Popularity of Remington 700?

The strength and adaptability for the M-700 action can never overemphasized, especially when dealing with high pressure cartridges. I'm always interested in in new calibers, especially experimental concepts and wildcats, and often have test rifles built for experimenting with them. The nature of such testing frequently goes well beyond what would normally be considered safe pressure levels. Which is why I use only M-700 actions, both long and short, for testing new calibers. In addition to their strength, barrel fitting is quick and positive, and with a good quality test barrel installed and fitted with a heavy HS target stock the 700 action a safe and accurate test vehicle. Here are a couple such test rifles on long and short 700 actions, and a rack of similar rifles built for testing various calibers..

Offfhand said:

The strength and adaptability for the M-700 action can never overemphasized, especially when dealing with high pressure cartridges. I'm always interested in in new calibers, especially experimental concepts and wildcats, and often have test rifles built for experimenting with them. The nature of such testing frequently goes well beyond what would normally be considered safe pressure levels. Which is why I use only M-700 actions, both long and short, for testing new calibers. In addition to their strength, barrel fitting is quick and positive, and with a good quality test barrel installed and fitted with a heavy HS target stock the 700 action a safe and accurate test vehicle. Here are a couple such test rifles on long and short 700 actions, and a rack of similar rifles built for testing various calibers..View attachment 931549 View attachment 931550

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Looks like you have room for one more, or are you like a buddy of mine who built a similar rack in a walk-in gun room with pegs to hold the rifles and as he bought a new gun, would add another peg, so his wife didn't catch on.

Legionnaire said:

We are not bad influence. We are enablers.

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Yes......we only steer you in the right, and true, direction in your pursuit of the long gun...we just fail to explain that its a never ending pursuit and your right, and my direction, maybe dont intersect exactly.......Either way, buy another gun, youll thank us later....maybe.....

If you don't otherwise change the barrel profile, you might need to relieve the channel just in front of the recoil lug to provide space for the barrel nut, but then again, I've had some fit with no modification.

I have a BDL purchased new in mid 70s that is a very nice and accurate gun, the shop I purchased it from replaced the trigger and helped get it dialed in. I purchased a 783 to hunt with so I didn't have to take it in the woods. I picked up a 700 in 223 for my grandson from Walmart that shoots great and he loves it. I have a 770 that was $150 with scope that shoots well and I don't care if it gets scratches. I think Remington made cheaper bolt actions relying on the reputation of the 700.

There is a reason that some many Custom Action manufacturers make Remington 700 Clone actions. Once you have used on of the custom clones, you will appreciate the difference in cost, but it is still based on a 700 action which is probably the best overall bolt action rifle action of all times.

Bob

rkittine said:

There is a reason that some many Custom Action manufacturers make Remington 700 Clone actions.

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Heck, some of them don't even use clones!

I've got a RW Hart "Custom Factory Rifle". They took a R700 straight from Remington, pulled it apart, set the barrel back, recut the chamber, recut the muzzle, threaded it, added a muzzle break, blue printed the action, tuned the trigger, put it all back together with a very nice finish and dropped it in a very nice fiberglass stock.

It's an absolutely great shooting rifle (mines in 308win) that I got second hand for a STEAL.

marksman13 said:

I own a Ruger American in 223 that is the worst shooting rifle I have ever owned in my life and I’ve had a bunch of rifles pass through my hands.

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I'd put my mossberg patriot in 300 mag against it anyday Lol

I have several Remington 700s. All nice guns BDL. CDL deluxe etc. About half are pretty lackluster performers.

crestoncowboy said:

I'd put my mossberg patriot in 300 mag against it anyday Lol

I have several Remington 700s. All nice guns BDL. CDL deluxe etc. About half are pretty lackluster performers.

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I’ve heard pretty mixed reviews on the newer Mossberg bolt actions. Kinda like the Ruger Americans. People either love them or hate them with no in between. I’m pretty solidly in the “hate them” camp.

