.308 Vssf ???

[BigSlick]

Have any of you seen a Rem 700 VSSF in .308 ?

One of my shooting buds is maybe looking to trade his off. It sounds interesting; heavy fluted barrel, stock from McBros nice bipod, good sling. It's had the trigger worked over very nicely, about 130 rnds thru it.

Comes with decent glass and Badger rings and mounts

I haven't seen it yet, but from what i can gather, it looks like one of the old school Senderos except it's short action in .308.

Is the VSSF profile too heavy to be a practical gun for hunting ?

[Steel Talon]

What’s your hunting style like? I do a lot of flats walking and hill hiking so for me 9 lbs is my max limit for a field carry rifle. Anything heavier in the hunting field for me is ridiculous to tote around.

Peace
ST~:coolgleamA:

[BigSlick]

It varies, lotta brush to no brush, some hills.

The weight is what I was kinda wondering about. He says it runs about the same weight as a Garand, but wasn't real sure, maybe more, maybe less.

[Steel Talon]

A Garand is heavy I shoot one once a month atour clubs DCM matches..

Given heavy thick brush, and your not hunting from a stand then most shooting oportunities will be under 100yards. I would want a low profile light weight rifle with a fixed power scope.. Something along the size of a Rem 788.

As the country opens up then this .308 will be of better use to you , and again it depends on how much you want to tote. As for the bi-pod use, For deer hunting I hardly have used one I perfer a rock, my pack or a tree crook. Fixed Bi-pods are hard to adjust "quickly" same goes for the swivel types. On the flats a Bi-pod is a good tool unless your in the tall grass. So your bi-pod choice would need to be long in the legs.

My Deer go to, is my 25-06 it weighs just over 7 lbs. Mdl 70 action with a #4 contour bobbed to 22 glassed Weaver V24.

Most of the "tac rifles" are not real useful in hunting they are limited. On the range and fixed shooting positions they excel.

Peace
ST~

[BigSlick]

It might be worth a look for deer, shots in Texas a run out to a safe max of ~350 or so.

I got a decent brush gun, just didn't know if I should try to work a trade with him or pass. I'm gonna go look at it next week

[MONTEGOD7SS]

You a big Slick, I'm sure you can handle it.

[Steel Talon]

When you do get to check that rifle, bore scope the barrel and look for throat erosion. That will guide you there alone to establish your value..
Rifle accuracy is lost in the throat and at the crown when the bullet exits.

Whats nice about the heavy barrels is that if the throat is toast you just cut it off (2in) re-ream and thread it. Same goes for the crown if the lans are dinged nip 0.25 or so off and re-degree it. Just like new it will be.

Check the pillars in the stock for any fractures, and look at the stock screw threads for damage. *You should have a torque wrench(inch lbs) in your tool box Action screws should always be set with one.

Also there should be no flex at the forearm and barrel when you squeeze it. Not all synthetic stocks are the same. Any flex will cause accuracy failure when shooting off of a Bi-pod

Not much you can do to check the glass, other than "box" it when you at the range. Scope & rifle are zeroed. Fire a group.

Move adjustments up 6" - fire a group
Move adjustments left 6" - fire a group
Move adjustments down 6" - fire a group
Move adjustments right 6" - fire a group, it should be on top of the first.

You can use various sizes of boxes (not just 6") and you can over lap so that the first and last group is in the middle of a 12" box, etc etc. There is no set way of doing it, but that gives you an idea.

Peace
Steel Talon:coolgleamA:

[BigSlick]

Dat brings up an interstin point; borescopes

What's out there for reasonable ? I've seen the $800 rigs an da $39 look thru thingys at Cabelas.

First is out of my need/value ratios and dat second one I have no experience wit.

Option ?

[WalterGA]

You sure that vssf doesn't come with an H&S Precision stock? Friend of mine has a .308vs that's a tackdriver. I have a vs in .223 that's a tackdriver. Even with the fluted barrel, you're talking about a 12# rifle, with scope. Great for varmint/targets not so great for hauling around. If you're just sitting up in a stand and ambushing Bambi, I don't guess the weight would make much difference.

