.300WM Hunting Rifle: 700 5R or Tikka T3x?

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  • bartonmd

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    Oct 11, 2008
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    .300WM Hunting Rifle: 700 5R or Tikka T3x? (Ended up Sako)

    So, long range (sub-400yrd) deer rifle in 300 Win Mag, running copper solids, sub-$1k. The Remington 700 gen 2 5R with the HS precision stock is -EXACTLY- what I am looking for. SS, cerakote, 5R rifling, HSP stock, mid-heavy barrel, threaded, reviews say super accurate, etc... However... ... Reviews I've seen on these all say they aren't seeing the quality issues on these that they do on the regular 700, but I don't know if they're just hand-built, cherry-picked pre-production rifles, or if they're actually better somehow? My concern is ordering one and it showing up and not shooting for crap or having the all too common barrel that's not perfectly straight in the receiver and requires work right when I get it home.

    I actually called about the Tikka T3x and they aren't selling the varmint SS here in 300WM, but all their guns are guaranteed sub-MOA, so the other option is getting a T3X lite stainless 300WM and putting a Boyd's At-One stock on it for some extra weight and adjust-ability.

    Howa and bergara don't have stainless options in their sub-$1k rifles, sadly. I don't know enough about any other others (Savage, Weatherby, Ruger, etc.) to really have an opinion on them.

    Thoughts?

    Thanks,
    Mike
     
    Last edited:

    Hohn

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    I'd be tempted by the Rem because of the feature set being exactly what you want.

    But I'm convinced that quality at Remington is dead and they simply aren't capable of doing what they used to or being who they used to be.

    I'd get the Tikka and mod as necessary.
     

    bartonmd

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    Yeah, the only real reason I'm tempted by remington is the good reviews of that one particular spec set that's exactly what I want. I'd be suuuuuper nervous about it, though, without seeing and shooting a particular rifle first, because of their quality issues.

    I've heard good things about Savage, but I don't know about their particular lines/models. To be honest, even just looking at Rem, Tikka, Howa, and Bergara, I'm already getting burned out on spec shopping. Thoughts?

    Thanks,
    Mike
     

    Hookeye

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    I'd buy a 90's stainless BDL synth and drop it in an HS stock.
    Hell, I'd buy a blued one and do that.

    Had a cut checkered non skip line .243 BDL and .300 mag.
    Both shot great after free float/bedding.

    My 7 mag was IIRC first yr skip line checkering. Did nothing to it and it shot decent (not as good as the others, but good enough I didn't do anything).
    1.2" for 5 shots, no group shift..........160's as hot as could be loaded. Good enough.

    7 mag more comfy than 300 mag.

    Shoulda kept it.
     

    SEMI-AK

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    Sep 26, 2012
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    So, long range (sub-400yrd) deer rifle in 300 Win Mag, running copper solids, sub-$1k. The Remington 700 gen 2 5R with the HS precision stock is -EXACTLY- what I am looking for. SS, cerakote, 5R rifling, HSP stock, mid-heavy barrel, threaded, reviews say super accurate, etc... However... ... Reviews I've seen on these all say they aren't seeing the quality issues on these that they do on the regular 700, but I don't know if they're just hand-built, cherry-picked pre-production rifles, or if they're actually better somehow? My concern is ordering one and it showing up and not shooting for crap or having the all too common barrel that's not perfectly straight in the receiver and requires work right when I get it home.

    I actually called about the Tikka T3x and they aren't selling the varmint SS here in 300WM, but all their guns are guaranteed sub-MOA, so the other option is getting a T3X lite stainless 300WM and putting a Boyd's At-One stock on it for some extra weight and adjust-ability.

    Howa and bergara don't have stainless options in their sub-$1k rifles, sadly. I don't know enough about any other others (Savage, Weatherby, Ruger, etc.) to really have an opinion on them.

    Thoughts?

