New Marlin XS7 vs Used Remington 700

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faster4whl

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Ok so I've decided to buy my first centerfire rifle. I went deer hunting last weekend with my 20 gauge and some slugs, but I wasn't comfortable taking a shot at deer when they were 75 yards out. I want to spend around $500 for a decent rifle and scope. So I go to my local gunshop and they have a Used Remiington 700 BDL 270win, with a leupold scope. They want $525, probably can buy for like $475-500. They also have the Marlin XS7 in different calibers for $330. The Remington has been used and the wood stock has some scratches, but it is going to be used as a hunting rifle anyway. So I don't know what to do. But the Remington 700 with a Leupold scope, two of the best thing you can get. Or get a Marlin XS7 and a decent Simmons or Nikon Scope, will be just as accurate and is new. What would be the best thing?
 
The overiding factor for me would be caliber. If you want or don't mind a .270 then fine. I you really wanted a different caliber buy the new XS7 in that caliber. (or XL)

I like the 700 and really have not handled the XS7 much. So I am not much help there. I am not overly loyal to brands. Leupold does not get me all wound up, but the warranty is rock solid from all accounts. You could do a lot worse. What Leupold?

Maybe you can play out the shop a little more on the 700. Go with your gut/heart/head as to what you want.
 
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Yeah, I'm trying to figure out what caliber to. I was between the 243, 270, and 308. The Marlin is a lite gun so I would stick to the 243 with it. But if I did get the Remington I would ever need another deer rifle because the 700 is trusted and a warrenty on the Leupold. I don't know which one so probably a VXI. I cycled them both and with the Remington being used its smoother now. They also had a Savage with a Simmons Scope, the accutrigger model but it was $560. I'm going to Dicks maybe today to see what they have and prices. Is the 270 that bad of recoil with 130grains? I shot 11 slugs the other day out of the shotgun with no problem.
 
As far as recoil:
A lot depends on fit and being on the gun as opposed to being held haphazardly. I do find rifle recoil seems sharper and shotguns are more rolling. Weight of a rifle is also a factor.
In a limited # of shots I would say .270 is not a big deal. I don't know about 50 plus rounds in one sitting though. I have shot 66 rounds of .308 in a short time and it is very doable. However that was in a 700 with some weight to it.
I do have both .270 and .308. The big advantage is .30 has more bullet availability. .308 is also F class T/R legal and match rounds are readily available. A .30/06 may be a consideration for long action.

Check out Weatherby Vangaurd, Savage Tikka CZ and maybe that will help. I am a big fan of used guns if the situation is right.
 
Yeah I don't think recoil is going to be to big of a concern. Ammo is to expensive to be shooting to much, so 10 shots to a box would be the maximum. I think the best thing to do is find out Monday whats the least he will take for it and go from their. Whats a good price for a Remington 700 BDL, with a Leupold VXI scope? The wood stock has some scrathes and it has been shot.
 
The Leupold VX-I really isn't that great of a scope so I'd not base my decision on that. Id getting a Leupold I'd only get a VX-II or better and the Vari X II is not the same as the VX-II infact it is a lot closer to the VX-I. That being said it would be a tough choice for me on the rifle. BTW Walmart has those Savage packages with the accu trigger and Simmons scope for under $400. If it was me that is what I would get.
 
Depending upon the age, the Remmy is probably a nicer rifle, but I don't care for the .270Win. and wouldn't mind saving the extra cash to put into good optics (You didn't say which Leupy...I don't care for sub-VX-3s, though VX-IIs are tolerable). With the information provided, I would go with the new Marlin.

BTW, if you are just using the rifle for deer the .270Win. is probably a bit more than you need anyway. The 7mm-08Rem. (or even the little .243Win. if local deer are fairly small) would be my choice...smaller, lighter, and with less recoil.

:)
 
I think you should buy the Remington. I have a model 700 in 270 and it is an very accurate rifle with factory ammo, I don't buy into the bullet availability case unless you are an avid reloader, fact is most rifles will shoot one bullet weight best, Yes you can shoot 110 & 220 grain bullets from a 30-06 but why would you want to unless you cannot afford another rifle.The 270 with either 130 or 150 grain bullets covers much of the worlds game.
 
