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One rifle needs to go..

6098 Views 47 Replies 35 Participants Last post by  digisol
I have 3 rifles in the 'all around' rifle class. I have a Remington 700 bdl in .270, a Remington SPS tactical 20" bull barrel in .308 and a post '64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 and need to part with one of them. My favorite is the bdl in .270 so it stays. It is down to the other two. The trigger on the .30-06 Winchester takes 2 men to pull it (not really, but heavy) but for some strange reason groups shots outstandingly and is a consistant MOA shooter. The .308 tactical is nice and very, very accurate SUB MOA, but just lacks something. Also the 20" barrel is pretty handy, I have to admit.

So, if it were your rifle battery, which one between the Winchester 70 .30-06 or the SPS tactical in .308 would you keep? I orignally got the .308 as a target rifle, but with the price of ammo, it turns out I don't really need a dedicated 'target' rifle. I did take it hunting and sitting in a stand the heavier bull barrel was no problem and a lot easier to get out of the blind window. Basically they both have their good points, but if it were you which would be the keeper and why?
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Id drop the the 30-06. Its not going to have the range of the 270 and it doesnt have much more power than the 308. If you need a little more range take the 270 with you to the woods occasionally (I say occasionally because I have a BDL in 7mm rem mag and I rarely take it on fear of scratching it) and make the 308 your everyday beater. Thats just my opinion though...
Although I have quite a few of the Remington 700's in various calibers the newer SPS rifles are just plain junk to me. Even the post 64 Winchesters are better than those plastic stocked black painted rifles. I own rifles in all three calibers but have never been impressed with the 270 since the others do everything I need done with cheap readily available ammunition.
Hate to see anyone get rid of a 30-06! It would be a very simple 20 minute job to adjust that Mod 70 trigger to your liking. Very easy instructions on this website in the gunsmithing forum. Not sure if that sways you?

I've sold a gun or two before, and regretted at least one. Keep it if you can!
Well, from a sales standpoint, you will be able to sell the 308 easiest, as its a different gun. You will take a killing on the Winchester .30-06 or the .270. Everyone seems to have those two calibers and they are difficult to sell.
im old school keep the 30-06 and buy a new trigger
Mattsbox,
Understood. You are correct on the sales aspect as I already have an offer on the .308.

Shawn Crea,
Just when I start to lean one way, I get to thinking about what I'll miss with the other rifle. The Winchester has a beautifully marbled walnut stock with sharp checkering. Even though the trigger is heavy, it shoots so accurately that I actually don't mind it. It's just a great rifle.
Id drop the the 30-06. Its not going to have the range of the 270 and it doesnt have much more power than the 308. If you need a little more range take the 270 with you to the woods occasionally (I say occasionally because I have a BDL in 7mm rem mag and I rarely take it on fear of scratching it) and make the 308 your everyday beater. Thats just my opinion though...
I agree, this would be my choice too. I love my old 700 7mm Remington mag:D
I'll be honest. Im a sucker for pretty guns. If the Winchester is easy on the eyes it would be hard for me to get rid of it (even if it didnt group). Im personally not crazy about the 06 but looks persuade me alot more than the cartridge. If you have a fair offer on the 308 then its probably best to send it packin. So yes, Im changing my vote. Sell the ugly one and keep the pretty one. I just hope our women dont catch on to this trend... lol
how is it that the '06 doesn't have the range of the 270? does the bullet just stop in midflight and drop in the dirt?? for many years i poo poo'd the '06 and avoided it but a couple of years ago i bought one for the action... decided to shoot it "just to see" and it is now a switch barrel rig. i used to wrinkle up my nose and roll my eyes when it came to the '06, believing all the crap that i'd read but not anymore... i must have a very special example or else all those experts who hunt with their keyboards were wrong!!
you answered your question ,for me in your initial post..something just don t feel right about the one.. thats the one that goes ..if any have to that is..
mines pretty much gone,as hitting side of a barn, takes a shot gun now..
but if i was you id just keep it if you still working..
you shoot the 06 so well because you know the gun..thats more important to me ,than how nice a gun is or anything else..slim
From a practical standpoint, sell both the .308 and 30-'06 and buy a .338WM. The .270 will continue to handle everything between rockchucks and elk, with your .22 shooting the smaller stuff and the .338WM taking on the really big jobs. (Perfect 3-gun arsenal?)

That being said, practicality has little or nothing to do with why we own guns, whose purposes often overlap. If economic necessity demands you sell one gun or the other, spending money on target ammo is probably out of the question. So, along with the aesthetic and subjective reasons already listed, sounds to me like you should take that offer on the .308 winnie.
I'd sell the 308 as the 30-06 is a great all around round and the trigger is an easy adjustment. My resoning is that the 308 is a great round and comes in a short rifle action but it's just a 30-06 light and shoots the same exact bullets. If I was only keeping one of the I'd keep the stronger of them. As mentioned the 308 would be easier to sell because less people own one and they have developed a following. I liked more of a gap in my rifle calibers when I had just a few like a 243 and a 270/30-06 but as I aquired more I pretty much filled in the gaps to where I have everything covered from 22-250 to 338 Win mag.
I also have a post '64 PF M70 that's a real shooter and it, too, has a stiff trigger. Keep that
M70, adjust the trigger and then whack a couple inches off the barrel to match the .308's 20 inch barrel. That is a very handy length, IMO.:D
Lose the .30-06 and the .270 and pick you up a .338.
Tune the trigger on the Model 70 [no longer made in Conn.] and ditch the 308. The '06 will handle the bigger critters better than either the 308 or 270 and the gun may actually have collector's value in the future.
Don't sell any of them unless the purchase of your next weapon depends on it.
Don't sell unless you need the money. It seems like I never get back what I have into them when I have sold. I would say oil them up and set them in the back of the safe for later.
I wish I had all the guns I sold. I vowed never to sell a gun unless I absolutely have to.
The worst one I ever sold was a Performance Center .44. Its too bad it's gone, I could hit with any load I fed it.
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