looking to get a hunting rifle, i have been playing with rimfire for awhile, but im not new to centerfire

i want a rifle mainly to hunt deer in central florida, where i live. i have narrowed it down to either them Rem. 710 or 700, which would be best? im leaning toward the 700 but only because im a fan of "aftermarket" stuff, my first gun was a 10/22, every part of the gun has been worked on in some way, so ill probably do the same, on a less scale, to my hunting rifle, new stock/barrel etc. and the 700 seems to have alot of options, either way it wil probably be put through alittle torture, its pretty wet and nasty where i hunt small game, i see alot of deer often too, i want something else i my hand besides a .17 hmr next time



also, what about caliber? thinking 308, my cusion hunts with me with a 30-06 coverted mauser k98, i like it but i wanted something different

i dont know much about the differences between the 2 rifles


opinions/suggestions?

Go with the 700. You would not be able to rebarrel a 710. The 700 is a higher quality rifle and holds its value much better than the 710.

There are no flies on either the 308 or 30-06, either would work fine for what you are looking to use the rifle for. Matter of fact, either would work fine for about 99.9% of all medium and big game hunting in North America.

338 said it. The 700 is certainly the way to go there. And there is no practical difference in the .308 vs .30-06 unless you want to shoot 200 or 220 grain bullets (Moose, Bear, etc).

I also agree with the 700 of which I have had three built on. I also like the new Savage. Better trigger and better accuracy out of the box. A 700 will shoot well, but needs work. Now you must know that I am an accuracy freak, and almost any rifle made shoots well enough for deer, but not well enough for me. Its just a ME thing, but here is a link to a nice looking Savage in both .308 and 7mm-08.

http://www.savagearms.com/14AmerClassic.htm

I've seen the deer in Florida. My labrador retriever is probably bigger than 99% of them.... pretty much anything that burns powder is going to work.

However, you do have a few mean 'ol hogs running around in the swamps, and that's a different proposition. .308 is a very reasonable choice, and it should handle both the deer, and Mr. Piggie, just fine.

Might consider a model 7, stainless. Very light and handy!

Take a look at one of these:

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/

...I really like the Mountain-DM with the laminate-stock.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_seven/

...For a short-action - It's hard to beat the M7...I'd like a CDL in 7-08Rem.

Both my 700's an the one my father has, were made over a span of thirty years the fit and fisish on them are second to none, I see no practial use for aftermarket stocks. YOu cant go wrong with a 700. Either .308 or 30-06 are the best choises because you can find ammo anywhere, **** neer find them at the locak 7-11. (that is good if you loose or forgot you shells).

im thinking about heading off to some shops to check out the real thing, loking at pictures and reading about them is good, now i want to see which one i like the feel of most, i have shot a 700, one of my uncles has one in .300 ultra mag, it was nice but alittle much for around here

there are big deer here, its just hard to find them, you have to spend alot of time out there and go where most people wont gom legally ofcourse :rolleyes: and hogs are nice, but around here a few good catch dogs and a big knife and or pistol work best, easier to carry and maneuver in the swamp too


based on what i see so far it looks like ill go with a good 700, but im gonna give some other guns a fair chance

thanks for the quick response everyone


PS. whats a good price on a new 700 or a used one in good shape

looking to get a hunting rifle, i have been playing with rimfire for awhile, but im not new to centerfire

i want a rifle mainly to hunt deer in central florida, where i live. i have narrowed it down to either them Rem. 710 or 700, which would be best? im leaning toward the 700 but only because im a fan of "aftermarket" stuff, my first gun was a 10/22, every part of the gun has been worked on in some way, so ill probably do the same, on a less scale, to my hunting rifle, new stock/barrel etc. and the 700 seems to have alot of options, either way it wil probably be put through alittle torture, its pretty wet and nasty where i hunt small game, i see alot of deer often too, i want something else i my hand besides a .17 hmr next time



also, what about caliber? thinking 308, my cusion hunts with me with a 30-06 coverted mauser k98, i like it but i wanted something different

i dont know much about the differences between the 2 rifles


opinions/suggestions?


Welcome to the forum ReQ. Rules are pretty simple, be nice and join in.

