Re: Remington 700 SPS Advice
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Woodyguy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The SPS should do great for hunting. The only real weakness can be addressed by doing a little stock work on the factory stock. Or, if you can afford, a B&C stock with the aluminum bedding block would take care of all the stock issues for about $225.00 or so.
If you can stand to have a 300WSM or 270WSM, Winchester made a limited run of model 70 "Extreme Sporter" rifles last year that went for about $649.99 at Sprtsmans Warehouse. The gun was the same as the Extreme Weather Rifle (an $1100.00 street price gun) except in blued carbon steel not stainless. This gun is a steal of a deal, and they are still out there if you do some searching. i recently saw one on sale through the cabelas gun library. These guns have a bell and Carlson lay-up stock that was made for Winchester installed on them already.
If I couldn't have the Winchester and I was setting up an "accurate on a budget" elk rifle for me it would be a stainless steel SPS in 300WSM or 270WSM, with a skim bedded B&C stock. That gun should give you about 90-95 percent of the $1200 to $1500 factory guns at about 2/3 of the cost. Just substitute the 300 Win Mag if you prefer, and cut the stainless if budget won't allow for it.
Just an observation; I have seen a few standard SPS's that just are not very accurate no matter what you do with them. But, I haven't seen a stainless steel SPS that just sucks in the accuracy department. If it sucked out of the box, they have always gone to "acceptable" accuracy with slight stock adjustments (like insuring the barrel is floated). This may be my luck, and others may have had different experiences, but I feel like the 416 stainless barrels are probably better than those going on the standard SPS.
Weatherby Vanguard is worth a look as well. They are great shooters in the same price range.</div></div>
The stainless is another $100, I'll jump on that one then and house it in a B&C stock.