Remington 700 or 783 worth the extra cost?
- Thread starter Melbourbon
- Start date
Quality of build and parts/customization accessories. The 700 has probably the biggest support base of ANY bolt action in the world. The standard, if you will.
If you buy the 783, you can mount a scope and a sling. MDT MIGHT make a chassis for it, but that's about it.
If you buy the 783, you can mount a scope and a sling. MDT MIGHT make a chassis for it, but that's about it.
Yes it is worth the extra cost, especially if you can find a good used 700 on the E&E.
700 has most options available of any rifle in history so you can turn it into just about anything as you grow and learn. It's a proven platform. They had some issues but so have many others so don't get too hung up on the naysayers.
Look for an older one at a decent price in a common cartridge.
700 has most options available of any rifle in history so you can turn it into just about anything as you grow and learn. It's a proven platform. They had some issues but so have many others so don't get too hung up on the naysayers.
Look for an older one at a decent price in a common cartridge.
RangerPark
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Near Edmonton, AB
Absolutely! You're only going to have ONE multipurpose Remington 700 right? Good luck! I'm on number 6, with 4 still being in use, and regretting selling the other 2.
Just start out with a few basic decisions and jump in.
do you want:
- a heavy barrel target rifle
- a lighter weight barrel carry hunting rifle
- a medium barrel weight rifle that you can still carry but could be used for more target stuff than a light barrel that will walk after 3 rounds (which is normal)
- wood or synthetic stock (wood looks and feels great but you have to baby it. some synthetic can look good as well but you won't worry about it as much)
- blued or stainless metal (blued is just fine with proper maintenance but if I lived in a salt water costal area or an area where it's often very wet consider stainless but realize it requires normal maintenance as well)
Don't start with a short barrel like 16.5"/18.5" but also don't start with a long barrel. Look for something maybe 22-24" (20 at the shortest, 26 at the longest).
Don't buy anything that has a round count of several thousand rounds and stay away from the Hogue stock if you can, but even it's workable if the rifle is a great deal.
Answer those questions first and jump in the game !
do you want:
- a heavy barrel target rifle
- a lighter weight barrel carry hunting rifle
- a medium barrel weight rifle that you can still carry but could be used for more target stuff than a light barrel that will walk after 3 rounds (which is normal)
- wood or synthetic stock (wood looks and feels great but you have to baby it. some synthetic can look good as well but you won't worry about it as much)
- blued or stainless metal (blued is just fine with proper maintenance but if I lived in a salt water costal area or an area where it's often very wet consider stainless but realize it requires normal maintenance as well)
Don't start with a short barrel like 16.5"/18.5" but also don't start with a long barrel. Look for something maybe 22-24" (20 at the shortest, 26 at the longest).
Don't buy anything that has a round count of several thousand rounds and stay away from the Hogue stock if you can, but even it's workable if the rifle is a great deal.
Answer those questions first and jump in the game !
TacticalTeacher
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Georgian Bay, ON
I have THREE of the Remmy 700 rigs. It does not end there. And I compete with an AI... the Remmys all go out hunting!
If you have Rifle ADD / ADHD like I do then stick with the Remmy 700 because it's so versatile with it's range of calibers and accessories and aftermarket goodies. You can change your barrels, stocks, triggers, magazine feed systems to suit your tastes. It's more expensive than a 783 (manufacturing steps; fewer is cheaper) since the 783 was designed as a "price point" rifle, to meet a certain "price point". Both rigs get the job done. The next question for you follows something along these lines:
* How long you will keep that rifle factory condition
* How your needs change over the years (varmint, small game, medium game, large game, target shooting, PR: precision rifle)
* How handy you are versus how much you like to tinker. 783s barely lend themselves to tinkering (leave them factory stock and they work perfectly well)
* Your desire to improve your game/technique/shooting as your hobby evolves (700s lend themselves to parts upgrades), often many of my clients start their 700s as hunters and as time goes on, they desire to shoot my PR matches. Several of them are happy to discover that Long & Short Action M700s can be upgraded with match barrels, chassis / stock upgrades, stronger and more solid scope mounting arrangements....let's not forget the gunsmiths... as time goes on more and more experienced gunsmiths are stepping up their skills with accurizing 700 rigs.
The 783 is a great shooting rifle.... I'll stop there. My 700 rigs shoot better than I can hold them, and that speaks a great deal for their factory barrels.
Here's a picture of my latest rig to accompany me to deer / rifle season last week up in WMU 47....
I had a gunsmith (my guardian angel) set up other barrels (easily found and bought on CGN EE Forums) for this short action. Currently it's wearing a .260 Rem barrel to shoot the 140 grain Hornady SST booolits. It's also set up to shoot the 95 gr. Vmax booolits for coyotes this coming winter of 2017/18
This brilliant gentleman set up a .308, a .243, a .22-250, and of course this .260 barrel. Now with my "rifle ADD/ADHD", I can switch barrels depending on the season, using all the right tools of course.
And that's one of the reasons Remmy M700 rifles follow me home and I compete with an Accuracy International...
Okay, another reason for the 700 choices I've been making.... examine that stock in the picture; I bought it from another EE Forum member and it's a 700 Youth stock with the BDL bottom metal setup. I purchased a Magpul M700 Hunter bottom magazine system with an included 5 round polymer magazine. Then with a dremel tool, I hogged out the stiff plastic housing frame in order to have the Magpul bottom (DBM) system fit easily. Now I have a shorter Youth stock (hunting with layers of clothes) for hunting in colder climes. I happen to have extra M700 SPS stocks for varmint hunting in the summer, too. That's another reason for the M700 love!
