Rifle Help

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 11/27/2010 4:49pm

So my father has kindly offered to give me one of his rifles. He doesn't really care which one I take, as he doesn't really shoot them anymore. I'm not super familiar with bolt action hunting rifles, and could use some help. Except for one, these are all in basic trim:

Remington 700 in .243 Winchester ( think this is the SPS "compact" model)
*Winchester 70 in .300 Win Mag
Marlin? in .22 WMR
Ruger .22

*The Winchester 70 has a scope mounted on it. The scope came stock, so I don't know if it's any good.

In terms of value, it seems like the Winchester 70 would be the nicest, but that's not really my primary concern, as I don't feel that taking something from my Dad is a "deal" I should be excited about. I am highly interested in the Remington 700, but .243 seems almost as expensive to shoot as 300 win mag. The 22 WMR and the .22lr I'm not as interested in, as I've already got a .22 plinker.

So:

Winchester 70 in 300 win mag, or Remington 700 in .243 Winchester. I think they're both very nice rifles, and would be happy with either. If I go hunting with either, I don't expect to shooting anything bigger than white tail deer or wild boar/feral pigs. The Winchester 70 I don't have to do anything to, but the Remington 700, I would likely want to add a scope down the road. On the other hand, the Remington has iron sights on it, giving me the flexibility to shoot with those or a scope. That also means I would have the opportunity to tinker with it a little more. All of these rifles are in fantastic shape. None of them have really ever been shot much, and they have been well maintained.

Given that my usage will primarily be range time, which is a more interesting rifle, and why should should I go with it? My current disposition is that I very slightly prefer the Remington 700, but I would be absolutely thrilled with any of these 100% free rifles.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 11/27/2010 5:09pm

If you get the Ruger 22 there is literally the world's supply of **** you can do to trick it out and 22lr is dirt cheap. I'd get that and put a couple thousand rounds through instead of getting one of the others and have it gather dust. The 300 Win Mag would be my no. 2 choice. Your dad is fucking cool btw.

**wetware** · Posted On: 11/27/2010 5:15pm

For the boar I'd say take the .300. I don't think .243 is good for those tasty piggies.

**Shamash** · Posted On: 11/27/2010 8:03pm

Originally Posted by Cassius

So my father has kindly offered to give me one of his rifles. He doesn't really care which one I take, as he doesn't really shoot them anymore. I'm not super familiar with bolt action hunting rifles, and could use some help. Except for one, these are all in basic trim:

Remington 700 in .243 Winchester ( think this is the SPS "compact" model)
*Winchester 70 in .300 Win Mag
Marlin? in .22 WMR
Ruger .22

*The Winchester 70 has a scope mounted on it. The scope came stock, so I don't know if it's any good.

In terms of value, it seems like the Winchester 70 would be the nicest, but that's not really my primary concern, as I don't feel that taking something from my Dad is a "deal" I should be excited about. I am highly interested in the Remington 700, but .243 seems almost as expensive to shoot as 300 win mag. The 22 WMR and the .22lr I'm not as interested in, as I've already got a .22 plinker.

So:

Winchester 70 in 300 win mag, or Remington 700 in .243 Winchester. I think they're both very nice rifles, and would be happy with either. If I go hunting with either, I don't expect to shooting anything bigger than white tail deer or wild boar/feral pigs. The Winchester 70 I don't have to do anything to, but the Remington 700, I would likely want to add a scope down the road. On the other hand, the Remington has iron sights on it, giving me the flexibility to shoot with those or a scope. That also means I would have the opportunity to tinker with it a little more. All of these rifles are in fantastic shape. None of them have really ever been shot much, and they have been well maintained.

Given that my usage will primarily be range time, which is a more interesting rifle, and why should should I go with it? My current disposition is that I very slightly prefer the Remington 700, but I would be absolutely thrilled with any of these 100% free rifles.

If you have a chance to get a model 700 I would take it. They are extremely accurate especially with calibers like .243, 270, 25-06, 7mm mag, ect. I've been hunting with a model 700 25-06 since I was 14. They are great guns. My dad has hunted with a model 700 7mm mag for 20 years and he loves that model as well. While its true a .243 isn't as powerful as a .300, if whitetail is your main concern a .243 is just fine. I hunt deer with a 25-06 100 gr. bullet which is also a common bullet weight in .243 ammo. Also a box of .243 should be a little cheaper than a box of .300 win mag. Cabelas.com has a good selection of ammo.