I've been a Remington fan for a bunch of years now and shoot both varmit and big game 700's. My favorite seems to be a 700 Mountian Rifle in 280 Remington.

If you want to customize a rifle the 710 is not the one you want to buy. If you plan on changing barrels and stocks you might want to look for a good used 700 rather than a new one. It sounds like you might only end up with the action and build from there. No use paying a premium for parts your going to discard.

I have a model seven, which is a compact version of the 700 in 308 and it is excellent to shoot and carry. Mine is an older one with the 18 inch carbine barrel, blue with a wood stock, and shoots nice one inch groups at a hundred yards from the bench rest. It's a primo deer and black bear gun, especially in the thick brush.

I shoot one of Remingtons 8mm mags for elk and it works well, but is a little overgunned for deer.

The 308 seems to be a little more accurate as far as benchrest and competition rifles go, but both it and the 30-06 deliver fine accuracy for hunting.

Again welcome to the forum and have fun looking at those guns.

looking to get a hunting rifle, i have been playing with rimfire for awhile, but im not new to centerfire

i want a rifle mainly to hunt deer in central florida, where i live. i have narrowed it down to either them Rem. 710 or 700, which would be best? im leaning toward the 700 but only because im a fan of "aftermarket" stuff, my first gun was a 10/22, every part of the gun has been worked on in some way, so ill probably do the same, on a less scale, to my hunting rifle, new stock/barrel etc. and the 700 seems to have alot of options, either way it wil probably be put through alittle torture, its pretty wet and nasty where i hunt small game, i see alot of deer often too, i want something else i my hand besides a .17 hmr next time



also, what about caliber? thinking 308, my cusion hunts with me with a 30-06 coverted mauser k98, i like it but i wanted something different

i dont know much about the differences between the 2 rifles


opinions/suggestions?
another remington you might consider if you are checking out used stuff is a 788. you are fine with either caliber you mentioned, one thing about the 788 is it has a detachable magazine. they where originaly sold as an affordable option to the 700 without the pretty walnut but over the years folks have wised up to the true quality and value that model was/is and prices have gone up. if you find one do not consider it beneath the 710 and of lesser quality. they are well built quality tack driving rifles.

Welcome to the forums ReQ.
Id skip the 710, go with the 700. .308 is good, 30-06 in my not-so-humble opinion is better. Yes, with bullets lighter than 165 grains they are only about 100 fps apart in velocity with the 30-06 having the advantage. but once you go heavier, the .308 can't keep up. Like I said, this makes the largest difference with 180 grain and heavier bullets, and if you ever decide to take the plunge and go moose hunting...
Yep, Savage makes a good out of the box rifle too and for a bit less than a Remington 700.
It will all come down to personal preference. Buy what you want and like for yourself. There are lots of options out there.
Good luck and happy shopping.

My favorite seems to be a 700 Mountian Rifle in 280 Remington.



Same here. I killed my first deer with a .280 Mtn Rifle using a Hornady 139gr SST. I have a Leupold VXII 2X7 mounted on it and the trigger is nice and crisp. I will keep that rifle for a very long time. Mine is an older model and the recoil pad had hardened so I had a Limbsaver recoil pad installed. Other than that it's original.

Definitely go with the 700!!
I have seen too many issues with the 710.
I would wholeheartedly recommend a Savage/Stevens model 200 over the the 710 anytime!

I guess what everyone is trying to advise you is - go with the 700! :p

I guess what everyone is trying to advise you is - go with the 700! :p
But keep an eye open for a 788

There is no question of Remington 700 vs. 710, 99% of people will tell you to go for the 700. The other 1% probably haven't even handled either one, much less used one. One other alternative to consider is the Stevens 200. You could probably get a brand new one in whatever caliber you choose (30-06, .308, 7mm-08, .270 Win or .243 Win) and a decent scope mounted up for about what a new Remington 700 goes for alone. The problem with buying a used rifle, is you usually don't know how it was treated by its' former owner or how many rounds the barrel has had through it. You may also be buying someone else's headache. I picked up a Steven's 200 in .243 Win a few weeks ago and am very pleased with it for the money. It shot inch and a quarter 3 shot groups right out of the box with factory ammo. I expect it will do even better when I get the Rifle Basix trigger installed. It can use any accessories for a Savage 110, is durable, accurate and while it won't be considered beautiful or smooth, it is very reliable and functional. Readily available, I paid $259 for mine from Sportsman's Warehouse, and they had factory federal 100gr sp ammo for just $9.50 a box. If you desire a bargain, you could do worse.

