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Thread: General purpose 20 inch 308

  1. #1
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    General purpose 20 inch 308

    A little back story, I have been wanting to get into the bolt action game after seeing some scout rifles. Any hunting I would do would probably be within 300 yards. I don't have a can, but would maybe put one on eventually. After looking around at several rifles, I've become interested in a Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD. I've heard that the stock needs to be upgraded. Are there any better options than that particular model 700? Or should I get it and see how it functions then upgrade the stock later? Btw I have seen this particular rifle online for less than $600.
    Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.-Andrew Jackson
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    Remington used to be the gold standard in manufacturing. Sadly those days are long gone. The story is quite similar to the one at Sig with Cohen at the helm, and personally I would be very hesitant to purchase a new Remington or Marlin (now owned by the same parent company) product these days. I have owned literally dozens of Remingtons over the years and am am M24 armorer, and with the in mind, would recommend you look at Tikka rifles.

    The Tikka T3 can be had in .308, and their compact models come in 20" barrels. Before the youth models were available, I had a T3 chopped to 20"s. Actually I have had 3 Tikka .308s chopped to 20"s, one was a varmint barrel model (no longer imported) and two were for my daughter and I. The sporter weight ones have proven to be awesome little all purpose, all around hunting rifles.







    Daughter and her 20" 308 Tikka:








    2018 elk



    You stated you have been reading up on scout rifles, if so I would suggest going over to the Pistol-Forum and reading this thread:


    https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....fle-circa-2016




    It is a rather informative thread.
    THE CHAIR IS AGAINST THE WALL.

  3. #3
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    Those are some great hunting pics, especially the one with your kiddo! It's always nice to see kids really enjoying hunting and the back country in general.

    As for the recommendation of a Tikka, I'd say you're right on the money. They are a solid rifle and a great value. The aftermarket is even slowly starting to expand, with easy availability of triggers, stocks, bolt handles, and even pre-fit barrels, if you're someone who like to customize a rifle or are just concerned about the ability to make changes down the road.
    Last edited by Tx_Aggie; 12-30-18 at 09:21.

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    Thank you Lost River and Tx Aggie for the replies. Very cool pics. The Tikka looks nice. I will look into these. I would like the ability to use a removable box mag and a bull barrel. The Tikkas seem to have a light profile barrel. Maybe the light barrel would work for me though.
    Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.-Andrew Jackson
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xbox and ARs View Post
    A little back story, I have been wanting to get into the bolt action game after seeing some scout rifles.
    getting into bolt action rifles and getting into scout rifles are not two ways of saying the same thing. Rifles built on a bolt action span a VERY WIDE range of uses and thus built to a WIDE range features and configurations.

    The Scout Rifle is Col. Coopers idea of what would make a good general purpose rifle and the characteristics are very specific and broad at the same time. with respect, the above link would be a wast of time if you truly want to get your head around what a Cooper Scout Rifle is and the thoughts behind it, till recently you had two options to learn.... LOTS of random inaccurate information scattered across the internet by people who don't get/are ignorant of what he was going for/have incomplete information. Or digging into Coopers writings as if you were preparing a history paper. which isn't as simple as it sounds because he NEVER wrote a definitive document. His thoughts are scattered across several magazine articles, books he wrote and his commentaries. I have tried this and came up short because not all his past writings are publicly available on the internet.

    Fortunately we have a third option. Richard Mann, who spent the better part of 5 years researching and testing the concept wrote a book called the "scout rifle study". he had access to Coopers personal papers in addition to many of the published sources the rest of us would have to dig around for. The book is well worth the cost if you truly want to understand Coopers concept. Mann analyses the idea, tests it, and doesn't just take Coopers word. Now that Cooper is gone, it is THE SOURCE for understanding the concept. https://www.amazon.com/Scout-Rifle-S...ut+rifle+study

    If you don't like Cooper's specific concept, but like the idea of a general purpose rifle, then by all means experiment and come up with your own set of criteria and build your own dream rifle and see if you are able to build a better mouse trap. that is essenitally what Cooper did. wanted a better mouse trap, and so set out to achieve that. The Scout Rifle is he idea of a better mouse trap and the debate on his success or failure will rage on for decades.


    Quote Originally Posted by Xbox and ARs View Post
    .... I've become interested in a Remington 700 SPS Tactical .....
    I have just a plain 700 sps tactical, replaced the stock, enjoy the heck out of it. good rifle. but other than having a 20 inch barrel like a Cooper Scout Rifle calls for and being a bolt action, the two rifles are about as different as apples and oranges.

    IF you are interested in a Scout Rifle, my suggestion get Mann's book, read it. if you have questions, go here http://www.scoutrifle.org/ if you still want one after that, do your best to get a Steyr. They are the only mass produced, production rifle that will let you experience the concept as close to Coopers idea as possible. There is a lot more to it than a forward mounted scope on a bolt action rifle.

    If you are just interested in something Scout like, that brings you to the Ruger GSR. people who buy it love it from what i can tell. you would not be giving up much if anything going this route.

    if you want a simple general purpose(ish) rifle, the 700 tactical is a bit on the heavy side, but if you aren't going to be lugging it around the field, in the mountains etc. it will sort of do as a general purpose rifle. But as fun of a range toy as it is, it is no scout rifle. If you plan to hunt, hike with a rifle, spend time out in the field, I would steer clear of the 700 tactical. it is honestly more of a range toy, or a very entry level rifle for some mid range target shooting with an eye to competition.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Xbox and ARs View Post
    Thank you Lost River and Tx Aggie for the replies. Very cool pics. The Tikka looks nice. I will look into these. I would like the ability to use a removable box mag and a bull barrel. The Tikkas seem to have a light profile barrel. Maybe the light barrel would work for me though.
    The Tikka T3x CTR should satisfy those requirements

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    Yep. That T3x CTR is a great value.

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    Just in case you are not noticing the trend here. I love everything about my Tikka T3. Smooth action, accurate, stiff 20 inch threaded barrel, practically no point shift with my can. The mags aren't the most durable looking, and they are a little more expensive than I would like, but they have not ever given me an issue.
    Go Ukraine! Piss on the Russian dead.

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    100% agree with the above suggestions to grab a Tikka CRT and be done.

    But, since it's nice to have choices, another option might be to pick up a Howa barreled action from Brownell's and drop it into the stock or chassis of your choice:

    https://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...prod94615.aspx

    (the 20" threaded heavy barreled 308 is currently out of stock, but they are available for back order. There are also other options currently in stock:

    https://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...%7CMake_3=Howa

    A KRG Bravo stock/chassis would allow the use of AICS pattern mags and would run you about $450, which puts you within $1-200 of a Tikka CTR (assuming you got the CTR somewhere like Bud's), but there are other more affordable options for stocks.

    https://kineticresearchgroup.com/product/bravo-chassis/

    A Hogue stock like the one that Remington comes in (not great, and really flexible, but good enough to start with) runs about $200 at Brownell's (for a Heavy Barreled Howa Short Action), so you would be under $700 for the barreled action + Hogue stock. No detachable mag, but the Remington AAC doesn't have one either. And the Howa is much nicer than a factory Remmu, and nearly as nice of a rifle as the Tikka (though not quite).

    https://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...prod84921.aspx

  10. #10
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    Tikka and Bergara are safe bets. There is a similar thread you could read on as well in Precision Rifle sub forum.

    PB
    Last edited by Pappabear; 01-01-19 at 10:21.
    "Air Force / Policeman / Fireman / Man of God / Friend of mine / R.I.P. Steve Lamy"

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