[BigSlick]

It does come with the HS Precision stock that was original too, but it has a McBros on it currently. Adjustable pull but no cheek.

I've got a couple of 700s I really like, just never ran into a VSSF in .308.

I see lots of folks lookin for one every now and again, but never held one up close and personal. From what I read, it's about the same profile as the old school PSS, just with a fluted stainless and a box feed as opposed to the mag feed like the DM or BDL's

[CZ93X62]

Borescope--I've never seen the need for one, but I might feel differently if I did a lot of scope swapping. My usual gig is to take the rifle to the range and let drive at the 200 meter dinger plate from bench rest. If you've centered the rear ring pretty well on a Leup/Redfield mount system, the rounds hit reasonably close to the plate. The Weaver system and the Ruger ring mounts are almost as good, in my experience. This all assumes a scope with centered reticle, the way they come from the factory. More than once, I've had the first shot from a new rifle/scope combo hit the dinger plate at 200 meters--and most times, I'm within a 1-foot radius on the first shot. It can take a bit more shooting to get the barrel and scope looking in the same ZIP Code if you swap scopes around frequently. THAT is where the borescope becomes valuable, saving time and ammo cost.

I'm not a fan of truck-axle barrels on carry rifles. I lugged one around at work for 8 years+, and it isn't something you really need for accurate shooting excepting a narrow set of conditions--sustained strings of fire, like a varmint shoot on a prarie dog town. The heavier barrel is supposedly stiffer, and therefore more resistant to the variances of P-wave and S-wave harmonics a barrel produces when fired that are induced by barrel heat-up during sustained firing. There is also the matter of recoil management, and long strings of 308 firing can start to fatigue you. The extra weight soaks up some of that recoil energy for the shooter. To me, this is the biggest "plus" a heavy barrel provides.

My own experiences have not borne out that heavier barrels are significantly more accurate on the "cold shot" than standard taper barrels. "Cold shot" is how a rifle used for deer hunting or sniping should be sighted in, while a target or varmint rifle should be sighted in under the same repetitious strings of fire it uses in its venue. To me, there is a lot more down-side to that extra weight than any likely accuracy improvement is going to justify--and the 308 as a deer rifle isn't going to knock you around.

Barrel metallurgy and bore/muzzle finish quality are what makes a barrel "accurate". This assumes that bedding is sound, and forearm is free-floated AND THE BARREL CHANNEL IS FREE OF CRAP. All the barrel thickness and weight on earth won't make up for cruddy finish--a lot like trying to compensate for undersized cast bullets by using "magic" bullet lube.

[Steel Talon]

Borescope--I've never seen the need for one, but I might feel differently if I did a lot of scope swapping. .

My Brother,
A bore scope is not for bore sighting:) it's to look into a rifles barrel to inspect the throat and rifling for erosion,damage,fouling etc.

Peace
Steel Talon:coolgleamA:

[Steel Talon]

Dat brings up an interstin point; borescopes

What's out there for reasonable ? I've seen the $800 rigs an da $39 look thru thingys at Cabelas.

First is out of my need/value ratios and dat second one I have no experience wit.

Option ?

I got mine years ago at a estate sale all of 35.00 dollars:)

I would never ever spend high dollars for something that I use once in a while. What you need is a faily clear image, and a good light source so if the Cabellas thingy gives that then sure why not.

However if your in good with a local gunsmith its easier to look through his.

Peace
Steel Talon:coolgleamA:

[WalterGA]

Dis, dat, dese and dose. What's dat all about? Sounds like a John Lewis interview!:)

[CZ93X62]

My Brother,
A bore scope is not for bore sighting:) it's to look into a rifles barrel to inspect the throat and rifling for erosion,damage,fouling etc.

Peace
Steel Talon:coolgleamA:

DOH!

I would be more likely to need one of these than a COLLIMATOR. Or colander. Or whatever they're called. :leaving: