Re: Be easy, I'm the FNG here,,, Remington 700 .308
The SPS makes a great project gun. You can start off with the basic rifle, now in two versions so think about a few things.
If you want to shoot past 800 yards, the new SPS T SD may be better. It will let you shoot the heavier bullets out farther.
If you want to shoot subsonic with a can, the new one may be better. The rifling will let you shoot those without so much worry for baffle strikes. It also come with a threaded muzzle, so that's one step you won't have to worry about.
I started with a plain SPS T. That ran about $650 out the door once I found one. I put an SWFA SS 3-9x42 FFP on it, which was about $600. Horus is supposed to be a good scope, and there are a few other offerings that you can get in for under $1K. I put the glass in Badger rings, on a Badger base. That was a little over $200. I went with those because they are incredibly well-fit and matched the receiver perfectly. No need to do anything else. The TPS and EGW are very good options, and cost less. With that, you're pretty much set. That's where I was here:
I then decided that loading it through the port with a full-length one piece rail was a bit of a PITA, and it would be nice to just remove and insert loaded mags at will. So I decided on the CDI DBM kit, which was about $200 installed and shipped, plus another $80 for 10 round mags. I also decided that I really wanted to change the stock, and I found a never used take off LTR stock for $150 on the Hide.
I also decided that I would like to have a large bolt knob, just for better ergonomics and also because my thumb was jamming into the occular bell. I got a Badger knob for something like $30. While I was doing that, I thought I might like to put a can on one day, and I also would feel better dragging a rifle around with some kind of muzzle protection, so I ordered an SEI 7.62 Vortex for about $70. I then had microsuck1 thread the barrel and install the knob. I think that was around $100, but I really don't remember.
That got me to where I am now:
The great thing about the SPS T is that you can put as much or as little into it as you want. It is a great rifle value out of the box, and depending on how much money and work you want to put into it, it can be greatly improved.