Tell me about Remington Model 8/81

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

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Southern NB, aka "Canada's Bible Belt"
I have never seen one in Canada, but have handled a few at US-based Cabelas stores. They are the only rifle I've ever picked up that ever felt as handy as a Winchester 94.

How reliable are they? I know they're recoil-operated, but are they jamomatics like the later gas Remingtons? I thought a Model 81 in .300 Savage would cover all my hunting needs here in NB, where I rarely hunt with a rifle anyway. Even a .35 Remington would be nice too - can't see ever having to shoot over 200 yards.

What are the going prices for these rifles these days?

Can you scope them readily?
 
I have a friend who has aModel 8 in 35 Remington and a Model 81 in 300Savage.Have fired the 300 Savage.Nice working and shooting rifle.
 
I am the friend that 28 gauge is referring to, lol.
Yes I have both the model 8 and 81, they were my fathers. I have hunted and killed animals with both, but I used the 81 300sav the most and have shot a fare amount of deer and a few bears with it. Excellent gun to carry all day, they are a little heavy but well balanced. For me it is probably the best fitting/pointing rifle I have. Very reliable,..I think I only had one jam in all the years I have used it. I don't know about mounting a scope, but dad had the reciever drilled and taped behind the action and mounted a "Red Dot" sight on it,...very deadly combination,..almost a fool proof deer killing machine in the woods at short range.
 
Tabacco Brook said:
I used the 81 300sav the most and have shot a fare amount of deer and a few bears with it.
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How did it work on bears? I hunt deer with a crossbow or shotgun, usually, but a rifle is very handy around here for bears. I was thinking a .35 Remington would be nice thanks to the capability of 220-grain bullets, but the .300 Savage would shoot much flatter - it would have lighter bullets, though, and I like heavier bullets for bears.
 
The Remington 8/81 is pretty reliable overall. A pretty good design though expensive to produce. The safety always reminds me of an AK. You are the only person I have ever heard call the rifle "handy" even those who own and like the model. To me it is pretty bulky and awkward though to be fair points well and is heavy enough for good offhand shooting. Plus that big magazine makes one hand carry a chore. Certainly not in the "handy" class of the Winchester 1894 to me. They come up on the EE once in a while but don't hang around long.
I hunt in N.B. as well and the .35 Remington would be my choice. A super round for deer/bear or moose out to 200 yards or so.
 
Tabacco Brook said:
I am the friend that 28 gauge is referring to, lol.
Yes I have both the model 8 and 81, they were my fathers. I have hunted and killed animals with both, but I used the 81 300sav the most and have shot a fare amount of deer and a few bears with it. Excellent gun to carry all day, they are a little heavy but well balanced. For me it is probably the best fitting/pointing rifle I have. Very reliable,..I think I only had one jam in all the years I have used it. I don't know about mounting a scope, but dad had the reciever drilled and taped behind the action and mounted a "Red Dot" sight on it,...very deadly combination,..almost a fool proof deer killing machine in the woods at short range.
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Hello TB.Too bad we did not live a little closer so we would not have to meet just on CGN.:)Yes your Model 81 .300 Savage is a great rifle.I remember we both shot it quite well,but not as well as that BOSS Browning.
 
Mike Webb said:
The Remington 8/81 is pretty reliable overall. A pretty good design though expensive to produce. The safety always reminds me of an AK. You are the only person I have ever heard call the rifle "handy" even those who own and like the model. To me it is pretty bulky and awkward though to be fair points well and is heavy enough for good offhand shooting. Plus that big magazine makes one hand carry a chore. Certainly not in the "handy" class of the Winchester 1894 to me. They come up on the EE once in a while but don't hang around long.
I hunt in N.B. as well and the .35 Remington would be my choice. A super round for deer/bear or moose out to 200 yards or so.
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I don't mind the weight - soaks up recoil. And I'm used to carrying a duck gun through the woods, so the Remington doesn't feel heavy, and the ones I've handled in Scarborough have pointed super, super well. I just wish I could take one back with me.

Edit - where do you hunt? Charlotte County?
 
TheCoachZed said:
How did it work on bears? I hunt deer with a crossbow or shotgun, usually, but a rifle is very handy around here for bears. I was thinking a .35 Remington would be nice thanks to the capability of 220-grain bullets, but the .300 Savage would shoot much flatter - it would have lighter bullets, though, and I like heavier bullets for bears.
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The 300sav seems to work very well on bears,..it's not to far separated from the 308win. I have always used 150gr Winchester Silvertips, but I did kill a deer with 180gr Winchester RN PP, and it killed the deer just as good or better than the 150gr,..so I'm thinking that a 180gr RN would make a good bear stopper/dropper.
The 35 remington may give you a little edge over the 300 on bears with the 200-220gr. Both of these cartridges are excellent for deer and blackbears, and they kill alot better than the paper ballistics suggest.
 
28 gauge said:
Hello TB.Too bad we did not live a little closer so we would not have to meet just on CGN.:)Yes your Model 81 .300 Savage is a great rifle.I remember we both shot it quite well,but not as well as that BOSS Browning.
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Yes Dan,...2 miles is a long way,..shame we couldn't visit more, lol,....and yes that ol' A-Bolt BOSS is hard to beat.
 
TheCoachZed said:
I have never seen one in Canada, but have handled a few at US-based Cabelas stores. They are the only rifle I've ever picked up that ever felt as handy as a Winchester 94.

How reliable are they? I know they're recoil-operated, but are they jamomatics like the later gas Remingtons? I thought a Model 81 in .300 Savage would cover all my hunting needs here in NB, where I rarely hunt with a rifle anyway. Even a .35 Remington would be nice too - can't see ever having to shoot over 200 yards.

What are the going prices for these rifles these days?

Can you scope them readily?
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I have had a Mod. 8 in 35 Rem. for longer than I'll admit, actually I think it is a pre-Mod. 8 if the 4-digit serial # is indicative.
To answer your questions, mine cycles flawlessly with anything I load for it.
Accuracy is excellent, it has a receiver sight and I think mounting a scope on it might be difficult judging by the shape of the action and the safety position.
As for value, I can't help you there although a man once offered to trade his Mother-in- Law for it but I refused because I already had one...
 
TheCoachZed said:
I don't mind the weight - soaks up recoil. And I'm used to carrying a duck gun through the woods, so the Remington doesn't feel heavy, and the ones I've handled in Scarborough have pointed super, super well. I just wish I could take one back with me.

Edit - where do you hunt? Charlotte County?
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Charlotte and Sunbury. After this winter our already shaky deer herd will be even more decimated, I'm afraid.
 
I had a very nice Model 81 in .32 Remington years back and it was a great rifle for working in the bush. It shot as well as any of my lever guns did back then out to 100 yds. & was a well made rifle. They are just plain funky.
 
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