Remington 783, opinions please?

[lv2hunt]

The local gun store has "new" scoped Remington 783's on sale for $289.98, calibers offered are 243, 270, 308, 30-06, 7mm, and 300 win mag.

I looked at one of these rifles and they seem to have decent construction for an affordable price point. I figure for this price point I may get a couple just to have in the safe or to build off of at a later date.

My questions are:

1) Any experiences on the Remington 783's, good or bad?
2) Out of the calibers listed, which two to go with and why?

I have primarily hunted deer, elk, and bear in heavy brush with a 45/70 guide gun, or at long range with a 338 Edge. These two rifles choices will help round out my arsenal affordably. After researching the forum I am leaning towards the the 270 and 7mm, please advise.

Thanks!

 

[MudRunner2005]

I would choose the .308 Win (because I believe everyone needs a .308 Win) or a .243 (if you don't already have a varmint rifle)...And a 7mm RemMag for mid to long range mid-sized game (deer, antelope, etc...) to compliment your current calibers, since you already have a big-bore brush gun, and a large caliber LR rifle.

And in my opinion, the 7mmRM one of the best all-around hunting calibers for North America. The reason I am of this opinion, is that I have spent nearly 15 years hunting with a 7mmRM (as well as many other excellent calibers), and my experiences have made me quite confident in the 7mmRM. Other folks will feel the same way about other calibers they have lots of experience with, as well.

Hopefully this thread will remain civil, since you are asking for different people's opinions, and why they have those opinions based on their individual experiences.

Also, this thread has a lot of good info about the 783.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/just-bought-4-rem-783s-199-each-153783/

 

[FearNoWind]

Read this:
Rifle Review: Remington Model 783 | Field & Stream
Then, if you still want one, go for it.

gun)- - - - - - (X)

 

[lv2hunt]

Good articles, thanks for the links and comments, please keep them coming.

 

[Mike 338]

Most reviews are on the 30-06 and they seem to do fine. I got a 308. It shot Federal Gold Match at about 1-1/4". Other brands of factory ammo weren't so good. That said, most are said to shoot moa-ish. The bolt failed to pick up rounds from the magazine so frequently, I just quit trying and put them in one at a time from the loading port. I called Remington about it and they said they'd send me another magazine and they did... two months later. I had two questions that I e-mailed to customer service and never heard back from them. For a plastic stock, it's not nearly as bad as some of them and the pillars make sense. There seem to be two relief cuts in the barrel threads that can only be seen by taking the barrel off so there are a few fewer threads to tie the barrel to the action. The trigger is O.K. for what it is. It's a great beater rifle and there's quite a bit of support coming on. Pacnor and Criterion are making prefit barrels. EGW makes a 0 and 20 moa base. PTG makes bottom metal to accommodate AI mags as well as bolts and bolt heads and Boyd's now makes stocks for the 783. Seems like you'd probably get your moneys worth if you left it alone or fixed it up. I wouldn't pay retail.

 

[stomp442]

I recently worked up a load for a friend of mines daughter in .243 and I was astounded at the accuracy that little gun was capable of. 46 grains of H-1000 and 105 Hornady Amax's printed five shot groups in the .3's and 2" groups at 500 meters. The stock feels much better and more rigid than either the Savage Axis or the Ruger American. The next budget rifle I buy will be the Remington 783 for sure.

 

[lv2hunt]

Thanks for the replies, it definitley looks likes this model will suit my needs. Any thoughts on calibers if you had to pick only two out of the available calibers list, I have done alot of reading and am leaning towards either the 270 and 7mm or the 308 and the 300 win mag to round out my collection.

 

[engineer40]

Hey lv2hunt; I'm the one who started the thread in the link MudRunner posted above. Check out page 10 for some pics of how I modified my first 783 so far. Also, check out page 13 for the accuracy.

$289 isn't a stellar price on the rifle but it's still worth that I'm sure. I've seen as low as $250ish locally. I got mine online for $239 and with the $40 Remington rebate, that put me at $199 for each rifle. But my wife's uncle did the FFL paperwork for me and that saved some cost of buying online.

Of the rifles you already have, I feel like a 243 would round your collection out nicely. If you're getting 2 of them, then I'd probably get a 308 also just because you can find really cheap ammo in 308 sometimes. But honestly, 270, 7mm Mag, 300 Mag are all great cartridges. My suggestion is you probably don't need a Magnum right now because you have a 45/70 and 338 Edge.

 

[Mike 338]

If your getting 2, I'd go a short action and a long action so if you wish in the future, you can easily convert to any caliber with a barrel swap which can be done in your garage. A 243 could pretty handily take care of most of your truck gun needs. I got a 308 thinking, there's pretty much nothing a 308 can't do within a generalized context, cheap ammo often shoots well and it's easy and moderately priced to load for.

 

[Waynard]

I don't know about 783 Rem. but I do know about Rem. customer service. It sucks. If customer service is not a concern and hit or miss if your going to get a accurate, good functioning rifle does not matter to you, buy a Remington. I am speaking of the newer production rifles.

 

[Mike 338]

I don't know about 783 Rem. but I do know about Rem. customer service. It sucks. If customer service is not a concern and hit or miss if your going to get a accurate, good functioning rifle does not matter to you, buy a Remington. I am speaking of the newer production rifles.

Years ago, I knew a guy who wore a hat that said "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a Toyota". That's more or less what happened. For some people, the name etched on the side of the product is every bit as important as it's ability to basically function. Remington keeps making 'em that way and people keep buying 'em.

 

[lv2hunt]

Update...

Thanks for all of the comments, rather they were good or bad. I have given this issue some serious thought and have decided to stay with the 30 calibers and go with the 30-06 and 300 Win Mag to round out my collection for now. I thought about a 308 but decided to hold off on that caliber because I have an AR-10 on my wish list as well. I will post a review and some groups once I get some range time with the 783's.

Thanks,
lv2hunt

 

[Deadhead01]

I bought one on line, 308. Brand new in the box. Shot it one time at the range and the second live round stuck and didn't have room to close the bolt. The live round wouldn't go in or come out. Gunsmith got it dislodged for $125. They said the head space should be checked to see if clearance was the issue causing the initial jam. Head space tolerance was out of specification. Gunsmith adjusted $300. More bad news, the ejector isn't working. Gunsmith is trying to get one from Remington, (just now back in production) but the lead time at this point is unknown. Deer season starts in about three weeks and the potential integrity of the rifle for that time is unknown. I wish I had bought the Ruger.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I bought one on line, 308. Brand new in the box. Shot it one time at the range and the second live round stuck and didn't have room to close the bolt. The live round wouldn't go in or come out. Gunsmith got it dislodged for $125. They said the head space should be checked to see if clearance was the issue causing the initial jam. Head space tolerance was out of specification. Gunsmith adjusted $300. More bad news, the ejector isn't working. Gunsmith is trying to get one from Remington, (just now back in production) but the lead time at this point is unknown. Deer season starts in about three weeks and the potential integrity of the rifle for that time is unknown. I wish I had bought the Ruger.

Sounds expensive to get a cartridge dislodged. Sounds expensive to get headspace adjusted also. I've had barrels threaded, chambered & head spaced for $300 and less. Paducah shooters supply has 783 parts that you wont find anywhere else. You will have to call & order over the phone. They were and maybe still are a Remington authorized repair center.