    Thanks,
    Mike

    I am going to go against the grain and say Howa. I picked one up in 24” 300 win mag for exactly the same reasons you have stated. It is cerakoted but not threaded (I am going to remedy that) and shoots sub moa all day with hornady 180 SST’s. The stock is a hogue and is multicam from the factory. The hogue stocks on the Howa’s ARE light years ahead of the hogue’s on the Remington 700’s for the money and fit and finish I love mine.
    I picked it up as used and had 40 rounds through it. I have a Seekins rail, and a vortex FFP 4-16 diamondback tactical on it. I just picked up some dies for it the other day and hope to play around with some 210 Berger’s...
     

    bartonmd

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    I guess really, it doesn't NEED to be stainless, and the cerakote makes it weather resistant. I just hate having to take a rifle apart from the stock (and potentially affect POI) after sitting in the rain with it all day. I need to see what their sub-MOA guarantee really means, because I have 200rds of Winchester deer season copper (leadless) 150gr ammo that I'd REALLY like to shoot sub-MOA with whatever I get, so I don't have to pull it down and mess with the loading of it. (turned out that I could buy the loaded ammo cheaper than the components to make it, because it's on sale at Midway right now).

    Thanks,
    Mike
     

    bartonmd

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    I called and talked to Howa yesterday afternoon, and I think I'm going to go with the 24" multicam (hogue pillar bedded stock) 1500 heavy barrel with FDE cerakote... Only problem now is finding one in stock, somewhere, it looks like!

    Anybody got any legit reasons why that isn't a good idea? I haven't really heard anything bad about them?

    Thanks
    Mike

    Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
     

    SEMI-AK

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    I called and talked to Howa yesterday afternoon, and I think I'm going to go with the 24" multicam (hogue pillar bedded stock) 1500 heavy barrel with FDE cerakote... Only problem now is finding one in stock, somewhere, it looks like!

    Anybody got any legit reasons why that isn't a good idea? I haven't really heard anything bad about them?

    Thanks
    Mike

    Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

    Good—-that is exactly the rifle I have...Buds Guns and Whittaker’s in KY...
     

    ChrisK1977

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    The Weatherby Vanguard in either .300 Win or Weatherby Magnum now come with a 26” barrel. I like the Vanguard rifles.
     

    two70

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    Johnson
    I called and talked to Howa yesterday afternoon, and I think I'm going to go with the 24" multicam (hogue pillar bedded stock) 1500 heavy barrel with FDE cerakote... Only problem now is finding one in stock, somewhere, it looks like!

    Anybody got any legit reasons why that isn't a good idea? I haven't really heard anything bad about them?

    Thanks
    Mike

    Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

    There's nothing wrong with a Howa but owning both there's no way I would choose a Howa over a Tikka. It's not even close.
     

    bartonmd

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    The Weatherby Vanguard in either .300 Win or Weatherby Magnum now come with a 26” barrel. I like the Vanguard rifles.

    I looked at the Vangard, as well, for stock. The Vangard is also a Howa 1500.

    There's nothing wrong with a Howa but owning both there's no way I would choose a Howa over a Tikka. It's not even close.

    While I do agree with you, I ideally want a stainless or cerakoted heavy barrel, and Tikka doesn't offer any long action heavy barrel rifles in the US, currently. They won't say whether they're coming later this spring/summer after SHOT show, because they do sell them overseas and in Canada, but still...
    Mike
     

    ChrisK1977

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    I looked at the Vangard, as well, for stock. The Vangard is also a Howa 1500.



    While I do agree with you, I ideally want a stainless or cerakoted heavy barrel, and Tikka doesn't offer any long action heavy barrel rifles in the US, currently. They won't say whether they're coming later this spring/summer after SHOT show, because they do sell them overseas and in Canada, but still...
    Mike


    The vanguard is a Howa action built to Weatherby specs. They are close but not the same rifle. Both are good rifles though.
     

    NyleRN

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    I looked at the Vangard, as well, for stock. The Vangard is also a Howa 1500.



    While I do agree with you, I ideally want a stainless or cerakoted heavy barrel, and Tikka doesn't offer any long action heavy barrel rifles in the US, currently. They won't say whether they're coming later this spring/summer after SHOT show, because they do sell them overseas and in Canada, but still...
    Mike

    You put hunting rifle in the title. Why then do you want a heavy barrel? That's half the reason you can't find what you want cause folks here want lighter weight stuff for hunting. The heavy barrel isn't needed for 1 shot or a possible follow up shot. Tikka guarentees sub moa from all their rifles regardless of barrel profile. Heavier profiles are for longer strings of fire which I'm sure you know that. No dig on you, these are just some thoughts that came to my mind while reading your posts.
     

    bartonmd

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    The vanguard is a Howa action built to Weatherby specs. They are close but not the same rifle. Both are good rifles though.

    Yeah, I did some more reading, and they do have a fluted bolt and a bolt shroud, where the Howa doesn't. Maybe or maybe don't have a tighter QC on their stuff, as well, but who knows.

    You put hunting rifle in the title. Why then do you want a heavy barrel? That's half the reason you can't find what you want cause folks here want lighter weight stuff for hunting. The heavy barrel isn't needed for 1 shot or a possible follow up shot. Tikka guarentees sub moa from all their rifles regardless of barrel profile. Heavier profiles are for longer strings of fire which I'm sure you know that. No dig on you, these are just some thoughts that came to my mind while reading your posts.

    Heavy barrels, particularly on heavy recoiling cartridges, tend to be less susceptible to barrel harmonics, and therefore tend to have a much wider variety of bullet weights and speeds that they are accurate with, and as much less affected by delta temperature = delta bullet speed = change in harmonics than a skinny barrel. Skinny barrels can be just as accurate, but tend to need more load development, and tend to be more sensitive to how and how tight you hold them. That, and weight for recoil mitigation, because 300 win mag bolt action. I picked up some of the 150gr Deer Season copper Winchester loaded ammo because it was cheaper than buying components, and I didn't yet have any 300WM brass, and if I can shoot these for the next 10 years without having to pull them down and load develop, that's better. I called and asked, and pretty much everybody guarantees sub-MOA with SOME factory ammo, not with all factory/premium ammo, and they said what I already knew from years of reloading and match shooting, which is that heavy barrels are more likely to be more accurate with a wider variety of ammo. Plus, deer hunting for me consists mostly of riding the 4wheeler from the barn to my stand or blind, then riding it back. I rarely hike around with it much, and if I do, the difference between a 7lbs and 9lbs rifle isn't a huge deal. It's not like carrying around my 15lbs match rifle or anything.

    I am actually currently looking at the Weatherby Vangard Accuguard 300WM, because of the midweight SS barrel, and fully aluminum bedded stock, for like $850.

    Mike
     

    teddy12b

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    To the original question about a Rem 700 with a 5R barrel I can only share my experience. I've had a model #84293 for two years now. It's a 22" 308 in a magpul stock. Right now my round count is at 910 rounds, and aside from 50 rounds of handloads using match components all other ammo has been either Fed GMM 168gr or Fed 175gr GMM. Stock trigger was swapped with a timney, stock has been stippled to make a little more grippy. The rifle is sub MOA, but honestly not by enough that I'd be bragging about it. I've been a savage guy for long time, but jumped onto a Rem 700 sps-tac in 308 so I could play in the magpul hunter stock with their mags. The gun shot ok, but not really great especially when I was used to my savage with handloads. Then I sold it for a savage stealth and was even less impressed with that. Then I sold that stealth for my current 700 that I mentioned earlier. Honestly, I'd love to point you in a better direction, but I'm so fed up with factory rifles that barely get under one MOA that I placed an order with GA Precision for a custom rifle built in 6.5 creedmoor.
     

    bartonmd

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    Yeah, a full custom rifle would be awesome, but I haven't found any, and don't expect to, under or around $1k. That's literally the only reason that's not the way I'm going.

    Mike
     

    two70

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    Yeah, a full custom rifle would be awesome, but I haven't found any, and don't expect to, under or around $1k. That's literally the only reason that's not the way I'm going.

    Mike

    Depending on the options you select, I bet you could get real close to the $1k mark with a custom Bergara. There's also the option of an ER Shaw custom rifle on a Savage action.
     

    bartonmd

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    Depending on the options you select, I bet you could get real close to the $1k mark with a custom Bergara. There's also the option of an ER Shaw custom rifle on a Savage action.

    Hmm... Those are interesting... 4-5 months on the Shaw means not likely for this deer season, of there's any load development, based on what my summer/fall work schedule looks like. The rifle I would spec on there is only like $1125, though, so doable.

    Bergara doesn't do online customization, but I'll email them what I'm looking for and see what they say. If I can get what they guarantee as a 0.5MOA rifle for $1k, and the lead time isn't crazy, I'm likely in.

    Mike
     
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