New rifle purchase question.

Wendyj · May 13, 2015, 03:36 PM

Trying to decide between XTR Remington 700 in 308. 1-12 twist. Tikka 7-08. Or Remington 25-06 Sendero. Either would top off with 4x14x56 SHV Nightforce scope. That's the three I found that I liked. Only thing is he like them all. Gift for the husband. I'm shooting Tikka 308 with 1-10 twist. He's shooting Remington 700 7 mm mag. We are reloading for both now and will reload anything we get. Trying something to do a little more shooting. He ruled out 270 and 264 we looked at. Browning has a new somewhat tactical semi in 308 that caught his eye but I think he liked the Sender the best but isn't hard to please. Any advice.

Picher · May 13, 2015, 04:01 PM

Wendyj: Are you sure it's a Remington XTR or could it be an XCR? The XCR is a "tactical" bolt action and looks like a great rifle for range shooting in .308 Win.

The Tikka may be a bit light for extended range shooting, though it's a good-shooting rifle for hunting.

I'm not partial to the .25-06, since I'm not in the West where it works well with light bullets, but doesn't do any better with 120 grain bullets than the .270 Win with 130s and may be harder on barrels. It has it's followers, but finding ammo could be more of a problem, if needed on a trip.

Wendyj · May 13, 2015, 04:29 PM

Sorry XCR. iPad types what it wants

Wendyj · May 16, 2015, 11:31 AM

Tried to find new gun for husband but he's so fond of his Rem 7 mag and the reloads he just couldn't decide. Topped his rem off with a new Nightforce SHV with MOAR reticle. He loves it and is on call this week so can't get to the range. Imagine we will be loading a bunch of 7's this week. Got me a sig p238 and after running one mag through it I love it. Recoil near to nothing and super accurate for a hand gun that small. Got to surprise him a little bit anyway. Me too. Lol.

Savage99 · May 16, 2015, 03:02 PM

I would not take a 700 type rifle for nothing!

They have handles that fall off, just push feed. Cheap stuff.

Rob62 · May 16, 2015, 03:20 PM

Savage 99 - you are joking......right ??

The Remington 700 series of rifles is one of the best, most successful lines of bolt action rifles ever.

The only issue that in my mind is a non issue is the so called "problem" with older triggers. And quite frankly that has been proven to be a total red herring.

Wendy - if you are looking for a proven long range rifle the Remington 700 Sendero is a great choice. The .25-'06 cartridge is very versatile.

Here is a good read on the .25-'06

http://www.chuckhawks.com/why_25-06.htm

Regards,

Rob

Wendyj · May 16, 2015, 04:13 PM

He's had that Rem 700 for 18 years an it's never failed him. Has had trigger job probably 10 years ago. He wouldn't even look at a Savage except the 243 in 10-110 Hunter in wood but didn't like it. He still has Sendero in 338 ultra mag. Doesn't get any use here but took it out west a few times. Stainless fluted barrel. He wouldn't part with it either. We don't load for it but he bought 200 rounds of ammo all in the same lot so no more than it gets shot it will last a lifetime.

joed · May 16, 2015, 07:42 PM

My vote for the Sendero in .25-06, one of my favorite rifles.

skizzums · May 16, 2015, 08:24 PM

i would love to have a 25-06. amazing cartridge with super flat trajectories. fantastic target caliber and has impressive long-range potential. I guess it would depend on what ranges you are looking for and if it's just target or hunting. but if just target, my vote is 25-06, I am always surprised it's not more popular than it is.

waveslayer · May 16, 2015, 11:09 PM

going out on a limb but have you looked at the new 6.5 SAUM? unbelievable accurate, and little recoil (IMHO) . if you are reloading then this is the round for you, maybe even a 6.5 Creedmoor.

green_MTman · May 17, 2015, 07:09 AM

short of several K$ custom jobs,the Savage is always the best

go with the .260 rem. or a .270

4runnerman · May 17, 2015, 07:27 AM

skizzums nailed it. I do not own a 25-06 yet,but have sighted a few in. They are one sweet flat shooting rifle. Recoil is nill. Not sure what Model it was I sighted in last year, but when I gave it back to the owner,The first question I asked him was- Do you want to sell it. I can say with remorse,( It was not a Savage

)
I know next purchase will be the 7-08 or a 25-06. Leaning toward the 06 for sure though.

Mobuck · May 17, 2015, 07:27 AM

Trajectory wise- the 25/06 is very similar to the 7mm mag. This might be a factor if used for hunting. The 25/06 is an excellent predator/medium game round which I've used for years.
As for the choice of rifle, I have no opinion since the last 4 new rifles I've purchased have been Howa.

