[teddy12b]

I've been going back and forth on a new rifle now to the point where I'm getting sick of just thinking about it. I'm down to either a Savage Weather Warrior, of a Remington SPS Stainless.

Savage has:
Better Reputation for accuracy.
Less expensive, but not by enough to really matter.

Remington has:
The SPS has a better stock with a good recoil pad.
The 30-06 barrel is 2" longer than a savages.


I had a BDL that didn't shoot worth a darn years ago so I'm very hesitant to buy another Remington rifle. Every Savage I've ever shot has been a tack driver. I like the idea of the better recoil pad on the Remington, but having Savages has spoiled me because if it doesn't shoot sub MOA out of the box, then I don't want it. I'm hoping to get a good side by side comparison some day, but I haven't been where two of them are at the same place.

 

[TX7Mag]

Ted -

The first two sentences of your last paragraph tell me that you have already made up your mind. The recoil pad can easily be changed out.

I was in the same boat that you were earlier this year debating on which rifle to buy. To me it came down to the feel of the gun while shouldered and the must have features that I was looking for. The brand of the gun DID NOT matter (Browning, Reminton, Savage and Weatherby) were my final selections.

Have fun with your decision.

TX7Mag

 

[barr25-06]

The Remington is a little heavier. If that helps.
Go with the gun you are comfortable and confident with.

 

[Brithunter]

I say that the rifle that feels the best, one that the sights align with your eye once the butt hits the shoulder is the one to choose. As it fits best. Now if your unhappy with a certain make then don't try that one, exclude it from the equation after all it would be most upsetting to find the rifle you don't like fits you best!

A rifle that fits you will probably perform better for you, or if you prefer it this way, it's the rifle that you are likely to get the best out of.


Now we got the sense out of the way .................................................... go with the Savage

 

[The Gamemaster]

The longer barrel does not promote accuracy, in fact a shorter barrel will be more accurate at shorter ranges than a longer barrel because there is better harmonics in a shorter barrel and also because the bullet does not spend as much time in a short barrel as it does in a longer one.

If the gun has a muzzle brake, you should borrow one and shoot it a couple of times before you buy it. My ears are still ringing from the Weather Warrior that I once had in 7 mm Remington Mag.

I lost my hearing in one ear and damaged the hearing permanently in the other one shooting out the window of my treestand 8 years ago.

Remington makes a good product and will stand behind most of their warranty issues. Just pick a good gun shop and not Wal Mart or any other chain store that is only out to sell you the gun, but will not be there when you have a problem.

Savage makes a good gun also, just that their guns are made heavier than the Remington's and does not hold it's value as well as a Remington / Winchester.

 

[Brithunter]

The longer barrel does not promote accuracy, in fact a shorter barrel will be more accurate at shorter ranges than a longer barrel because there is better harmonics in a shorter barrel and also because the bullet does not spend as much time in a short barrel as it does in a longer one.

Well I see the smoke and mirrors are active ??? accuracy depends on the bullet leaving the muzzle at the same time so a low extreme spread of velocity as it means that the bullet will leave at the same point in the sine wave. Now if that departure time happens with the barrel being at the top or bottom of the wave accuracy is very good however if it leaves in the middle the spread will be more as at the ends of it's travel the barrel is momentarily staionary unlike the middle part where it's still moving.

Long barrels were and still are used in Target rifle shooting as with the Aperture sights it provides a longer sight radius, of course using a scope negates this . I believe that the thoughts on short barrels come form the benchrest shooters who use extreme bull barrels and have to shorten them to make the class weight. Also the cartridges used are designed for small charges of powder as after all most bench shooting is conducted at short range. Notice that the long range bench shooters tend to use longer cartridges. not because they are more efficient but because the small PPC type cartridges cannot supply the velocity required for long range shooting.

As an example one guy at the gunclub I used to belong to had a custom bench type rifle built by Callum Fergerson then decided it would be good for deer. To get it legal for deer he had to overload the cartridge which was 6mm PPC or 6mm BR so much that first firings expanding the primer pockets so to get more than one firing he GLUED the primers in : and thought it was clever. 1700 ftlbs of muzzle energy are required by law for deer shooting here in the UK.

 

[teddy12b]

Well I had to go to Chicago for work and stopped by the new Cabelas up there. I got a chance to hold the two side by side. They both felt alright, but the savage felt a little bit better.

