Rifle specs - Does this make sense?

[ashooter]

.308 Winchester chambered, hopefully around $2500 including optics and having GA Precision barrel the action (I can bed it).

Here's my reasoning behind this rig:

I figure I'll spend a lot more time carrying it than shooting it. I've humped a 10 lb rifle over a lot of country with little discomfort, and I'm trying to make this thing somewhere between 10 and 14 lbs including glass. About 12 lbs would be ideal.

From my experience, bipods are GREAT at the range, but are more trouble than they're worth in the field since getting down on a bipod usually means I can only see about 20 yards in this country (lots of low brush). Standing up a pack and sitting behind it works a lot better for me.

My shooting will be roughly 60% 100-400m, 20% 400-600m, 20% 600-1000m, mostly 175gr Sierras, but some 150gr FMJ for 100-200m practice. Unless I branch out my training to include something sniper-oriented, anything over 400m will just be messing around play-shooting... BUT I want this rig capable of putting 5 rds on 18x24 inch steel at 1000m "just because".

Okay, my idea about what will work is this:

1) ACTION - Rem M700

2) BARREL - stainless, cut-rifled 1/12 twist, 24" length, straight-taper to around 0.800-0.850" at the muzzle (Krieger #7, Bartlein #6, or Rock #1 contour)

3) BOTTOM METAL - Williams Model 70 style 1-piece

4) SCOPE MOUNT - IBA 30mm M40A1 style (or maybe Badger)

5) STOCK - Manners MCS-T or McMillan HTG or A1-3 (?) with flush sling sockets - I'm thinking the HTG or the MCS-T will carry better, but the A1-3 might be more shootable...?

6) SLING - Turner leather M1903 type

7) SCOPE - USO ST-10, 10x44mm parallax fixed @ 300m, low profile eyepiece, EREK 1/2moa elev with 175gr BDC engraved, low profile 1/4moa windage with knob cover, mil dot reticle, no illum.

Basically I'm thinking about an M40A1 with a little lighter barrel and a LOT cheaper scope, but want to make sure there's nothing new out there that I'm missing... I mean M40A1 technology is 30 years old, and some of you guys have a lot more long-range trigger time than I do, figuring out what works and what doesn't. I'm looking for "maybe this would be better" on individual components based on how I plan to use this thing. Any comments???

[Madsmiley]

Why not just get a off the shelf VSS or PSS and spend the money on high end optics instead of gunsmithing.:confused: .Also read this link on different 308 twist rates and bullet weights..

http://www.snipercountry.com/hottips/TwistRate.htm

Not flaming,just trying to understand your reasoning..

[SHIVAN]

I think that once you take that stock barrel off, you are going to open yourself up to a quandry of sorts, that will end up skewing your budget by a lot. The process of truing the whole rifle up makes sense, and costs money to do...

GAP's Base Tactical Rifle (http://www.gaprecision.net/content/products.php) is basically what you outlined and the price is $2300.

[ashooter]

Old M700 will run me around $300. Barrel around $275. Having a smith install the barrel, $200-$500 depending on how anal I want them to be about blueprinting the action. The rest is parts, since I can do everything else that needs doing.

Why do I want it? Same reason we want an SBR'd AR, or a Larue forend instead of plastic handguards, or a suppressor instead of a bare muzzle... Because it's better and I just want it.

Anyway, with some help from guys at 10-8 and snipershide, I tweaked my specs a little and am on track, so 6 months from now I should be up and running.

[GONIF]

I'm not knocking the Rem ,I have a 700 vs in .308 myself. but for $2300.00 you could buy a Sako TRG and than all you would need is some nice glass for it . or as said get a 700P.