Just wondering if anyone has bought any new 700's recently if so how was the quality?

Bought a SS 308 SPS last month. It's shot about everything MOA or better. I've been very pleased with it and it's head and shoulders above the Ruger it replaced.

I can't bring myself to buy Remington anything right now. Quality is iffy at best.

Bought a 700 ADL 223 in November and an 7-08 SPS SS in December. I'm pleased.

^^^This^^^

Just about the only new Remington I would buy now would be an old stock NIB Model 700 Classic. You can usually find them from $600 to $750 at most Gunshows.

The only other I would buy would be if I found a new old stock 788 in 6mm. I'm done buying current production Remington Rifles.

Curious, what would you buy? Ive been liking the Tikka's, amongst others.

I bought a LH CDL in 270 Win, it shoots average with H 4831 sc but does quite well with Magnum and IMR 7828 ssc. I am also pleased with the how well it feeds and the finish, nice gun for the money. I think that most of the people who actually bought guns recently will be pleased with them over the ones who just want to complain for some reason but haven't bought one themselves.

I bought a new 700 SPS sporter chambered in 223 a year ago and about 3 months ago I bought a new 700 SPS varminter, out of the box with no modifications whatever both are honest 3/4 inch 5 shot guns.
I do not like the SPS finish the bolt operation is rough until it is used quite a bit however on both of them the lugs are making good equal contact. The injections molded synthetic stocks though are a major step up from the older injection molded synthetics that Remington used.

I have owned a lot of 700's through the years and have had better luck with the more recent ones shooting well than I had with the older ones. Admittedly the older ones were smoother but accuracy wise I favor the new ones.

drover

I picked up a cheap sub $300 ADL Synthetic 30-06 in October for a donor action then I messed up and shot it

I have purchased two SPS 700s recently. One in 260 and the other in 7mm-08. Both are extremely accurate and have been moved to the front of the safe.

So far 6 guys have bought 9 rifles and are pleased. Looks good so far.....

yes, SF CDL. Trigger fix done before I bought it new. Trigger would not adjust, periord. Lowest was over 5lbs. Quality was fair, but not better than previous CDL. Took it apart and swapped triggers and then put it back together so it fit better than the factory had assembled. Still trying to get it to shoot satisfatory groups. I have bought one other rifle this year since the Remington and it is a Tikka. No problem with the trigger, working on load development but shoots 3/4 to 1/2 inch groups. Every Tikka I have owned has been the same story but I can only think of 2 700s that I could honestly get sub moa out of on a regular basis.

I see no reason for Remington not to be able to have a trigger as good as what is on the other rifles in the market. Tikka, Savage, Marlin (sister company), Ruger, Weatherby, Browning, Thompson Center, all seem to have figured it out.

Buy a new 700 if you want one. You now what you will probably get if you already have one or bought one in the last few years.

The one thing I personally feel is needed is for the rifle buying public to hold Remington accountable for a crap trigger rather than defending them and saying it is normal to have to go buy a $100+ replacement trigger when you buy a new rifle. Those days are over when you can buy a number of entry level guns at half or 2/3 the price with better triggers.

^^^

I've got to agree; unfortunately. I liked the 700s back when Dupont owned them, but I don't even consider them anymore. For me, there are just too many better options out there for less money. My last rifle purchase was a Tikka.

pseshooter300 - purchased a new M40 Long Range in .30/06 recently. After changing the stock trigger for a 2# Timney
it performed quite well. Fit and finish quality top notch. No complaints. Homesteader

I absolutely agree. However, when I came across an SPS SA in 260 with a factory 8 twist, I just had to give it a go.

So far, so good. No issues. I've orderd a McSwirly and put a VX3/M1 off the 'Fire on it. I floated the barrel with shims, adjusted the factory trigger down to a pretty crisp 3# and started load development. Will continue this weekend. So far, 130 NABs and 127 LRXs show promise.

Bought a .243 Varmint model.. It was never as accurate as my older model 700.. They were tack drivers.. It is getting a new tube this month..

I would replace the trigger with a Timney whether it was a new
M700 SPS or a 1960's vintage M700 because a Timney is a better trigger than any Remington trigger.

So, I agree with the posters who know a 700 needs a trigger change when they buy it. But with a change they are among my favorite rifles along with Tikka. Light weight excellent balance and accuracy.

