I am getting ready to buy a very nice hunting rifle. I have decided on the rifle and its just over $1,000.00 MSRP.

I have decided to get the Remington Model 700 XCR (Xtreme conditions rifle). Its rated as the most tough and durable model 700 on the market, non-custom. The steel and coating these use on all parts of this rifle are beyond belief. I held one the other day at the store and I fell in love.

I am trying to decide if I want to go with a .270 or a .30-06. I like the longer distance advantage of the .270 because its a flatter shooting round in terms of trajectory but the .30-06 is one of the most popular rounds in the world and arguably the best all around high powered rifle cartridge in the world. You can hunt anything from coyote to grizzly bear with this rifle all by changing your loads.

If you were me, what would you get? This XCR rifle will last me the rest of my life so I want to make sure I get one that I will love and can shoot forever.

Since you will be hunting with it, the .30-06. I used to be concerned about recoil but it's really no biggie. I have a .25-06(which I love) and its good for coyote to whitetail, but for anything bigger the .30-06 is standard. Ammo availability is huge and you can't go wrong with that caliber. Plus, you probably won't be pushing distances that will require such a flat trajectory if you are hunting appropriately.

I chose 7mm to split the difference between 270 & 30-06 (7mm Rem Mag & 7mm-08). But that's me.

I'd pick the 270 over the 30-06 since I tend to prefer a flatter shooting cartridge but realistically both are great choices.

I'm sure many bears have been taken with 30-06 but if I was going after Grizzly I'd want more gun than a 30-06.

Enjoy your new rifle. Don't forget to budget for a good scope...they're spendy.

The issue of flatter shooting is something easily resolved by getting a laser range finder if you are going to be shooting at very long ranges for certain types of quarry. Distance usually gives you time....but equally the wind drift can be just as important at distance. A shot taken at long range needs to be "composed" for these reasons and error margins favour for me the 30-06 as you have a far greater wealth of bullets to choose from in .30 calibre which have a higher BC rating than those in .270....but equally using this range of bullets well depends on the twist rate of your rifle.

The most important thing you need to consider is "will I be reloading" for the rifle or shooting factory ammo? You have far greater "Match Factory Ammo" in .30-06 if you don't re-load and want to shoot and hunt at distance. Nearly all distance hunting involves Match bullets because of the better BC.

However, most hunting is probably 100 yards or less, and here flatter trajectory does'nt enter into it...but bullet choice would depending on what you were hunting...so again the 30-06 is the winner.

Another point to mention is whether the magazine in the rifle will be long enough to take bullets ( on the presumption you elect to try re-loading ) which are seated far enough out of the case so that they are tucked in neatly to the lands of the rifle when loaded. Nothing improves accuracy on a factory gun more than seating bullets into the lands of the rifling. Factory ammo has them "jumping" into the barrel. If seated into the lands you reduce the "variables" on your group when the bullet jumps and the group shrinks dramatically.

If your local store has a 30-06 in stock ask the salesman if he would let you measure the distance to the lands. The quickest and easiest way is to get a none primed 30-06 case and the bullet you would like to use...it needs to be a HPBT as these seat out the longest as they are very pointy...use a 200g Sierra Match King HPBT for a 30-06...you have a 24 inch barrel with a 1-10 twist so it should stabilise these...and loosely fit it in the end of the case and holding the rifle vertical so when you open the bolt the round does'nt drop out onto the floor...close the bolt to seat the bullet...open the bolt and covering the ejection port gently let the round come into your hand. If the round can then still fit into the magazine and be able to be compressed down so other rounds can be loaded on top so you can use the magazine with rounds seated into the lands...you will have the best ability to develop the rifle to be a tack driver which can be re-loaded from the magazine. If this does'nt work...you will need to single load your rounds which group best for long range shooting.

No big deal on this though...I single load all my rounds when shooting at long range...it focus's the mind on "one shot...one kill". But a quick follow up is handy sometimes...you just need to practise this if single loading.

Nice choice of rifle as well...there are more accessories made for the Rem 700 than any other rifle...no matter what level you want to shoot at...that rifle can form the basis for doing it.Ask how much the pro trigger option is and whether it comes on this rifle calibre combo...a good trigger is a real blessing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I chose the '06 because you can go from the low 120's to 220 gr bullets. The '06 is one of the most versatile calibers in the world and ammo can be found just about anywhere.

You sound like a very serious marksman, Steel Fan...

This is why I think Im going to go with th3e .30-06


Steelfan - be honest, you really work at Bass Pro in the gun department. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />


thanks for the help fellas.

A real good question is what are you going to use it for?

Also a 1000 dollar rifle deserves a nice scope. Think Gold Ring 4.5x14 50mm or something similar. Leupold has a great Scrap Yard like warranty and the clarity of the scopes is great as is return to zero etc. Also, a nice rifle deserves an excellent HARD CASE. It will protect your investment. Pelican again has a great SYKC warranty.

Match grade ammo can easily shrink you group size from 2 inches to .5 inches or less. Federal Premium is hard to beat, also most hunters will never shoot a high power rifle more than a few hundred times in their entire life. SO if you had a thousand rounds of good ammo you and you kids would be set.


My dad and bros all shoot 700s and they are all nice accurate rifles. I too am big on synthetic for many reasons. It won't change you point of impact when it is humid/wet like a wood stocked rifle can. Scratches are not the end of the world, less to maintain etc.

