New Remington 700?!?!

Deederswy

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Joined
Oct 16, 2012
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60
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Cheyenne, Wy
Hey everyone,
I have an old Remmy 700 7mag that my dad gave me years ago, it was built in 1973 and was a great shooter! Well, it's starting to loose that accuracy and now collects dust. I've considered taking it to a Smith to get it rebarreled and have some action work done but being the first rifle my dad ever gave me I don't want to touch it. I did put on a Hogue stock but I have the original still which I'll put back on.....with all that being said, since I already have a ton of brass, bullets and dies I'd like to buy a new 7mm mag but I also don't want to spend $1000. I've looked hard at the bergaras but I'm curious to know if I were to pick up a 700 ADL, put the hogue stock on to free float the barrel and swap out the trigger would I end up with a 6-700 yard elk rifle with hand loads? Or has Remington gone down hill that much? Your input is very appreciated!!!!
Nick
 
It's not that Remington has gone downhill that much (although, they have had some QC issues for a while), it's that you get what you pay for these days. You buy a $300 rifle, you can't expect too much off-the-bat. You buy an $800 rifle, you expect alot more from it. Inflation has caused alot of it. Raw material prices going up and wage hikes, what used to be a $100 rifle in the 60's is now an $800 rifle.

I'm a huge 700 fan, but if you are wanting a factory 600-700 yard rifle, that will require very little tweaking or work to get it shooting right, I would strongly recommend something like the Christensen Arms Ridgeline or Browning X-Bolt Hells Canyon Long Range chambered in 7mmRM or .28 Nosler.
 
If my dad were to give me anything I would suspect he would want me to use it. If he gave you a truck and it broke down would you just let it set in the driveway and do nothing about it? Your choice but I would say rebarrel the thing and have a better probability of having a good shooter. Turn that heirloom collecting dust into a prized possession.
Good luck in whatever you choose.
 
It's not that Remington has gone downhill that much (although, they have had some QC issues for a while), it's that you get what you pay for these days. You buy a $300 rifle, you can't expect too much off-the-bat. You buy an $800 rifle, you expect alot more from it. Inflation has caused alot of it. Raw material prices going up and wage hikes, what used to be a $100 rifle in the 60's is now an $800 rifle.

I'm a huge 700 fan, but if you are wanting a factory 600-700 yard rifle, that will require very little tweaking or work to get it shooting right, I would strongly recommend something like the Christensen Arms Ridgeline or Browning X-Bolt Hells Canyon Long Range chambered in 7mmRM or .28 Nosler.
I don't want to drop 2 grand on a rifle nor do I was a detachable mag
 
If my dad were to give me anything I would suspect he would want me to use it. If he gave you a truck and it broke down would you just let it set in the driveway and do nothing about it? Your choice but I would say rebarrel the thing and have a better probability of having a good shooter. Turn that heirloom collecting dust into a prized possession.
Good luck in whatever you choose.
That's a good point...
 
I know that the rifle your dad gave you has sentimental value, but if it were me, I would rebarrel it and use it. The new Remington 700 ADL's are not worth the money. Use that money towards a good barrel, have a good Smith true the action and spin on the new barrel and you will have your 6-700 yard elk rifle. If you go with around a #3 contour barrel, you should still be able to fit it to the factory stock without much tweaking. Then it will at least look like the rifle your dad gave you. Just my opinion. Good luck with your decision!
 
I know that the rifle your dad gave you has sentimental value, but if it were me, I would rebarrel it and use it. The new Remington 700 ADL's are not worth the money. Use that money towards a good barrel, have a good Smith true the action and spin on the new barrel and you will have your 6-700 yard elk rifle. If you go with around a #3 contour barrel, you should still be able to fit it to the factory stock without much tweaking. Then it will at least look like the rifle your dad gave you. Just my opinion. Good luck with your decision!
^^^This^^^
I have a 1970s 700 that was chambered in .270win, my favorite deer cartridge here in Texas for the places I hunt. I needed to replace the barrel, but wanted to keep the factory look of blued steel and walnut. Had my smith true the action while it was apart and tune the trigger (those early 70s triggers are pretty good when tuned). I had him send the stock to his stock maker friend and cut the checkering, where it was originally pressed. Then a satin finish instead of the gloss that was original. He put it all back together and blued it close to the original factory blue, bedded the action/floated the barrel, and I'll be damned- it shoots under .5 inch groups at 100 yards with factory Remington 130 grain Core Lokt ammo. Total cost to me was less than $800 for parts and labor and the rifle looks basically like it did the day it came off of the factory line, with a couple of minor enhancements (smooth barrel, no iron sights, cut checkering, satin finish on the walnut).

If you can buy a QUALITY new factory rifle for less than you can update your old one, I'd be shocked. Lots of rifles can be found new for less than I spent updating mine (under $800), but I'd bet my rifle and the scope that sits in top of it that mine will outshoot today's typical big box store bargain lineup.
 
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MudRunner2005 is correct.

This is going to be long, and a whole lot of preaching, so skip to the bottom unless you're interested.

Ill add that Quality and expectations have decreased across the board, not just Remington. Also, I'd like to offer it as another problem, not necessarily a company one, or a QC department one, but one of a more personal nature, that has proliferated and thrived in our society by tolerance for far too long.