A Tikka needs a better recoil pad and the remaining question between a Tikka or a 700 is do you want a fixed magazine or removable clip?

Bought four of them in the last year. Replaced the triggers in all before I shot them. They are all excellent shooters, not good...excellent.
Im a fan....

Bought a Sportsman's Whorehouse .243 ADL on sale in Dec. Never shot it, re-barreled in a Shilen #3 22/250 8in twist.

After that was put together I got a Hogue with the BDL bottom metal off Flea-Bay to test fire. Gonna be good. Sold the stock off got an el-cheapo Leupy VX-2 CDS with some points involved from Cabelas and now just doing the McMillian wait.

My McSwirly God willing will be here late June early July and I'll break her in.

My brother bought one in the Mountain Rifle configuration. It is hanging by a thread in his safe. He has had it since early last fall and is still trying to find a load that it likes. If my Ruger UL didn't shoot so well he may be more satisfied.

A 243 ADL Sporter shot excellent right out of the box. Shoots everything I have tried at least good and several different loads outstanding. It now sits in a McMillan and I have a spare take-off barrel waiting in the wings for when this one goes. I can only hope it shoots as good as the original.
A 223 ADL Sporter shoots ok so far. I bought as a donor and just wanted to play with it a bit so have not tried many loads. Not bad but nothing like the 243.

Both function just fine and no major quality issues noted. In comparison to the finish on my 2007 era SPS they are much nicer. The SPS looks sandblasted while the newer ADLs have a smoother matte finish.

I am the first to be critical of Remington's up and down quality control but these last two were well worth the money and I would buy another.

Back in January, Academy had their ADL's on sale for $359, so I picked up a 25-06. When I tried to mount a scope, I noticed that threads for one of the scope base screws was not cut properly and I could not mount my bases. Academy sent it back to Remington. Turn around was about 4 weeks and they re-tapped all of the threads.
Bases installed nice and tight and gun now shoots under an inch with my reloads. Very happy with this ADL.

I bought a camo stock, scope special ADL from Wal-Mart back last September in .243 for $297. I replaced the scope with a Nikon ProStaff 3.5-14 and then proceededto make the longest shots I've ever made on deer. I took three deer at 280, 350 and 410 yards all with one shot each.

This rifle is capable of shooting 1/2 MOA but it took some load development work. The bolt was is the matte finish which is gritty when cycling the bolt. After cycling it a few hundred times, it's smoother but a Tikka/Sako bolt, it's not.

I'm happy to spend $300 for a complete Remington 700. I won't be spending the $600+ the CDL/BDLs. I've moved on to other models in that price range...My goto rifle is a Sako 75 and I don't think I'll switch.

Had a problem with a 799 right out of the box and customer support said "yea it has the Remington name on it" but I with have to contact EAA for and support.

Boooooooo Customer Support.

Sold all Remington center fires, kept the 870.

I'm not pseshooter300, to whom the question was directed, but my last three purchases have all been Ruger Hawkeye rifles - a .308 Scout, a .308 lefty in wood/blue for Daughter #1 and an All-Weather .280 Rem.

The triggers weren't bad but after a little touch-up they are much improved. I free floated the .308 Hawkeye. Don't remember if the Scout came that way or not but it is free floated now. Haven't touched the stock on the All-Weather. All shoot MOA or better with selected handloads and I get a lot of .5" to .75" 3-shot groups.

I bought a M700 ADL Youth model in .243 at Walmart on Black Friday. Got a hell of a deal on it ($379 - 20% - $35 Rebate = $268!). Since that time I have swapped the stock for a camo full size and swapped the scope for a Leupold VX-1 3-9(got that from opticsplanet ~$170). Lightened the trigger to 2.5#, sanded the nubs off the front of the stock and floated the barrel with a bread wrapper thing. It shoots 70gr TnT hollow points into 3/4" easily and 1/2" occasionally at 100 yards. Still working on a heavier bullet but have 100gr Hornady BTSPs in the 1 1/4" range. So I ended up with a 20"Std. contour barrel in a short action that weighs in at 7.25#. I call it my poor boy mountain rifle.

Can I ask what your load is? I have a great 1/2"-3/4" 70gr varmint load but am struggling to get 100 grainers to shoot under 1" consistently. (Kind of picky for a <$300 gun I know - but it make it all the more fun to shoot little groups with!)

