Which option?

[harrygrey382]

I would never trade in a rifle I referred to as "trusty"!!~Muir

yeah - how come you traded it in stig?

I've put a deposit on a new BRNO BO98 synthetic in 243 - £550 + £50 to put a wlanut stock on it. Factory screwcut. He might have one or two more...

Wish the fu*king papers would hurry up

 

[ejg]

Tough one between these rifles.
At the moment I have a 243 remmy stainless sporter sps. It shoots under 1/2" even with the horrible factory trigger. I didn't change the trigger yet, because I sometimes use it in heavy cover for quick off the shoulder shots and prefer the heavy trigger for that.
Also my kids started using the rifle and I felt safer with them having a heavy trigger.
I really like the remmy, a good solid work horse that is very accurate.

The howa I had before also a sporter in stainless was maybe a bit more refined and also very accurate, at times under 1/4". The trigger can be tuned very well on a howa. Who says otherwise does not know how to do it.

I just bought a stainless tikka t3. No verdict yet except that the plastic stock might be slightly better than the sps or howa plastic.

The worst plastic stocks I have ever seen are mounted on the Steyer Mannlicher rifles.
We had a close look at them this year at the IWA.

Just about all factory rifles are quite accurate and of quite good quality, but especially at the cheaper end are let down by the stocks used. Either useless injection moulded plastics or for stalking purpose a too heavy laminated stock.

I would take one in stainless, either howa, remmy or tikka. Maybe the cheapest of them and use the change for a decent stock.


edi

 

[Selous]

I would go with the remmie as there are more aftermarket parts to modify into a semi custom if you choose. Also Remmies tend to shoot reasonably well anyway.

 

[Realtree]

Tikka T3, no question from the list you give. Perfect straight from the box!!

 

[stig]

yeah - how come you traded it in stig?

it's just one of those things. It ws my first rifle, bought second hand. Nice wee workhorse, but I'm after a change. I don't need two rifles. I do need the couple of hundred quid part ex. I DO need a moderator (it's not screw cut). I WANT a new rifle. And I'm stuck with the budget I've got. The available options I've listed and it's great to get all your views.

I think I'm swaying towards the Remmy due to s/s + synthetic although the lure of the lovely wood/blue T3 is hard to resist.

 

[purdeydog]

I can recommend the T3, I have a .308 varmint and really happy with it. The accuracy surprised me the first time I used it. My only grip is the safety system, you have to take off the safety to unload/make safe. The Remmy and Browning I haven't looked at. The Howa I considered but I just didn't like the floor plate of the magazine, looked it would break very easily, however not heard a bad word about the Howa's performance.

Hope that helps, John.

 

[harrygrey382]

why not a new CZ then? Or the BRNO I'm looking at?

 

[Brithunter]

it's just one of those things. It ws my first rifle, bought second hand. Nice wee workhorse, but I'm after a change. I don't need two rifles. I do need the couple of hundred quid part ex. I DO need a moderator (it's not screw cut). I WANT a new rifle. And I'm stuck with the budget I've got. The available options I've listed and it's great to get all your views.

I think I'm swaying towards the Remmy due to s/s + synthetic although the lure of the lovely wood/blue T3 is hard to resist.

Oh dear I think you cannot be saved now wanting a new rifle that I can understand but why the heck you would want a Remington . There is a good reason that there are so many custom bits for Remingtons................................ they bloody well need them!

They also feel about as refined as a club! Yep I really do not like them and would not have one as gift. There is no room in the BH household for a Remington 700................ none at all! .

Now from your list it would have to be a choice between the Howa and the Tikka. I have never handled or shot the Howa but I have the Tikka and as has already been pointed out I would be looking for an older 695/595 as to my mind Berretta went backwards with the T3.

However it's your money and you choice in the end and I wish you luck ( if you go with the Remington I feel you will need all the luck you can get! ) with and fun too .

 

[finnbear270]

I own & shoot a Tikka M595 in .223Rem, A tack driver, or more to the point a fox nailer, I own & shoot a Howa 7mm WSM 1500 stain less, still working with loads, but shoots very well with the loads already finished, a bullet proof build, only snag was it arrived with a feed problem, sorted by a well known chap in Wilmslow.

 

[Big Stu]

Remington for me great rifles for out the box for accuracy and plenty of options for scope bases and rings, if you wish to customize in the future with after market stocks/ triggers etc options are endless can be very limited with other makes
and stainless is the way to go
Fit a reflex type mod some decent glass and you will have a great stalking setup
sorted

 

[Brithunter]

Remington for me great rifles for out the box for accuracy and plenty of options for scope bases and rings, if you wish to customize in the future with after market stocks/ triggers etc options are endless can be very limited with other makes
and stainless is the way to go
Fit a reflex type mod some decent glass and you will have a great stalking setup
sorted

Stu most others don't need the "Custom" bits Glad for you that yours is OK sadly a lot of the newer one are not. Our local shop has dropped carrying them after repeated problems with poor accuracy. Just ain't worth the hassle when they can sell another make and not have the come backs. Oh and I don't mean just not being able to shoot under MOA they have had a string that would not shoot 3 MOA at 60 yards with anything tried through the barrel.

Also please bear in mind that is a poor chap trying to see his Remington in the classifieds and despite dropping the price no one is interested.

Hopefully Remington will listen to the dealers and customers but there doesn't seem to be much of that happening and if they don't get it together they will fold.

