Rem. 660. wth 20 inch, in .308. Pleasant or punishing???

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,

    I have been researching the Remington 660s, in .308  I was pleased to see that some of them were sold with 20 inch barrels.

    There is not much written about these rifles these days, so I have had to surf the net for comments.  But, the opinions seem to be widely divided.  Some say that it is the best light deer rifle they have ever owned, and they would never part with them.  Others have said that the recoil, muzzle blast, and muzzle flip are punishing brutal, and unacceptable.  Now, I could understand this type of comment with the .350 Mag, but not the .308 Winchester.

     Does anyone have any actual experience in shooting the 660 in .308 with a 20 inch?  Does it really depend on whether they are equipped with a recoil pad or not??  All info would be appreciated.

      (The Model 600 came with a shorter barrel, so I don't think comments regarding it would apply.)

   Thanks in advance.

    P.S.- Yes, I know about all of the safety recalls.

   Mannyrock

[diggler1833]

Everyone's perpective on recoil is different.  I know that you are looking for more information, but unless we know what your tolerance for recoil is, it would be an uneducated guess at best how you would react to shooting the 660.

I will go out on a limb and say that you probably won't notice the recoil on game (you probably already know that and I apologize if I sound like I'm trying to insult your intelligence...I am not).  I will say though that it wouldn't be my first choice in taking out for prolonged visits to the range.

[Sweetwater]

My cousin had a Rem760 carbine in 308W and, without a recoil pad, the recoil was pretty stiff with 180's. 150's were very pleasant. My Dad's 30-06 wears a 20" barrel and the recoil is not any more noticeable  than his with his Rem700 with 22" barrel.

I always thought the 660 was a "new" version of the 600. Am I wrong?

My 8x57 has an 18" barrel and doesn't appear (feel) like there is any recoil, though I know there is. It shoots 200's at 2450fps, so I know there is recoil there, but the stock fits 'me' and I don't notice anything unpleasant.

My own feeling is that, "if you like short barrels", you will probably really like that 660..

Regards,
Sweetwater

[tucoblue]

I don't recall the weight on that rifle but it's light weight made for severe recoil (My view, of course). Didn't like the muzzle blast. The shape of the stock made carrying it uncomfortable. It's square and doesn't fit the hand well. It discharged unexpectedly when I closed the bolt and that was it for that rifle. There was a recall for that problem. I can't think of anything I liked about it.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Manny, I never had a 600 or 660 or .308...but one of my high school friends has a .243, 308 and the model that came in .350..He loves em, and as far as recoil his daughter shoots the .308 for deer... This fall she was hitting silver dollar size rocks at 100 yards off a bench of course...I suppose she shot5 or 6 shots and hit on the last as well as the first...Of course she had ear protection...Most folks do today...To me that was the most difficult thing to deal with when shooting long strings...but I started shooting in the days before ear protection was "in", as a result, my most frequent statement is,"what did you say???" If you like short rifles and the .308 it should do fine...

[Harry Snippe]

I carried one(660in 308) for many years as a young lad, not able to handle the reciol of the '06 that well. I must say this little gun shot great groups and always performed well . Recoil in 308 with this gun was then pleasing .
Yes there was an issue with the trigger as with other remington's of the time , and there was a recall on the 660 From Remington to correct this . After the trigger was redone it functioned well.
I did find the rifle to be a bit heavy with scope and ammo , but must say too you got more than with the model seven which replaced it . At the bench you could almost light match's with it . Not really knowing what I had I sold it for a Sako a much better looking rifle , but as with girls looks isn't every thing as men find out later in life.

See one with strong rifling , there would not be a second past the words "I'll take it" then "How much" ?
HappyHarry

[diggler1833]

Here, a recoil calculator for you to get a rough idea about how the rifle will kick compared to another of yours.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

[Sweetwater]

Here, a recoil calculator for you to get a rough idea about how the rifle will kick compared to another of yours.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

Always remembering that stock fit will change how you "feel" the recoil. A poor fitting rifle with a low "recoil value"will be more uncomfortable than a good fitting rifle with a high "recoil value". Rifles are a lot like shoes. Either they fit and feel good, or they don't. Some people like short rifles and live with the "negatives", others do not and moan and groan about them. If you've never had one, maybe you owe it to yourself to try one. If you decide you don't like it, there should be no problem getting rid of it. Happy Choices!

Merry Christmas,
Sweetwater

[diggler1833]

Shooting position, clothing worn and recoil pads also have a lot to do with recoil, but I wasn't exactly trying to include those or stock fit when I put the recoil calculator in.  It was just to give a rough idea of how a lighter rifle would kick compared to a heavier one all things else being equal.  Thats all.

You have a good point though.

Merry Christmas.

[charles p]

My 308 is a Mod Seven.  Its recoil is very pleasant though it is a light weight rifle.  I shoot 150 grain CoreLokts or something equivalent.  To me it feels lighter than my 25-06.

[jeepmann1948]

I used to own a model 660 in 308, the recoil was worse than my 338! I installed a brake and it was a pleasure to shoot recoil wise. However the muzzle blast was extremely loud especially to other people at the range. In its defence it was also one of the most accurate 308 Hunting rifles I have ever seen. I am sure the new owner loves it !

[Graybeard]

Both the Rem. 600 and 660 are difficult to come by these days and generally sell for way more than their value as a shooter. Unless there is some reason you think you just gotta have one of the odd looking things you'd be far better off getting a new Model Seven.

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,

    Thanks for all of the info.    As you can see, even these replies run the gamut from "love it" to "hate it."  Still haven't decided to buy one.

    A few thoughts:

     1.  I think I could solve the recoil issue with a one inch Kick-Eez, properly installed. May still "jump" though.

     2.  A used  660 in .308 can be had for around $700.  So, there is not much price difference between the 660 and a new Walnut/blue Model 7.

     3.  Haven't thought about the square bottom of the 660 causing a clumbsy carry for the rifle.  That is something to think about.  (The Model 7 is a joy to carry.)

     Guess I'll just have to keep looking at them and handling them.

Thanks, Mannyrock

[Swampman]

Great rifles in an excellent caliber.

[nomosendero]

I had one back in the late 70's. I rigged it up for my Wife to shoot, had a Pac. recoil pad installed & loaded
the old Wooters load with a 150. With the pad & with the 150 gr. bullets, it was not a hard kicker, though my Wife was a novice shooter & she thought it kicked. I sold the gun& bought her a 6.5x55. It's a good gun for her, but selling that rifle was a serious mistake.

[sabretip]

I have a Remington 600 in .308 with the 18.5 inch barrel, it shoots very well and I am use to the recoil of the stubby tube. I had the trigger lightened to 2lbs 3oz and I did the barrel channel and bedded it myself. The plastic trigger guard was replaced by a black anodized aluminum guard at the same time the trigger work was done. This little rifle shoots under an inch with several different reloads, I put three 150 grain Hornady's almost through the same hole at 100 yards. I am happy with how it turned out.