Remington Model 700 - still worth it in 2024?

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puro

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Hi CGN,

I am in the market for a new hunting rifle due to 12/2024 OIC. :( I have always been in love with the Model 700, but after some reading I've heard Remingtons quality has been subpar recently. Is there any truth to this?

I've also been reading that there are clones or rifles built on the Model 700 platform such as the Bergara B14 which I have seen similarly priced to a new Model 700. The Bergaras seem to have better reviews overall. If I enjoy the Model 700 platform, what other brands can we purchase in Canada?

If you were in the market for a new hunting rifle for both whitetail/coyote, what are you going with in the <$2000 range? Am I silly to want to buy a M700 in 2024?
 
I agree that Remington Model 700 rifles are not built with the same quality that they used to be. The accountants have taken over instead of the engineers (like they have in many other U.S. companies only concerned with profit).

If you like the Remington 700 design than perhaps look to getting a good older 2nd hand rifle with low milage. If you're open to other designs then consider another manufacturer like Sako or Tikka which produce excellent rifles right out of the box.

I have a few Remington 700s right now but they are older rifles and are fine but if I was starting over I would not consider Remington.
 
I've heard good reviews of the new RemArms 700s, but I've not handled or shot one and there does tend to be a bit of "hopium" with new old things coming back to market.

I've had good luck with the latter "must stay away from" Model 700s too though, so who knows. New tooling on modern machines with new material options could make for a fine gun but I just can't be like "yup, good to go" when Bergaras and Tikkas are right there on the same rack.
 
To offer a counter opinion, what about Savage bolt actions? The plant has never shut down, and the engineers keep finding improvements. Several years ago, I suggested Savage hunting gun packages to two guys getting into deer hunting. They bought identical .300 WM rifles with synthetic stocks, mounted cheap scopes, and comfortable slings. One rifle shot a mulie that got into the Saskatchewan record book, and the other shot a mulie that just missed the cut-off. For the amount of shooting those guns got, they were a great bargain.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
To offer a counter opinion, what about Savage bolt actions? The plant has never shut down, and the engineers keep finding improvements. Several years ago, I suggested Savage hunting gun packages to two guys getting into deer hunting. They bought identical .300 WM rifles with synthetic stocks, mounted cheap scopes, and comfortable slings. One rifle shot a mulie that got into the Saskatchewan record book, and the other shot a mulie that just missed the cut-off. For the amount of shooting those guns got, they were a great bargain.
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X2 and their adjustable triggers are fantastic.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
To offer a counter opinion, what about Savage bolt actions? The plant has never shut down, and the engineers keep finding improvements. Several years ago, I suggested Savage hunting gun packages to two guys getting into deer hunting. They bought identical .300 WM rifles with synthetic stocks, mounted cheap scopes, and comfortable slings. One rifle shot a mulie that got into the Saskatchewan record book, and the other shot a mulie that just missed the cut-off. For the amount of shooting those guns got, they were a great bargain.
Click to expand...
franktank said:
X2 and their adjustable triggers are fantastic.
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This may be an option. I have a friend that just bought an Axis II, we will see how he likes it. I might go shoot it and make up my mind.
 
The EE here is full of them. Buy any one in good condition that's not made since they went downhill, late 2000's?
 
I really want the sps tactical in 308 with the 16.5” barrel dropped in the mdt xrs stock with the bridge on it. I have the same rifle in .223 but in the hunter stock and love It shoots good for me, If you are on the fence on Remingtons you can’t go wrong with Bergara.
 
Avoid models built in-between 2006-2014 they had trigger problems and had a huge recall for them..I would not buy new but Savage upped there quality like the Stevens 200 that was a bargain
 
Firstly, you probably want to move this to the hunting or precision rifle sub-forum.

Remington 700s are the bolt action rifle with by far the largest aftermarket. 99%+ of high end custom bolt actions are also built on a Rem 700 footprint. The quality level went down while Remington was owned by Freedom Group/Cerberus (2007 till bankruptcy in 2018) with the most common issue being poor primary extraction. The trigger recall is a nothing-burger, the lawsuit it arose from was pretty ridiculous and the triggers were all recalled and swapped out anyways. There isn't much out there on the new "Rem Arms" Remington 700s as they've only been available for a few years now, they actually made some changes to the high end model, I believe. I have a few older Rem 700s that are great but they've both been re-barrelled numerous times at this point. If I was buying a new factory rifle, I don't know that I'd be looking at a Rem 700, I'd most likely either opt for a Tikka as they are a quality firearm and a known quantity or a Bergara if I wanted to remain with the Rem 700 footprint.
 
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Worst quality rifle I've owned was and is my Rem 700. It is good now after replacing everything, bolt was bad, trigger bad, safety was horrifying, barrel questionable. My Rugers, both M77 and American, are way better. They haven't needed rebuilding. My 700 would have been made in the early 2000s and was a police heavy barrel version bought brand new.
 
I didn't know that there where others having issues but yes I'd say it would have been one of them. I believe the original barrel was billed as having the 5R twist, it is now sporting a HEAVY Bartlein 5R 26" 308 barrel.
 
I own the older 1990s Remington 700's in 223 and 270 also a Tikka T3 lite 223 a Tikka T3X 6.5 Creedmoor a Kimber 84M 6.5 Creedmoor and a Blueprinted bedded Sako 85 270 win out of all those my Tikka's out perform everytime they just simply shoot in my opinion Tikka is the way to go adjustable trigger Comfortable stock on the T3X with vertical grip Super smooth butter like action. Whats not to like for $1200 Taxes in. For coyotes and whitetail go 6.5 Creedmoor and dont look back. Ive owned five 6.5 CMs and everyone of them shot 1/2 moa with reloads 140-143 grain. Just my 2 cents.
 
been keeping my eye out for an older remington 700 short action with the .308 bolt face so I can tear it down and rebarrel it to .338 fed with iron sights, Put it in an MDT Oryx stock....... but don't see many popping up in the EE. I don't use any other firearms marketplaces so haven't looked at g.unp0st or elsewhere.

question thats a little off topic but does Tikka offer thier actions only or just complete rifles?
 
Buy Bergara. Better quality, same foot print and interchangeable with all R700 parts. And I only had older Rems for decades... now I just bought my first Bergara B14 Ridge in .22-250 and I very happy with the quality and .5 MOA guarantee...
 
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