I think the 710 is given to much bad rap because its "over-estimated" by folks who arent its target market. We have sold MANY of them for several years now and honestly dont have many problems with them.
I was at an invitational gun/optics/equipment demo in Wyoming earlier this year and when you hear Remington engineers and sales rep explain the 710 and their target market, the lil guns make fairly decent sense. It never dawned on me but what is anyone doing to attract too the hunting/shooting sports, the plethora of kids who are growing up in single parent homes? What about the once or twice a year sportsman who doesnt know many folks who could give them help with buying a used gun? What about the person who isnt sure they will really like hunting (maybe didnt grow up in a hunting household) but wants to try it as cheaply as possible and then maybe move up later?
THOSE are some of the target audience for the 710. It is not a replacement for even the 700ADL. The scope is "ok" but realistically most 710 types wont even need extreme duty or weather performance because they probably wont go out under such conditions.
Like I said, anyone that is serious or knows their way around a pawn shop can pick up better. But there are many that dont and yet still want a new gun from a company with a name they know. Think of the gun as more of a bridge or pass too a lifelong pursuit by someone who might not otherwise wouldve become "one of us". And Lord for bid, they might have even ended up a PETAHEAD!!!
Sure you wont hand one down too your grandkids, but at least they go bang and shoot farther than a 30/30. My only question now, we all asked for mags as did our customers. Now we have them and the sales arent there. I guess we forgot that most first timers who ask questions (here again, most "710ers") simply are doing it out of re-action. They probably are more worried about recoil than distance and power. Plus to, Bushnell themselves only rates the Sharpshooter series as up too 300mag recoil tolerant. But like I said, realistically how much will most of them be shot?
Some folks can go YEARS on just 1 box of shells,
RA
