Remington Model 700 - Review

Go on. Admit it. You want a precision rifle. For hunting. Target practice. Picking off zombies from your bedroom window. Does it really matter why? No. The only thing that matters is how much. A well-sorted precision rifle with pillar bedding, free-floated barrel, high quality bases and rings and killer optics will melt your credit card faster than a butane blowtorch. Alternatively, you can scratch that itch for Old School Cool with a Remington Model 700 . With a few odds and ends, you can built a precision setup that will exceed your shooting capabilities (in a good way) without breaking the bank. 

The Remington Model 700 series is the all-time best selling line of bolt action sporting rifles in the world. They were an immediate hit when introduced in 1962 and have never looked back. The Model 700 has also become the favored action of many custom rifle builders.

The Model 700 action was designed for ease of manufacture, given the manufacturing technology of the early 1960's, and uses a round action machined from bar stock, a plunger ejector in the bolt face and a sort of circlip in the bolt face that snaps over the rim of a chambered cartridge to extract the fired brass. The bolt face is recessed to enclose the base of the cartridge, which is also surrounded by the chamber end of the barrel and the front receiver ring. The cartridge head is thus circled by three rings of steel, much as with the Weatherby Mark V action, and this fact was not overlooked by the Remington advertising department.

Traditionalists considered these cost cutting innovations "cheap," but the customers responded in droves to the undeniable good looks of the Model 700 ADL and BDL rifles themselves. They were among the best looking hunting rifles ever introduced and the stock design handled recoil very well, which made them pleasant to shoot. The two position safety (back for "safe" and forward for "fire") at the rear of the action is easy to operate; it used to lock the bolt (to prevent inadvertent opening in the field) as well as the trigger, but the former feature has been eliminated. They were also hell for strong and very accurate. An excellent user-adjustable trigger with the exceptionally fast lock time of 3.0 milliseconds complemented the inherent accuracy of the new rifles.

Remington got a leg up on the market because in 1964 Winchester introduced a revised version of their famous Model 70 rifle--really a new action--also designed for easier manufacture, that pleased practically no one. The new Model 70 was actually a good action, but the stock design, barrel bedding, checkering, and so forth left a lot to be desired. Many previous Winchester customers turned to the sharp looking Model 700 from Remington.

The Model 700 has evolved with the market place and today it is available in a bewildering array of models. Some are pretty plain and some are bespoke rifles turned out to special order in Remington's Custom Gun Shop. Model 700 barreled actions are made from carbon or stainless steel, with matte or polished finishes, and stocked in solid walnut, laminated wood, and synthetic materials. They come in a variety of barrel lengths and contours and for a wide range of cartridges. The constant (at least for the centerfire rifles) is the Model 700 action itself, the heart of every Model 700 rifle.

Over the years, the walnut stocked BDL has been available in more calibers than any other Model 700 variation. in 2005 the list included .17 Rem., .222 Rem., .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., .280 Rem., 7mm Rem. Mag., 7mm Ultra Mag, .308 Win., .30-06 Spfd., .300 Win. Mag., .300 Ultra Mag, .338 Win. Mag., .338 Ultra Mag and .375 Ultra Mag, but by 2008 the list had been significantly reduced in favor of the newer Model 700 CDL.

One of the neatest Model 700's is the Mountain Rifle LSS. The Mountain Rifle LSS is a deluxe model that features a stainless steel barreled action with a slim profile 22" barrel and a slender, modern classic style, laminated hardwood stock. It is what Remington refers to as a "Specialty" rifle. Remington literature says that the Model 700 Mountain Rifle is designed for wilderness or high country pack-in hunts that involve rigorous hiking.

In the Remington world, "LSS" signifies a rifle with laminated wood stock and stainless steel metal parts. The internal magazine has a hinged floor plate with a trigger guard mounted release. The stock is stained a medium walnut brown color. The barreled action is made from satin finished 416 stainless steel. It is a good looking rifle that stops just this side of being gaudy--a line that other stainless/laminated rifles often, unfortunately, cross to their detriment. The stock has a tough synthetic finish to protect it from the elements. It also has a black forearm tip, a black pistol grip cap, a solid rubber butt pad and studs for detachable sling swivels. It is checkered in a generous and deeply laser cut point pattern that wraps completely around the forearm. Calibers offered in 2008 are .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, 7mm-08 and .30-06.

Remington Model 700 rifles have always had an excellent reputation for accuracy and that has been my experience with them. To this day the deluxe models remain among the best shooting and nicest looking production rifles on the market.