Remington 770 capabilities

[Dr. Sandman]

I strongly suspect that a deluge of anti 770 posts is about to spring forth, but I still have a question for the community. For those that shoot or have shot a Remington 770, what kind of groups can you expect at 100 yards?

I have a friend with whom I am going hunting. The trip is in 2 weeks. Inexplicably, he owns a middle to low end night vision scope which requres a standard weaver mount. He has no gun and not very much money or time. I suspect that he would use this gun to hunt with once or twice a year. He is not a serious shooter.

Our local Wal-Mart has a 770 in stock in 30-06 with the correct rail already in place. It's just under $300.

I'm thinking of suggesting that he look into the 770, but I need to know that it can at least get a reasonble group at 100 yards.

Who here has experience with these?

 

[Armed 24/7]

I shot a friends 770 in 30-06 about a year ago. I had a crappy rest, a rolled up jacket on the hood of a truck. Even in the high wind and with the bad rest it was 1.5 to two inches as 100 yards. Plenty accurate enough for hunting.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

The best my 770 ever shot was a 1.5 inch group at 100 yards. I sold that pile and got something of better quality. If all he wants is a rifle that will work then the 770 fits that bill.

 

[jmr40]

They shoot OK and will work for the intended use. The once or twice a year hunter is what they are designed for. It is long term value and reliability that are the problem. If he decides to upgrade in the future their resale value is next to nothing. If anything wears out or breaks it is cheaper to throw it away and buy another than fix it.

I won't say "don't buy it". Just do so understanding what you are getting.

I will say that Walmart also carries the Ruger American rifle for just a little more. It is a much better choice. Even the Savage Axis, which I don't like much better, is a better rifle for about the same. In fact there are a LOT of sub $400 rifles that are a LOT better, including most anything used. They will also retain most of their value and be worth something down the road if he decides to sell or trade it.

Look at it this way. Buy a $300 rifle today that is worth $150 used and only decrease in value over time. Or pay $350-$400 for a much better rifle that will be worth $300-$350 used and may well be worth $500-$600 ten years down the road. Which is the better value?


The 770 does not come with a picatinny rail. It comes with a 1 piece Weaver mount. The Ruger comes with 2 piece Weaver mounts. Anything that will fit on one will fit on the other.

 

[jakk280rem]

Not what you asked but here goes anyway: your friend will be better served with a H&R handi rifle and a new redfield scope for about the same price than a 770 with low end night vision scope. totally my opinion and one probably not shared by many.

Edit: I'm sorry for my post. I generally refrain from going off script when answering a post, but friends don't let friends buy Remington 770's.

 

[conrad427]

My dad won a 770 in 7mm mag. It seems to be a pretty good rifle and shoots about an inch, sometimes a little more sometimes less. Does not seem to be anything wrong with it.

It is true that other companies make low priced rifles as well, Ruger, Mossberg, Savage ect. ect. Would buying any of them as an investment with the idea that they might increase in value be a good idea?

If Winchester starts making an economy rifle I will stop buying factory rifles, especially if it has the goofy trigger.

 

[LeonCarr]

If you using low end night vision you probably won't be able to see much past 100 yards at night.

A buddy hunts with a Remington 710 in .270, which is the older brother of the 770, and his rifle averages about 1.5 inches at 100 yards. He has shot a deer with it every year for the past 6 six years and four of them have dropped at the shot.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[WVRJ]

I've shot a 770 in 243 and another in 30-06.The 06 was terrible with 165 grain Federal factory,barely able to keep 3 shots on 6 inches.150 grain loads were better,3 into about 2 inches was the best it would do,this off the benchrest in my back yard on sandbags and a Caldwell Rock BR rest.The 243 was a bit better,in the 1.5 bracket with 100 gr. Remington factory ammo.The two rifles had some things in common.Both had heavy,nasty triggers and both actions felt like they had been assembled on a stone quarry workbench.Gritty and rough would be understatements.I have owned and shot a good number of 700's,788's,722's and 7's in the past 35 or so years,and none of them were as bad as those 770's.I'm with some of the other guys,a quality rifle will lose little if any of its value over time,whereas a budget weapon will.I would much rather have a used 700 ADL,even if it cost more.I could at least improve it in time with the vast array of 700 parts out there.Trying to improve a 770 would be closely akin to polishing a turd.

 

[natman]

There's a reason Remington stopped making 770s. Poor accuracy is on the bottom of a very long list of shortcomings.

From all accounts accuracy has been acceptable. At least everybody who owns one and is desperate to find some reason to justify buying it mentions it.

