Help me out guys. A friend of mine wants my help in putting together a heavy-ish rifle for deer and hog hunting from a box blind. He's thinking .308win, as he does not handload. He's also allocating another $400-500 for optics and wants a reticle that will allow for fairly easy hits on big game to 400 yards without spinning turrets.

My first thought was to try to find a Remington 5R somewhere. What do you guys think? If it was mine, I would build, but he wants something he can have up and going in a few weeks. The others that have come to mind include the Vanguard S2 Varmint in the B&C stock and the Ruger Predator, which is really more of a magnum-weight gun.

Look at a Remmy SPS Tactical...shorter barrel, easier to move in a box blind.


Stick it in a B&C or an HS Precision if you don't like the stock on it.You are still under budget.

That is another good option. He mentioned that he liked the idea of a threaded muzzle. The 700 SPS AAC-SD in a B&C M40 wouldn't be bad at $975 or so.

Though it's a bit lighter than the offerings you've mentioned, the Tikka CTR comes with a 20" varmint weight barrel that is threaded. If he wants it heavier, their Sporter also comes threaded but is a bit over his price range.

For hits to 400, I'd think a Leupold with the LRD would work for a scope.

I forgot about the CTR. Might be a good option also.

CTR is a mad man.....

As pictured w/SS 3-15 in SWFA rings.... 9.5 lbs....



Shoots too....

Here's the first 27 shots at 100yds... #25-29 go .386".....

Why a heavy rifle for 400 yards? I have tactical rifles, but if it was my only rifle, I'd want something more handy for overall use. A Montana or RAR is more than capable at 400 yards and twice that distance.

I was gonna say Tikka CTR or any tikka for that matter

CTR first choice, but a Tikka compact wouldn't be out of the question either.

Cheap tactical/varmint,
That spells Salvage to me!
Here is mine, $900 total invested

^^^This^^^

Yea....That looks like a Tikka...

Well if Ingwe or Shrap said it... then ya know that probably should be the correct answer...

I don't remember anyone saying it would be his only rifle?

Shod

Get the 5r 308 with the 20" threaded barrel. Add a suppressor later. Add a McMillan or Manners stock later. No brainer.

No flies on the Ruger Hawkeye Predator. Or an American (or two), they say they're shooters. Leupold VX2 3-9x40 LRD. Savage has several offerings too. That's cool irfubar! I had a 12BVSS that was uber accurate, like in the tens. To hell with Remington, IMO, not worth the gamble, what a chitt story they've become.

One can never know...one can only hope!

Yep.

I would hunt hard for a Remington MilSpec 5R and be done with it.

One made 5+ years ago....

Add a $100 trigger at some point..... and another $300-$400 to get a solid detachable mag system. Then maybe $100-$150 in 'smith work to add that 'Tac' bolt handle and make it 1/2 as smooth as the Tikka. You can throw in another hour or two of 'load development'... maybe 6-8 weeks waiting for the trigger to get fixed after a recall. I can see how the SPS Tactical is a slam-dunk....


Or, just buy the Tikka CTR ($850-$900)..... and $200 worth of components/ammo.... and still come in under budget on a rifle that will shoot circles around 99 outta 100 factory Rems.

'flave went from an SPS Tac to the Tikka CTR...... and present company excluded, he's the smartest guy I know..... but I'm just a peasant.... until May.

Sps varmint 308, hs stock from eBay, 10x swfa ss, varget, 155 scenar, lapua brass. Put it together and this is how it shot first try.

Well ummmm.....You make a pretty good point there!

Your only off on a few small points!

The SPS is likely to require a bit more than 2 hours of load development.

The action on the SPS is not half as smooth as a tikka, you were being a bit generous.

Shod