New Here, 2 Questions about Scope Mounting and Rifle Caliber

7295 Views 31 Replies 10 Participants Last post by steviet, Feb 20, 2010

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · Jan 18, 2010

Hey guys,

Im new to the shooting game so bare with a noob please!

I just bought a Leupold VX-II 3-9x50mm scope, and a Harris HBLM-S Bipod.

I bought the scope first because I did a lot of time researching it and figured it was in my price range and was a decent scope for a beginner.

Now 2 questions about the rifle. I've decided on a Remington 700 SPS. I cant decide between a 30-06 and a .308. This question needs to be answered before the second question which is do I need to buy these Rings/Mounts separately or do they come with the scope? I need to figure out the caliber of the rifle first because apparently the different calibers relate to whether the rifle is short or long action which effects which model mount/rings I need to buy....is this all correct?

I plan to do a lot of target shooting. A range near me goes to 300 yards I believe. I know I want a larger caliber in case I ever get the chance to do some hunting (which I never have yet). I originally wanted a 30-06 for its size, but .308 was recommended to me. Any suggestions and reasons on which caliber to get?

Please steer me in the right path!

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broom_jm

· #2 · Jan 18, 2010

I'll draw a lot of flak for this, but choosing between a 30-'06 and a .308 is like choosing between a Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. They're about the same price, have the same basic level of performance and the only place you would notice even a paper difference is with bullets weighing 200gr or more. In a nutshell, unless you're planning to hunt bears or maybe moose, the .308 will give you what you're looking for and be a better target rifle, overall. If you'll be going after bigger critters, and won't buy a gun specifically for those hunts, then the '06 will give you better versatility, with heavier bullets.

As for the scope mounting, I think that will depend entirely on the gun/action you select.

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 18, 2010

Hey, thanks for the reply.

Ok so say I go with the .308 Remington 700 SPS, and I have the Leupold VX II 3-9x50...do I need to buy something separate to mount the scope?

Is there any real advantage to having 1 caliber over another when target shooting? Is there a major difference in the distance the two bullets will travel?

broom_jm

· #4 · Jan 18, 2010

The scope will not come with bases or rings, so yes, you will have to buy them separately. Again, that will depend on the action you get, although you may find that you can use the same bases for the short or long action 700SPS.

The 308 will use less powder and be at least as accurate as the '06, with some folks claiming the 308 has a case design that is inherently more accurate. My feeling is that in a well-made rifle the difference is splitting hairs. With bullets weighing 168gr or less, the effective range of these two rounds is almost identical.

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 18, 2010

ok thanks for the info

would you have a suggestion on which caliber would be best for someones first rifle?

i cant say ive shot either before so i dont really know the difference between how the two recoil and prices

Sandman1

· #6 · Jan 18, 2010

For a first rifle I would recommend something smaller (.24 or .25 caliber). .308 would probably be okay as well. don't want to start off with something that kicks too hard, could lead to bad shooting habits (flinching, etc.) Start with something fairly light and work you way up.

As far as the .308 vs. .30-06, the .30-06 is much more versatile (bullets from the 55 grain accelerator to the 220 grain for the big stuff).

That Leupold is a great scope. You will never have to replace it, as it will outlast you. You will have to buy rings and bases for a Remington. Rugers come with rings and mounts are integral to the rifle, but the rest will require separate puchases of rings and bases.

kdub

· #7 · Jan 18, 2010

Big gun -

As a clarification, caliber is the diameter of the bullet or bore. Cartridge is the designation for the type of ammunition within the caliber.

While all the advice above is solid, only you will be able to determine the best chambering (cartridge) and if the short or long action will fit you best. Go to a gun shop and handle both to determine which you prefer.

Range Junkie

· #8 · Jan 18, 2010

Yes you will have to buy rings and bases for mounting the scope. There are lots on the market that will work for your selected rifle. If you are going to mostly shoot targets and maybe hunt deer (you didn't say what you were going to hunt so I am assuming here) go for the 308. It uses less powder, has a little less recoil and will kill paper just as far as a 30-06. It also does a fine job on deer sized game.

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 18, 2010

thanks for the replies everyone

ok ill stick with the 308
so that means i need to get a specific set of rings for a short action gun

http://www.leupold.com/_pdfs/BaseFit_RingHght.pdf
(remington 700, right hand, short action, matte)

according to this (second page, top of first column), if im reading it right it means i need either:

STD 700 RH-SA (1-Piece) 50006

STD 700 (2-Piece) 50016

or STD 700 Long Range RH-SA (1-Piece) 51734

which of these do i need to get?

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T-Bone

· #10 · Jan 18, 2010 (Edited)

I really like the Leupold 1 piece bases. Very solid and can be used up to elephant gun calibers. the Leupold rings are good too, but I like Warne better. If you get a gun at a walk-in store (at a good one anyway) they will sometimes mount and bore-site the scope for you which is a big help your first time out, so consider taking your scope too. If you buy your scope base at the same time you get the rifle, you can ensure you get the right one for your rifle.

I can't argue with the .308 as a first rifle. It's a great rifle for nearly any game in North America, and recoil will be less than a 30-06. You might consider borrowing or buying a used .22. Why? Because you can develop good technique without spending a fortune on ammo and you don't have to worry about recoil issues while you are just figuring out how to make small patterns in targets. Everything you learn on a .22 can be translated to the .308.

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 19, 2010

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/2325/remington700policefx4.jpg

what would you call that type of scope mount?

would those be 2 ring mounts?

and what exactly is bore sighting?

like i said im a noob

im reading up as much as i can on everything but still unsure about a few things

Range Junkie

· #12 · Jan 19, 2010

That is a two piece scope mount as it has a small base to the front and rear of the action. A one piece base or mount will have a bridge running over the left side of the ejection port and will be one solid piece.

Bore sighting is where you align the bore of the barrel to the crosshairs of your scope. There is an instrument you can use that inserts into the bore that will accomplish this. You can also pull the bolt out of the gun and look down the barrel at a target down range. Once you get the target centered in the the bore you click the scope accordingly to line the crosshairs up on the target. Once you have the target in the center of the bore and the crosshairs lined up at the same time the rifle is "bore sighted". This will get you "on paper" but is not an actual zero. You will have to shoot the gun and fine tune the scope alignment to have a true zero.

Sandman1

· #13 · Jan 20, 2010

I like the one peice leupold base and leupold rings (i prefer using the same brand components, probably not a difference, but makes me feel better).

There are old threads on this site giving the detailed procedure to manually boresight yhour rifle. You have to do this or you will never get it sighted in.

osprey572ci

· #14 · Jan 20, 2010

Vote 308...I want too. Never liked them much for years and now for some reason I have a hankering for one.

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jan 20, 2010 (Edited)

thanks for replying everyone

I'm definitely going for the .308. I'm going to a local range this week to check out prices. is a 24" barrel a normal size? Definitely get a 24 over a 20?

So far I have the scope, bipod, and lil ammo holder for the stock. Rifle will be coming shortly...if the range doesn't have it they'll have to order it

I need to get:
mounts/rings (will definitely get leupold ones)
the thing you put on the butt to keep it off the ground (dont know the name)
shooting journal (anyone have any links on how to use these things?)
http://www.baudarstudio.com/shooting/MILITARYCARDS.pdf
rifle case
couple snap caps
lens protectors for scope
am i missing anything?

I'm also looking for this recoil pad that I saw on a rifle a while ago...its not a plain old pad you stick on the butt. If you look at the back end of the rifle you see 2 metal bars coming out of it, attached to a recoil pad, so when you fire a shot you see the rifle metal bars move "in" the rifle, absorbing the shock. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

the end (metal bars/butt) looks like this, but that of a normal remington 700 stock, not all crazy tactical looking like this
http://www.optactical.com/magpulprs.html

im looking at leupold rings on cabelas (along with a 1 piece mount) and the options are "super low, low, medium, high, and super high" .......whats the best?
im assuming low or superlow will be the best because the closer the scope is to the rifle the more accurate? any suggestions on this guys?

thanks

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Range Junkie

· #16 · Jan 20, 2010

You can also forget the thing that keeps the butt off the ground if you are talking about a monopod. Just use a sandbag at the rear if you are shooting prone. And old wool sock filled with sand, rice, or plastic beads makes a pretty good one and it will give you just as much support and be more versatile. As CVC944 stated don't worry about the snap caps. You can dry fire that gun all you want and not hurt a thing.

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 20, 2010

so on the cabelas page, should i get low rings or super low?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...logCode=XK&rid=&parentType=&indexId=cat601620

zb338

· #18 · Jan 21, 2010

The .308 has a slight edge in accuracy. The 30/06 has a slight
edge in power especially with heavier bullets.

Zeke

biggunz113

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jan 21, 2010

ok so i got the leupold 1 piece mount, and the leupold high set rings, i figure if theyre too high i can always use them till i get a new set...theyre only like 25 bucks anyway so its no big deal

so far i have
leupold scope, leupold mount and rings, blackhawk ammo slot bullet pouch for barrel, leupold scope flip caps, harris bipod...going to check out the rifle this weekend.

not getting the snap caps, recoil butt, or the monopod for the butt
am i missing anything?

when you buy a remington rifle does it come with any sort of protective/carry case at all?

Range Junkie

· #20 · Jan 21, 2010 (Edited)

I don't know what your talking about when your say "Blackhawk ammo slot bullet pouch for barrel". If you mean a cheek pad for the butt stock with the ammo keeper that is cool but if it's something that attaches to the barrel you don't want it. You don't want to attach anything to the barrel as it could affect accuracy. Oh and if you want to soften the recoil you can add a Limbsaver recoil pad but a lot of the Remingtons already come with them so wait until you get the gun before you go buying one. You probably won't need high rings but as you stated if they are too high you can change them out. I had a 50mm scope mounted on a Remmy at one time and I think I used medium rings if memory serves me. Sounds like you are almost set, now you just need a rifle to mount it all on. If you are going to be doing a lot of bench or prone shooting you may want a Harris bipod.

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