usefulness of a stand in rifle, is it worth the extra $$$?
 

i have been shooting the crud out of my range rifle lately (just short of 3000 round count after this summer) and frankly its my only rifle that i really trust. i have been thinking about buying a remington 700 sps aac or sps stainless in 308 and utilising much lighter optics and accessories in favour of carrying around my now 16 pound 700 xcr LR. i know i will be taking a hit in the accuracy department but thats sort of a given. my worries are this, using 44.8 grains of rl15 im driving a 178 a max to 2790 so i know my barrel is defiantly running faster then normal ontop of being 26''. if i go to the sps aac i wont likely luck out and get another fast barrel plus it would only be 20'' so expected velocity is 2575 to 2600 given my loads average 2640 from a friends 5r (24''). if i go to a sps stainless i will be getting a 24'' tube but id be getting a lesser stock and thinner barrel which i dont mind but the finished package would be longer. im really not sure whats the best option, less velocity but having another rifle that can take some of the workload off the range rifle plus good for hunting or just a straight awesome deer rifle with a slight velocity loss. im considering only 308 and only a remington. please no shoulda bought a (fill blank).

Personally I'll offer a couple of opinions:
1) Don't get so hung up on velocity. The critters likely won't notice / care.
2). No way in he!! I would ever tote a 16 lb. rifle. Any competent killing cartridge in a scoped up unit around 8-8.5 lbs would likely serve as a better choice... IMO.
3). Obviously, accuracy is important. Remmy's can certainly deliver. Just scope with good glass and find the load that particular rifle like best. Then go shoot. Then go hunt.

While I have a couple of rifles that will shoot 1/2 moa, they are not the deer rifle I pick up when I go to the field. anything shooting 1 1/2 moa or less will hit a 8" kill zone with out any problem. Get the new gun and smile while you are toting it in the woods and up the stand, good hunting

I would buy a sporter weight rifle for hunting, and plan on putting a new barrel on your target rifle sometime in the distant future if you are lucky enough to shoot it out to the point where accuracy is affected.

+1

I too would never ever consider packing a 16 pound rifle in the woods...save the range rifle for that...the range and buy an sps and build a hunting rifle.

the reason i am so tied up on velocity is that i have had a huge deal of practice with two loads. the one above and one other 168 grain load. i have shot in winds up to 45 mph out to 500 yards using only a bdc reticle and i can reach even further with my dials. up to 20 mph out to 500 yards i dont even need to take a wind reading to get a fist round hit. considering not more then a few years ago wind was my kryptonite, this is a big thing for me. i know a 178 amax at 2790 like the back of my hand

so useful.hehe.thanks for your share.

dylan, the obvious question is why are even considering shooting at a deer 500yrds w/ 20-45 mph wind? get closer and the wind isnt a problem;)

My style of deer hunting .. I get as close as I can, and inside 200 yards is my goal. For me a 500 yard shot, 25 mph X-Wind is simply a "pass". Most of the time my shots are 150 yards or less.

I do have a second rifle. And I carry it every deer hunt that I go on. I have had one case to need it .... the stock on my 1970's vintage Browning BBR split right along a grain line. No spare ... my week of hunting would have been done.

I am 100% confident in both my deer rifles and shoot both plenty enough to feel good about using either. For each I have worked up a great load. Both have dropped mule deer cleanly at 325-350 yards. My No.1 rifle for the past several years is a Styer Mountain in 308 Win. How many deer and hogs have I killed with it ? I have no clue. I don't keep a count. As for carrying a 10+ plus rifle to the deer wooods ? Not for me.

Buy a lighter Rifle to Hunt with....probably 2 or 3 cause Your going to wear that first one out pretty fast! :D ;)