**hungryjoe** · Posted On: 11/28/2010 8:28am

I've always been a big fan of the model 700, having owned them in .270 Winchester, .308 and 30-06.

Model 70's are sweet bolt actions. Most bolt action people prefer one or the other, in as much as most car enthusiasts prefer chevy, ford, etc.

While it's unlikely the Model 70 is pre-64 manufacture (the .300 mag came out in 63), it's a fine rifle. Pre-64 70s are generally more valuable than the later manufacture.

For consideration:

The .243 is a nice caliber for game up to deer size. Basically, it's the .308 necked down to take the smaller caliber round. Recoil is minimal and there is a wide range of different bullets to choose from if you ever reload. Dependent upon the range you intend, for the most part, to shoot, it's an accurate little round and can be reloaded fairly hot. In that round, your dad's 700 has the short action, which I personally prefer due to shorter bolt throw and lower weight.

The .300 kicks like a mule, but has a much flatter trajectory than the .243, routinely reaching out to 1000 yards and good for stopping anything here in the US. If you're thinking of shooting long range, the .300 would be my choice of the two. As a disclaimer, I'm not a huge fan of the .300 mag, but then again, I top the scales at 155.

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 11/28/2010 10:12am

Originally Posted by Vorpal

If you get the Ruger 22 there is literally the world's supply of **** you can do to trick it out and 22lr is dirt cheap. I'd get that and put a couple thousand rounds through instead of getting one of the others and have it gather dust. The 300 Win Mag would be my no. 2 choice. Your dad is fucking cool btw.

I already have a 22 plinker. While having more than one of anything is nice, I would prefer something different.

FWIW, I'm 6'1", 220lbs, and neither .300 win mag, nor .243 winchester bother me to shoot. .243 is obviously a lot more pleasant, but I don't mind the win mag. Also, none of these weapons is more than 10 years old, so they have no real collector's value.

And thanks for the responses so far. I'm fairly sure I'm going to end up with all four of these rifles someday, but for now, I think I'm probably going to go with the Remington 700, just because it seems like I will be able to tinker with it more. I probably won't make a final decision on this until around Christmastime, anyway.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 11/28/2010 9:25pm

Can yer 22 do this:

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 11/28/2010 10:02pm

No, but I prefer my rifles to look not ridiculous.

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 11/29/2010 1:25pm

If your seriously planning on shooting boar, then the Winnie 70 in .300mag is the only piece on the list. (also the best long range hitter on that list.) Granted, you "could" take a wild pig with the .22, and some do, but out of concern for the animals suffering (assuming you are an ethical hunter) and to guarantee food on your table as opposed to a wounded pig wandering around in pain until it succumbs to infection, I would say go for that .30cal magnum. Pig tested, killer approved.

For pure shooting enjoyment, either of those .22's would be a blast to own, but both can be had for a song if you know where to look, and you have the option of owning a nicer machine in a full power cartridge for free, so you might want to go with one of the more expensive options.

The .243 is absolutely suitable for the White Tail you mentioned, and is a joy to shoot. Negligable recoil, flat trajectory, wicked accurate, and hits harder than you'd expect a caliber beginning with the number "2" to hit. An excellent choice should you decide to take it.

Personally, I'd go with the .300 all the way though. Mostly because it will take you exactly where you want to go and beyond if needs be. You can always still buy a cheap .22 for bulk target practice so you don't waste expensive hunting ammo whenever you just want to practice aiming or trigger discipline.

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 12/24/2010 2:37pm

Update:

My dad insisted upon giving me the Ruger 10-22, the Remington 700 in .243, and the Winchester 70 in .300 win mag. I tried to pay him for them, but he said that it wouldn't be a fair deal, since he got both the 700 and the 70 for free and barely even shot them, and that "he'd shot the 10-22 too much for it to be worth anything."

I already purchased Christmas presents for my parents, but come birthday time, I'm sending them on a fucking cruise or something.