3Crows said:

I guess that is the question that initiated this thread. What makes it the best overall bolt action of all times? It does not have controlled feed, it does not have a locking bolt and it does have a strange bit of a safety? But thanks to this thread I can see beyond those things as to why it is so popular. It is the deep aftermarket that attracts me to the 700 because frankly, the Axis II is an equal rifle except that it does not and likely never will support a huge aftermarket, that niche is occupied by the 700. And it seems that the 700 was the first of the type and from that grew the aftermarket as a result. And that may qualify it as the best action/rifle for those who love to modify and customize.

Are the parts from the Bergara rifles interchangeable with the Remington 700 rifles?

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The 700 as originally designed DID have a locking bolt. As i understand it, the locking bolt feature was removed as a "safety" improvement, do to the propensity for people to shoot each other when taking the safety off and the trigger failing.


Bergaras b-14 uses the 700 foot print, bottom metal, scope mounts, magazines, and receiver/barrel threading.
Ive never tried to swap a b-14/700 trigger, so dont know about that.
The stocks are marginally different as the B-14 uses a bolt release on the side of the action rather than as part of the trigger assembly.
The bolts are not interchangeable, and neither are the bolt internals (at least as a whole, you might be able to swap springs and or pins, but the bolt shrouds threads are different). The bolt and breach end of the barrel are also coned, rather than the protruding nose of the 700s bolt, and recess of the 700s barrel.

To be fair I dont LIKE the Axis, and WANT to argue that the Edge/Axis series is NOT an equal rifle to the 700, but in function and effect there isnt really that much differences anymore between the bargain guns and anything short of a specialty or custom rifle.
If your happy with your Axis 2, then theres really little functional difference. Also the Axis shares enough parts with the 110, and has enough aftermarket support to do nearly anything with it you can with a 700, you just dont have as many options to do it.

Legionnaire said:

It has been around a long time. It set a standard early as a solid hunting rifle capable of good out-of-the box accuracy, and surged in popularity with the introduction of the 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge in the early 1960s. It has been around long enough now that, as you point out, it has lots of aftermarket support. The basic action is a proven design; many custom actions are built on the same footprint. Take a look at Bergara's Premier series. The action is basically an upgraded Remington 700. So you have a classic (you can find excellent condition early models that shoot very well) with staying power (lots of custom guns are built on trued 700 actions).

I am sorry for Remington's corporate problems. They have also made many stupid market decisions over the years (should have offered faster-twist barrels for a number of cartridges, for example). They had issues with some triggers. But the basic 700 action just plain works. And it's hard to argue the appeal of a 1970s era walnut stocked BDL.

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Over the years, more target/benchrest rifles have been made using Remington actions than about any other. I've made-up some fantastic-shooting varmint and hunting rifles using barreled actions, and still have five of my own. (BTW - this range reminds me of one near Daytona, FL that I used to shoot at when visiting my buddy who was a Snow-Bird. When one person fired, the whole line of about 20 benches vibrated!)

Over the years, I've been surprised and discouraged about how little some big-box firearm-counter "experts" know about guns, but many will try to impress people who know less, (or often more) than they do. It's a good thing that those stores don't buy/sell used guns, or those people would have a greater chance to endanger the public.

I've never seen a need for a 700.





But that is mainly because I have a 721 in .30-06 that still gets the job done.

3Crows said:

I guess that is the question that initiated this thread. What makes it the best overall bolt action of all times?

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marksman13 said:

I’ve heard pretty mixed reviews on the newer Mossberg bolt actions. Kinda like the Ruger Americans. People either love them or hate them with no in between. I’m pretty solidly in the “hate them” camp.

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What do you “hate” about the Mossbergs in particular?

I personally have only handled a few of them - few and far between over the last several years - and have only fired a few rounds through any of them. I catch myself, I don’t care for Mossberg, in general, but I think it’s largely an unsubstantiated personal bias, because the Mossberg rifles I have handled and shot have been good rifles. But I can’t bring myself to recommend them, and certainly not to buy one.

