First post and requesting advice of course...

[Aztec68]

Hello everyone! Greetings from the Bayou!

So I'm a new shooter just getting into dipping my feet into long range target shooting. I'm not a hunter so I'm really just looking at shooting targets with this rifle.

I currently own a Remington 700 AAC SD in .308 (20 in. barrel) that I put in a Bell and Carlson Remington 700 BDL, Varmint/Tactical Style Fully Adjustable stock (no DBM) but I'm not really fond of the recoil much. In fact, I bought this rifle back in 2015, shot it around 20-30 times and went back to my AR's because I just didn't like the recoil on the .308.

So here recently I've decided to get the rifle out of the closet and give it another shot - however I want to put a new 6.5 Creedmoor barrel on it from Criterion to dampen the recoil some or buy a new rifle.

I checked out Northland Shooters Supply and at least by math, a remage barrel and all of the tools to change it out myself would run me about $700. I've built my own AR's with good results, but I've never done anything with a bolt action except to put it in the B&C stock.

I called my local gunsmith, he has a good reputation around these parts and after talking to him, he recommended a remage barrel and also wanted to blueprint the action and "true everything up". He said this would ensure I got the most accuracy possible out of the rifle. His price for putting on the barrel and blueprinting the action etc. was $300-$400. $100 for installing the barrel and $200 for the blueprinting. He said would probably have to do a little work on the stock to accommodate the barrel nut which is why I added an extra $100 to the mix (and for incidentals). So, if I order the barrel from Northland and have him do the work I'm still looking at around the $700 mark and that is without adding a DBM.

Another option, because I've read a lot on this forum about Tikka's and I like what I've read, is to buy a new Tikka T3x CTR for $1k and dropping that in a KRG Bravo and selling my Remington 700 and B&C stock to offset the cost. If I go with the Tikka and KRG bravo I'm looking at around $1400 and I get the ability to use magazines from the get go. Not sure what I could get for the Rem and stock but thinking/hoping that after selling it I could get to somewhere around the same out of pocket expense as my first two options or am I way off base?

What would you guys advise? Thanks in advance for any responses.

John

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Buy the Tikka, sell the Remington.

 

[pineoak]

If recoil is the issue, get a .223 bolt gun for sure. So much fun, low recoil, easy shooting.

F*** the blueprinting and gunsmithing. Just buy something that works without the fuss.

If your current .308 is reliable and you like it, store it for a year or two while you get accustomed to shooting the .223 and put a few thousand rounds downrange. Then consider pulling it out if you like it.

If budget is an issue, then your plan to offset cost is great. I'm not a fan of Remingtons personally.

I am a fan of the Tikka CTR .223 in Bravo stock personally. I think it's an excellent performance bargain and what I suggest most.

Another route is the Origin action in a Bravo (Triggertech trigger). I'm becoming a fan of this combo, though it will definitely cost more. But will be an easy change to .308 or 6.5 in the future with just a bolt head (no tools-1 minute) and barrel swap.

I don't think you'll go wrong either way following the suggestions above. Just know that the Tikka will stay a .223 for the most part, the Origin will provide easier upgrade path to larger caliber. Or keep it as a dedicated .223.

 

[OREGUN]

Do you want to keep the .308 for any reason? Is it accurate?

Its not really optimized for target shooting (or lighter recoil) with a 20” barrel.

You could stick a big brake on it for ~$200 and change the way the recoil feels.

If you are In to tinkering, go the remage route and then you can switch to whatever you want, whenever.

If you’d rather not tinker/buy tools/etc. Do a straight rebarrel into 6.5cm.

If you want dbm and target optimization, sell the whole Remington and start with a basic “builder“ action like an Origin, a prefit barrel and the stock/chassis of your choice.

Not sure what you’ll get for the 700 but it will be something.

IF IT WAS ME: keep the remmy AND build a new rifle to suit your 6.5 needs. I’ve never been glad I sold a firearm.

If the budget demands, sell the remmy and build a new rifle. If you want DBM, a barrel change isn’t going to help you. I wouldn’t mess with a Tikka. But that’s just me. They have plenty of fan bois around here.

 

[KnowNothing256]

I won’t weigh in on what overall route you should choose, but I’ll tell you not to blueprint it. More often than not it’s just money down a hole that you can’t recoup on resale. Just yank off the 308 barrel and go Remage for your 6.5CM if you elect to keep it; don’t let a gunsmith convince you blueprinting is needed unless you just really like tweaking stuff and don’t mind spending money to do it.

