What will it be? Your opinions, please

B

Bellasogno

New member
Hey folks,

I'm looking to buy a 308 to be used primarily for target shooting, out to 300 yards. Since this is poking holes, I want a heavy barrel, floated and accurate. Budget, including nice high-power scope is $1,200 or so. (I'm getting older, and just dig magnification). I've looked at the Remington 700 and the Savage 12 FVSS. The Savage wins in my book with a stainless barrel. Very pretty. Before I go buy one of these, what's your call?

Side note - for 1st time shot at the 300 yard range with my 30-06, and am now hooked on longer range shooting vs. 100 yds. Yeah, I know, you folks shoot out to 800 or 1/2 mile or whatever.... I plan to shoot out to 300 yards.

By the way, I'm a newbie to this whole shooting thing, so keep it in plain English, please. Many thanks. And God Bless our veterans.
 
You can't go wrong with the Savage. Simple enough? You may also consider a Howa Classic Laminate Varminter.
 
Savage or Remington, either one would serve you well. for your 1200 dollar price range I think savage is the way to go for you along with a nice Vortex PST optic on top.

Just so you know. I am a remington fan and shoot a 5R milspec in .308 but it is near impossible to argue the value and performance features you get with savage for the $.
 
Either of those two rifles is going to do what you want, pick the one you like and don't look back. As for scopes I agree the Vortex is a great choice.
 
"That takes Remington off the auction block for factory floated rifles..." Really? I own a Remington 700 5R/.308 with a 24" stainless barrel that's free floated and shoot extremely well.
 
OP here - revised wish gun:

Ideally, a wood stock, free-floated, fluted, stainless barrel with ergonomic grip/stock. Willing to up the ante to $1,400.
 
"Savage 12BVSS."

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Look's like the winner to me!! What a beautiful gun, and I'm not reading or finding many faults with these Savages. Hopefully in my hands next week.
 
You like the Savage, then get the Savage. It'll do anything you want to 300 yards and beyond. With the right ammo its good for 1200 yards.

Oh and this is from a Winchester guy.
 
One interesting thing about factory fluted barrels, they are not as stiff as their standard barrels. All the factories do is remove long strips of metal from the outside of a standard barrel; that removes metal that helped make them as stiff as they were. Both barrel types' outside profile dimensions are the same.

And if the barrels were fluted after rifling, they may be less accurate than before. Stresses caused by the fluting tool changes the inside diameters under the flutes on button rifled and hammer forged rifled barrels.
 
"One interesting thing about factory fluted barrels, they are not as stiff as their standard barrels. All the factories do is remove long strips of metal from the outside of a standard barrel; that removes metal that helped make them as stiff as they were. Both barrel types' outside profile dimensions are the same.

And if the barrels were fluted after rifling, they may be less accurate than before. Stresses caused by the fluting tool changes the inside diameters under the flutes on button rifled and hammer forged rifled barrels."

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Interesting. Thus, are fluted barrels flawed, and unworthy of consideration when accuracy is a prime prerequisite? And manufacturers aren't aware of this drawback?

Crap. I wanted that Savage! But, compromise isn't in my game.
 
Besides looking cool I think the only advantage to fluting is reduced weight and for a bench gun I would rather have the extra weight and stiffness of a bull barrel.

Good optics that don't break the bank in no particular order

Bushnell elite
Vortex PST
Burris Fast fire
SWFA SS
 
For the money, Savage. And I'm a Remington fan :D. I do have a couple of Savages and if I do my part, one hole rifles. As far as optics, there is many different options out there. I would look at a Leupold VXII series in whatever magnification you want. May have to spend a little more in the beginning but you will keep the scope for another rifle if you were to sell the Savage.
 
One interesting thing about factory fluted barrels, they are not as stiff as their standard barrels. All the factories do is remove long strips of metal from the outside of a standard barrel; that removes metal that helped make them as stiff as they were. Both barrel types' outside profile dimensions are the same.

And if the barrels were fluted after rifling, they may be less accurate than before. Stresses caused by the fluting tool changes the inside diameters under the flutes on button rifled and hammer forged rifled barrels.
Click to expand...

Barrel fluting's main purpose is to aid in heat dissipation (Cooling). Think of the fins on a radiator. The greater the surface area the faster the heat dissipates. The secondary piece is it helps reduce weight.

The loss in stiffness, if any, is so minute that it won't affect accuracy to the point that the general shooter would notice. I've had fluted savage rifles and true heavy barreled savages and I shot them with the same accuracy. Savage has built their reputation on producing very accurate factory rifles. I seriously doubt they would offer fluted barrels if there was an inherent accuracy issue...
 
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