Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Remington 700 classics

Wow! Nice collection.

It was the Classic. They were not able to do everything he wanted though. Either because of the lack of capability to mass produce or economics or both.
Still it's a pretty good stock shape.

I've never owned one. I had a early Mountain rifle bought in about '87 that shot well after I bedded it.

Just for grins - here's the Limited Edition Classics list with production numbers:

Year - Caliber - Production Total
1981 - 7x57, 2018 made
1982 - 257R, 6561
1983 - 300 H&H, 5846
1984 - 250 Sav, 5742
1985 - 350 Rem Mag, 5756
1986 - 264 Win Mag, 3468
1987 - 338 Win Mag, 4792
1988 - 35 Whelan, 8805
1989 - 300 Weatherby, 10,779
1990 - 25-06, 6935
1991 - 7mm Weatherby, 3092
1992 - 220 Swift, 7594
1993 - 222 Rem, 2021
1994 - 6.5x55, 3858
1995 - 300 Win Mag, 4232
1996 - 375 H&H, 3102
1997 - 280, 1917
1998 - 8mm Rem Mag, 2133
1999 - 17 Rem, 3022
2000 - 223, 3570
2001 - 7mm-08, 2682
2002 - 221 Fireball, 3567
2003 - 300 Sav, 4036
2004 - 8x57, 2248
2005 - 308, 1479

Cumulative 25 year total: 105,981

Maybe I shouldn't have traded away my 280, one of the lowest number produced!

I've always been curious how the production numbers of each years rifle/cartridge came to be. Was it an arbitrary number Remington decided upon, or was it demand? Or something else entirely?

I had an 8MM Mauser which the chart says was a 2004 model. It was fun to shoot and had .30-30 ballistics with normal off the shelf American ammo, which was good. The kids could shoot it or I could shoot some stout reloads in it was still very comfortable to shoot and had some real power. The trigger needed to be replaced and was never good but I ended up moving on to another project and put it away. If I had a new one today, it would stay in my safe and kept as a collectable. All the 700 Classics are bringing a real hefty price now.

I bought one in 8x57 about 5 minutes after they came out. The 8 mauser is a sentimental favorite of mine. It's been shot a bunch more than it's been hunted in nice weather. The $150 K98 kitchen counter custom I bought years back goes out in the slop.

I have a 1988 Classic .35 Whelen that I traded in a POS M70 .338 Win Mag that wouldn’t shoot. I didn’t even know what a Classic was when I bought it. The first box of 200 gr Core Lokts didn’t shoot well and I thought here we go again. But after about 50 rounds down the barrel, it settled in and shoots 225 gr TBBC and Partitions into sub-Moa groups. I swapped the original stock for a beater BDL stock to keep the original in good shape. Why, I don’t know because I’m not ever selling it. Years of elk hunting has “seasoned” the old BDL stock even more. I wish I’d bought a .300 Savage and 8mm Mauser when they were cheap NIB!

In the late '90s I bought a 700 Clasic in .375 H&H hoping to take it to Africa some day.

I had to fight for it in divorce court in 2000 as she thought she should have it because I bought it while we were married, and she could use it deer hunting. As far as I know she never had or has been deer hunting.

I didn't really like it's stock because it was plain wood and shorter than my LOP. I also don't like irom sights on a scopped rifle, and I thought that I would have it re-chambered to Ackley Improved.

So, without ever firing it, I traded it for a Rem 541-T .22 rimfire, and a few years later bought a stainless Rem 700 BDL in .375 RUM, put it into a laminated stock that fits me, and have taken it to Africa twice and Alaska once.

No wonder there are 300 Weatherby’s for sale all the time. They made a lot

I bought a made in 2000 223 Remington Classic, the screw holes to mount a scope on the reciever were mis drilled at such an angle that mounting a scope base was not possible, I returned it the next day to my LGS and tried to get another........they were sold out nation wide, my LGS traded me into a CZ527 and no regrets

Keep in mind, this list is only the Limited Edition Classics, does not include regular production Classics made from 1978 to 1985?? Not sure of dates.