Need accurate .308

[mohr308]

Im looking to buy a new rifle in .308 thats accurate out to 400 yds. I posted this in semi auto, but everything I found was out of my price range, so I guess Im gonna head the bolt actions. Im limited on cash, so I would like to max out at $700, of course the lower the better, but I don't want to sacrifice quality for price to much. Any good suggestions? I currently reload for .308 and .223/5.56 so a load workup will be in the mix when I find a new rifle.

[Marquezj16]

Take a look at the Tikka T3 Lite. Mine has been plenty accurate.

Also, take a look at Browning, either the A-bolt or X-bolt. We have two X-bolts and they are very nice guns.

One last recommendation, check out the Weatherby Vanguard S2. Guaranteed sub moa.

[allaroundhunter]

Does $700 include optics?

If not, I just recently purchased a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308 for about $600 and with factory loads it averages .75-.8 MOA with 5 shot groups.

The rifle, bases, rings, and scope all together ran a little more than $1k, but I am more than happy with it so far.

Here is a target with 3 shot groups at 200 yards. I wasn't shooting to test the rifle, just a little competition with a friend:


And here is the rifle:

[kraigwy]

Just about any good bolt gun will be accurate to 400 yards.

Find one that "fits" you, put on some good sights and it will work.

Savage is a good place to start price wise and they are accurate right out of the box.

(Don't like saying that being a Winchester guy, but just being honest).

[Rob96]

I have the same rifle as allaround except in the ADL version. With the 26" barrel it averaged .65moa with my handloads. Had the barrel cut back to 20" with a recessed crown and I am at .55moa.

[QuarterHorse]

I bought a Savage Mod 10 in .308 - no Accutrigger. This thing is a slick shooter. I think I got it for 400.00 on sale with some inexpensive glass on it. I bagged a deer with it, I'm golden.



After I got it walked in my 3 in the center are WAY better than "minute of deer" and I'm certain if I really cared that day at 5 degrees outside I could have pulled a tighter group

[QuarterHorse]

Also forgot to add this is with Cor-lokt ammo, no match grade.

[4runnerman]

Savage,Like kraigwy said is a great place to start. Tikas.Howas. 400 yards is not a great distance,so almost all will do.

[kidako]

savage model 10fcp k had one moa and better , then I would go tikka

[mes228]

I suggest the Thompson Venture rifle, ridiculous low price with EXCEEDINGLY high performance. I bought mine for approx. $400 sometime ago. They now run about $450 or so. Mine will shoot ANY Walmart .270 ammo less than an inch from a Lead Sled. Also it's the only rifle I own that will not creep from barrel heating up. It's good for 10 + rounds in a row. I have rifles that cost 2-3 times more and will not shoot with it. Actually it's the most accurate .270 I've seen. I just purchased a CZ 550 (approx. $800) and the Venture out shoots it handily with factory ammo. Also the CZ wanders as the barrel heats up. I have no idea how or why the Thompson Ventures shoot so well, but they do. The trigger is also exceptional.

[Bart B.]

mes228, the most common reason point of impact moves as barrels heat up is how they're fit to the receiver. Unless the receiver's faced square with the barrel tenon thread axis, the barrel will have one spot on its shoulder where it's hardest against the receiver. As the barrel and action heats up, that point puts a stress line in the barrel at that place causing it to whip differently.

In second place among reasons, the barrel's not stress relieved properly so it bends as it heats up.

Down in third place is on bolt action rifles with epoxy bedding under the chamber area. As the barrel heats up, there's more pressure on the barrel at that point as it expands. But it's usually not until several round are fired and the barrel heats up quite a bit.

[ltc444]

Kraigway as usual offers the best advice. Find one that fits you. If the rifle fits then you will be more accurate. Most rifles out of the box shoot better than the shooter.

What are you planning to do with the rifle? That is the big question which should be answered before you decide on the rifle.

For hunting rifle accuracy the consideration should be first round bullet strike. A 5 shot group is not essential. When evaluating a hunting rifle I shot 3 round groups. Weight is a greater consideration if you are going to be humping the bush in search of game.

If your application does not including carrying the rifle a field and you are shooting targets then a heavier rifle with 5 rd accuracy is appropriate.

A used Ruger M77T or heavy barreled Varmint rifle would be a good choice for the latter use.

Careful shopping in the used market can get you an outstanding custom rifle within your price range.

[jmr40]

You can buy this Winchester for well under $700, closer to $500.

http://www.winchesterguns.com/produc...01C&mid=535114

You get a cheap stock, but the same quality rifle as the more expensive versions and an even better aftermarket stock could be added in the future as you get the funds.

For the ablolute most accuracy for the dollar right now look at the TC Venture. Savage has a well earned reputation for budget guns that shoot. This one is beating Savage right now.

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/venture.php

About $400-$450 at most places

[mes228]

The Thompson Center box for the Venture I purchased says "Is this the most accurate production rifle made ...........Darn Straight!" (quoted from memory so consider it a paraphrase). I do believe it's not hype. I've not fired anything in a production rifle that will shoot with it. And I've had rifles from just about everyone. The only dislike I have is the smaller bolt length. I prefer large bolts on rifles. I hate to use the word but I like "tactical" size bolts on bolt rifles.

[mohr308]

Well, first off I would really like a new Bolt action So I can do long range target shooting. But also use this rifle for deer and some wood chucks. When I rifle hunt for deer, I don't walk around looking for game, I sit on edges of very large fields. I save the walking for my shotgun!

I was looking at the TC Venture rifle, Awesome rifle. I do like to idea behind the 5r rifling of the barrel, I had done some reading about it before, just never really looked into it.

Now that I have looked at TC's page, I noticed the 30TC ammo, anyone have any experience with it? The exterior ballistics look nice. Is reloading stuff readily available yet?

[4runnerman]

Hey guys,,this TC Venture. Im still looking to get a 243. After reading this stuff you posted i went to the customer reviews on the TC, Seems accuracy is not all it says it is. The guy tried 6 different ammos throught it and was never able to achive MOA as they state it will. To those that have one.. How are they shooting for you?. I don't want to be critical,but let me know. To me one inch at 100 yards is not nothing to write home about. I like the look of the thing very much

[tobnpr]

You should also consider if you have any aspirations at all to modify/accurize the rifle down the road.

Aftermarket support for TC is essentially non-existent.

My choices would be Savage (big fan, out-of-the-box accurracy), Rem 700 (accurate, but sometimes needs a bit of work to get to it's potential), and then Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard.

The 700 has the most aftermarket support (stocks, triggers, accessories), followed pretty closely by Savage.

[miykael]

I'll do some cut & paste from part of another post:

My experiences trying to find the right combo rifle for target and hunting:

1. Savage 10FP. 24" Heavy barrel, slightly heavier rifle, lower felt recoil. Very manageable. Shot better than .5 MOA with my handloads.
2. Ruger Laminate Compact. 16.5" Sporter barrel, under 6lb rifle, terrible for recoil so installed VAIS Muzzle Brake (best one out there, no noise increase). Needs faster burning powder due to short barrel. In the end, 16.5" is too short. I figured 20" would be better.
3. Remington 700 SPS Tactical. Heavy 20" barrel, felt a little more recoil but still not too bad. Rubberized Hogue stock was nice for the elements but rifle quality overall not that great. Still, it shot slightly better than .5 MOA with my handloads.
4. Savage Precision Carbine. 20" Tapered heavy barrel, still lighter weight rifle but not bad for recoil. Still working on the loads but best all around rifle so far. Perfect for range and hunting (as I won't freehold shoot anyway).

You really need to know what you primarily want to do. I dream of 1000y shooting but the reality is that the max range in my area is 300y. This will be the majority of my shooting. For hunting, I sight in at 300y and I'll know the drop to 500y (although I highly doubt I would attempt a shot beyond 300).

Comparing the Rem/Sav, 20" barrels. The Rem was a true heavy barrel, the Savage tapered heavy (which is better for my dual use). The Savage tactical have a true tactical bolt, which makes a huge difference in feel. Savage barrels are also much easier to change and the accu-trigger allows for a better feel of your shot before you reach the real trigger (which makes it easier not to force a shot). You know when you hit the real trigger, the shot is going. With a regular trigger, you might shoot before truly being "in the zone." (a little known advantage to the accutrigger).

If weight is not a concern and you will primarily hunt set up on field edges with a bipod, then definitely the Savage 10FP (or variants). The new Accustock is FAR better than the old stock!

btw, all the rifles (except the Ruger) I bought used and they still performed that well.

[robertsig]

I also recommend the Tikka. They may not be the prettiest, but you'll need to do nothing to them out of the box.

[griff383]

Look at the Savages, they are accurate out of the box and have a ton of info and support should you decide to change somethign in the future

[Joe Chicago]

You may also want to look at the Weatherby Vanguard S2 in .308. Two weekends ago I broke in the barrel (20 rounds, cleaning with copper solvent after each round) then zeroed my scope. I only had a little time to test out the rifle, but it shot just over an inch using Rem CoreLokt 150 grain from a bench. My skills were rusty (I live in the People's Republic of IL and cannot get out to shoot much), the rifle only had 30 rounds through it and I tried the rifle with only one type of ammo. I am confident that after determining what ammo the rifle likes and practicing more, the S2 will turn in sub inch groups.

[TheNatureBoy]

Heres a vote for another "straight out of the box accurate rifle"; the Remington 700 5R/.308. Ignore the story line that comes with it (marketing).
The only thing I don't like about the rifle is that it isn't black. Other than that its a shooter/keeper.

[mxsailor803]

Everyone on here has made good points but i've got a suggestion if you can find one, Remington 788. Some people have horror stories about this model but many people have comparison complants about other models as well. I wanted one for the longest time because I grew up with a 788 .243win. And it was a proven performer that even to this day I'll grab it out the safe and climb in the stand with it. My current setup is the 788 .308 with a Timney trigger, Redfield Revenge 3-9x52, loaded with Remington Reduced Recoil .125gr. I personally like the lighter built because I don't have a lot of cross-winds, or thick skinned animals. Now, when my dies come in, I'm looking into running something lighter. (Sierra Pro-Hunter 115gr).

Also how about saving a little bit more and buying a T/C Encore? They are initally expensive but the versatility is really nice.

[GeauxTide]

Price, in the absence of value, is not a consideration.

[griff383]

A guy at my range regularily brags about his Tikka and its accuracy. For the price they seem like a good deal. Howa makes a nice rifle for a nice price as well.