Coppershot · May 18, 2015, 10:28 AM

I have a Remington XCR tactical in 308 and had a smith bed the action. It shoots very well but keep in mind in gets pretty heavy once you mount a scope on it. I am not sure of the weights of the other two that you are considering. If he is accustomed to a 7mm he will have to adjust to lighter bullet weights if you go with the 25-06. I do not know to what extent rifle weight or bullet weight is an issue but you might want to factor them into your decision.

waveslayer · May 18, 2015, 10:54 AM

how much do you want to spend on a rifle? that would help with some good suggestions. if you had a good budget the Extreme Hunter by GA Precision would serve you well. low recoil, great hunting round and a tack driver

Wendyj · May 18, 2015, 11:56 AM

Probably in $1000 to $1100.00 dollar range. That's what the 25-06 run in Sendero. Fluted stainless. Another $1000.00 on optics. After buying Nightforce I will have to allow another $250.00 for rail and rings. That's what the one I got for his 7 mag ran anyway.

waveslayer · May 18, 2015, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendyj

Probably in $1000 to $1100.00 dollar range. That's what the 25-06 run in Sendero. Fluted stainless. Another $1000.00 on optics. After buying Nightforce I will have to allow another $250.00 for rail and rings. That's what the one I got for his 7 mag ran anyway.

good to know. the Extreme Hunter is a tad overy your budget.

603Country · May 18, 2015, 12:09 PM

If the OP bought a Nightforce scope, money isn't a big issue. Therefore, she can buy whatever she wants. And personally I would not spend big money on a Savage. I have a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless that now has a heavier barrel (#4 Brux) and shoots like a dream. And it's still quite light, and the heavier barrel makes it easy for me to shoot well. Final cost was double that of the original rifle purchase, but I'm not complaining at all.

So do what I did, or buy a Sako or a Cooper. Why buy a Remington? Compared to the Sako or Cooper, it's crudely made. For enough money, a person can have accuracy and beauty. When I bought the Sako I have, I went to a real big gun store and asked them to bring out all of the Sako Lightweight Hunters they had in 270. They were hesitant till I slapped the checkbook on the counter. I guess they had about 10 or 12. I picked the prettiest one. Lovely wood stock. It was an upgrade from my previous rifle, which was a Remington 700.

Get a rifle that will make you happy just to look at it and make you proud when others look at it. And, speaking from experience, make sure you can really shoot it. When folks show up with 'pretty' guns, others seem to often make assumptions that you can't shoot. Brother, that old Sako will shoot, though I'll admit that I had it tuned up. I was standing over a big old dead 10 point many years ago, when the land owner showed up. He said "dang it, I told you to shoot from the stand, and you must've left the stand to get close enough for this shot". Nope, I said, I made the shot from the stand. He said "Wow".

Get what you really want. Don't settle for less (if you have the money).

waveslayer · May 18, 2015, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 603Country

If the OP bought a Nightforce scope, money isn't a big issue. Therefore, she can buy whatever she wants. And personally I would not spend big money on a Savage. I have a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless that now has a heavier barrel (#4 Brux) and shoots like a dream. And it's still quite light, and the heavier barrel makes it easy for me to shoot well. Final cost was double that of the original rifle purchase, but I'm not complaining at all.

So do what I did, or buy a Sako or a Cooper. Why buy a Remington? Compared to the Sako or Cooper, it's crudely made. For enough money, a person can have accuracy and beauty. When I bought the Sako I have, I went to a real big gun store and asked them to bring out all of the Sako Lightweight Hunters they had in 270. They were hesitant till I slapped the checkbook on the counter. I guess they had about 10 or 12. I picked the prettiest one. Lovely wood stock. It was an upgrade from my previous rifle, which was a Remington 700.

Get a rifle that will make you happy just to look at it and make you proud when others look at it. And, speaking from experience, make sure you can really shoot it. When folks show up with 'pretty' guns, others seem to often make assumptions that you can't shoot. Brother, that old Sako will shoot, though I'll admit that I had it tuned up. I was standing over a big old dead 10 point many years ago, when the land owner showed up. He said "dang it, I told you to shoot from the stand, and you must've left the stand to get close enough for this shot". Nope, I said, I made the shot from the stand. He said "Wow".

