Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Need new gun any reason to not buy rem 700

I need a new rifle (kids starting to hunt) I’ve been looking at a lot of options but keep coming back to rem 700. It seems like the entire aftermarket is built around the 700 platform. I have a Tikka and really like it but aftermarket support is limited. So after much thought I can’t see getting anything besides a Remington 700. Thoughts???

What “aftermarket” parts are you after?

The reason for a lack of aftermarket parts for Tikka is that they do not need any.

Tikka comes with a good trigger, a good extractor, bolt handles falling off is not a concern, a better synthetic stock, and if you don't like the factory stock there are others available from just about every stock making company. What else could you want for aftermarket?

The Tikka is a "plug and play" rifle - put a scope on it, sight it in, and go shoot. Unlike Rem 700's which are often a starting point for buying aftermarket parts - there is a reason that there are so many aftermarket parts available for 700's.

drover

Stocks and triggers

Swaying me back to the tikka

Nonsense. After reading this forum for around 20 years I keep hearing the old "bolt handles falling off" nonsense and in all that time only about 2 or 3 people have actually personally had it happen to them that posted here. Most of the reports are " I heard from a friend of a cousin's dentist that..... " ...

Yes, there have been a few issues with Remingtons over the years but the fact of the matter is they sell probably more rifles than anyone in all the different price points for a reason... If you have kids starting to hunt you would have a difficult time finding a better value and better rifle for the money than a Rem 700 ADL package deal. Throw the scope away and buy something else and go sight it in. Then go hunting.

All things being equal, there are lots of choices these days in all price points of rifles so no one rifle is the perfect answer to every situation.

Bob

Lots of reasons. Seems like a good opportunity to buy something decent though.

I have a safe full of Model 700's, and if I were to buy a new rifle tomorrow, a Model 700 is the first one I'd look at. There is nothing wrong with other brands, buy whatever you want. But, rest assured, a lot of what's been told about the Model 700 not being a good choice anymore, is just pure, unadulterated bullchit.

I have had great luck with the five rem 700s I have of recent manufacture. All shoot sub moa without fuss. In reference to the "problems " above...in over 40 years and over a dozen 700s, several shot thousands of rounds in competition, I never had an extractor problem or bolt handle come loose.

In relation to a Tikka for example the trigger on a 700 is fully adjustable and a competent gunsmith can get one very close to a quality aftermarket trigger (same basic design as a Timney ). The Tikka trigger has no adjustment for sear engagement or overtravel. While the Tikka triggers I have worked with were reasonably crisp they have considerable overtravel. A very average at best trigger with a possible light pull if you replace springs..I would say the stocks are about equal quality, the Rem basic stock has a stiffer forend but is pressure bedded. The Rem ergos are American style classic with a more dynamic feel while the Tikka with its square foreend and more vertical grip is easier to shoot off a rest. Both have hammer forged barrels.

The current Rem 700 ADL usually sold with a throw away scope is probably the best bargain ever in a new centerfire rifle. Good to go for even serious hunting with a normal once over and trigger adjustment just like a Tikka or several other rifles currently available.

I have a lot of Remingtons, but I think that the Weatherby Vanguard2 is better value straight out of the box if you don't feel the need to tinker with it or spend a lot of $$ upgrading the stock. I like the shape and feel of the V2 synthetic stocks better than any other comparable factory installed injection molded stocks.

I'm 58yrs old and have been shooting Remington rifles all my life and so have my kids and family, I guess you could say we are a Remington family. I've read lots of negative stuff on the internet about various issues with the 700. I can honestly say that we've never experienced any of these so called problems with a Remington rifle and we've owned quite a few and still do. I'm not saying there hasn't ever been an issue with a Remington rifle before because when you produce and sell as many rifles as Remington has you're bound to have a hiccup at some point and time, but thankfully my family and I have never experienced that. If I were in the market for a new rifle Remington would no doubt be my choice again. If you choose Remington buy with confidence, you won't be disappointed. Of course this is just my opinion based on my personal experience with Remington. Good luck with whatever you choose. Mike

The reason the aftermarket is so strong for Remington 700's is that it is the most popular bolt action rifle in the world and guy's love to tinker with their rifle 👍......If i wanted a Remington 700 I would buy one without fear........Good luck....Hb

I just bought a stainless 700 ADL package in 308. My only prep was to replace the mounts with Weaver bases (plus a generous coat of LocTite) and Leupold QRW rings, then mount a Leupold VXR 3-9x40. I made my second range trip today, with the goal of shooting up the odds and ends of 308 ammo that I have lying around. My initial groups with cheap factory 150-grain loads hover around 1.5 MOA or a bit better, but I think that the Ballistic Firedot reticle (https://www.leupold.com/reticles/reticle-ballistic-firedot-26) is holding it back. Thickness where the crosshairs meet is 1 MOA, which is probably too coarse for making really small groups from a bench.

I feel like the rifle is an excellent value for the price.

Tikkas are nice, too, but I'd prefer not to give a kid something with a detachable magazine. It's one more thing for them to fiddle with and lose when they get bored.


Okie John

So now back to the beginning.....

Chambering?
Bullets?
Scope?
Use?
Budget?

Amen, I do put different stocks on some Tikkas but for fit not for function. They are good darned stocks and the triggers are as good as I’ve used except for target triggers.

I used nothing but Remington 700 from the 1970's for about 30 years, owning at least a dozen because I bought into the hype that they were the best rifle. Most were acceptably accurate, some not acceptable. I've had one that would fire without pulling the trigger and had it replaced with a Timney. Other than that I had no major complaints.

Until I decided to branch out and try other stuff. I found there were lots better rifles in the same price range, and quite a few better rifles selling for less. The more I use other brands the less I like the Remington design.

The Howa/Vanguard rifle is better, but heavier than I like on a hunting rfle

Tikka is darn hard to beat. I wouldn't take 2 Remington rifles at the same price. I think it is both the lightest and most accurate rifle you can touch under $1000.

I've come to appreciate CRF even though I fully understand I'll probably never have to take advantage of it. I've had good luck with the newer Hawkeye versions. The older 77 and 77 MK-II have been reliable, but with a mix of accurate and inaccurate rifles. My Winchester 70's have been great.

If someone is sold on the 700 design, the Bergara is a near clone, but a much better put together rifle. Most, if not all aftermarket parts will interchange with a 700.

Want to modify it down the line? Remington is your huckleberry. You will likley need to work some issues out,

Want a bone stock shooter? No desire to mod? Look elsewhere imho...perhaps towards Finland

I generally recommend Tikka when someone asks what to get their youngster. And have also recommended it to adults that are new to hunting.
That said, if it were my kid, it'd be a 700.

100% kid rifle, RAR Compact. Easy.

I've bought a handful of 700s in the last few years many of them Walmart adls. I have not had one that shot over an inch one hvy. Bbl 223 would print 10 rounds of 55 fmj in a group you could cover with a quarter