Hope this helps you decide between the 783 and the 700....
Cheers,
Barney
The 700 Remington is the "small block chevy" of the gun world. So many aftermarket goodies available for it.
It also has been influential to many aftermarket actions, which copy many of the features of the 700 action.
Practically everyone who makes a trigger, makes one or more for the 700 action and it's copies.
The 783, while enjoying good initial reports, is a newcomer, and is aimed at entry level users. Not much available
for it. Buy a 700, you will not regret it. [I have 15 or more 700s] D.
It also has been influential to many aftermarket actions, which copy many of the features of the 700 action.
Practically everyone who makes a trigger, makes one or more for the 700 action and it's copies.
The 783, while enjoying good initial reports, is a newcomer, and is aimed at entry level users. Not much available
for it. Buy a 700, you will not regret it. [I have 15 or more 700s]
D.Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
The Rem 700 is/was produced with more manual input (that might change as things move to Kentucky)... The Rem 783 is ground up built using CNC and as little fitting/human input as possible.
NOTE: I am hoping that manf QC dramatically improves as Rem production moves to Kentucky. Stuff out of this "plant" seems to be very well made.
Materials are the same... tolerances and fitment 'OFF THE SHELF' - Sorry, but the Rem 783 wins vs current 700's (ie produced over the last 5 yrs). The rem 783s (I have 2) have been dead straight with very tight tolerances, which is stunning at this price point. Features and design are unique, interesting and function very well.... way beyond its peer products.
The difference in price is related to cost of production... The 700 just costs more to make in its current manf process.... likely that will change but will that drop the retail costs????
Beyond that, define multipurpose rifle..... Rem 700 (and its many clones) has more parts and options then you can imagine and more arriving every quarter. There is nothing you can't build off this platform. It is the Chevy V8 of the shooting world.... This is the action that pretty much allowed the gunsmithing and customising industry to develop. And that Gunsmithing input, will raise the cost of working with this platform.
It also has a big limiting dimension... useable mag length. For the vast majority of end use applications, it works and works very well... BUT new bullet options and ballistic choices challenges this paradigm. Let's see what SHOT 2018 offers for goodies.... a 3.15" AICS type mag would make for very interesting discussion.
I very much like the Rem 783. As a base for an AICS mag fed action, it has surprised me with how well it works and I do get to play with a wide range of custom stuff as part of the business. But aftermarket parts are limited and unsure if that will change. If what is available suits, fantastic... but if you want to spend time catalog shopping... very short journey. There is very little that needs to be "tweaked" on the action... it is essentially blue printed out of the box. I have chronicled the few areas to fix, add a match prefit and away you go. My builds are shooting in the 1/4 to 1/3 MOA range with little input of 'smithing.
I feel this is one of the best donor actions for current and "next gen" options... but the Savage 10/11/12 platform started off with little love... same with the Tikka T3. Now look at things.
Which is better? .... what do you want to do? how deep are your pockets?
Jerry
Last edited:
The critter or paper wont know the difference.
The 783 can be had for under 400 tax in and as a novice would make a great practice/intro to shooting. The nice thing is that should you feel the need to progress to higher end rifles in the future you will get most of your money back if you sell it later and its not a huge investment to start with.
The 783 can be had for under 400 tax in and as a novice would make a great practice/intro to shooting. The nice thing is that should you feel the need to progress to higher end rifles in the future you will get most of your money back if you sell it later and its not a huge investment to start with.
I own both and like both. I think the 783 is the better deal (esp used) if you just buy one and go with it as is. One sold locally used this week for $300. How are you going to beat that with a 700?
The walnut 783s are a nice upgrade.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...quot-75-quot-all-day!-Really-Prove-it!/page34
Have a look at post 334... Bedded, a few simple tweaks, factory everything else and I am not that good on a Harris.
Jerry
Have a look at post 334... Bedded, a few simple tweaks, factory everything else and I am not that good on a Harris.
Jerry
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
RangerPark
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Near Edmonton, AB
Awesome! Good luck with the "one" part... Welcome down the rabbit hole.
speaking of rabbit holes LOL
I'm am embarking on my next custom rifle which as it happens is being built on a rem 700 s/a. I'm having it built with a 19" fluted krieger CM barrel, 1/10 and custom chambered in .338 federal. She will get a timney trigger and will be nestled into a MDT LSS chassis and dressed with a 2-7x32 optic. She will also have back up iron sights with hooded front blade. Gonna be one hell of a rifle for close quarters black bear/deer hunting from the treestand and will be my go-to calling rifle for moose if they come in close.
I might have to look at one of these 783 rifles for the wife though.... sounds like a good choice out of all the budget rifles out there from browning, winchester ect.
I'm am embarking on my next custom rifle which as it happens is being built on a rem 700 s/a. I'm having it built with a 19" fluted krieger CM barrel, 1/10 and custom chambered in .338 federal. She will get a timney trigger and will be nestled into a MDT LSS chassis and dressed with a 2-7x32 optic. She will also have back up iron sights with hooded front blade. Gonna be one hell of a rifle for close quarters black bear/deer hunting from the treestand and will be my go-to calling rifle for moose if they come in close.
I might have to look at one of these 783 rifles for the wife though.... sounds like a good choice out of all the budget rifles out there from browning, winchester ect.
