https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/remington-model-783-varmint/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=20190923_BlogDigest_3 47&utm_campaign=/digest/remington-model-783-varmint/




Remington introduced the Model 783 back in 2013 as an alternative hunting rifle to the venerable Model 700 and budget Model 770 that offered good accuracy for an affordable price. Fast forward to the present and Remington is offering some additional versions of the Model 783 outfitted with heavier barrels, muzzle threading, and other features that would appeal to long-range shooters and hunters. At SHOT Show 2019 I got to take a look at some of these models but the Model 783 Varmint, a heavy barreled version with a laminated wood stock, was one that I thought simply looked great. Offered in several common varmint and long-range shooting calibers, I was lucky enough to get a sample to test out chambered in .223 Remington.

Breakdown of the 783 Varmint
The design of the 783 is a pretty tried and true combination of a cylindrical action with a dual locking lug bolt, a free-floated button-rifled barrel, and a good trigger. I’m sure there are already comparisons being made to the similarities between this rifle and some Savage models, of which there are a few. That being said, Remington originally designed this rifle to fit within certain parameters so it makes sense that they’d take a few pages from Savage’s playbook.

Let’s start at the action, it bears some similarities to a Model 7 action in the tang and bolt shroud area but forward of that, it’s a different animal. The ejection port is machined just large enough for cases to eject effectively, which can increase rigidity and promote better accuracy.

Normally the 783 receiver is just drilled and tapped but this one ships with a Picatinny scope base installed so you can run your preference of mounting options. As a habit, I check every scope base that I’m going to be mounting one of my scopes on with a set of Wheeler Alignment Bars to make sure the base is actually straight. I was quite satisfied then when I torqued everything down and found that the points of the alignment bars were perfectly lined up, ensuring that the scope wouldn’t be tweaked or damaged by the rings.

Some actions have a very distinctive feel when you run them and despite some obvious design differences the Model 783 has a feel that would be familiar to most Remington shooters. The bolt handle lift is smooth and positive while the dual locking lugs glide along the raceways, almost as if they’re on ball bearings. Those dual locking lugs also represent an interesting departure for Remington as they are actually using a floating bolt head design, a la Savage. Now, there are other manufacturers using this type of bolt head too because it is very accommodating of action tolerances to allow positive lock up and cartridge alignment inside the chamber. The bolt head also uses a Savage-like extractor that slides into the face of one of the lugs and a typical spring-loaded plunger ejector set up.

Regardless of caliber, all Model 783 Varmint rifles come with a 26” button rifled, carbon steel barrel that is roughly a Remington Varmint contour based on the .840” muzzle diameter. This Model 783 was chambered in .223 Remington with a 1:9 twist rate which is actually pretty interesting. It’s interesting because on the Model 700 counterpart to this rifle, they too offer a 26” .223 barrel, but it has a 1:12 twist that is optimized for lighter 40-55 grain bullets. To me, this automatically makes the 783 Varmint more appealing since the faster twist rate can stabilize the lighter varmint bullets and heavier match grade bullets if I want to go to longer distances.

A bad trigger can ruin an otherwise good rifle and this Model 783 Varmint comes with what might be the best trigger that Remington has put out in ages. Sure it looks like a Savage Accu-Trigger at first glance with its trigger blade, but so do the triggers from Ruger, Mossberg, and Marlin these days. Out of the box the Crossfire Trigger broke at a rather stiff 4 lbs. 6.5 oz., which isn’t great but this trigger is so easy to adjust and it actually adjusts properly. You do have to remove the action from the stock to make adjustments but there is only one screw that needs to be turned counter-clockwise to reduce the trigger pull. It only took a few minutes of tinkering with the one adjustment screw to bring the trigger weight down to a 2 lbs. 13.3 oz. average after ten trigger pulls. This process is as safe as it is simple since the sear contact can’t be inadvertently set to low and make a great trigger dangerous.

The laminated stock is what caught my attention at SHOT Show and it’s a great addition to the rifle that in my opinion gives it a soul. All too often actions are dropped into the run of the mill plastic stocks that are discarded almost as soon as the rifle gets home. The barrel is fully free-floated back to the recoil lug, with plenty of space all the way around to mitigate any incidental contact that might occur, such as from resting on a bag or loading a bipod.

The wide forend fits the support hand well and has plenty of real estate to keep it from sliding around when you’re shooting off a sandbag or front rest. The pistol grip and buttstock are very much reminiscent of a traditional hunting stock, making it very comfortable to shoot in field conditions. The drop at the comb was a little much for me to use with an optic and to get up to the proper height I had to strap on a cheek riser..............