I had to rebuild a Remington 700, I had for about 35 years. Still working great.
I would buy a new 700 if I needed one.

My only new 700 started life as a 308 sps. The trigger was a bit stiff out of the box and the rifle was pretty picky as to what it would shoot well. I had the trigger pull lowered and I stabbed the barreled action into an hs precision stock. It is still way more picky than it should be. In all fairness the rifle does shoot really well with var get..winchester primers...lapua cases...165 and 168 grain ballistic tips.

I bought a new 700 xcr ii 270 few years back. I was somewhat disapointed in the finish on the bolt. Painted black gloss. I plan to send it out for fluting and refinishing.

The rest of the barrelled action is stainless with a very nice black matte finish. I am suprised how stiff the tupperware stock is and it feels great in my hands. I will probably buy a edge for it this year. The action was quite stiff out of the box. When I replaced the trigger i noticed that the action screws were way over torqued so when put it back together I relieved the torque and the action is very smooth.

While I was not disappointed in the feel original trigger I could not get comfortable with the hole drilled in it. So when they recalled the triggers I used that as an excuse to put in a Timney.

Im warming up to the 24 inch barrel. Im used to 22s.

I would to tell you how it shoots but I have yet to run a round down the barrel. But those are my inital feeling about the rifle. The rifle will be used this year.

I just bought an Rem 700 XCR II in 300 Win Mag great fit and finish. MOA less an inch. This is my third XCR.

I like tikka rifles also but I also like 700's I been tossing around a 25-06 sps ss.

Usually, a thirty minute trigger job will make a Hawkeye as good as it gets in it's price range. And then you've got a good shooter with a great open trigger. I will take a Mark II or a Hawkeye any day of the week.

I always find it funny to read that some guy's wont buy a new Remington 700 account the chitty quality, My guess is it makes them feel better about their old rifles....I have bought a dozen or more new Remington Model 700's in the last 3 years and every one shot at least MOA right out of the box, they also functioned flawlessly....All rifle makers will build the occasional turd but IMO Remington is building as good a rifle (or better) than they ever have..........Hb

I bought two last summer, both are still sitting in the box. I bought them for future builds so I refuse to shoot the donors out of fear. One is in .243 and the other .223 both are ADL models and I got both for less than $800 out the door. I'd buy them again in a heartbeat, I haven't had a Remington I couldn't make shoot well relatively easy in the factory configuration.

I bought a 243 ADL last fall. It shoots 1 MOA on factory federal blue fox. I'm just starting to tinker with reloads. I had an issue with the follower spring, Remington sent a new one, problem is fixed. About every 4th or 5th round fails to extract and flips around backwards in loading port. I will fix it.

I have four Rem 700's from 1996 to 2014 and they all had problems.

300wm rough chamber
30-06 canted recoil lug and oversized firing pin hole
7-08 - rough chamber, but very accurate rifle
243 - feeding / extraction issue

All that I have owned needed some work. That being said, I would still buy another if I ran across a deal.

On a side note, I decided to buy a Tikka to play around with. My only experience is as follows: Unbox, Clean, adjust trigger, mount scope, shoot, and very accurate. (maybe I just got lucky)

gt50, I don't think your experience with your Tikka is uncommon at all. My 65 year old brother-in-law got one 2-3 months ago and now he thinks he's a sniper:)

John

Up until recent years, the 700 was pretty much the only action available to build upon. Out of the box accuracy was 'acceptable' on most and some even shone quite well in that regards.
With the increase in affordable rifles (a la Savage, Tikka, Howa, Vanguard etc), Remington has fallen somewhat behind in my opinion. Targeting the mass-merchants instead of the individual dealers made them more $$ but allowed them to rest on their laurels from prior years.
In reading many posts on many different sites it seems that many purchase a Remington knowing they will have to do something to it to 'make it shoot'. When there are other manufacturers out there that produce a rifle for near the same costs as the Remingtons, for a guy to want an 'off the shelf' shooter to buy a Remington is a crap shoot.

Saying all of that, if you are looking for an 'economical' action to build a custom rifle off of, the 700 is one of the better one's out there. But you still have lesser priced models to choose from (Savage, for example) that are less expensive donors to deal with.

