I'm not a pro like Steel Fan but I will chime in since I shoot a Rem 700 in .270.
You don't need a 1200 yard rifle in .338 for hunting, you don't even need to pay extra for the XCR upgrade.
I am going to work and save up over the summer to get a Remington 700 XCR 308 Tactical Long Range Rifle and a Leupold Mark 4 Tactical LR/T because I want to get better and to get better I need to be able to shoot longer.

I love my Remington 700, it was bought by a army man 20 years ago and has had major work on the trigger.
I bought it for a good price and all together with optics, rings, base I spent alittle over 1k.
The Mauser action is classic and proven in every war in the last 100 years.
Today R700 have alittle less fit and finish and are sent out with very heavy trigger pulls for legal reasons.

I have only shot my R700 at 300 yards of my atv but the bullet drops a foot at that range with 130gr Federal.
I'm just a dumb kid with a rifle and to little money trying to teach myself everything about long range shooting. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

For hunting give my my 870 wingmaster anyday, you don't need anymore.