They had two different promotional displays up there. One from Savage showing off the accu-trigger and one from Remington showing off their new trigger. They both felt good, but the Savage trigger was clearly lighter than the Remington. I didn't buy either because I would rather get something local. If I had to make the call right now, I'd go with the Savage.

Oddly enough out of all the rifles I shouldered, a Remington 750 synthetic in 30-06 was my favorite fitting rifle. Felt like they had me in mind when they made that because it fit me better than either of the other two. I have some reading to do before I'd buy one of the 750's though.

 

[Mac11700]

I had a BDL that didn't shoot worth a darn years ago so I'm very hesitant to buy another Remington rifle.

F.W.I.W...Even though your 1 bad Remington left a sour taste in your mouth..1 lemon don't make them all bad...I had a SPS 270 that was excellent...accuracy was great..and the new X Mark Pro trigger is very easy to adjust and break very clean...While many like the accutriggers...I for one don't care for them...at all...and prefer no moving parts on them to feel..Here's what my 270 did..in case your interested..http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,128087.msg1098463671.html#msg1098463671 I wouldn't be the least worried on buying a Remington now-a-days..

Mac

 

[teddy12b]

I know it's unfair to judge all remington products by one BDL. I probably got a bad apple out of the bunch.

 

[nomosendero]

I know it's unfair to judge all remington products by one BDL. I probably got a bad apple out of the bunch.

Yes, as I did one time with a Savage bull barrel 22-250. I bought it new in the box & it was not a shooter. I had it bedded & it still was not a shooter, so I traded it off. But MOST Savages do quite well.

It can go both ways with a Remington too, but for some reason I am more fortunate with those. I traded for a 270ADL at a friend's pawn shop last Sept. that is the best sporter weight centerfire I have ever fired in factory form. I loaded up some 140Acc. in it & my best group was .187" for 3 shots. I have to keep it & as long as it shoots like this I cannot glass bed it or any other "improvements", no way.

 

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

It can go both ways with a Remington too, but for some reason I am more fortunate with those. I traded for a 270ADL at a friend's pawn shop last Sept. that is the best sporter weight centerfire I have ever fired in factory form. I loaded up some 140Acc. in it & my best group was .187" for 3 shots. I have to keep it & as long as it shoots like this I cannot glass bed it or any other "improvements", no way.

This brings to mine the old adage:-

If it ain't broke don't try to fix it ;D

However I know certain members would not have found out is was not broke as I recall reading how one particular member wrote how he got a new rifle got it home and glass bedded it and floated the barrel and did something with the trigger. I asked him why when he had not even shoot it and got the response "because I do it to all new rifles" ??? for all he knows he just ruined a fine shooting rifle like nomosendero's and now has a rifle which shots 3/4" groups instead one one which shoots groups in the 0.200" range.

The question also pops into my head "why did someone trade or sell it?" people do strange things, perhaps it was as simple as they didn't like it.

 

[nomosendero]

Hi All,

It can go both ways with a Remington too, but for some reason I am more fortunate with those. I traded for a 270ADL at a friend's pawn shop last Sept. that is the best sporter weight centerfire I have ever fired in factory form. I loaded up some 140Acc. in it & my best group was .187" for 3 shots. I have to keep it & as long as it shoots like this I cannot glass bed it or any other "improvements", no way.

This brings to mine the old adage:-

If it ain't broke don't try to fix it ;D

However I know certain members would not have found out is was not broke as I recall reading how one particular member wrote how he got a new rifle got it home and glass bedded it and floated the barrel and did something with the trigger. I asked him why when he had not even shoot it and got the response "because I do it to all new rifles" ??? for all he knows he just ruined a fine shooting rifle like nomosendero's and now has a rifle which shots 3/4" groups instead one one which shoots groups in the 0.200" range.

The question also pops into my head "why did someone trade or sell it?" people do strange things, perhaps it was as simple as they didn't like it.

That's right, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. A friend of mine bought a Ruger 30-06 from my brother years ago. The Ruger was an unusually good shooter by light barrel Ruger standards (no, I don't want to start anything), it would shoot 3/4" groups with the 165SBT with ease. Anyway, my friend orders this Clifton stock with the built-in bipod (tod you it was a long time ago), had it glass bedded & other "refinements". I don't think it has done better than 1.25" since then.

About this rifle & why did they sell it. I don't know they did, I did not ask Mike why it was there. It could have been a pawn. Another possibility is the
rifle bore was fouled very badly. I think it is possible that they never cleaned it & then it did not do well, but I will never know. I just hoped it would shoot under an inch & boy was I surprised.