 

[stig]

Some thoughts from my Finnish friend:

From these 4 options I would definitely ditch the Remington and Browning.
The 700 Series are notoriously well know for being very noisy, while loading and reloading. Also at least here guys who have bought that rifle it pretty much stops working if your hunting in temperature under -10C, not problem in UK, but in Finland it is.

Browning's similar model is A-Bolt series, I would assume you mean those ones? Personally I like the design and the gun fits to your hand nicely, but very problematic is that after 3-5 rounds the barrel heats up quite drastically and shots are becoming more inaccurate. Some have complained that the trigger is too hard to pull and has to be manually adjusted.

Howa guns have been popular amongst people who do lot of practical shooting (long range shooting) in the range here in Helsinki area and I hear lots of praises about their accuracy. Personally I have not tested Howa rifle's.

I personally have Tikka T3 .243 (http://www.tikka.fi/t3models.php?litess), I would not buy the wooden version just because it looks boring and SS is lighter to carry in the woods. I'm using my T3 mostly for deer and birds with Docter 8x56 scope. Combination is very accurate up to 200 meters on range with either Sako Range or Norma Jaktmatch bullets, 3-5 shots can fit into area of 3 cm.

Whatever you do I would recommend Tikka T3 or Howa

 

[Mat]

Having owned a Remy 700, the only thing going for it is the vast assortment of after market parts for it. In terms of the design, I'm not overly impressed by it. My main stalking rifle is a Howa: superior in design with its integral recoil lug, one piece bolt handle and easy disassemble firing pin... I reckon the Remy's popularity has something to do with it hitting the market at the right time at the right price and now momentum keeps it going.

I've had a look at a Tikka T3, but at the moment I'm trying to justify it: the Howa does everything I need, the main difference is that the Howa is a good deal heavier than the T3 out of the box, but cheaper, more solid with fewer plastic parts...

 

[Mat]

Another thought: the Remy chambers are as loose as they can get them, with a super long throat, the Howa by contrast is tighter, less brass expansion so easier to resize the cases.

 

[Claret_Dabbler]

On a budget, the Howa is definitely the way to go, it might even be the way to go if you are not on a budget.

Look on a Howa as an old Sako design (which it is) that is compatible with a lot of Remington after market bits. You can customise the Howa as easily as a Remmie these days.

Edi's point about stocks is absolutely correct. Most modern rifles are damn good in respect of their barrels and actions. They are almost always let down by their stocks, particularly the synthetic ones.

My only criticism of the Howa's are that the barrels are too long and they are a bit heavy, particularly the laminates.

I would buy a Howa and get the barrel chopped back and threaded. I would live with the Hogue until I could afford a McMillan or one of Edi's creations.

I was shooting my neighbours bog standard Howa 22/250 yesterday. I shot a 1.25" group at 200 yards, it was strung out horizontally by a cross wind - this was with one of my handloads.

 

[Big Stu]

"Look on a Howa as an old Sako design (which it is) that is compatible with a lot of Remington after market bits. You can customise the Howa as easily as a Remmie these days"

I'm Sure but correct me if im wrong
Howa actions are built from Weatherbys specs the vanguard line, and are made in Japan

 

[Thar]

I agree with Brit’s comments on the whole with regards to Remm’y 700. People buy the rifle then scrap the barrel, scrap the trigger, bin the stock, fit a bigger recol lug, change the bolt for one made to tighter tolerances, fit a magazine conversion kit, the only thing left is the receiver which has to be blue printed to be any good. Then rave about how good they are, beats me.

The Howa’s receiver is almost a straight copy of an early L591 Sako, flat bottomed with a built in recoil lug. The bolt is a copy of the remmy 700, but is forged from one piece rather than having its handle silver soldiered on and has an improved extractor fitted.

Stig, the Browning is nothing like the Remmington, they are pretty much like chalk and cheese. The Brownings are made by Miroku shotguns in Japan you never find anybody with anything bad to say about them. The browning has a 3 lug modular bolt, with a shotgun safety. If it is a A-Bolt then it has it own design DM/floor plate while the X-Bolt uses a rotary detachable magazine. The A-Bolt trigger is a bit heavy out of the box, but for $25 you can buy a kit from the US which turns it into a trigger equal to, if not better than a Tikka. The X-Bolt trigger is adjustable.

But my vote would still be look for a Sako 75, the Finlight was a Classic, I might know were a mint one is going, I would have it myself but no space on my ticket.

ATB

Tahr

 

[Brithunter]

Yes Howa are Japanese but I would not like to say the their rifles are built to Weatherby specs. Howa were making rifles long before Weatherby contracted them to make their vanguards. Let's face Weatherby don't make anything them selves that I am aware of.

 

[stig]

I know it wasn't on the "Which Option?" list... seems the Remmy and Tikka are neck and neck, closely followed by the Howa... but I just found some extra pennies and have ordered...

A Tikka T3 Lite Stainless + Wildcat mod

Really appreciate all the advice, at the beginning of this thread I was heading for the Howa, then I nearly bought the Remmy. But I'm a simple man, with simple pleasures, I'm also very lazy (read tight) and the likelihood of me doing any after market mods/changes (other than trigger weight) is zero to none... the T3 I think fits my bill... It feels so goooooooood in my hands, it feels right!

Now, where's my damn FAC?

 

[Brithunter]

Don't forget to post some photos when you get it and may I wish you the best with your new rifle Oh and a photo of it's first blood of course .