Which one of these long range tactical rifles would YOU pick??

[msmforever69]

Pick one out of these, the caliber I’m considering is .308 winchester, or .300 win mag. I’m trading in my Remington 700P 300 wm due to its disappointing fit and finish (for those of you that remember my earlier post with the pictures). I lost 300 on the Remington, just like ripping 300 dollars up pretty much since i paid a 1000 and the dealer offered me 700 to buy it back. I’m using the $700 I get for it as a deposit for one of these that will have a smoother action and better fit and finish.

Anyway, here are the rifles with their respective price, the prices of all are about $1500 from impact guns. Unfortunately none of the local dealers have these and I personally don't know anyone who owns them, so I have to order them just based on what I see and read online. If YOU had to get one which one would you get and why? (will be putting a leupold mark 4 scope on it).

Armalite AR-30
Price: $1404
http://www.armalite.com/ItemForm.aspx?item=30M338&Category=0406c9ff-539d-4b4c-ae1f-d045b91324c3

Kimber 8400 Tactical
Price: $1550
http://www.kimberamerica.com/rifles/tactical/8400_tactical/

FN A1 SPR
Price: $1520
http://www.fnhusa.com/le/products/firearms/model.asp?fid=FNF006&gid=FNG005&mid=FNM0008

Tikka T3 Tactical
Price: $1350
http://www.berettausa.com/product/rifles/series_page.cfm?currentseries=27


Also if you know others that I might have missed around the 1500 range, let me know. I'm looking for quality fit and finish in black, reliability, smooth action, and of course accuracy! (even though a lot of these will be more accurate than I am)

[MTMilitiaman]

I'd go with the FN or the Armalite, though admittedly I don't have experience with either.

My bro has an AR-50, but I don't consider it very practical because of its weight, so I keep waiting for Armalite to introduce the AR-30 .338 Lapua in a left-hand version.

[ChicagoTex]

Gonna have to vote for the Tikka, I like it's stock and design the best and Beretta is super pleasant on the customer service front. Plus it's the cheapest :D

The AR looks ugly to me and seems overpriced for what it is, the Kimber is nice but expensive and doesn't really speak to me, the FN has a sweet stock but their pistol QC is so shaky and their customer service is so mediocre I really wouldn't feel comfortable buying from them.

[Horseman]

Kimber, FN, Armalight...............................Tikka. In that order. YOu have 3 that are in a different league than the Tikka IMO.

[Threefeathers]

The FN is the Pre 64 Winchester Model 70. There is a terrific article on it in one of the recent Gun Mags. I don't have one as I'm very happy with my Tactical Savage, but if I were to do another bolt gun this is the one I'd use.
Go to Sniper's Hide and get lots of specific info for this type of weapon.
Which scope will you use as optics are at least an equal factor in your pursuit of the perfect rifle.

[CPTMurdoc30]

Kimber

It is a stinking 308 why do you need a darn muzzle break on a 308 my 5'2" 11 year old daughter shoots a 308 without a muzzle break. Are you shooting with such percission that you need to score your own shots with out the use of a spotting scope at long distances?

The Kimber is the only one that looks like a rifle. The others I would be to embarrassed to take to the range for fear of being laughed at. They look like tinker toys.

Me personally I would not buy any of them. I would rather spend $1500 more and get a custom built rifle.

[sholling]

The only one I'm familiar with is the Tikka. I have their Super Varmint which is essentially the same rifle and it's super accurate and has a super slick action. CDNN has the Tikka Tactical in .308 on sale for $999. The only down side is that spare magazines are expensive and hard to come by.

[azredhawk44]

I lost 300 on the Remington, just like ripping 300 dollars up pretty much since i paid a 1000 and the dealer offered me 700 to buy it back. I’m using the $700 I get for it as a deposit for one of these that will have a smoother action and better fit and finish.

Can I make a suggestion?

Find a gunsmith that specializes in Parkerizing or Par-koting or some other high durability finishing. Off the top of my head, I'd recommend Arizona Expert Arms (http://www.azexarms.com), but they're the only one I'm familiar with.

These types of smiths will be able to strip your gun apart, sandblast the finish off, apply a newer and better finish, tune the trigger, bed the action and get the rifle back to you in a form you'd probably love.

They usually charge between $200 and $300 for a rifle, depending on the process and the shop. Add shipping in there, and you're out about $300-$400, but you will get a VERY durable finish on the rifle you originally chose.

I have two guns that have been parkoted by AZEX... a 1911 and an M14. The finish on both is superb and very durable.

If you really don't want the Remington though and you've decided the Remington action was truly a mistake (as opposed to anger at the packaging and finish blemishes), then I would choose the FN in .308.