Yeah the 243 will put them down, but I got a buddy that hunts with one now. He keeps telling me I need something bigger and hes looking also. He has shot multiple deer with it but he just says something bigger would be a whole lot easier. I am still thinking about the 243 though because this being my first rifle I don't want something I'm scared of.
 
Still need to know conditions (range, terrain, type of hunting, et cetera) and the size of deer we are talking about. If they are small deer as found in the deep south, a .243Win. is sufficient, if we are talking about bigger deer I prefer a bigger cartridge (.260Rem. or larger).

:)
 
I used to have your friends attitude about a 243. I just thought for deer that it wasn't enough rifle. Then a few guys I hunt with got them and talked about how much they loved them. Next thing I knew they were dropping every deer they shot at. I even helped skin one shot with a 95 grain Hornady SST. To put it simply I was amazed at the damage done. Two of these guys had been using .270's but liked the 243s a lot more. I had to try one out and I instantly fell in love. It had light recoil and was super accurate. I found I could shoot it much more accurately than larger rifles as it was soo much more pleasant to shoot. I just went into it with my mind made up that a 243 sucked but it really changed my opinion after seeing it in action. Not often that happens when I'm looking for the negatives in something.
 
I took 20+ deer with a .243 win, then moved up to a .270 when the cheap WWorld ammo started blowing up and failing to penetrate. THe OP said he had a $$$ problem with ammo, if I were using a .243 win, I'd have to shoot the $40 a box premium ammo.

With the .270 win, the 130 grn stuff completely penetrates unless you hit the shoulder.

then I would check out the remmy's trigger and safety to make sure no problems...
 
The 243 will indeed kill whitetail...BUT you wont anchor a deer with 100% reliability on with a hard quartering shot, or an azz shot, you'll have to 'pick' your shot with a little more zeal than if you where toting something like a 308, 7mm-08, 270 or the most excellent 30-06.
 
What I meant by bullet availability was bullet availability not ammo availability.
.270 is a bit more limited in bullet choices compared to .30. Yes, it is more of a reloader thing but with the .30 you are wide open if you ever start reloading. Admittedly a lot of those bullets would not be hunting bullets. It just has more options if your interest change.

FWIW I got my 700 for $500 with scope, rings and base. It also had an extra stock and trigger plus brass and dies. This was from an individual, not a store. So check some local sources if at all possible. Deals some times take a bit more time. I would have bought a new Savage but ran across the Remmy.

The .270 I have is a Vaguard and am very pleased with it.
 
Ok so today my dad saw his buddy and he brought over his Remington 770 in 30-06 that he wants to sell me. I've handled it and it seems decent, bolt is a little tough but it would do the job. It has a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40 scope and is basically a new gun with very little shot. I'm buying it tomorrow I think for $350. I consider this a good deal because the scope and rings and bases are prolly $250-300 alone. Any input on this??
 
OK I have owned alot of rifles including the XS7. My overall score for that rifle is am 8 out of 10. Great for an inexpensive gun, fit and finnish are a little rough, and they are not as rust resistant as I though, I was constantly brushing off thin surface rust. The barrel is not free floated like the savages so I have to deduct a point there, although at the range it shot just like a savage as long as I kept the barrel teps low :) I usualy shot about right around an inch with factory core locks, no complaints here. The stock was kinna cheap but the egronomics were good, not X-Bolt good but nice. The trigger was built to copy the accutrigger and it did just that. Overall I don't regret my purchce at all, but I am so thrilled with my Tikka T3 Stainless that it is hard to compare anything else except the X-Bolt stainless stalker of course.
If you are hunting deer and smaller game do not fall into the magnum trap, there is absolutly no need for 7mm/300 mag speeds or energy for deer hunting, so don't let your friends sucker you into that. 308,7mm-08, 270,6.5x55, 260rem, 257 Roberts,25-06, and 30-06 will cover all your hunting needs and then some.
 
I'd stay away from the 770. Heard lots of complaints on them. A friend has one and despises it. There's a reason he wants to get rid of an "almost new" scoped rifle for only $35

Marlin XL7, Tikka T3, Stevens Model 200 in any of the popular calibers.
 
