[McPatrickClan]

Cabela's has been running a special on the Choate Tactical .308 made by Savage and I am in the market for a new bolt-action after I sold my old one. I want a .308 and really like the AccuStock concept... Any thoughts on what the difference are between these two models?

I am going to both target shoot and hunt (will be hiking/walking while hunting) with this gun.

 

[jwhite75]

Choate Tactical is a pretty good brand..dont think you would go wrong.

 

[Bob F.]

It's a Savage; how bad could it be? I'd love to have one, never know when you'll have to reach out!

Bob F.

 

[McPatrickClan]

That is my thought. Just curious about the pros and cons of bothsince they are about the same price.

 

[atctimmy]

Cabela's has been running a special on the Choate Tactical .308 made by Savage and I am in the market for a new bolt-action after I sold my old one. I want a .308 and really like the AccuStock concept... Any thoughts on what the difference are between these two models?

I am going to both target shoot and hunt (will be hiking/walking while hunting) with this gun.

IMO tactical rifles are not for hunting. Too heavy. I would suggest holding a few models in your hand before you decide.

 

[McPatrickClan]

Yeah if I was reading the right description on the Savage site, I think that Choate tactical was almost 11 pounds. That is heavy for spot and stalk.

 

[SIXTO]

I dont like the Savage tac stocks, they look and feel cheap. I'd go with the Choate... but both are horrible for hunting applications.

 

[McPatrickClan]

IMO tactical rifles are not for hunting. Too heavy. I would suggest holding a few models in your hand before you decide.

So I took Timmy's advice & stopped by my local Cabela's today to put the feel test on a few shooters. After handling the rifles and working the actions, I think I reached a few conclusions.

Remington 700s are excellent. The Tikka T3 Lite had a nice feel to it and was noticably lighter than other synthetic stock .308 rifles. Cabela's does not stock Howa products, which was disappointing because I would have liked to test one out.

Finally, I checked out the Savage rifles. The Choate Tactical that Cabela's keeps in stock was exactly like Sixto said "horrible for hunting." It had a flat, wide front end and was heavy as you could imagine. It felt like 15 pounds, not 10-1/2. It was obvious that the rifle was built for two things: urban LEO activity & benchrest shooting. It is absolutely not, under no circumstances, to be purchased for spot & stalk hunting!

I then went on to check out the Savage AccuStock models. This was the second time I had seen these models in person and was very impressed. The pricing is a bit high compared to previous Savage rifles of similar build, but you are getting a much improved stock.

I liked the feel of it and frankly, if it reduces recoil by 45%, I would pay the premium.

The only question now is choosing a model. They have one that they call a LEO Precision Carbine. It's in digital camo. It does not weigh much more than the other models at all.

The other model is all-black, one with a stainless action & bbl and the other with a blued action & bbl. I really like the look of the stainless, but is there any significant benefit to a stainless bbl & action? It does cost almost $150 more.

Any suggestions on which AccuStock model to choose would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Ring]

the choate is good, but heavy, if u call choate direct, they have a folding varmit stock, its not listed in the catalog, just the folding sniper

 

[Ring]

Any suggestions on which AccuStock model to choose would be appreciated. Thanks!

they are all the same gun inside, just different stocks. and barrel lengths

 

[McPatrickClan]

they are all the same gun inside, just different stocks. and barrel lengths

Really, I am trying to decide now if the stainless bbl is worth it or if there are any drawbacks (other than reflecting light when I am trying to hide from my target animal!).

 

[SIXTO]

if its a hunting gun, I'd buy the lightest one. There is no need for a heavy barrel etc., and you will regret the purchase if thats the purpose of the gun.

 

[McPatrickClan]

Is a stainless bbl more heavy than a blued one?

 

[atctimmy]

Is a stainless bbl more heavy than a blued one?

Nope. Same weight.

If you plan to go to Alaska or if you have some odd reason to not clean a gun till a couple days after you get rained on go for stainless. If you are like 99.9% of all other hunters and shooters and will care for your gear go with blue steel. Blue steel is said(take this for what it's worth) to be more accurate than stainless harmonically speaking and it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in the woods. I'd get blue steel cause it costs less.


