Rifle Caliber Suggestions.

[Steve_P]

Hey All,
I was looking to get some advice on a rifle caliber.

I am considering purchasing a Savage rifle either model 10FP or 110FP.

I am not sure if i should choose the rifle in the short action .308 winchester, or the long action .300 Winchester magnum.

I was hoping to get some advice/opinions for one chambering vs the other.
Any and all input/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[firtree]

Unless you have a specific need for the 300winmag I would
pass on it. It is waaaay overkill for anything in NE except moose,
costs a lot to shoot, can be a pain to reload (damned belt) and
will hit you pretty hard when shooting from the bench.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

What kind of shooting are you looking to do with it?

 

[Steve_P]

Will probably mostly be used on the range.

 

[crak]

I'm with firtree on this one. Unless you already have a specific idea for why you're going to use the .300 win mag (what ranges are you planning to shoot at? 100m? 500m? more?), I'd stick with the .308. Neither is exactly cheap, but .308 is a much more common round and if you get more rifles, you'll likely be able to share ammo between several .308s.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

Having purchased an FP10 a few years ago, and knowing what I know now, I would buy a Savage 12BVSS.
My personal choice for target work, caliber wise, would be .223. It's a relatively inexpensive round to reload and if not used out past 600 yds., will suffice nicely.
The FP10 is a very accurate rifle......I just don't care for the light tupperware stock. I ended up restocking mine. By the time you factor in the cost of upgrading to the stock, you'd be at or over the price of a model 12BVSS.

 

[Steve_P]

Probably at ranges around 300m on a regular basis.
I would like to be able to go out further, but i probably wouldn't have access to something that far on a regular basis.
My only reason for considering the 300 mag is a friend mentioned it.

The 308 is definitely cheaper ammo and much more common.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[dreppucci007]

.308 will reach out to 300 meters and beyond with no problem...You will not regret buying one.

 

[crak]

Yeah, paper at 300m is firmly .308/.223 land. Anything other than that is more expensive than it really needs to be. Of course big booms are their own reward, but just speaking in terms of practicality, there isn't much reason to get fancy with the ammo for that kind of thing.

 

[Thor67]

If you're really just looking for a range gun, go with the .223 (very inexpensive ammo). If you want it for longer range hunting the .308 is a fine all around cartridgre that kick like the .300 or be as expensive.

 

[Steve_P]

Thanks all for the input. I will most likely go with a .308

Now to find one. I think this warrants another trip to Four Seasons.

Steve

 

[dreppucci007]

In addition to a Savage, you should consider a Remington 700...They are quite excellent.

 

[crak]

Your 700 is coming with you on the 19th, I hope?