 

[DocRDS]

Recoil Problems?
(1) Thread that 308 barrel. Put on a brake.
Magazine Problems?
(2) Want to use a magazine? Buy a KRG Bravo and drop your 308 in it.
6.5 Envy:
(3) Grow a manbun
(4) Buy a tikka
Secret Option C:
(5) Bighorn origin + 6.5 barrel.

As others have said--if he's blueprinting there is no need for a remage system--he should give you a custom barrel for your gun.

I'm not one to part with guns, but it sounds like you want a 6.5--if its REALLY the recoil--get a brake or get some recoil pads and enjoy. TBH there is something amiss if the 308 recoil is bothering you--it could be stock design/shooter position or something.

 

[Aztec68]

1. Ok, so what I'm getting from the responses is to definitely forego the blueprinting. Unnecessary cost. Got it! Thanks for saving me some $$$.

2. A couple of you have recommended brakes and I've looked into them however the ranges that I have available to me all have the lanes pretty close to each other and typically have other shooters in them. Personally I'm not a fan of extra noise a brake would add and I'm sure my neighbors at the range wouldn't be either (lesser concern but still a concern). I eventually would like to put a can on the rifle so the brake would only have a limited life on my barrel (which is already threaded). My understanding is that cans don't do much to reduce recoil. Correct?

3. To be clear, while I didn't like the recoil of the .308, it wasn't overwhelming or anything, but just enough that it was unpleasant for a typical day at the range for me (2-3 hours of shooting). From what I have read and been told, I think moving from .308 to 6.5 would reduce the recoil enough that I would be comfortable shooting it for an extended period of time. From my research I've also come away with the understanding that the better ballistics of the 6.5 make getting out to 1000+yds easier. I do realize that the 6.5 only has an advantage out past a certain distance, otherwise at closer distances the .308 and 6.5 are pretty similar. My goal is to get proficient enough to be able to get out to 1000 yards without the rifle being the issue.

4. "(3) Grow a manbun" made my day lol! I hate man buns hahah!

5. Bighorn origin + 6.5 barrel - I'd love that, and may go that route but would definitely have to sell the Remmy to offset THAT cost... OUCH! With optics we're probably talking $4k+... I was hoping to not spend much more than $1500-$2000 on the whole setup minus optics of course.

 

[b6graham]

origin and proof prefit barrel from front range precision
krg bravo
bna trigger
brake of choice (a419 hellfire match or insite heathen)

not an expensive option by any means

 

[spife7980]

1. Ok, so what I'm getting from the responses is to definitely forego the blueprinting. Unnecessary cost. Got it! Thanks for saving me some $$$.
You dont need to true/blueprint. Cross that bridge if/when you get to it. There are better uses of funds in the mean time.
2. My understanding is that cans don't do much to reduce recoil. Correct?
They do enough that I refuse to shoot without one. Definitely get the new barrel with a threaded muzzle for a brake in the interim and a can in the long run.
3. To be clear, while I didn't like the recoil of the .308, it wasn't overwhelming or anything, but just enough that it was unpleasant for a typical day at the range for me (2-3 hours of shooting). From what I have read and been told, I think moving from .308 to 6.5 would reduce the recoil enough that I would be comfortable shooting it for an extended period of time. From my research I've also come away with the understanding that the better ballistics of the 6.5 make getting out to 1000+yds easier. I do realize that the 6.5 only has an advantage out past a certain distance, otherwise at closer distances the .308 and 6.5 are pretty similar. My goal is to get proficient enough to be able to get out to 1000 yards without the rifle being the issue.
The 6.5 will be better but an unbraked 6.5 still recoils more than a braked 308. Brakes take recoil in half but double the ear pain. Cans take 1/4 of the recoil out and get rid of most all the ear pain.
5. Bighorn origin + 6.5 barrel - I'd love that, and may go that route but would definitely have to sell the Remmy to offset THAT cost... OUCH! With optics we're probably talking $4k+... I was hoping to not spend much more than $1500-$2000 on the whole setup minus optics of course. I would just put a remage on the current rifle for 450 plus 200 in tools and shipping. Put it in a bravo if you want the detachable mag.

Comments in red

 

[pineoak]

We need to stop thinking of buying a rifle or glass as "sunk cost".

In all reality, we will likely use it for a short or prolonged period, then recoup much of the initial cost upon resale.

If we really like it, we will keep it or use it a lot. If we don't, we rented it for a short period.

Consumables like brass, barrels, etc aren't the same.

 

[Aftermath]

I will agree with @spife7980 and add that with the remage system, you can go back to a .308 or .243 or some other caliber without much work.

 

[Im2bent]

1. Ok, so what I'm getting from the responses is to definitely forego the blueprinting. Unnecessary cost. Got it! Thanks for saving me some $$$.

2. A couple of you have recommended brakes and I've looked into them however the ranges that I have available to me all have the lanes pretty close to each other and typically have other shooters in them. Personally I'm not a fan of extra noise a brake would add and I'm sure my neighbors at the range wouldn't be either (lesser concern but still a concern). I eventually would like to put a can on the rifle so the brake would only have a limited life on my barrel (which is already threaded). My understanding is that cans don't do much to reduce recoil. Correct?

3. To be clear, while I didn't like the recoil of the .308, it wasn't overwhelming or anything, but just enough that it was unpleasant for a typical day at the range for me (2-3 hours of shooting). From what I have read and been told, I think moving from .308 to 6.5 would reduce the recoil enough that I would be comfortable shooting it for an extended period of time. From my research I've also come away with the understanding that the better ballistics of the 6.5 make getting out to 1000+yds easier. I do realize that the 6.5 only has an advantage out past a certain distance, otherwise at closer distances the .308 and 6.5 are pretty similar. My goal is to get proficient enough to be able to get out to 1000 yards without the rifle being the issue.

4. "(3) Grow a manbun" made my day lol! I hate man buns hahah!

5. Bighorn origin + 6.5 barrel - I'd love that, and may go that route but would definitely have to sell the Remmy to offset THAT cost... OUCH! With optics we're probably talking $4k+... I was hoping to not spend much more than $1500-$2000 on the whole setup minus optics of course.

I suspect your neighbors at the range are all running brakes so.....

 

[BLEE]

Welcome, from Keithville, LA (too close to Shreveport).

 

[Aztec68]

Welcome, from Keithville, LA (too close to Shreveport).

Thank you! I had relatives living in Blanchard (too close to Shreveport also!) until recently - they moved to Florida just this past month.

 

[Im2bent]

You ever run into a guy named Theis?

 

[Aztec68]

You ever run into a guy named Theis?

No, can't say I have.

 

[Aqua Mark]

Put a good brake on it (precision armament in pic), and put it in one of these 5 pound chassis. Recoil will be cut significantly. This is a Rem700 308 with 20" barrel in the pic. Recoil is not bad any more.

 

[vinniedelpino]

Hello everyone! Greetings from the Bayou!

So I'm a new shooter just getting into dipping my feet into long range target shooting. I'm not a hunter so I'm really just looking at shooting targets with this rifle.

I currently own a Remington 700 AAC SD in .308 (20 in. barrel) that I put in a Bell and Carlson Remington 700 BDL, Varmint/Tactical Style Fully Adjustable stock (no DBM) but I'm not really fond of the recoil much. In fact, I bought this rifle back in 2015, shot it around 20-30 times and went back to my AR's because I just didn't like the recoil on the .308.

So here recently I've decided to get the rifle out of the closet and give it another shot - however I want to put a new 6.5 Creedmoor barrel on it from Criterion to dampen the recoil some or buy a new rifle.

I checked out Northland Shooters Supply and at least by math, a remage barrel and all of the tools to change it out myself would run me about $700. I've built my own AR's with good results, but I've never done anything with a bolt action except to put it in the B&C stock.

I called my local gunsmith, he has a good reputation around these parts and after talking to him, he recommended a remage barrel and also wanted to blueprint the action and "true everything up". He said this would ensure I got the most accuracy possible out of the rifle. His price for putting on the barrel and blueprinting the action etc. was $300-$400. $100 for installing the barrel and $200 for the blueprinting. He said would probably have to do a little work on the stock to accommodate the barrel nut which is why I added an extra $100 to the mix (and for incidentals). So, if I order the barrel from Northland and have him do the work I'm still looking at around the $700 mark and that is without adding a DBM.

Another option, because I've read a lot on this forum about Tikka's and I like what I've read, is to buy a new Tikka T3x CTR for $1k and dropping that in a KRG Bravo and selling my Remington 700 and B&C stock to offset the cost. If I go with the Tikka and KRG bravo I'm looking at around $1400 and I get the ability to use magazines from the get go. Not sure what I could get for the Rem and stock but thinking/hoping that after selling it I could get to somewhere around the same out of pocket expense as my first two options or am I way off base?

What would you guys advise? Thanks in advance for any responses.

John

You said you're new to long range and didn't mention glass.

For what it's worth, ammo and optics are likely to be bigger contributors to your success than your rifle. What's your all-in budget?

At least $700 to $800 of that should be allocated to a scope that tracks true. Something like the LRTS, P4XI, maybe arken (gasp!) or athlon. 15x or 16x should be fine.

Ammo is a whole 'nother conversation altogether, and that's the second thing to look at. Decent factory ammo ain't cheap and reloading requires a large up front investment.

Whatever's left would be allocated to the rifle. What you have right now should work fine as long as you hold 1 MOA or so. You'll be able to learn a whole lot with it and when your budget allows you can go tikka or custom. The rifle is rarely the weakest link for a beginner.

 

[Aztec68]

... TBH there is something amiss if the 308 recoil is bothering you--it could be stock design/shooter position or something.

You might be on to something on the stock design being the problem. When I first got the .308 it came with a Hogue stock that was really flexible and made contact with the barrel so I followed the advice of many to get rid of it.

However, when I took it to the range for the first time with the Hogue, before my replacement stock arrived, I didn't have a problem with the recoil, it actually felt better to me if I remember right.

The Hogue recoil pad on it was pretty soft and so when I dropped it into the Bell and Carlson and seemed to get more recoil (even though the Bell and Carlson was way heavier) I replaced the stock pad with a pretty generous Limbsaver recoil pad but that didn't help.

This is the Bell and Carlson I have, so maybe that type of stock doesn't suit my particular body type and I might be better served by a more traditional stock profile? Isn't the KRG Bravo pretty much the same profile as my Bell and Carlson?

 

[DownhillFromHere]

OP hasn't said what distance he has available to shoot... short $0.02 is that, for short range (500-600 yards) target-only shooting, a .223 is much less expensive to feed and there is no need for a brake. Last week, I shot my most recent .223 build out to 1200 meters for the first time. I was surprised and very pleased with the accuracy at extended range (800-1200 meters) with Hornady 75 ELDMs at ~2900fps. Of course, wind moves the lighter bullet around much more than 140s in 6.5CM. I mostly save the 6.5 for matches.

I've posted several times that, in order of most usage, my Vudoo .22 gets the most, followed by one of the .223s, distantly followed by one of the 6.5CMs (no manbun for me, I'm shiny bald).

The comment above regarding glass is important. Pay attention.

OP may just want a 6.5CM because it's an itch that needs to be scratched. I had a similar, fairly persistent itch for a .300 PRC after I shot steel at a mile with 6.5CM. Happily, the shortage of components delayed building one until I had time to get it through my skull that I'd be spending big $$ on a rifle with which I'd never compete and would shoot a few times a year at most. The itch went away. Picking up a short-action cert off a prize table sealed the deal - that's where the newest .223 came from.

Good luck.

 

[Aztec68]

You said you're new to long range and didn't mention glass.

For what it's worth, ammo and optics are likely to be bigger contributors to your success than your rifle. What's your all-in budget?

At least $700 to $800 of that should be allocated to a scope that tracks true. Something like the LRTS, P4XI, maybe arken (gasp!) or athlon. 15x or 16x should be fine.

Ammo is a whole 'nother conversation altogether, and that's the second thing to look at. Decent factory ammo ain't cheap and reloading requires a large up front investment.

Whatever's left would be allocated to the rifle. What you have right now should work fine as long as you hold 1 MOA or so. You'll be able to learn a whole lot with it and when your budget allows you can go tikka or custom. The rifle is rarely the weakest link for a beginner.

Well, I'm sure I need to upgrade my glass as I have a Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44mm FFP Rifle Scope - Illuminated ACSS-HUD-DMR ~ at the time it was recommended as a decent beginner scope and it seemed to do pretty decently on my AR out to 300-400 yds.

Home

Shop our catalog of Rifle Scopes. Find AK 47, AR 308, & AR 15 scopes from Primary Arms, Trijicon, Vortex & more. Available in BDC, MOA, MIL, ACSS & more.

www.primaryarms.com

As for reloading I already have that going with a Hornady L-N-L press where I reload .223, .45 and 9mm. I have the plate and dies for .308, I just never got around to loading for it.

 

[Aztec68]

OP hasn't said what distance he has available to shoot... short $0.02 is that, for short range (500-600 yards) target-only shooting, a .223 is much less expensive to feed and there is no need for a brake. Last week, I shot my most recent .223 build out to 1200 meters for the first time. I was surprised and very pleased with the accuracy at extended range (800-1200 meters) with Hornady 75 ELDMs at ~2900fps. Of course, wind moves the lighter bullet around much more than 140s in 6.5CM. I mostly save the 6.5 for matches.

I've posted several times that, in order of most usage, my Vudoo .22 gets the most, followed by one of the .223s, distantly followed by one of the 6.5CMs (no manbun for me, I'm shiny bald).

The comment above regarding glass is important. Pay attention.

OP may just want a 6.5CM because it's an itch that needs to be scratched. I had a similar, fairly persistent itch for a .300 PRC after I shot steel at a mile with 6.5CM. Happily, the shortage of components delayed building one until I had time to get it through my skull that I'd be spending big $$ on a rifle with which I'd never compete and would shoot a few times a year at most. The itch went away. Picking up a short-action cert off a prize table sealed the deal - that's where the newest .223 came from.

Good luck.

800 yards at the range closest to me, but there is range about 1.5 hours away that has a 1000 yards available.

 

[Simonsza1]

If your willing to spend $2k then find an extra couple hundred dollars and buy an American Rifle Company Nucleus complete rifle and be done. That’s a heck of a rifle for just a few hundred over your budget. Sell the 308 to offset cost. Send me up some sacks of crawfish to buy which will help pay for some of the nucleus.

 

[Aztec68]

If your willing to spend $2k then find an extra couple hundred dollars and buy an American Rifle Company Nucleus complete rifle and be done. That’s a heck of a rifle for just a few hundred over your budget. Sell the 308 to offset cost. Send me up some sacks of crawfish to buy which will help pay for some of the nucleus.

LOL, sadly crawfish season is pretty much over :-(

 

[Simonsza1]

In all seriousness though that arc nucleus complete rifle is awesome and barely over your budget. Everything in this sport is over budget so get used to it lol.

 

[vinniedelpino]

Well, I'm sure I need to upgrade my glass as I have a Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44mm FFP Rifle Scope - Illuminated ACSS-HUD-DMR ~ at the time it was recommended as a decent beginner scope and it seemed to do pretty decently on my AR out to 300-400 yds.

Home

Shop our catalog of Rifle Scopes. Find AK 47, AR 308, & AR 15 scopes from Primary Arms, Trijicon, Vortex & more. Available in BDC, MOA, MIL, ACSS & more.

www.primaryarms.com

As for reloading I already have that going with a Hornady L-N-L press where I reload .223, .45 and 9mm. I have the plate and dies for .308, I just never got around to loading for it.

Nice.

I’d run a tracking test on the PA and if it passes you should be good with what you have for now.

Also look into a chrono if you don’t already have one, a rangefinder that can perform to the 800+ you’re shooting if UKD, and a decent set of dies and scale.

The Remage setup is wildly underrated. Both the Shilen and criterion tubes through NSS should get you all the accuracy you’ll need and then some for cheap. Add a TT trigger and you’re set. Your bolt will never be as smooth as the tikka or custom, but the performance will be there.

Then start saving up for for the AI you’re going to want to buy in a few years.

 

[DocRDS]

You might be on to something on the stock design being the problem. When I first got the .308 it came with a Hogue stock that was really flexible and made contact with the barrel so I followed the advice of many to get rid of it.

However, when I took it to the range for the first time with the Hogue, before my replacement stock arrived, I didn't have a problem with the recoil, it actually felt better to me if I remember right.

The Hogue recoil pad on it was pretty soft and so when I dropped it into the Bell and Carlson and seemed to get more recoil (even though the Bell and Carlson was way heavier) I replaced the stock pad with a pretty generous Limbsaver recoil pad but that didn't help.