[Denny Hansen]

I only have time behind the Kimber 8400, reviewing it for the December 07 issue of S.W.A.T., so I can't comment on the other rifles. The Kimber, however, is a shooter!

Using Federal's 308M load, I fired a ten-round group at 100 yards that measured .60". Using Black Hills match a 10-round group measured .70". A twenty (yes 20) round group fired at 200 yards (lasered) with the 308M load measured 1.60"--still sub MOA.
Denny

[Jimro]

If FN still has the chrome lined bore I'd go with it. They guaranteed the barrel not to shoot out until 25,000 rounds. That was a few years ago so I don't know if it's still the same.

Jimro

[TPAW]

Without giving the others a second thought, I'd go for the FN. My son has the FN SPR in .308, 20 inch barrel. We took it out to the range yesterday, and it was shooting five shot groups at 200 yards that you could cover with a dime. The scope was a 10 power. He was shooting Federal Gold Match, 168 grain, boat tail hollow point. Soon we intend to start reloading.
A truly impressive rifle to say the least. The pre 64 Winchester action was a smooth as silk. I'm buying one for myself when I get my tax return.

[p99guy]

Another vote for the FN SPR series ( I own the SPR A5M) and I'm totally happy with it in every way.

There is one thing that will make you go "what the Heck" if you don't know about it.

They hand lapp the bolt and lugs with an abrasive compound, and it will take some of the finish off the bolt...but it makes things fit/lockup like a glove.
here is a pic of what im talking about. also comes with a firing log with
date and how many of what type of rounds were fired through it at the factory. Bore is chrome lined, and can go up to 50 shots without cleaning(while maintaining top accuracy) My Weatherby Mark V can only do about 15
shots between cleaning (or the groups open up due to fouling) so that is an advantage.

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/130/20070529026tr4.jpg

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/961/20070529027xt0.jpg

They also come with a 100yd test target(heres mine) and with handloads it will outshoot the test target even with me pulling the trigger. :)

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8875/20070529021jv8.jpg

[garryc]

Rem 700 with a 5R-milspec barrel.

http://www.impactguns.com/store/047700296630.html

[TATER]

Another vote for the FN..

[Zak Smith]

http://demigodllc.com/photo/CGMG-2006.11/icon/D100_3368_img.jpg
article | Practical Long-Range Rifle Shooting, Part I - Rifle & Equipment http://demigodllc.com/icon/extwh3.png (http://demigodllc.com/articles/practical-long-range-rifle-shooting-equipment/)

If I needed to spend less money than a Remington 700, I'd get the T3.

-z

[island66]

I gathered from your other post that the issues with the stock/marks on the barrel/and the extraction issues had been resolved. If they haven't, I'd sure let Remington have a chance of resolving the issues before I took a $300 hit on trading in an unfired rifle.

[msmforever69]

That is what I decided to do, taking it to range and seeing what kind of groups the remy produces. I took it to a different dealer and they said scratching is normal, so apparently the action scratching the brass is nothing to worry about. If this rifle can't shoot good, then I definitely will trade it, but I figured if it shoots good i'll live with a few blemishes and keep it.

[azredhawk44]

so apparently the action scratching the brass is nothing to worry about.

:confused:
???

I thought the problem with the Remington was a blemished external finish...

Are you saying that the chamber roughs up the brass badly? That shouldn't happen. A good bolt gun should baby the brass more than just about any other rifle.

[joshua]

I thought the problem with the Remington was a blemished external finish...

Are you saying that the chamber roughs up the brass badly? That shouldn't happen. A good bolt gun should baby the brass more than just about any other rifle.

My PSS in 308 didn't start very well. Accuracy was bad; bad heavy trigger; didn't feed well from the mag because the mag won't hold more than 2 rounds. After looking it over the culprit was the mag being too long, I trimmed it and that made the action fit in the bedding block a lot better. It also holds all the rounds in the mag as specified. The trigger was cleaned up and polished. Now it shoots groups like this at 100 yards all day,
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh257/joshuatroy/DSC01419.jpg
smaller groups are possible but my eyesight is not the same as when I was a more energetic persone about a decade and a half ago.

Here's a shot of the rifle
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh257/joshuatroy/DSC01577.jpg
Since the price on PSS or Rem Police have gone up, I've been offered more than I paid for this rifle. You know, I think this one is a keeper, I just have to spend more time doing cold bore shot.

If you really must buy a rifle over $1K then my vote goes to the FN A1 SPR. A guy at the range was shooting low .4s with one in 308 and he does it more often than I can do .5s with PSS. Well, he's way better in shooting rifles than I am. I bow to anyone shooting 5-shot group upon demand in the .5s.