Get what you really want. Don't settle for less (if you have the money).

just because she bought a NF, doesn't mean she has a lot of money, dumb statement. obviously you didn't see it was the SHV model not the BEAST! only a 2800 difference.

but to add to your comments, get the extreme hunter over a Sako or Cooper. in fact the Tikka is tough to beat

Wendyj · May 18, 2015, 02:42 PM

Have Tikka T3 lite stainless in 308. Love it. But no, I googled those guns. Way out of our price range. And you are right I bought the lower end Nightforce although I own a Zeiss that cost more than the Nightforce . I couldn't afford the super series of Nightforce nor thought I'd really need it for hunting rifle. Figured low end of 4 power was good enough. 6.5x20 Viper Vortex on Tikka now but only using it to try and perfect some loads I'm doing. Eyes are older and need more magnification to see quarter size targets. Zeiss is on 338 ultra mag of husbands. Leupold goes on Tikka for hunting season. I think he uses 1-4 or 2-7 on his 450. Likes it for bear in close woods. I don't know how he got it zeroed in. I can barely make out small targets with it at a 100 yards. Hope it never loses zero. His eyes are no better than mine as we get older. Have to be a little tighter on money than the $4,500.00 rifle I looked at on the web. Nice but too nice for our budget. We are not marksmanship shooters but hunters enjoying shooting. Like good guns and optics and safe would have another one beside it if we could afford to. Wouldn't ever gun lover???

hooligan1 · May 18, 2015, 04:42 PM

Check out the Savage Long Range Hunter, it's an affordable, extremely accurate rifle....you pick the caliber, .270 over 2506, for wider bullet selection. If bear is in the picture, then go withheavy bullets like the 140-150 partitions, for accurate deer puncher fodder, try 130 grain Ballistic Tips from Nosler.

Unlicensed Dremel · May 21, 2015, 08:48 AM

You said you want to do more shooting. 7mm-08 (the Tikka, if those are the only choices) fits that bill. Very nice balance - arguably perfect - of barrel life vs. ballistic & terminal performance.

Doyle · May 21, 2015, 08:50 AM

I personally would not buy a .308 with a 1 in 12 twist. Too slow to stabilize anything but very light bullets.

Wendyj · May 21, 2015, 11:47 AM

I traded Rem 1-12 twist for the Tikka. Rem sps not a very good rifle without a lot of customizing. I wish Tikka had ten twist instead of 11. Don't know why they went in the middle. Haven't tried anything under 160-165 gr through it.

DAVID NANCARROW · May 21, 2015, 08:44 PM

The 1:11 twist is just fine for what you are doing, Wendy. I know a lot of people get all worked up about getting a 1:10 twist for their 308s but its really not necessary.
Based on the capacity of the 308 Winchester case, the 1:12 twist originally used and still used on a lot of rifles will stabilize 130-180 grain weight bullets.

The 1:10 twist comes from the old 30-40 and 30-03 cartridges designed to shoot 220 grain bullets. If you look at the 308's powder capacity and cartridge overall length, you are not going to get much speed out of a bullet that heavy, regardless of the twist rate.

The 308 is very happy with bullets from 150 to 180 grain weights, and any inaccuracy-assuming you have a properly bedded action with a reasonably straight barrel is going to be the shape of the bullet.

With a properly constructed bullet in 150 to 180 grains, the 308 Winchester will kill any game in the lower 48.

May 13, 2015, 03:36 PM	#1
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	New rifle purchase question. Trying to decide between XTR Remington 700 in 308. 1-12 twist. Tikka 7-08. Or Remington 25-06 Sendero. Either would top off with 4x14x56 SHV Nightforce scope. That's the three I found that I liked. Only thing is he like them all. Gift for the husband. I'm shooting Tikka 308 with 1-10 twist. He's shooting Remington 700 7 mm mag. We are reloading for both now and will reload anything we get. Trying something to do a little more shooting. He ruled out 270 and 264 we looked at. Browning has a new somewhat tactical semi in 308 that caught his eye but I think he liked the Sender the best but isn't hard to please. Any advice. __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 13, 2015, 04:29 PM	#3
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	Sorry XCR. iPad types what it wants __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 16, 2015, 03:02 PM	#5
Savage99 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Posts: 567	Rem 700 rifles I would not take a 700 type rifle for nothing! They have handles that fall off, just push feed. Cheap stuff.

May 16, 2015, 03:20 PM	#6
Rob62 Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 1999 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 560	Savage 99 - you are joking......right ?? The Remington 700 series of rifles is one of the best, most successful lines of bolt action rifles ever. The only issue that in my mind is a non issue is the so called "problem" with older triggers. And quite frankly that has been proven to be a total red herring. Wendy - if you are looking for a proven long range rifle the Remington 700 Sendero is a great choice. The .25-'06 cartridge is very versatile. Here is a good read on the .25-'06 http://www.chuckhawks.com/why_25-06.htm Regards, Rob __________________ NRA & NAHC Life Member Last edited by Rob62; May 16, 2015 at 03:33 PM.

