THE PERFECT DEER RIFLE?
Yes, I know deer season is already in full swing but I have to tell you about a new limited production rifle that Remington is producing for 2008. In my opinion it is very close, if not, the perfect deer hunting rifle. Remington calls it the “Model 700 CDL SF Limited Edition”. It comes in one caliber, the .260 Remington. This cartridge is based on the accurate and highly efficient .308 Winchester case. It is necked down to a .264 inch (6.5mm) diameter bullet. This bullet has one of the highest ballistic coefficients (BC) of all the calibers. The BC is a numeric rating of a bullet's aerodynamics. The higher the rating, the better the bullet travels through the air. For the shooter this translates into flatter shooting, less wind drift, more retained velocity, more terminal energy at the target and superior accuracy at longer distances. For example the .30-30 bullet has a BC of .193 but the .264 bullet has a rating of .480. The .260 Remington has been used for years in 1000 yard rifle competitions. The recoil is light and suitable for anyone. If you reload, bullets are available from 95 to 160 grain.
The barreled action is all stainless steel. The barrel is a standard taper but is fluted to reduce the overall weight. Remington kept the barrel long, at 24 inches to get the optimum velocity out of the .260. The floor plate is engraved with the .260 cartridge. The trigger is the new Remington X-Mark Pro trigger. This trigger has a 40% lighter trigger pull than previous Remington triggers and breaks clean, like glass. It is adjustable by a Remington certified gunsmith. I did find the trigger on mine to be a little heavy at just under a 5 pounds pull.
The stock is a nicely figured black walnut with very clean checkering. The wood is oil finished and has a contrasting black fore arm tip. Without a scope this rifle weighs in at about 7.5 pounds.
To mount a scope on this beautiful rifle I chose Warne bases and rings. Warne makes some of the best all steel parts that I have ever used. The rings lock the scope in on the top and bottom. The scope of choice was a Bushnell 4200, 6x24 power. This scope is known for its clarity and reliability plus it would offer plenty of accuracy potential for 100 to 500 yard shots. It lived up to it's reputation and more.
After breaking in the barrel, I tried both the factory 120 and 140 grain rounds. Each of which shot slightly less than 1 inch at one hundred yards. Having shot the .260 round in many rifles I had some reloads that I wanted to try. With my reloads I was able to shoot four shot groups of less than ˝ inch at one hundred yards. From experience I know this rifle will shoot even smaller groups after a couple hundred rounds.
In my opinion Remington really hit the mark with this rifle. The .260 is a very capable round for deer, antelope and elk, especially with the Barnes TSX bullet. True to Remington’s reputation, they have produced another superbly accurate hunting rifle.
If you want one, you had better hurry because the production number will be limited. In fact, I was supposed to send this one back after sixty days because of only a few being available to writers. However, after some begging, I purchased mine. Now I am headed out the door to hunt Texas deer with it but I can also enjoy shooting some mighty small groups with the Model 700 CDL SF Limited Edition in my spare time.
