Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best Years for Remington 700 ?

I have been buying and shooting 700's, both new and used, since 1973. Would have to add it up, but between owning at least at least a couple dozen and shooting a bunch more, there have been quite a few.

The early ones were typically very good, if you accepted stamped checkering and some rebedding to get them to shoot.

I have had excellent luck with the synthetic/matte metal ADL's as far as accuracy is concerned. In fact every one I've shot has been extremely accurate as-is, including a couple I've regretted selling.

There can be problems with ANY factory rifle. I have had a couple of 700's that only had one locking lug contacting its seat. One was in the late 80's and one in the early 90's. Have seen very few bad barrels, but a lot of great ones.

Personally, I don't care nearly as much about fit and finish as function.

The most consistent problems I've heard about came right after the move to North Carolina--which would be normal for a transition like that.

Right now I have one 722 and five 700's, in calibers from .17 to 7mm, all of which shoot really well.

I have 4 700's and all shoot very well.

One was my grandfather's, a 243 ADL he bought used in the early 70's. He used it in New York to kill woodchucks. When I got the rifle, it was covered in 3 decades of his use. Grandpa's rifle still shoots Sierra varminters like one would want.

I have another 243Win. ADL, this one a synthetic, post 2000. It shoots great. I have used it to kill deer. It shot every bullet I loaded sub-moa. A no-frills shooter.

My first bolt-action, a 700 ADL, wood stock 270 Win. I bought it new in 1997. I put an aftermarket pad on this one, the original one was that hard plastic and the rifle had a sharp punch. With the 6X Weaver scope, the rifle weight is perfect for me. I just shoot 130 gr Sierra SPB's out of it.

Finally, a 700P in 300 Win Mag. This rifle is more accurate than me. Shooting clover leafs at 100 yds is routine, and 3oo yard groups under 2.5" are not a problem. I wish I had a range near me to shoot this thing as far as it could shoot. Sadly, there is nothing near College Station that I have found yet.

Anyway, I never had a problem with a 700. I have never sold one, but that is just a few of millions...

Told ya!

Yep.....when you aren't pulling the trigger......

I've owned over 200 of them, from 4-digit SNs to "T" prefix SNs, and have yet to own a "bad" Remington 700. Or, for that matter, a "bad" 7, 40x, 78, 600, 660, 721, 722, 725, or 788. I've never owned a 673, but think that they'd be nice rifles for donor actions, I just can't get over those butt-ugly barrels, with their ventilated ribs and sharkfin front sights.

Without digging up the rifle logs, I know that I've easily fired over 10K rounds through my Remington bolt guns and have yet to have a single round fire when the safety was released.

JEff

same as you in the numbers owned, the shots fired and the safety issue (with the exception of an after market canjer set trigger that was over zealously adjusted )260 guy, but my favorites are the 60's-early 70's..

My new 700ML came in last night. I think the trigger is under 2#. I'm going to have to increase it a bit. I like the fit and finish of some of my earlier 700s but they all shoot great. I've been shooting them since the mid-1960s.

Cool 720 military model BSA!!!!, made in '42 only and given away as trophies
IIRC it was the only "sporting" rifle made during the war.

And here I thought it was a Remington model 30.

Based on my recently acquired 700 Classic .35 Whelen, 1988 was certainly a good year. My 700 Classic .30-06 is a shooter from the 80's as well.

My M788 and the 2 M600 Mohawks(one now gone)indicate that the 70's were good years.

I recently bought a M700 SS SPS DM in .308 that is still too new to judge. So far, it does not match my Stevens 200 or my Tikka T3 Lite,which are also fairly new.

I have 8 Remingtons from the sixty,s through the last year, and have one on order. I perfer the 60,s to mid 70,s. I have never had one that would not shoot an 1" MOA. My favorite is a 60,s 243 BDL sporterized model I use for ground hogs. I took it to a the range with a friend recently and he could not get over the way the gun looked. The only problem it has ever had was the scope went bad(cloudy up)last year.

Agreed, the 1960's up to mid 70's.

I've owned over 20 Remingtons from each decade. Every one shot under MOA with only a trigger job.

They are just as good and better than ever.

Though the Sako A7 now has my attention.

When did Cerberus buy and ultimately sell Remington? Didn't the sale take place after the Sandy Hook shootings?

Not sure when they bought Remington. Anyone else have thoughts on the Cerberus era???

a good friend of mine ,father worked in the custom shop for years and had sadly noted how things were done and picked out versus the years before his retirement ,shame on ANY company who tries to live on their credentials without following through on current production

Other thougts on the Cerberus years regarding quality of production and accuracy.

I ask because I am looking at one produced in 2009.

Thanks,

Any of them made 1946-2006 when the trigger was redesigned.

Guns made after 1982? with the modified safety that allows the bolt to be opened while in the fire position are far less likely to do this, but the trigger is still the same.

I had a 700 mountain rifle that neither I or my brother could get to shoot consistently under 2 inches. I tried all my tricks and then sent it to my brother who redid most all my work and then some. Sold the rifle to an individual who insisted he would be able to get it to shoot, never heard back.

I believe the early model short action Titaniums are the best rifles they ever built as far as function goes.

June of 1988 is considered the absolute high water mark of quality for Remington Model 700 rifles. And since the left handed rifles were assigned to be produced by the top employees at Remington, they are considered the creme de la creme of the breed. D'Arcy Echols and David Miller have noted ruefully that they wished they could build rifles as fine as the left hand Model 700's produced by Remington in June of 1988.



By sheer coincidence, I happen to have a LH Model 700 FS produced in June of 1988 listed in the classifieds here...

The best 700's are the pre-62's.