LoonWulf said:

The 700 as originally designed DID have a locking bolt. As i understand it, the locking bolt feature was removed as a "safety" improvement

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Yup, nobody likes that “make the rifle less safe in the process of trying to make it MORE safe” thing that happens when you have a two position safety which locks the bolt. How the 1911 slide lock safety has persisted as long as it has is often a mystery to me.

But considering the list of attributes @3Crows suggested, I can say there’s nothing which should require a bolt locking safety or controlled round feeding as necessary attributes to define a “best” rifle. Frankly, more often than not, I would consider controlled round feed to be a detrimental attribute for my rifle use - and locking bolts, eh, I’m fully ambivalent, but prefer less movement to manipulate the safety, and typical 3 position safeties require more movement away from a shooting position than the Remington 2 position safety.

I’m in the camp of not buying a Remington today or beyond. We’ve already played more than a decade of equity scavenging games, and their filing this week for bankruptcy protection (second in as many years) without a known/identified creditor to take over the company, I simply don’t see a favorable end to this pattern, and don’t see any reason to buy a Rem over other options. Going custom, I’m buying custom actions, going factory, I’m buying Ruger or Savage over Remington today.

Varminterror said:

... I simply don’t see a favorable end to this pattern, and don’t see any reason to buy a Rem over other options. Going custom, I’m buying custom actions, going factory, I’m buying Ruger or Savage over Remington today.

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I agree if buying new. I remain a sucker for good deals on second-hand Remington 700s or Sevens.

Legionnaire said:

I agree if buying new. I remain a sucker for good deals on second-hand Remingtons, 700s or Sevens.

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I’m feeling it right now... There are close out deals around on Rem 700’s, and I’m tempted to go buy about 5 of them in 223, 243, and 6.5 creed with the excuse of letting my son, niece, and nephew have a handful of short stocked options to choose from - with the intention of shooting only factory ammo to save (my) time, but still facilitate their shooting. Luckily, cooler logic has prevailed so far and I’ve not ran out of the house with cash in my fists... yet...

Remington brought out the Model 700 in 1962, and two years later Winchester trashed the Model 70. A lot of people hated the new Model 70 and gravitated to the Model 700 as a result.

When Carolos Hathcock set up the Marine sniper program, he chose the Model 70 Winchester, but wanted the pre-64 version. Winchester said "no deal" and lost that market. Remington said, "Yessir, yessir, three bags full!" and became the US sniper rifle by default.

I bought a 700 ADL in 1972. It was my only centerfire rifle for many many years and still shoots great. I’ve been thinking since yesterday about the reason why I purchased a 700 as opposed to another brand. I don’t remember why. I was in uncharted because everyone in my family shot Winchester Model 94’s, 1903 Springfields or Lee Enfields. The 1903 and Enfields were not Sporterized in the least.

My criteria was that the rifle be new and bolt action. New Model 70’s were of course push feed at the time but that didn’t factor in my decision-I had never heard of push feed or CRF. So the only thing I can come up with is price and I didn’t care for the looks of Savage 10/110’s.

The rifle has been great and I prefer blind magazines and the reason for preferring them may be because of familiarity.

I fervently hope Remington survives because competition is good for the consumer.

I, like the OP do not subscribe to the theory that firearms sold by companies such as Walmart are of lesser quality.

Sistema1927 said:

I've never seen a need for a 700.





But that is mainly because I have a 721 in .30-06 that still gets the job done.

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The 721 is a fine rifle. Made stronger than the 700, but heavier, it seems. I modified my grandson's at his father's request, for Christmas. The rifle belonged to his other grandfather who passed away and it was given to my son's family. He bought a new stock, scope, mounts, and sling and brought it to me to put together for his son's Christmas present. Lots of history and he killed a deer with it last year.

Yes, the 700 may not be "best" by many standards, but it is irrefutably iconic ... something today's value rifles, good as they are, will never be.