General thoughts on a Remington 700?

[Pyd]

My collection is missing a larger centerfire, and now I have a chance at a 700 chambered in a .270, the exact round I want.
Price is high but the caliber combined with the stainless and synthetic are exactly what I want.
Where does the 700 sit in Remington's line-up?

 

[Armafix]

Where have you been for the last 20 years? On the Moon?

 

[Dirt McGirt]

Yo dis gun aiight. Da 700 be pretty acurate but da 270 bullets be wack cuz it be too smallz. Yallz need at least da 308

 

[ckc123]

The 700s are great guns for the price.

Plus its easy to adjust the trigger weight yourself (look online, follow it carefully and it will be safe)

 

[uchi]

ive got one i love it, mines a 30-06 and is my favorite gun to shoot

 

[kkahmann]

The US Infantry sniper rifles in the late '60s and early 70's were based on the Rem 700 platform. Some of us grunts thought that was becasue the US military was too cheap to use Winchester '70s. They did come from the factory with tuned barrels which the ordinary gunnut couldn't afford.
Course they weren't called snipers in those days. Sniper was considered a dirty word in those days. They were called 'target detection specialists'.
I have one in 300 mag and I have a Savage 111 in 300 mag. I also have a P-14 in 300 mag. I prefer the Savage--it was just more acurate out of the box.
Last 10 years or so all I moose hunt with is a Mrk IV No 1 Longbranch in .303

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

700 is a good plat form and probably the best basis for a custom build if you decide to upgrade.

Most do shoot and almost all can be tuned to shoot well!

 

[lonely_wolf]

The US Infantry sniper rifles in the late '60s and early 70's were based on the Rem 700 platform.

They still are. Army= M24, but switching slowly to AR's. Marines=M40A5.

So all and all PYD, the 700's a bit popular.

 

[Pyd]

Thanks guys. I don't spend much of my time reading about hunting rifles, I just remembered that Remington made a lemon of a gun that I always knew to steer clear of, making sure this wasn't it.
I'll but it.

 

[manbearpig]

i own a few Remington 700s.
if i could go and swap them for their equivalents in a Ruger M77 MkII/Hawkeye action, i would - every single one.

there is more aftermarket parts/stocks available for the 700, but IMHO the Ruger action is superior in every way:
-controlled round feed
-huge mauser claw extractor
-fixed blade ejector
-bombproof, safe safety
-excellent QR ringmounts
-better bedding

Thanks guys. I don't spend much of my time reading about hunting rifles, I just remembered that Remington made a lemon of a gun that I always knew to steer clear of, making sure this wasn't it.
I'll but it.

that would be the Remington 710/770, one of the greatest firearm abortions ever created.

 

[tjhaile]

I'm also fairly ambivalent about Remington 700s for the reasons manbearpig gives. The action seems to be designed primarily to be cheap, with all other considerations being secondary. They aren't bad rifles for most people's requirements, but they aren't as great as they are hyped up to be.

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

What are the custom actions based on??

I'm also fairly ambivalent about Remington 700s for the reasons manbearpig gives. The action seems to be designed primarily to be cheap, with all other considerations being secondary. They aren't bad rifles for most people's requirements, but they aren't as great as they are hyped up to be.

 

[JJ-65]

i own a few Remington 700s.
if i could go and swap them for their equivalents in a Ruger M77 MkII/Hawkeye action, i would - every single one.

there is more aftermarket parts/stocks available for the 700, but IMHO the Ruger action is superior in every way:




Blow a primer in a your Ruger, then tell us how it's superior in every way.. You have much to learn.......

 

[manbearpig]

but were not talking about customs, but rather inexpensive (well, they used to be) mass-produced factory guns... and Remington quality has been purportedly in a steep decline in the last 10 years.

due to its large aftermarket, and the fact that every smith is familiar with them, the 700 could be argued as having more 'potential' down the road, not many people ever will/will want/need to unlock that potential. IMHO you get more for your money in a hunting gun with a Ruger M77 MkII/Hawkeye than a current production Remington 700. i own a few of both and if i could id happily swap them for equivalent M77s.

Blow a primer in a your Ruger, then tell us how it's superior in every way.

is this more of the 'three rings of steel' Kool-Aid, or do you know something i dont? ive never seen an M77mkII kaboom, and their gas handling is supposedly excellent: like the venerable Mauser action that Ruger based the design on.

or is this going to turn into another fantasy thread by armchair metallurgists arguing about Ruger's investment cast receivers vs receivers milled from bar-stock?

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

I do know that, never once suggested using a custom action, but what I am saying is that there is a reason the customs use the design of the 700.

but were not talking about customs, but rather inexpensive (well, they used to be) mass-produced factory guns... and Remington quality has been purportedly in a steep decline in the last 10 years.

due to its large aftermarket, and the fact that every smith is familiar with them, the 700 could be argued as having more 'potential' down the road, not many people ever will/will want/need to unlock that potential. IMHO you get more for your money in a hunting gun with a Ruger M77 MkII/Hawkeye than a current production Remington 700. i own a few of both and if i could id happily swap them for equivalent M77s.



do you know something i dont? or is this going to turn into another fantasy thread by armchair metallurgists arguing about Ruger's investment cast receivers vs receivers milled from bar-stock?

 

[manbearpig]

I do know that, never once suggested using a custom action, but what I am saying is that there is a reason the customs use the design of the 700.

i see many custom actions integrating features that are standard on the M77mkII - such as flat bottoms, integrated bases, CRF, Mauser style safety, etc.
regardless, the point is pretty moot since id be willing to bet that less than 5% of hunters will ever hunt with a custom action, or a Remington 700 that has been smithed into 'precision rifle' territory.

the man asked about a factory Remington 700. IMHO, if you go out right now (not 10 years ago, 50 years ago, etc) and buy a factory rifle you will get more for your money by buying a Ruger than a current production model 700.

 

[bearkilr]

Thanks guys. I don't spend much of my time reading about hunting rifles, I just remembered that Remington made a lemon of a gun that I always knew to steer clear of, making sure this wasn't it.
I'll but it.

Why not describe the gun in detail?That way we can tell you if it's a fair price, especially if the seller knows you're new to hunting rifles.
700's generally aren't expensive guns unless they have a bunch of aftermarket add ons.

 

[Superbrad]

is this more of the 'three rings of steel' Kool-Aid, or do you know something i dont?

I'd just like to point out that the three rings of steel koolaid is mixed in the same factory as the questionable safety koolaid you mentioned earlier.....

 

[manbearpig]

im not running around saying 'dont trust the 700 safety', i have no gripe with it.
that said, if you look at how a Ruger M77mkII safety works, its hard to dispute that it is a superior design (in terms of safety). it physically blocks the trigger/firing pin/bolt.

 

[Finger Toes]

is this more of the 'three rings of steel' Kool-Aid, or do you know something i dont? ive never seen an M77mkII kaboom, and their gas handling is supposedly excellent: like the venerable Mauser action that Ruger based the design on.

or is this going to turn into another fantasy thread by armchair metallurgists arguing about Ruger's investment cast receivers vs receivers milled from bar-stock?

They all have firing pin holes in the bolt face so a blown primer favors a ruger I believe. The baffle? on the bolt shroud is made for gas deflection where a remington has none right?