My personal experience has been I've bought inexpensive rifles and had them function and perform flawlessly. I've bought 2K rifles and had basic function issues, I've bought middle of the road rifles and needed a gunsmith help to get it right. Over the last 2 years, I have bought 7 new rifles.
5 of them function just fine and met my expectations. 2 did not.
Really, it has become luck of the draw.
It's just the way it is now.
When it happens to you, when you get the "Lemon", you'll get smacked in the face with the reality of your expectation, and the failure of your choice brand to meet it. Really, the problem is deeper than the company.

On to what I believe the problem is.

Craftsmanship, pride in work, personal responsibility, all has been traded off. For whatever reason, money, production, time...but we are a society of individuals, and companies are a conglomeration of individuals, and it's at the individuals feet where I lay the problem. Individuals make choices, some on behalf of themselves, some on behalf of something bigger. Choices have consequences, consequences have costs, there is no escaping that.

This problem isn't just in the firearms industry, either.
It's everything.
Society as a whole has taken a turn, but it all comes back to an individual's personal value system. Integrity, pride, taking a personal responsibility for the work you do. If everyone has skin in the game, the results speak for themselves. Even having a QC department smacks of a recognized lack of personal values, but really, what choice does a company have? Good people are hard to find today. At least by my standard, and I'm not perfect by any means.

I have no answer for how to fix it. It's a complicated problem, and requires the involvement and support of "everyone doing the right thing, even if no one is looking, and the wrong thing is legal." (I think that was Leupold..) It starts at a very young age, and must continue throughout the life of the individual.
So, good luck with that, right?

To answer your question, "would I end up with a 6-700 yard elk rifle", I'd say yes... eventually. It may cost you more than you think, or it may not. It's always been "You roll the dice, you take your chances." It's just now, the odds are less favorable.

Christiansen Arms would be and has been a choice I have exercised. I won't say you can't go wrong with them, but of the 2 rifles I have bought, one had a minor ejection issue I was able to address with a phone call to the company, and resolve myself without sending the rifle back.

Remington would be and has been a choice I have exercised as well. 3 out of 4 rifles were just fine. The one that was not, became a semi custom rifle, at twice the price of my initial investment, which is now fine. I could have been like so many other people and sold my problem to someone else, but instead I owned it, and I am happy with the results.
I've also purchased 2 Savage rifles, and have no problems with them.

I do not know your experience level with firearms, You may need to educate yourself thoroughly on the limited inspection you'll be able to accomplish at a gun counter. There are a few things about a rifle you cannot know until you fire it. Things like will it cycle live ammunition, fire it accurately, extract and eject properly, an expectation that should be valid, and go without saying, but not today.

If you do your homework, or know what you are doing already, there will be less chances for problems down the road. Notice I didn't say no problems, but less chances of them?

Good luck with your purchase!
 
I'm a big fan of the 700 as well and have had good look with mine. I have a newer Sendero and a SPS stainless. Both 7mm Rem mags. The Sendero is the better shooter. However, if you want something that literally shoots great out of the box I'd suggest tikka. I do not own one, but I load for a couple guys who do. 2 have 6.5 creedmoors and one has a 7mm rem mag. The twist is a touch slower on the Tikka 7mm at 1:9.5 but his handles the ELDX 162 very well. All three shot extremely well with little work. All are also shooting ELDX bullets. A new barrel would be a great choice too.
 
I think you can find the M700 Long Range for about $800 now. I have read some good reviews on this rifle, but have no first hand experience with it.
You would still probably need to replace the trigger if you want to maximize the accuracy potential of most factory rifles, however.
 
Lol! The remington rifle I had chamber issues with was a 700 Long Range!

Probably shouldn't let that bad experience sway you much, though. Just shows no product line is immune, as I've heard of problems with the Sendero as well, and that is an over $1000.00 gun.

Both of my senderos work awesome!
Sendero will be a little lighter. Kind of a higher end model, if you ask me.

I believe you'll find the Tikka's mag box to be exact saami spec length. Not ideal for reloading.

Here's an idea for the OP, buy a used rifle for the action, take the rifle to a gunsmith and have your rifle built. Changing the stock, trigger and Barrel anyway, so the only thing that matters is get a used rifle in 7 Mag or win mag, and do your thing.

If the OP feels he doesn't want to take his dad's gun down and have it changed, I really wish you guys would help him honor that. Not our thing to try to get him to do something he doesn't want to do. Maybe gun reminds him of dad just like it is. Just saying, might not make sense to some of us, but it's his dad, his rifle, and his choice.
 
Lol! The remington rifle I had chamber issues with was a 700 Long Range!

Probably shouldn't let that bad experience sway you much, though. Just shows no product line is immune, as I've heard of problems with the Sendero as well, and that is an over $1000.00 gun.

Both of my senderos work awesome!
Sendero will be a little lighter. Kind of a higher end model, if you ask me.

I believe you'll find the Tikka's mag box to be exact saami spec length. Not ideal for reloading.

Here's an idea for the OP, buy a used rifle for the action, take the rifle to a gunsmith and have your rifle built. Changing the stock, trigger and Barrel anyway, so the only thing that matters is get a used rifle in 7 Mag or win mag, and do your thing.

If the OP feels he doesn't want to take his dad's gun down and have it changed, I really wish you guys would help him honor that. Not our thing to try to get him to do something he doesn't want to do. Maybe gun reminds him of dad just like it is. Just saying, might not make sense to some of us, but it's his dad, his rifle, and his choice.
Kind of like that $2,000+ MSRP Accumark that I had with a defective barrel straight from Weatherby...Who refused to repair it. :mad:
 
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