Title about says it all. I want to get a Remington 700 but can't decide the caliber. I will use it for paper punching and the eventual coyote hunting. Which caliber would be the best when taking into account the cost AND already having an AR. I've heard good things about .308
I have a .308 and you can find lots of hand load data on that and etc, etc...I assume the same for .223. I would recommend either .223, .243 (a little more range than .223 and flatter than .308 as I understand) or a .308.
If you already have an AR, then I would go with the .308. With the .308 you can shoot out to 1,000 yards, shoot good groups on paper and still use it for yotes. I'll go out on a limb here and confuse the issue even more. Think about a .243 or 6mm too. You can shoot both of those out to 1,000 yards as well and save a little money on bullets and powder.
Whatever caliber you choose, don't shortchange yourself with marginal optics. Plan on spending at least as much on a scope and mounts as you are spending on the rifle. Out to 300 or 400 yards you can get by with just about anything, but for accurate long range shooting you need good equipment.
I would rule out the .223, since you have a ar. I have a Rem 700 in .204 ruger which is excellent. A Rem 700 22-250 which is good. I would rule out the .308 for dogs, a bit too much.
For punching holes in paper .223 is cheaper than .308 and it would share the ammo with your AR (assuming it is in .223 as well). That would give you one caliber to stock ammo for and it would cover both guns. That is my since you were asking about cost as a factor.
If you dont plan on traveling outside Indiana to hunt then I would stay away from bigger caliber stuff.If you could deer hunt with it here then it would be a whole different story.The 22-250 is ideal if you dont reload.You can buy pretty decent 40gr ammo from walmart any caliber bigger than that you get stuck with factory loads that too heavy and are best suited for deer and not dogs.
Personally, I like the BDL model in 7 Mag. I was originally looking at the .308 like you, but everywhere I went to get one, no one ever had anything in stock or the only thing they did have in that caliber was in plastic. I DON'T want plastic....
I'm kinda old school like that and greatly prefer the nice, warm-feeling wood stock version bolt action HP rifles, rather than their cold, plastic, tactical-type bretheren.
BTW- I plan on doing some hunting out West for bigger game, plus, I'm kind of sick, 'cause for some wierd reason, I like the stab of the of the 7 mag recoil....
I had a 700 sps that shot .308, was a nice shooting gun. I had to sell it when I got laid off for a short time in 2010. I've been wanting to buy another 700 and I'm thinking of getting the 700 Tactical in .308.
.223 will do all you are expecting of it. A good friend has a sweet Remington 700 in .223 and it will knock down a Coyote at most any distance conditions permitting. Wind and rain will play with a .223 over distance. More expensive but more distance reliable is the .308 you mention. A bit hot for around here. I own a 700 in 30-06. It was a friends that passed and I bought it to help out the family. 30-06 was not my first choice but the gun is in "Perfect" condition and very low round count. Mid-range glass and a Harris bi-pod it will rock at distance but not like a .308. Cost is always a factor.
My Dad recently purchased a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .243 and it's a real tack driver. He has started hand loading and can hold very good patterns at 200 yds. for being a beginner shooter. He is using standard glass, nothing fancy. Personally, I have a good stock of .223 ammo already, so if and when I purchase a bolt gun, it will be chambered in .223 to keep my ammo situation simple. I try to concentrate on being effective with the fire arms that I have rather than having a large number of guns of different calibers and trying to shoot well with each of them. My
I just happen to have a new in the box Rem 700 deluxe classic in 223 remington (5.56 NATO) with 3-9 X 40 MM scope that's been in my gun case for several years. Never loaded....never fired. Would love to sell it. I bought it to target shoot and started shooting military pieces and never got around to using the rem..........