thanks for all the advice

i spent a few days up in orlando with friends so i didnt get a chance to check out the gunshops until today, fouund a gun store with an indoor range, shot a 700 and 710 in .308 and 30-06, aswell as a few calibers he recommended, went with the .308 SPS, i like the black-out look

i have a simmons .44 mag scope i put on it, got a box of winchester XP3 half-off when i got the gun so im heading out to shoot this weekend

what rounds should i be putting through it

First, you didn't say which rifle you purchased.

Next, you state you have a box of ammo already to shoot. As far as what "rounds" you should be putting through it, the answer is any cartridge load combination your rifle is built for. Most common .308W ammo is the 150 grain spitzer load.

I have several .30-06's. Love the round. But, I do get jealous of all the .308 surplus & otherwise cheap ammo that's available. Surplus '06 is getting kinda scarce these days…

First, you didn't say which rifle you purchased.

the SPS is the 700 model that replaced the synthetic ADL

http://www.remington.com/images/products/firearms/centerfire/smsil_700sps.jpg

I would check out the used gun racks because there are some real deals out there. All the best...
Gil

Remington has tweaked some 710 problems, but my 3 model 700s have never had any work on them(up to 30 yrs old) and will all shoot sub moa :) I say go for the 700

I also have 700's and two of my custom rifles are built on 700 actions, but the last three 700's that I have bought all had the base mounting screws drilled crooked or the entire action was buffed to a point that the top of the action on the rear leaned badly keeping me from being anle to mount any scope on it. Their quality control is not as good as it was 30 years ago. That was when they were at their best. I would still choose the Savage today over the Remington even though I love Remingtons. I will not buy another new Reminton. These are just my experiences with the newer 700's. There are some good ones, but chances are that you will be more likely to get a bad one.

First, you didn't say which rifle you purchased.

Next, you state you have a box of ammo already to shoot. As far as what "rounds" you should be putting through it, the answer is any cartridge load combination your rifle is built for. Most common .308W ammo is the 150 grain spitzer load.

seems pretty rude coming from a mod, i did state what rifle i have, even if it wasnt to clear(i guess)

i did get a box of "rounds" with the gun at a discount but i was wondering what the best(matter of opinion) or atleast the most recommended .308 cartridge is

either way, spent some time shooting and i like the gun, everything seems to be in fine working order

You were clear on the rifle pick. You said you went with a 308sps, which is a Remington 700. 150 grain spitzers are the most common.

For swamp and or thick bush consider an Auto pump and or lever , for a quick second shot.Should you be a bolt man the model 7 will serve you well. Just might not have the time for a second shot if you need it.Think you would do well with a short barreled rifle with a smooth action. Do some research before you spend your money.

Sorry if you thought my reply was rude - wasn't meant to be, just seeking clarification. Regardless of what Remington fans may think, us non-Remington fans have no idea what a "SPS" signifies. Had you said a synthetic ADL model we would have known. Remington catalog numbers don't mean a lot except to those who are current on Remington products.

As stated, the 150 gr spitzer (full jacket, hollow point or soft point) are the most common .308W cartridges.

Sorry if you thought my reply was rude - wasn't meant to be, just seeking clarification. Regardless of what Remington fans may think, us non-Remington fans have no idea what a "SPS" signifies. Had you said a synthetic ADL model we would have known. Remington catalog numbers don't mean a lot except to those who are current on Remington products.

As stated, the 150 gr spitzer (full jacket, hollow point or soft point) are the most common .308W cartridges.

I wasn't meaning to be rude either, but to inform you that the SPS (Special Purpose Synthetic) is a model of 700. It replaced the ADL this year and the only differences I can tell are the floorplate and those weird grip thingies on the stock. They make one with a detachable magazine as well. Personally I liked the ADLs better since I could do without a floorplate, but that is just me.