May 16, 2015, 04:13 PM	#7
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	He's had that Rem 700 for 18 years an it's never failed him. Has had trigger job probably 10 years ago. He wouldn't even look at a Savage except the 243 in 10-110 Hunter in wood but didn't like it. He still has Sendero in 338 ultra mag. Doesn't get any use here but took it out west a few times. Stainless fluted barrel. He wouldn't part with it either. We don't load for it but he bought 200 rounds of ammo all in the same lot so no more than it gets shot it will last a lifetime. __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 13, 2015, 04:01 PM	#2
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	Wendyj: Are you sure it's a Remington XTR or could it be an XCR? The XCR is a "tactical" bolt action and looks like a great rifle for range shooting in .308 Win. The Tikka may be a bit light for extended range shooting, though it's a good-shooting rifle for hunting. I'm not partial to the .25-06, since I'm not in the West where it works well with light bullets, but doesn't do any better with 120 grain bullets than the .270 Win with 130s and may be harder on barrels. It has it's followers, but finding ammo could be more of a problem, if needed on a trip.

May 16, 2015, 11:31 AM	#4
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	Tried to find new gun for husband but he's so fond of his Rem 7 mag and the reloads he just couldn't decide. Topped his rem off with a new Nightforce SHV with MOAR reticle. He loves it and is on call this week so can't get to the range. Imagine we will be loading a bunch of 7's this week. Got me a sig p238 and after running one mag through it I love it. Recoil near to nothing and super accurate for a hand gun that small. Got to surprise him a little bit anyway. Me too. Lol. __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 16, 2015, 07:42 PM	#8
joed Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2014 Posts: 442	My vote for the Sendero in .25-06, one of my favorite rifles.

May 16, 2015, 08:24 PM	#9
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	i would love to have a 25-06. amazing cartridge with super flat trajectories. fantastic target caliber and has impressive long-range potential. I guess it would depend on what ranges you are looking for and if it's just target or hunting. but if just target, my vote is 25-06, I am always surprised it's not more popular than it is. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

May 16, 2015, 11:09 PM	#10
waveslayer Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2013 Posts: 246	going out on a limb but have you looked at the new 6.5 SAUM? unbelievable accurate, and little recoil (IMHO) . if you are reloading then this is the round for you, maybe even a 6.5 Creedmoor.

May 17, 2015, 07:09 AM	#11
green_MTman Senior Member Join Date: March 27, 2014 Location: southeastern Vermont,USA Posts: 325	short of several K$ custom jobs,the Savage is always the best go with the .260 rem. or a .270

May 17, 2015, 07:27 AM	#12
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	skizzums nailed it. I do not own a 25-06 yet,but have sighted a few in. They are one sweet flat shooting rifle. Recoil is nill. Not sure what Model it was I sighted in last year, but when I gave it back to the owner,The first question I asked him was- Do you want to sell it. I can say with remorse,( It was not a Savage) I know next purchase will be the 7-08 or a 25-06. Leaning toward the 06 for sure though. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

May 17, 2015, 07:27 AM	#13
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Trajectory wise- the 25/06 is very similar to the 7mm mag. This might be a factor if used for hunting. The 25/06 is an excellent predator/medium game round which I've used for years. As for the choice of rifle, I have no opinion since the last 4 new rifles I've purchased have been Howa.

May 18, 2015, 10:28 AM	#14
Coppershot Member Join Date: January 2, 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 94	I have a Remington XCR tactical in 308 and had a smith bed the action. It shoots very well but keep in mind in gets pretty heavy once you mount a scope on it. I am not sure of the weights of the other two that you are considering. If he is accustomed to a 7mm he will have to adjust to lighter bullet weights if you go with the 25-06. I do not know to what extent rifle weight or bullet weight is an issue but you might want to factor them into your decision.