My real recommendation to you is to go with a sporter weight model and ONLY IF ACCURACY STINKS upgrade the stock to a HS or Bell and Carlson. The heavy bbl guns are too clumsy to carry all day and Savage makes hunting rifles that shoot tight groups out of the box. There is about 50 reasons for not getting a tactical style gun for hunting but the big two are weight and cost. Good luck.

Maybe you should look at that X-bolt you liked : )

I still prefer Remington.


Cabela's -- Bell and Carlson Replacement Medalist Rifle Stock - Tan Web

 

[McPatrickClan]

My real recommendation to you is to go with a sporter weight model and ONLY IF ACCURACY STINKS upgrade the stock to a HS or Bell and Carlson. The heavy bbl guns are too clumsy to carry all day and Savage makes hunting rifles that shoot tight groups out of the box.

Thanks- regarding the heavy bbl guns... I have seen this distinction before. Heavy bbl vs. standard bbl. What is the difference? I mean, are all the Savage rifles w/AccuStock "heavy bbl" guns? Or are all stainless steel bbls "heavy bbls?"

 

[atctimmy]

Thanks- regarding the heavy bbl guns... I have seen this distinction before. Heavy bbl vs. standard bbl. What is the difference? I mean, are all the Savage rifles w/AccuStock "heavy bbl" guns? Or are all stainless steel bbls "heavy bbls?"

1. I don't know Savage's product line well enough to say what they have.

2. Stainless has no weight difference from blue steel. It is only more rust resistant and (to most folks) prettier.

I do know that a heavy bbls primary purpose is harmonics, but in the real world (meaning other than hyper accurate bench rest guns and world class shooters) a heavy bbls only advantage is with heat. More steel means they heat up slower and with fluting they have more surface area and dissipate heat faster. Cool bbls as a rule shoot better than hot bbls (some freakish guns do the opposite). So...other than at the range when shooting lots of shots a heavy bbl is (to me) not worth the weight penalty.

My regular old deer rifle shoots 3/4 inch groups at 100 yds all day long. I get a sub half inch group now and then. Last summer I shot a 1 1/4 inch group at 200 yds with a friends rem 700 adl RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. This was a $350 or $400 dollar gun, nothing fancy. My point is that you don't need a "tactical" style rifle to hunt or target shoot with.


Remember most quality bolt guns will shoot around 1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yds out of the box. With most of the newest rifles you don't even need to have a gunsmith work your trigger and with a $25 glass bedding job you can have that rifle down to sub MOA.

So if you want a rifle mostly for hunting and possibly for a SHTF type scenario remember that people are around 12 to 18 inches wide in the torso (deer about 11 to16 inches tall in the chest). A regular bolt gun is accurate enough out of the box to place shots in the torso of a man or animal out to 225 yds with no problem at all (no hold over at all). If you know your drop out to 350 is a piece of cake. After 350 other factors come into play that are more important than the rifles capability.

My guess is that you are looking in the $600+ range for a "tactical" style rifle. I would recommend taking that money and buying a remington 700 CDL in your beloved .308. It will shoot great out to as far as you dare take a shot. I promise you'll love it.

 

[SIXTO]

If you are really stuck on a "tactical" style rifle, I'd look at some of the scout models, like the Steyr.

 

[atctimmy]

Sixto is cooler than me. I admit it. "sniper"...I'm such a dork.

 

[SIXTO]

Sixto is cooler than me.

I think that needs to be your signature line.:bier:

:wink:

 

[CCWHusker]

Call me jaded after all my FO time in Iraq and Afghanistan, but weight doesn't matter all that much to me in a rifle, especially when it comes to a hunting rifle. In fact I prefer a bit heavier of a weapon than most when precision is a critical factor. If you want to hunt with a tactically minded rifle, go ahead. USMC HOGs have used a rifle that weighs no less than 14.48 lbs (M40A1) to hunt bad guys since the 70's with amazing results in stalking situations where the target can shoot back. For reference, the Army's original M24 SWS weighs 16 lbs in the field. The M110/Mk11 mod 0 weighs 15.3 lbs. my approach does require a little PT, but there's nothing wrong with that now is there?