Rem 700 opinion

[Grey Dog]

Many of the BR actions are loosely based on the Remington action because, as one poster pointed out, it's an easy design to copy. The trigger attachment system is good. The striker system is simple and easy to copy. Remingtons themselves became the first choice for BR for a couple of reasons. First, Mike Walker was a BR shooter and was interested in ultimate accuracy. The second reason, and it's a big one, is the 222 Remington. This cartridge took over the BR world like the 6PPC was to do 20 years later. Another reason that comes to mind is the 40XBR rifle. No other company even considered trying to market a for real BR rifle.
Of course, not all BR actions resemble Remingtons. Stolles aren't round. Wichitas were round but had three lugs and a large diameter bolt. The only thing that virtually all the accuracy actions have in common is the use of a Remington inspired trigger mechanism.
As the basis for a hunting rifle or even a longrange target rifle I don't really think the Remington is necessarily better than the M70 for instance but it is a bit easier to work with.GD

[sebastian]

You can hear about Rem700 from a man in a third world country.
Okay, i live in Indonesia, an half of the world from you.
I shoot benchrest, target/positions shooting, and of course, also Hunting. I know many rifles both from Europe and America, as like Remington etc. I have one Rem700 in .223 now and have a .308 before (rebarreled from a .243).
I gunsmith all my rifles myself and also built my own action/rifle (a .308) with all the limitations/conditions i have here.

IMHO, Remington700's action is a well design action. Very simple but (relatively) rigid. For the action, it is easy to check/work the "squareness" in a lathe, easy to be "trued" for the tread/receiver (the bolt, too)...basically easy(easier) to work to reach "inline/axis" thing - with the bore. The other thing is easy to bed because of the round receiver, i can always have same p.o.i. when i asembly/disasembly my barreled action, too.
The trigger also simple and can be adjusted easily by its 3 adjustment's screws.
*FYI, that's why i design and built my own action with some of Remington's  design as my reference. (except of some of Sako75 and Steyr SSG's design).....Same round receiver and similar "looking" with 700 action. Just different bolt lugs (mine has 2 X 3 lugs), different "cut-outs" (smaller cartidge "port" and a single shot), different extractor and case ejector (mine use a small claw extractor and the case ejector is like Sako75), and different recoil lug (mine use a bigger "fix" recoil lug under the reciever). Also improved trigger design and mechanism. Also lighter(very light)  firing pin and shorter travel of the pin to reach faster lock time....and so on. It has a Hart ss bbl in 1:10 twist, 23" length and of course a quarter minute rifle for the accuracy! (with "proper" ammo). Have won some 1st place benchrest matches here (300m) while my competitors use Sauer, Sako, Steyr, Winchester, Remington, Voere, etc.
(*unfortunately i don't know how to attach pics in this forum?).

But in other side, what i found with Remington(700) is...my "new" Rem isn't as good as my old Rem. My new Rem is ROUGH both for the receiver (inner side-the metalwork) and the bolt (the bolt face and lugs). The bolt's jewelling was  worn out/damaged after some bolt engages...The bluing finish also not good, not as "tough/rust proof" as my old Rem....
Luckily, i have all the skills to make it right.

For the trigger, which was "very heavy" before, i set it to about 1.3lb- safely...but after some weeks, i found that the primary sear (with its "hard nickel plating?") was worn out/peel out!...The metal used for the primary sear also not good, not "hard" exactly. (not as hard as the European and my old Rem)....This make un-consistent trigger pull, sometimes light, sometimes rather hard....
Because of this, then i "stone" and polish the sears again. But it work just in some weeks.....Two times i done that.....Finally i change the primary sear with a new one (my own made primary sear and trigger parts - for a more secure and dependable thing)...now it is more crisp, light, and constant 1,1 lb pullweight trigger. No "worn out" etc and have shot hundreds of rounds and hundreds of dry firing practice without any changes/problem. No "slamfire" etc even i knock the rifle hard (in every directions).
***(This is also for input for you about the Rem factory's trigger...DO NOT try to "stone" and/or polish the sears because the material used is not good...the trigger isn't designed for a light pullweight, too. This is also horrible if you don't have smithing skill!).

I just guess that "now quality" Remington rifle is lessen??...not as good as the old(er) one.

My "new" Rem's barrel is a heavy ss fluted 26" barrel. The flutes are very bad, imo (not straight flutes). The barrel has some scratches, too (i don't know if it is from Remington's factory or from my dealer??).
For 3 or 4 times i have contact Remington about this, but never have any reply from them!!...(mad).
Luckily, i still have even under 1" at 100m - 5 shots. This is usually after i clean the bore...(and of course after some rifle's tunings/treatments).

Now, my question is (just curious to know)...do you always have good results/groupings right after you clean your bore???....
What i mean is...If i shot more than 10 rounds or so, i found that my grouping is ALWAYS getting larger IF i don't clean my bore....(the difference are relatively big)....though i wait to cool down the barrel etc....(confused??)
*I have no much experience with .223 caliber, but some of my friends here also have the same experience with me.
Somebody have the same problem?....

Best Regards,
Sebastian.

*Please forgive me for my english...i don't speak and write english well, i believe....

[Lawdog]

Phil Little,

I own a few Remington's(a couple of M721's, M722's and two M700 BDL's) that shoot and work just fine BUT all were made before 1980.  My troubles started with the purchase of a M700 BDL in .308 caliber in 1987.  No matter what we did, short of doing stock work, the rifle wouldn't shoot under 4" @100 yards.  I sent the rifle back to Remington, as per Remington's request, for service.  After hearing nothing  for four weeks I called Remington's Customer Service department and was told that they had never received my rifle.

After reading them the date, time and the name of the person that signed for the delivery from the UPS receipt they managed to find my rifle.  They promised to get back to me within 72 hours with a report on my rifle.  WRONG.  A week later I call them again and get a report that they could not find anything wrong with my rifle after inspecting it.  I asked if they fired it to see what grouping it gave.  NO but they would and get back to me.

Again a week later I am back on the phone and get told they had mailed a report to me and I should have it shortly and to call them back after I had read it.  Came by pony express because it took two weeks to get here.  The report said that after firing the rifle they found nothing wrong with the rifle and that groupings of 4 inches were WITHIN COMPANY STANDARDS.  After discussing this with my lawyer and a few letters to Remington they finely refunded my money, AFTER just over 11 months.

Stupid me I figured that this was an isolated incident and a few years later again bought another M700 BDL.  Got it home and dissembled it for cleaning.  The inletting of the action looked like it had been done with a box axe by a cross eyed ape.  Again I returned to the store where I bought it, it was an ordered item as he didn't have what I wanted in stock, and showed him the stock.  We again called Remington and again they said return the rifle for service.  So I did.  To make a LONG story short it only took 9 months to get satisfaction out of Remington this time.  I went through this same bull with a M870 Marine 12 ga. that I got for a duty shotgun.  I sold it(some other sucker has that problem child :-D ) and bought a Win. Defender model and have been very happy that I did.

I own a number of firearms from different manufactures and have had problems with a couple of Winchesters but their Customer Service Department never gave me any trouble.  Ruger, I had a problem with only one rifle and they bent over backwards to make sure I was happy.  If you have the bad luck to have a problem with a Remington product, GOOD LUCK    as their customer service department really doesn't exist.  I know of many others that can and will tell you about the nightmares they have had with Remington's Customer Service Department.  What good is a product when the company won't back their product and that is why, until things change at Remington, I can't and won't recommend them to anyone.  Lawdog

[rich5674]

Bought one last spring from Grice. First day shooting hand loaded 129 grain Hornadys got sub minute groups. Didnt even check screw tightness. Only dissapointment is the heavy trigger. I have a guy that will fix that for $25.

[Eagle Eye]

I guess I must be very lucky.....I have owned and do still own mostly Remington firearms for over 30 years and never had a problem with any of them.   I have never had one that wouldn't put 3 rounds into an inch or less at 100 yards off the bench (with reloads) and every one performed as expected.  ie It went boom when I fired it!   I can not say that about a specific Winchester, Browning or Weatherby I owned at one time!  The only work I ever had done on my Remingtons were triggers set to 2-3# (depending on the rifles intended purpose) and one needed to be glass bedded to get it to shoot.  

As for accuracy, the best group 3 round group I ever shot was .8 inch outside edge to outside edge at 300 yards.   This was from a 25-06 using 87 grain TNT's.  I think that is dam good considering it is .3 MOA and I am talking about a stock 700 hunting rifle.  I also have a Remington 700 Police in 308 WIN that routinely shoots 5 rounds into .4" at 100 yards using match bullets.  

I guess what I am saying is that from my experience, Remington firearms are superb and I prefer them to anything, including those Tikkas.

[Drew25]

I've had two 700 "Classics"...one in the .264 Win. Mag caliber and another in the 280...the 264--the earlier model--was nicely finished, with a nice blueing job on it...it would also print 1/2" groups at 100 with little trouble, right out of the box!  The 280 is also a tack-driver, but I had to bed the barrel and work on the trigger (according to the Varmint Den instructions--it worked great!), but quality is sub-par....so sad, really.  Now, I also have an older 700 BDL in .222.  It is scary accurate.  really.  The first 3-shot group I ever shot with it (I bought it used from some yahoo from TEXAS  :-)) with factory ammo was on the order of just under 1/4". I love that rifle.  But, it is an older model, and the blueing, stock work and everything else is just better.  I frickin ' detest the pot metal/plastic crap on my "new" 280 Classic (I think a 1998 model)...but, it does shoot, so i'll keep it...

[Craig M. Bellis]

I have always liked Remingtons and my friends and I have had great success with them. I am considering a new rifle next year and must admit that I'm getting skeptical. My gunsmith, whose skills I greatly respect, has been a regional repair man for Remington. Last year he told me that he would no longer do work for them. It was too much frustration and they weren't willing to pay him nearly enough. I was also disturbed as I was tuning in my .270 for the PA season last month and had a guy at the next bench shooting a 700 in a .280. I was interested in his opinion since that is one gun that I was considering. He told me that he had saved for some time for the gun and couldn't wait to get it but was greatly disappointed that it wouldn't shoot up to his standards. I can't remember exactly what his groups were but it seems it was over 2 1/2 inches at 100 yds. Whatever the case, it would certainly not have been acceptable to me. When he contacted Remington, he was told that they would do nothing because the gun was shooting within their accepted standards. For the first time, I am considering something other than a Remington. From reading the above posts, it seems that the odds of getting a lemon are greater than they used to be.