Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD Review
Part 5 - Range Test
January 1, 2012

Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

For range testing the Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD Rifle, I installed a Bushnell Elite Tactical 4.5-30x50mm Scope using a set of Remington Model 700 Integral Scope Mounts (High).  This next group of photos show the rifle with the scope installed along with a Harris Swivel Series Model LM Bipod.

Figure 1
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

Figure 2
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

Figure 3
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

Figure 4
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

 

I selected several different brands of ammunition and selected some of the most common bullet weights available on the market for the .308 Winchester such as the 150, 168 and 178 grain bullets.  I made sure that I tested the Winchester Power-Points (cheap hunting ammo) because I don't believe I have ever seen a Wal-Mart (that carried ammunition) that didn't carry this particular cartridge. Also in the mix was some Wolf Gold which I would consider to be "value" and was clearly the least expensive of the bunch.  With these two 150 grain bullets (Winchester & Wolf), I was also curious to see how the 1 in 10" twist rate would perform with these relatively light weight bullets.  The ammunition selected for the range tests is below along with a basic price per box/round based on current CheaperThanDirt.com pricing.

Figure 5
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

For each type of ammunition above I shot four 5-shot groups at 100 yards from a prone position using the Caldwell Rock BR as my forward rest and the Caldwell Medium High Bag as my rear rest. The temperature was about 63° F and I started shooting each type of ammunition with a clean bore.  The table below summarizes my range test results.

Table 1 - Range Test Results 
Ammunition  Average
Velocity
(ft/sec)
Standard
Deviation
(ft/sec) 
Group
Minimum
(inch) 
Group
Maximum
(inch)
Group
Average
(inch) 
Winchester Power-Point 150 gr  2638  33  0.75  1.61  1.16 
Wolf Gold 150 gr Copper SP  2754  26  1.09 1.54  1.34 
Hornady Match 168 gr BTHP  2514  31  0.54 1.05  0.80 
Hornady Superformance Match 178 gr BTHP  2548  41  0.83 1.10  0.95 

These next four photos show my best groups for each type of ammunition tested.  Overall I'm pleased with the performance of each of these in the Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD Rifle and I think you can clearly say this rifle is better than 1 MOA capable.  Both type of the Hornady Match ammunition averaged better than 1 MOA  with a best group being 0.54" and the Winchester and Wolf inexpensive 150 grain hunting ammunition was better than 1.5 MOA with a best group of 0.75".

Figure 6                                                                   Figure 7
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review   Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

Figure 8                                                                   Figure 9
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review   Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

I decided to include this next target showing the Hornady Match 168 grain BTHP.  These four 5-shot groups are a good indication on the capability of this rifle.  If each of the two larger groups didn't have an odd shot (which I feel was due to me and not the rifle), I think those groups would have been a better indication on the potential performance to expect from this rifle.  Keep in mind that this target shows 20 consecutive shots.  If I were to have chosen to shoot three shot groups and then picked the best of my three shot groups I could easily say this rifle is less than 1/2 MOA capable.

Figure 10
Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical Review

For my last range test, I decided to send 5 shots of each type of ammunition through my chronograph while shooting at my Caldwell Magnum Rifle Gong located at a distance of about 180 yards.  With the scope dialed into 30x and shooting seated from a bipod with a rear bag, hitting this 9.25" gong was child's play (but still fun).  The combination of rifle weight and the soft recoil pad really made felt recoil a non-issue which also made spending a couple of hours shooting really pleasurable.  In all, I shot about 200 rounds through the rifle and it functioned without issue.

 

Thoughts

I was extremely pleased with my range test results for the Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD Rifle and this rifle is definitely a keeper.  The 1 in 10" twist rate didn't seem to have any impact on light weight (150 gr) inexpensive hunting rounds and was impressive (my standards) with the Match 168 gr BTHP.  If you are into reloading or are a skilled marksman, I can see that there is a great potential for even more accuracy from the Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD Rifle.

For more detailed photos and commentary, make sure you check out the other parts of this review and feel free to leave comments on my Reader's Comments page.  The following links are provided to help you see other parts of this review. 


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