All of this depends upon the buyer's needs and wants. If you're happy with a rifle that shoots 'minute-of-deer' then just about anything off of the shelf in your price range will work. If you are wanting something sub-moa with the least amount of effort, there are models out there that work just fine for that as well. If you are looking for the .5" MOA rifle, you're probably going to have to either buy several rifles to find ONE that will consistently do that, re-load for one specific rifle to do that or invest in the entire build process. If your goal is to shoot itty-bitty-tiny-bugholes, then a build based upon a 700 or similar action, or one of the more precise, high-dollar actions may be what you're after.

It will all come down to the individual's goal and pocket book.

Can't agree with you that Remington is building as good a rifle (or better) than they ever have.

I will agree with you on the premise that in 25 years, these will be called the "good ole days."

I dont think its just Remington making some of their best rifles these days I think with the modern CNC machinery used by todays rifle makers that all rifle makers are building some very accurate rifles, with this new latest and greatest CNC machinery the tolerences are tighter than they could have dreamed of back in the day and as much as it might hurt some feelings at the range we dont have to spend a pile of money to obtain a very accurate and well functioning rifle, Rugers American line along with the TC Venture models and Id throw Tikka in this catagory of cheap rifles that I have wittnessed Being superbly accurate and well functioning......................If your talking pretty wood and deep rich blueing? well that is another story, IMO those days are long gone with todays mid-priced "everymans rifle" you will have to get into more spendy models to get those features..................Hb

In the last year I picked up a 243 and 7-08; both stainless ADL's. Both shot great. The 243's trigger broke in half on the 3rd box of ammo - replaced with a Timney and rocked on. The original trigger wasn't bad, right until it self destructed. POS.

The 7-08 was traded off to fund something else. One word of caution - many are spooked by the recent Remington recalls and quality problems, either real or imagined. I had two places refuse to take it in on trade, and it was in great shape and a shooter. Remington's reputation has taken a hit.

Remington problems do affect resale value, at least in my experience. FWIW....

You had 2 places that refused to take a Remington 700 for trade?.....Wow!..........Hb

Only the newer models. I was shocked myself. One was a local shop and the other was a Cabelas.

Remington will have to rebuild goodwill after the recalls I guess. That reminds me - I need to check out the newest Marlins. Heard that these are better now.

A Winchester museum and what other place ..?

I bought a 22-250 heavy barrel with the crappy xmark trigger that wouldn't adjust this year, I replaced the trigger with the old style that breaks cleanly at just under 3 lbs. It shoots the cheap Winchester 55's into less than 3/4" pretty easily and that is without developing a load or changing the stock.

But you certainly see a pattern here of people buying the Remington and changing it with labor and or money to function properly. Many rifles Tikka, TC, Vanguard /Howa, Savage, Ruger, and others don't need to be tweaked to shoot well.

The first 700 I bought in 1977 didn't extract well and was returned in favor of a Ruger 77 that functioned well then and still does. In my opinion quality out of the box has never been something that impressed me about the Remington 700 but they have been the gunsmith's darlings for generations and rifle guys grew up tweaking them to make them shoot.

If you aren't emotionally attached why bother to screw around with a rifle instead of just taking it out of the box ready to go since they aren't even that pretty anymore. If you are headed for Africa to hunt big stuff buy a CZ, for deer or elk take your pick of a dozen different brands put on decent glass and go kill something. Remington still has brand loyal customers and always will that doesn't mean they can build crap for ever but it is still working based on this thread.

I have a gun case full of Remington 700s that have not been tweaked and all shoot well. Some shoot very well.

Many people tweak...because they are tweakers.

[quote=sigguy]Only the newer models. I was shocked myself. One was a local shop and the other was a Cabelas.

That's odd just picked one up new at the local Cabelas. And yes, it shoot as good or better than any of my other brands.

If you buy a rifle and don't do any mods to it you are, well, weird. mtmuley

Yeah Cabelas sells new 700's, they just won't take newer ones in on trade. I went to the one in Tulalip. They told me that they were concerned with the recalls and would need proof that my gun hadn't been affected, and even then would not offer a competitive price. Usually they are pretty easy to deal with and offer good trade in prices.

Are my experiences of trying to trade in a like new stainless 700 proof of a degradation of Remington's reputation? Not necessarily, however it will make me personally think twice about purchasing another for the time being.

This is not a judgement on the newer 700 accuracy, as mine have been great. The newer trigger is made from cheap pot metal, though IMO.