May 18, 2015, 10:54 AM	#15
waveslayer Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2013 Posts: 246	how much do you want to spend on a rifle? that would help with some good suggestions. if you had a good budget the Extreme Hunter by GA Precision would serve you well. low recoil, great hunting round and a tack driver

May 18, 2015, 11:56 AM	#16
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	Probably in $1000 to $1100.00 dollar range. That's what the 25-06 run in Sendero. Fluted stainless. Another $1000.00 on optics. After buying Nightforce I will have to allow another $250.00 for rail and rings. That's what the one I got for his 7 mag ran anyway. __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 18, 2015, 12:09 PM	#18
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,996	If the OP bought a Nightforce scope, money isn't a big issue. Therefore, she can buy whatever she wants. And personally I would not spend big money on a Savage. I have a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless that now has a heavier barrel (#4 Brux) and shoots like a dream. And it's still quite light, and the heavier barrel makes it easy for me to shoot well. Final cost was double that of the original rifle purchase, but I'm not complaining at all. So do what I did, or buy a Sako or a Cooper. Why buy a Remington? Compared to the Sako or Cooper, it's crudely made. For enough money, a person can have accuracy and beauty. When I bought the Sako I have, I went to a real big gun store and asked them to bring out all of the Sako Lightweight Hunters they had in 270. They were hesitant till I slapped the checkbook on the counter. I guess they had about 10 or 12. I picked the prettiest one. Lovely wood stock. It was an upgrade from my previous rifle, which was a Remington 700. Get a rifle that will make you happy just to look at it and make you proud when others look at it. And, speaking from experience, make sure you can really shoot it. When folks show up with 'pretty' guns, others seem to often make assumptions that you can't shoot. Brother, that old Sako will shoot, though I'll admit that I had it tuned up. I was standing over a big old dead 10 point many years ago, when the land owner showed up. He said "dang it, I told you to shoot from the stand, and you must've left the stand to get close enough for this shot". Nope, I said, I made the shot from the stand. He said "Wow". Get what you really want. Don't settle for less (if you have the money).

May 18, 2015, 02:42 PM	#20
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	Have Tikka T3 lite stainless in 308. Love it. But no, I googled those guns. Way out of our price range. And you are right I bought the lower end Nightforce although I own a Zeiss that cost more than the Nightforce . I couldn't afford the super series of Nightforce nor thought I'd really need it for hunting rifle. Figured low end of 4 power was good enough. 6.5x20 Viper Vortex on Tikka now but only using it to try and perfect some loads I'm doing. Eyes are older and need more magnification to see quarter size targets. Zeiss is on 338 ultra mag of husbands. Leupold goes on Tikka for hunting season. I think he uses 1-4 or 2-7 on his 450. Likes it for bear in close woods. I don't know how he got it zeroed in. I can barely make out small targets with it at a 100 yards. Hope it never loses zero. His eyes are no better than mine as we get older. Have to be a little tighter on money than the $4,500.00 rifle I looked at on the web. Nice but too nice for our budget. We are not marksmanship shooters but hunters enjoying shooting. Like good guns and optics and safe would have another one beside it if we could afford to. Wouldn't ever gun lover??? __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 18, 2015, 04:42 PM	#21
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	Check out the Savage Long Range Hunter, it's an affordable, extremely accurate rifle....you pick the caliber, .270 over 2506, for wider bullet selection. If bear is in the picture, then go withheavy bullets like the 140-150 partitions, for accurate deer puncher fodder, try 130 grain Ballistic Tips from Nosler. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

May 21, 2015, 08:48 AM	#22
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	You said you want to do more shooting. 7mm-08 (the Tikka, if those are the only choices) fits that bill. Very nice balance - arguably perfect - of barrel life vs. ballistic & terminal performance.

May 21, 2015, 08:50 AM	#23
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	I personally would not buy a .308 with a 1 in 12 twist. Too slow to stabilize anything but very light bullets.

May 21, 2015, 11:47 AM	#24
Wendyj Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2015 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,372	I traded Rem 1-12 twist for the Tikka. Rem sps not a very good rifle without a lot of customizing. I wish Tikka had ten twist instead of 11. Don't know why they went in the middle. Haven't tried anything under 160-165 gr through it. __________________ God is NOT dead!!!!

May 21, 2015, 08:44 PM	#25
DAVID NANCARROW Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,761	The 1:11 twist is just fine for what you are doing, Wendy. I know a lot of people get all worked up about getting a 1:10 twist for their 308s but its really not necessary. Based on the capacity of the 308 Winchester case, the 1:12 twist originally used and still used on a lot of rifles will stabilize 130-180 grain weight bullets. The 1:10 twist comes from the old 30-40 and 30-03 cartridges designed to shoot 220 grain bullets. If you look at the 308's powder capacity and cartridge overall length, you are not going to get much speed out of a bullet that heavy, regardless of the twist rate. The 308 is very happy with bullets from 150 to 180 grain weights, and any inaccuracy-assuming you have a properly bedded action with a reasonably straight barrel is going to be the shape of the bullet. With a properly constructed bullet in 150 to 180 grains, the 308 Winchester will kill any game in the lower 48.

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