 

[nastynatesfish]

I had one in 243. It shot pretty decent after working the trigger down some in it and a short load development. I ran 85gr smk with imr4097ssc. It would hold under 1". I gave it to my brother in law for a rough use varmint rifle. If buy a Stevens 200 or axis before the 770. Just on function. The bolt kinda scares me on the 770. A Stevens can be had for 325 a used savage for the same

 

[Vol46]

I have one in 7 mm Rem Mag ( impulse buy at Wally World) - had a little trigger work done because the trigger was very rough, and replaced the cheap scope that was on it with one I had laying around, but even before the trigger job it shot around an inch at 100 yards with cheap factory Federal 150 grain. It does better than that after the trigger work with my handloads. It is a little bulky, a little heavy, the bolt feels loose & ill fitting, but the darned thing shoots about as well as any gun I have. I use it for a truck gun because it wouldn't bother me much if it got damaged or stolen.

 

[godale]

didnt know they quit makeing the 770. thought they were using the 783 as a gap filler between the 770 and 700

 

[Mr. T]

I don't have any experience with the 770, but my brother bought it's predecessor the 710 in .270Win.
It came with a cheaper scope already mounted on it; All totaled it came in at $302 after tax. It is the biggest piece of crap we've ever tried to sight in. I think he's spent more than $200 in ammunition trying to find a load that it might like to no avail; best groups we could get out of it are between 3.5" and 4" at 100 yards. Remington in my mind has gone to S_H_I_T_E in a hand basket with regards to what they are selling the public. I say that being a former HUGE Remington fan. I bought a used Model 700 with a scope on it at a local gun store for $300; that gun also is in .270Win. I have yet to find a load that it won't drive tacks with. The gun looked like it came right out of the box....not a spot or scratch on it...the action smooth as silk...the trigger is one of the best I've ever squeezed on a gun. I would recommend your friend try to find something similar. All together I own 5 different Remington products....that were mostly purchased more than 15 to 20 years ago with the exception of the used model 700 I spoke of earlier. In my mind Remington has cheapened their production methods and eliminated any kind of finishing standards altogether. A hunting companion of mine recently purchased a "new" model 700 and even that was a POS compared to the used model 700 that I bought on consignment. The action on the "new" gun was so rough that it sounded like someone had dumped sand into the action...and it felt about like that also. On another note, it too had accuracy issues....2" groups at 100 yards....compared to the Sub MOA that I was getting out of my used gun. At the time we were sighting our guns in prior to the upcoming deer season....long story short.... he offered me $800 and again offered $900 for the gun that I paid $300 for. I turned him down obviously....and it's one of the finest guns I own.

 

[herrwalther]

If I had no rifle to hunt with and about 400 dollars to buy everything I needed, I would get a Mosin 91/30, some ammo, some mineral spirits, and still have 200 left over. I had a 770 and it was rife with problems. Shot 4 or 5" groups at 100 shooting from a typical kneeling hunting pose. Had very rough feedramps to the point I had to hit the bolt to feed a FACTORY round using 2 or 3 different brands. Gritty trigger, plastic (not a fan) triggerguard, too much plastic overall to save weight or money. Poor quality scope that I wouldn't use much past target shooting let alone a night hunt. The 770 is the reason why I will never buy a "budget" rifle. AVOID.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I have limited, yet not anecdotal, experience with the 770. In the time I had access to it on range trips, I was underwhelmed accuracy wise.

The gent who owned said rifle sold it for a marginal profit. I talked him into the mildly costlier Ruger American.

It is a vastly, and I mean vastly, more superior rifle in terms of accuracy, trigger, and features offered.

 

[natman]

didnt know they quit makeing the 770. thought they were using the 783 as a gap filler between the 770 and 700

I must confess that I assumed the 783 was a replacement for the 770. The possibility that it would be a supplement to the 770 never crossed my mind. To have TWO budget rifles AND the vastly superior Marlin X7 under the Remington umbrella would be strange, even by the bizarre standards of Remington's marketing department.

Unfortunately Remington's website is notoriously out of date. Remington's 2014 catalog will be out soon. It'll be interesting to see if the 770 is still in it.

 

[godale]

that was how i understood it from remingtons site and the reviews i read on it. i have seen and felt the 770s and even shot 2 of them. accuracy is enough to kill a deer. to m,e it felt like a toy and cheaply made. while i believe for a once or twice a year hunter it would work, however for the money there are better options. the axis and ruger come to mind. i personally have a stevens 200 i bought for 300.00 out the door 2 years ago. i cant comment on the marlin where i am at i have never seen or touched one.

 

[godale]

stevens 200 in 270