The 06 is a great one gun arsenal. Many of the armed forces snipers are equipped with 700s in 308. By design it is more accurate, something about the length/width ratio. Look at the 1000 yard contest at Camp Perry. 308 with 168 grain Sierra Match King Boat Tail Hollow Points almost always wins. A 308 should be able to work well for almost all North American game. Furthermore, there is more data on the 308 than any ther cartridge(thank you US military).

I love the 308 and ask shooter and some of the other guys on the SRKW Forum and they will agree.

But you can't go wrong in 06, 270 is a heck of a caliber too.

I'd go with the 30-06. It is truly an Americon icon. Like you said you can hunt anything with it, and with the right match ammo it will be a real tack driver on the range. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

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No question between the two....30-06... here's a sample of similar projectile, I even list the .270 with a higher B.C. rating to help it out. still not enough to justify a choice over the performance and available uses the 30-06 has over it.

Numbers are listed in order starting with range, FPS, energy, bullet path and M.O.A. numbers are starting factory loads. since I don't know if you reload.



Trajectory for Federal Cartridge .277 dia. 270 Win. 150 gr. Nosler Partition at 2850 Feet per Second
At an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.466 0.466 0.466 0.466 0.466
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 2280 2280 2280 2280
Wind Direction is: 3.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 2.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 2.0 Vertical: 0.0
The Firing Point speed of sound is: 1120.27 fps
The bullet does not drop below the speed within the max range specified.
Altitude: 4500 Feet Humidity: 70 Percent Pressure: 29.53 in/Hg
Temperature: 59 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range(Yards),Velocity(Ft/Sec),Energy(Ft/Lbs),Bullet Path(inches),Bullet Path(1 MoA),Wind Drift(inches),Wind Drift(1 MoA),Time of Flight(Seconds)
0,2850.0,2704.9,-2.0,0.0,0.0,0.0,0.0000
100,2680.6,2392.8,1.42,1.4,0.12,0.1,0.1085
200,2517.5,2110.5,0.0,0.0,0.48,0.2,0.2240
300,2360.0,1854.7,-6.91,-2.2,1.1,0.4,0.3471
400,2208.2,1623.8,-20.07,-4.8,2.02,0.5,0.4785
500,2062.0,1415.9,-40.36,-7.7,3.27,0.6,0.6191
600,1921.6,1229.6,-68.84,-11.0,4.87,0.8,0.7699
700,1787.4,1063.9,-106.75,-14.6,6.86,0.9,0.9318
800,1660.1,917.8,-155.55,-18.6,9.29,1.1,1.1060
900,1540.6,790.4,-216.98,-23.0,12.19,1.3,1.2936
1000,1429.9,680.9,-293.09,-28.0,15.6,1.5,1.4959


Trajectory for Federal Cartridge .308 dia. 30-06 150 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at 2910 Feet per Second
At an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.434 0.434 0.434 0.434 0.434
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 2328 2328 2328 2328
Wind Direction is: 3.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 2.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 2.0 Vertical: 0.0
The Firing Point speed of sound is: 1120.27 fps
The bullet does not drop below the speed within the max range specified.
Altitude: 4500 Feet Humidity: 70 Percent Pressure: 29.53 in/Hg
Temperature: 59 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range(Yards),Velocity(Ft/Sec),Energy(Ft/Lbs),Bullet Path(inches),Bullet Path(1 MoA),Wind Drift(inches),Wind Drift(1 MoA),Time of Flight(Seconds)
0,2910.0,2820.0,-2.0,0.0,0.0,0.0,0.0000
100,2725.9,2474.4,1.34,1.3,0.12,0.1,0.1065
200,2549.2,2164.0,0.0,0.0,0.5,0.2,0.2203
300,2379.2,1885.0,-6.7,-2.1,1.16,0.4,0.3422
400,2215.7,1634.8,-19.54,-4.7,2.13,0.5,0.4728
500,2058.6,1411.2,-39.48,-7.5,3.44,0.7,0.6133
600,1908.2,1212.6,-67.63,-10.8,5.14,0.8,0.7647
700,1765.1,1037.5,-105.34,-14.4,7.27,1.0,0.9282
800,1630.1,884.8,-154.23,-18.4,9.87,1.2,1.1051
900,1504.3,753.6,-216.22,-22.9,12.99,1.4,1.2968
1000,1389.1,642.6,-293.61,-28.0,16.67,1.6,1.5044

If your program displays those as tables, you can preserve the columns by using the forum tag "code". Like so:

[[color:"blue"]code[/color]]
lots of data
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The three most common calibers I fire are:

6.5 x 55 (Roughly equivalent to a .243)
30-30 (Fired from my fave bush gun, the Marlin 336 lever, with iron sights)
30-06

The 30-06 is my fave for nice, all around firing. I've got a Browning A-bolt, X-bolt, and a Tikka Hunter in 30-06, and love them all (Can you tell I love my bolt actions.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />). Personally, I've never been a fan of Remington for anything but their shotties. I've had nothing but bad luck with their rifles. If you do get the 700 XCR, I hope you don't have the same experience I've had. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crossfingers.gif" alt="" />

P.S. -For nice scopes, look into the Burris line. Not many of the guys have tried them out, but I find that some of their scopes are almost as good as a Leupold, without the equivalent cost. That's just my opinion anyway. Maybe someone else can suggest better.