This is the Bell and Carlson I have, so maybe that type of stock doesn't suit my particular body type and I might be better served by a more traditional stock profile? Isn't the KRG Bravo pretty much the same profile as my Bell and Carlson?

View attachment 7917173

That's odd. A limbsaver pad allows me to go up to all day 300 Win Mag. I know its not a tough guy contest and while 308 does have recoil it is well within most people's limits.

Now I know this is a crazy idea--but maybe try some other people's rifles before we start throwing cash at the problem. See if a standard 308 and 6.5 creedmoor do what you think. Limbsavers do a lot of good work (Muzzle Breaks do even better but "Dat blast"). Perhaps look into the hide supporter videos (its cheap investment) and check on some of your fundamentals. 308s shouldn't give you trouble, but everyone is different--its just an outlier.

Anyway before throwing money and stuff--go try some rifles if you can.

 

[fdkay]

I haven't read every response but I'll throw in my .02.
You don't "need" to true the action, but the smith is right, it will help with accuracy and consistency.
If you've changed barrels on an AR, you can change the barrel on your 700. Personally, I would have the smth true it and do the rest myself.
You can upgrade your stock to a KRG Bravo as well and the barrel nut won't be an issue.
There is a very noticeable difference between the recoil of a .308 and a 6.5 CM, I think you'll be pleased.

 

[acudaowner]

welcome from delaware , it's up to you what you want to use to shoot with 6.5 is nice , but so is 308 if recoil is a problem you can always use external weight to lessen it . A sack of rocks could be used if you don't mind your barbie doll looking unfashionable . How far do you want to , need to , or have to shoot ? do you reload or are you reliant on factory ammo what's the availability of which ever in your area Id hate to spend 1400 on a new paper weight to just sit around but maybe it's just me . gun ammo , bi pod bags chassis it all gets pretty pricey fast . if all you want to do is shoot you might just have more fun with what you have .

 

[Islas82]

If recoil is the issue and you want good ballistics and long range capability skip the 6.5 and go 6CM, it will be much closer to .223 in recoil and factory ammo is more available (and a tad cheaper) if you’re not reloading. I believe tikka makes the CTR in 6CM, yea it’s a “barrel burner” not sure of your style of shooting but just give your barrel a cooling brake between magazines and you’ll be aight.

Not a fan of the bravo, I understand it’s probably a budget option but I would suggest you look at a MDT XRS or Cadex Strike Nuke instead a bit pricier but a better product imo.

 

[Captrjc]

In my experience when men of average size feels recoil of a 308 bothersome, it seems that a lot of the time it is caused from the stock not fitting and or little or no training on positional shooting and shouldering the rifle.
Taking a shooting course is always a good investment even if the problem isn’t how you are connected to the rifle.

Your going to buy more rifles anyway because who can have just one????
Some training can’t be bad.

 

[n2ishun]

Um.
I'll be the first honest one in the thread.
If the recoil of a 308 is too much.....
Go buy a Ruger 10-22 ?

308 is a VERY light recoiling caliber.
Man up.
Find someone with something that kicks, like 300 win mag and up.
Shoot 20 OR MORE rounds out of it at a single sitting.....force yourself to.
That 308 then will seem like the light recoil it is.

 

[mike278]

Slightly different take- the best brake in the world is a good suppressor. Keep everything, get the barrel threaded, and wait for your can to get out of bureaucratic jail. In case you go 6.5: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1543574965...624&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[smacha538]

Um.
I'll be the first honest one in the thread.
If the recoil of a 308 is too much.....
Go buy a Ruger 10-22 ?

308 is a VERY light recoiling caliber.
Man up.
Find someone with something that kicks, like 300 win mag and up.
Shoot 20 OR MORE rounds out of it at a single sitting.....force yourself to.
That 308 then will seem like the light recoil it is.

Congrats on contributing nothing.

My vote is for selling the Remington and building off a Origin. If you have some time, you can find all parts in the classifieds to help with a budget.

 

[Aztec68]

I haven't read every response but I'll throw in my .02.
You don't "need" to true the action, but the smith is right, it will help with accuracy and consistency.
If you've changed barrels on an AR, you can change the barrel on your 700. Personally, I would have the smth true it and do the rest myself.
You can upgrade your stock to a KRG Bravo as well and the barrel nut won't be an issue.
There is a very noticeable difference between the recoil of a .308 and a 6.5 CM, I think you'll be pleased.

Thank you for your response and after a few days of thinking it over, I'm leaning more towards the new barrel over a new rifle... but still trying to talk myself out of spending the $$ to get a Bighorn Origin + Barrel.. it seems to me the Big Horn is a upgraded Rem 700 and would fit the stock I already have. Decisions...

 

[spife7980]

 

[Skeptic1]

Quit being a pussy. Learn to ride recoil

 

[W54/XM-388]

Or be like the PRS folks and rock a 30 pound rifle with a muzzle brake shooting 6cm.

 

[KnowNothing256]

Or be like the PRS folks and rock a 30 pound rifle with a muzzle brake shooting 6cm.

Yeah I think you “quit being a bitch” folks have possibly never shot a heavy rifle chambered in an inherently accurate, low-recoil cartridge. I shot the smallest group of my life during break-in with some random load recipe on my 22BR (~14 lbs), and I was laughing at how light the recoil was.

Accuracy and good ballistics without getting thumped is some of the best fun you can have with guns, don’t let anyone tell you different, OP. 308 is great for practicing recoil management while still generally being mild enough to avoid inducing flinch (unlike that clown who recommended a 20-shot string with a magnum), and you can get the ammo. However, bottom line, if it’s not fun then you should change something. A recoil pad is the easiest thing to change if recoil is unpleasant; after that, a brake can help a lot if you don’t start flinching from the blast, but no matter what, 308 is ballistically inferior to many other rounds for steel, where energy on target doesn’t really matter. Making hits (for less recoil!) is more fun than missing all over the place as you learn to shoot in the wind.

You’re on the right track, disregard those giving you a hard time. A new barrel is a perfectly fine way to get started.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Um.
I'll be the first honest one in the thread.
If the recoil of a 308 is too much.....
Go buy a Ruger 10-22 ?

308 is a VERY light recoiling caliber.
Man up.
Find someone with something that kicks, like 300 win mag and up.
Shoot 20 OR MORE rounds out of it at a single sitting.....force yourself to.
That 308 then will seem like the light recoil it is.

I disagree, and so do many other guys that I shoot with. The recoil isn't unmanageable, but it is significant, and will tire you out pretty quick. Putting a muzzle brake on it will really make it more enjoyable to shoot.

 

[M4orturnate]

Hello everyone! Greetings from the Bayou!

So I'm a new shooter just getting into dipping my feet into long range target shooting. I'm not a hunter so I'm really just looking at shooting targets with this rifle.

I currently own a Remington 700 AAC SD in .308 (20 in. barrel) that I put in a Bell and Carlson Remington 700 BDL, Varmint/Tactical Style Fully Adjustable stock (no DBM) but I'm not really fond of the recoil much. In fact, I bought this rifle back in 2015, shot it around 20-30 times and went back to my AR's because I just didn't like the recoil on the .308.

So here recently I've decided to get the rifle out of the closet and give it another shot - however I want to put a new 6.5 Creedmoor barrel on it from Criterion to dampen the recoil some or buy a new rifle.

I checked out Northland Shooters Supply and at least by math, a remage barrel and all of the tools to change it out myself would run me about $700. I've built my own AR's with good results, but I've never done anything with a bolt action except to put it in the B&C stock.

I called my local gunsmith, he has a good reputation around these parts and after talking to him, he recommended a remage barrel and also wanted to blueprint the action and "true everything up". He said this would ensure I got the most accuracy possible out of the rifle. His price for putting on the barrel and blueprinting the action etc. was $300-$400. $100 for installing the barrel and $200 for the blueprinting. He said would probably have to do a little work on the stock to accommodate the barrel nut which is why I added an extra $100 to the mix (and for incidentals). So, if I order the barrel from Northland and have him do the work I'm still looking at around the $700 mark and that is without adding a DBM.

Another option, because I've read a lot on this forum about Tikka's and I like what I've read, is to buy a new Tikka T3x CTR for $1k and dropping that in a KRG Bravo and selling my Remington 700 and B&C stock to offset the cost. If I go with the Tikka and KRG bravo I'm looking at around $1400 and I get the ability to use magazines from the get go. Not sure what I could get for the Rem and stock but thinking/hoping that after selling it I could get to somewhere around the same out of pocket expense as my first two options or am I way off base?

What would you guys advise? Thanks in advance for any responses.

John

What distance is your local range? If youre serious about learning long range 223 is a excellent choice to 1k to start with. Its half the cost to shoot good ammo. I dont think twice about shooting 200 rounds on the weekend. Barrel last forever, teaches you wind and spotting small impacts, no recoil/less weight. Im a huge fan of the creedmoor cartridges but theres extra expense, recoil or weight to dampen it, barrel last less than half of 223. I also wouldnt spend 1500 on something i eventually would want to upgrade. Cruise the px and get a custom barreled action for that money.

 

[Aztec68]

Quit being a pussy. Learn to ride recoil

Guys, it's not that I can't "handle" the recoil. As stated above, I just don't find it enjoyable to shoot for longer periods of time. It's not a issue of "manning up". It's an issue of enjoying myself and I think from what I've read, the less recoil of a 6.5 would be just the thing without sacrificing too much. If that's being a "pussy" then so be it.

 

[Simonsza1]

You can shoot a 6.5 for days.

 

[Aztec68]

What distance is your local range? If youre serious about learning long range 223 is a excellent choice to 1k to start with. Its half the cost to shoot good ammo. I dont think twice about shooting 200 rounds on the weekend. Barrel last forever, teaches you wind and spotting small impacts, no recoil/less weight. Im a huge fan of the creedmoor cartridges but theres extra expense, recoil or weight to dampen it, barrel last less than half of 223. I also wouldnt spend 1500 on something i eventually would want to upgrade. Cruise the px and get a custom barreled action for that money.

I have two AR's in .223, one set up for close quarters and one set up with a scope for reaching out, so not really looking to get another rifle in .223 - I'd like a bolt action with a little more power than .223 and I think a 6.5 is where my heart is set at.

The real question was, and I'm quoting myself below, would it be best to change out the barrel of my Rem 700 .308 to 6.5, or just buy another rifle altogether for a few hundred more than it would cost me to buy the tools and either change out the barrel myself or have a gunsmith do it.

So here recently I've decided to get the rifle out of the closet and give it another shot - however I want to put a new 6.5 Creedmoor barrel on it from Criterion to dampen the recoil some or buy a new rifle.

Not sure how it devolved into 'man up' or 'quit being a pussy', but I expected some of that and it's no big deal. I do appreciate those that have chimed in with more helpful responses.

 

[b6graham]

you probably could have had an origin and proof prefit sitting in your lap already

 

[KnowNothing256]

Certainly don’t have a smith do it, if you change the barrel do it yourself. Tools are a long-term investment.

But I already went the custom route so I could get prefits; had (still have) a Bergara with a Berage barrel that shoots great, but I just wanted to step up. Probably didn’t need to, once I put the customizations into the Bergara; I wouldn’t have been happy with the off-the-shelf setup, though.

 

[Roperboy87]

Tikka action is much smoother than a Remington action. I had this same talk with one of my best friends and he ended up selling the Remington and buying a 6.5 creed tikka t3x and he shoots it much better. He always has a smile ear to ear and thanks me every time we shoot. Here a grouping from the tikka with factory ammo pull one shot but otherwise it’s pretty decent

 

[Gustav Jimny]

I shoot 308 in Bisley competitions, the recoil never bothered me, until I fitted a silencer on one of my rifles when the rules changed.
Now I will not shoot without one
Rifles are 20" and 24" Howa Varminters in Gun Warrior Chassis', and the can is a Nielsen Sonic Max 8.
Here you can buy suppressors without any hassle whatsoever, but a firearm license takes on average 8 months and a pile of paperwork......

 

[woodnut]

Armageddon Gear has had three big money shoots in three years. ALL of the top 10 shooters shot a 6mm cartridge. First year the most used was the 6 Creedmoor. The shoot is to 1200 (to maybe 1400) yards. There were NO other bore sizes. If you are talking just target shooting out to 1K or deer hunting then I would opt for the 6 Creedmoor. Factory Hornady Black ammo is super good and reloading it is easy peasy. Recoil is light with 105 to 115 gr. bullets. Get a 7.50 or 8 twist, 26 inch barrel. Also, you need good glass, good rings and a scope level.

 

[anon]

A question about your stock and position when shooting, are you shooting from a bench or prone, and where is the buttpad in its vertical travel? Have you tried shooting with the buttpad adjusted up high enough that it gets your shoulder behind the bore, not below it? That will improve the felt recoil when shooting prone and possibly from the bench.