 700 rifles,, and if it were me shopping for a new rifle,,, I'd definetly check out Savage also and the one that felt best would go home with me.;)
 
I'd also choose the Savage. They offer a number of heavier profile barrell options, stocks and have a much better factory trigger. My 700 has taken a good deal of work and money to get the way I wanted it to be, my Savages just had a scope put on them.
 
In this case, Remington. For a Varmit/Tactical rifle there is mich more aftermarket support and options available down the road.
 
I would go for the Remington. Both look good, and are likely to give you very similar performance. A quick google search shows the MSRP is about $300 lower on the Remington, pretty clear advantage, in my opinion.
 
If I had to choose between the two I would go with the Remington, only because of all the aftermarket parts available.
 
RAVEN, for what do you intend to use the rifle? Remington has various models for very different uses. By and large, the Vanguard is primarily a hunting rifle.
 
^X3.... There are many custom rifles built on a 700 action for a reason and you have the added benefit of having a wide variety of aftermarket "trinkets" you can add as you want.
 
So Far....

Seems to be the Remington VTR is leading so far......I am in a wheelchair,so I prefer a short barrel because length is the enemy to me,it's the weight at the end of the barrel that gets me,so the shorter the better....Those Kimber SVT's would be perfect,but they are uber expensive,and come in a .223.....I am looking for a .308....Anyone know of a smaller manufacturer that might suit my needs ?? Probably really expensive,but worth a look I guess.....Thank you everyone,I really appreciate your input so far....:)
 
if you're concerned about length you can always have the rifle cut down. On a bolt gun this should be relatively easy/cheap. I like the 700, but I agree the the triangular barrel is a gimick, so what I'd do is buy like the 700 SPS varmint in .308, and use the $200 you'd save to have it cut down to a more manageable length and put the rest of the savings into optics. Weatherby makes a good gun, but for the same money you'd pay for just the rifle, you should be close to a rifle and a decent scope if you go with the Remington.
- just my $.02
 
@dayman......I never thought of that...! I suppose any decent machine shop could do that ?? I wonder how bad it would screw up the finish on it,and what angle crown should i have put on it ?? Also.....If I went down to 16" would that mess with the accuracy much ?? I really like your idea....Thank you !
 
I really think you need to add savage to your list.

If possible I'd let you shoot my model 12 varminter. The bullet hits the exact spot the cross hairs are on at 100 and 200 yards. I haven't had the chance to shoot it further.

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A shorter barrell will decrease your muzzle velocity, but that will only hurt accuracy at longer ranges. You might also look into rifles that are designed with shorter barrels to begin with.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...7/Ruger+77+Hawkeye+Compact+.308+Win+SatinBlue

Just one example, but it already has the 16.5" barrel, and it costs less than the remington you are looking at. That means you wouldn't have to make any major changes to it right away, and you would have even more to put into a scope.
 
Any competent gunsmith can shorten and crown your barrel for you. No, it shouldn't hurt the finish any. You could always look for something that comes with a short barrel to begin with: http://www.ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/models.html
It is my understanding that a shorter barrel may actually be more accurate due to the barrel being stiffer. You will lose some muzzle velocity but that shouldn't affect accuracy, just amount of drop at longer ranges. The reason that you have heard for years that a longer barrel is more accurate is that with open sights, the longer barrel gives you a longer sighting radius. If using a scope, there isn't much advantage to the longer barrel unless shooting at extreme long ranges.
Here is another option if you like the 700 action, I know this is a heavy barrel model but, I have handled this rifle and it is surprisingly well balanced and only weighs a few ounces more than the VTR: http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-sps-tactical.aspx
 
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