I'm looking to pick up an inexpensive hunting rifle and I'm looking for opinions on the Remington 770 Sportsman. I'm thinking 30-06 or .308 and Epps Sporting Goods has them available for $325. This is appealing since I'm a university student on a tighter budget but is it really worth it?
Is the Rem 770 Sportsman good bang for my buck?
- Thread starter mwj2011
- Start date
Qc_BearHunter
CGN Regular
- Location
- Pont-Rouge, Qc
Marlin X7 or Stevens 200 are far better than 770 and will be also a lot more easier to resale.
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Beware the 770. STAY AWAY. Its absolute and utter garbage.
I like the Marlin X7 series as a budget rifle.
I held one over the weekend and it felt fantastic for its price point. Looked well built as well.
While the Savage/Stevens are also accurate, they are butt freaken' ugly compared to anything else in that price range.
I like the Marlin X7 series as a budget rifle.
I held one over the weekend and it felt fantastic for its price point. Looked well built as well.
While the Savage/Stevens are also accurate, they are butt freaken' ugly compared to anything else in that price range.
I was talked into buying the 770 as my first rifle. Like you I was on a tight budget, but I hadn't read any reviews or anything. I bought it in .300WM The rifle is ok, certainly not as nice as my 700 sps or T3, but it gets the job done. The barrel finish seems to wear pretty easily and I wish the bolt was a little smoother, but for me it shoulders pretty well and shoots pretty darn straight with factory ammo. I am happy enough with it to justify my purchase but I also haven't help any of the other rifles that people are suggesting. I've heard a lot of people label the 770 as junk but very few have given any reason behind their opinions.
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
Some of the most expensive fence posts on the Market, you are much better of with angle iron posts.
I owned a 770 in .308, not just held it or heard about it or had a friend that owned one, I actually owned and fired it. I fired about a hundred rounds through it, once I developed a hand load that it liked, I was able to get consistant 3 rounds groups under an inch at 100m. It wasn't a pretty rifle but it was functional. The only reason I got rid if was to get something a little prettier.
While many of the comments on the 770 Remington are valid, I suspect that 80% of the responders are simply parroting what they have heard, rather than actually shooting this rifle.
I feel that the Vanguard, The Howa 1500, the Stevens 200 & the Marlin are better buys, but any 770 I have shot has been a decent shooter. One real problem is the poor "feel" of the bolt as it is cycled. Another is the resale value, which has plummetted like an Eagle's a** in a powerdive.
Buy something else, you will be more likely to be satisfied. Eagleye.
I feel that the Vanguard, The Howa 1500, the Stevens 200 & the Marlin are better buys, but any 770 I have shot has been a decent shooter. One real problem is the poor "feel" of the bolt as it is cycled. Another is the resale value, which has plummetted like an Eagle's a** in a powerdive.
Buy something else, you will be more likely to be satisfied. Eagleye.
I acquired my 770 .308 as part of a trade. It has performed flawlessly for two years now. I have so far killed a buck and a doe (white tail) with one shot each, both through the heart. It will clover leaf three federal blue box 150`s at 100 yds and put 3, 180 gr. winchester silvertips into 1.5'' about 2'' under the 150's... Oh, did I mention it's light, quick handling and fits me probably better than any other rifle I have owned? If I was looking for a new rifle, I would probably not look at another 770, but it definately does not deserve the reputation it has on cgn. Which by the way, is probably perpetuated by people who have never handled a 770, let alone hunted with one.
I owned one of these P.O.S. and so did my brother in law. Mine was in 30-06 and his was 270 win. Both of these rifles gave us constant feed problems and accuracy sucked. The best I could get even handloading it was 2.75" and his was 3". And this was not a problem caused by scopes or mounts as these were changed out several times.
We bought them as foul weather guns to save our better guns but after trying for around a year we just dumped them at a shop for a loss just to be done with them. These are pretty much a lawyer proof gun because you cant really do anything to them to fix the problems.
IMHO
YT
We bought them as foul weather guns to save our better guns but after trying for around a year we just dumped them at a shop for a loss just to be done with them. These are pretty much a lawyer proof gun because you cant really do anything to them to fix the problems.
IMHO
YT
Slooshark1
CGN frequent flyer
Don't buy a cheap rifle. Save up your money and buy yourself a Model 70 Winchester. Preferably a Super Grade, put a Leupold scope on it. Take really good care of it, the way a rifle should be taken care of, and hunt with it for the rest of your life and hand it down to your Grandchildren. Life is too short to waste valuable hunting time with a piece of junk. If you can't afford it this year, borrow a bubba'd Enfield until you can afford it. Just my 2 cents.
Good advice, but the OP mentions that he is "a university student on a tighter budget". While I agree with your statement, there are decent rifles out there that will do good service and not cost a lot of money. A rifle like Marlin X7 or Savage would make a back up down the road when the time comes to repace it with a Super Grade.