Any input on this??
Stay away...run! If you want to buy the scope from him so be it, but i'd steer clear of the Rem. 770. The older 700s are bounds better as is the Marlin. Even a newer 700 is much better than the 770 (as it should be).

:)
 
All a bit hard choosing. But the ammo cost thing should not be a big deal? Graf & Son usually has a nice selection of Prvi Partizan in the basic calibers like 308, 30-06, etc. for under $20 a box. Whatever rifle you buy, you will need to spend time at the range or in the woods getting used to it. You'll need to put 50 odd rounds through it over a few sessions in all hunting positions (prone, sitting, kneeling, standing off-hand) to really know how it will feel and fit in the field.

Me, I'd be looking for a 308 used or new because of the wealth of inexpensive ammo. 243 is a very nice caliber to shoot, but ... 270 in heavier bullet weights can kick, but a good recoil pad, or recoil absorber tube in the stock can tame that quite a bit. 06 will usually kick harder. I just think a 308 is a good compromise as it's pretty easy to feed from any store and on-line ammo is pretty cost effective - I just bought around $100 worth and am happy for the next few months :)
 
I would run not walk away from that Remington 770. They are huge pieces of ****. The scope on it should be a good scope, but the rifle will suck. The 770's are basically a throw away gun. What I mean by that is if something breaks on it, you basically throw it away as many parts the barrel included aren't made to be changed. You'd be 1000x better off with a Marlin XL-7 or one of the Savage Model 10's from Wallyworld for $400. The 770's, 710's, and 715's are all guns to stay away from. While there model number may seem close to that of the 700, it's not the same or anywhere near as good of quality. The most I'd ever give for any of those Remington models would be $150. I might would give $200 if I really wanted that scope on it, but that's it. No way in hell I'd ever consider giving $350 for it even with that scope. You can get a ton better gun for $350-400.

As for the rings, what rings are they? They are probably the cheap crappy factory package deal ones. If so, they are crap anyway and you could pick a set up for $6 or so. As for the scope, they probably run around $200 new, but at the same time Dicks as well as several other stores have had the Nikon Monarch on sale for $199 recently which is a ton better scope. You can also find the Buckmasters used sometimes and get them for even cheaper. Or the Vortex Vipers which would also be a better choice and right now you can get a 2-7x33 on clearance for $175 through Camerlandny.com. The Buckmasters is a good scope, but nothing that's super great and nothing that's a $300 scope. Plus you have to figure it's used now. So even though it may have been $200 new it's no longer a $200 scope. The only scopes I've seen that really hold their value very well is Leupolds and even they don't sell used for new prices. For example Nikon Prostaffs go for about $150-160 new. Yet I bought one used in great shape for $80 and I've seen several others in the $100 price range. That's just to give you an example of how optics drop. I will also point out that Cabela's has the Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 with the Nikkoplex reticle on clearance for $99 which is a pretty good deal for a pretty good scope. I normally wouldn't recommend the Prostaff as while it's a good scope, you can get a lot better for not much if any more when it's in it's normal price range. However, at $100 I'm not sure I can think of anything that comes close. The Burris FFII is tons better, and can be found for around $150 new quite often on eBay, so compared to the Prostaff at it's normal price the FFII is the way to go. However, at $100, they can't really be compared.
 
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I won a Remington 770 and I like it so much I never fired a shot out of it yet! The gun looks and feels cheap.

I picked up a new Stevens 200 in 300 win mag for 310.00 out the door. I only shot 14 shots out of it but it shoots really well. The stock is cheap but it doesn't hurt the performance any. That would give you around 190.00 for rings, bases and a scope. Just a thought!
 
Another thing to consider is resale value. Seems like the Remington 770's and 710's just don't sell very easily, and when they do it's usually for super cheap. They have such a bad reputation that most people just don't want them. It will go down in value fast. Where as something like a nice Remington 700 or Savage or anything like that will pretty much hold it's value and sometimes even go up as long as you don't beat the tar out of it or anything like that.
 
I won a Remington 770 and I like it so much I never fired a shot out of it yet!
Good decision...stave off the disappointment for as long as possible. ;) Though I would probably drop it off at the local GS to give some other poor b-**** that opportunity.

:)
 
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