Remington 770

[DeputyVaughn]

Was looking at a Remington 770 in .243 today at the fun store. Almost put it on layaway. Thought I'd see if anyone here may have one and could give me a review on it. Seems pretty sweet.....

Scott

 

[NCsmitty]

I'm not one to judge a rifle without shooting one, but the Rem 770 does not carry a very good reputation compared to other rifles in it's price range.
If you are seriously considering a $300 ball park rifle, I would choose a Marlin XS7 bolt first, and a Stevens 200 second. They are, without a doubt, superior in quality to the Rem.
Maybe an actual owner or previous owner of a Rem 770 will chime in and add to the discussion.


NCsmitty

 

[magnatecman]

O.K. I will back up what N.C.Smitty said. I have a Rem 715, which is just like the 770, with a slightly different stock. It is a good shooter, but it just leaves a lot to be desired. For example, it's a long action for everything, even if chambered for a short action caliber. It is heavier than it needs to be.

I also just got a Marlin XS7 in .243 win for my boy for Christmas, and for the same $ you get a much better looking, feeling and shooting rifle.

For my $ I'd have to opt for the Marlin for sure, I also hear good things about the Stevens 200 but have no experience with it.

 

[jem375]

I was working in a gun shop when they first came out and would not recommend buying one personally. There are better buys out there...

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

call a gunsmith and ask his opinion and after that start looking at other choices. I know a few smiths who will just say send it in to the factory if you want something fixed. thibgs like plastic mag releases that are part of the stock and if you break it and a good number of folks have you have to rplace the whole stock, also the lug is also very bad also.

 

[courtgreene]

the worst part about them is the recoil lug, or lack there of. instead of an actual lug that fits into a slot in the stock it seems to reverse the process. it just seems unstable to me.

 

[Coal Dragger]

I was working in firearms sales when Remington introduced the model 710, which near as I can tell is the predecessor to the 715, and 770. The 710 was and is a hunk of crap with a serial number stamped on it. I can't imagine the 715 or 770 are any better. They did not shoot all that well, and had reliability/durability issues.

 

[Abel]

Stevens 200, much better.

 

[DeputyVaughn]

Thanks for the advice. I liked the weight and balance, but was leery of the action (felt sticky) and the magazine catch. I'm looking for a 20 inch barreled .243 to replace the .308 Mauser I hunt with now. I love the Mauser and it's been very good to me but it is heavy and the recoil is a little tough on an injured shoulder.
I'll keep looking.

Scott

 

[natman]

Don't.

The Remington 770 and variants are steaming piles of junk. Poorly machined, poorly designed and really, really ugly.

For the same money you can get a Savage Axis or Marlin XS7, both of which are FAR superior guns.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Remington should just ditch the 770 and Market the Marlin XS7 and XL7. They could even slap their name on it or just market it on their website, like Dell markets Alienware.

 

[TCB in TN]

Like the savage, stevens, marlin, and Mossberg much better. All can be had for similar price.

I found a used 715 in 30-06 at a pawn shop a while back, got it for $190 out the door. Bought it for a buddy of mine (who is rough on guns) to use when he came over to shoot and hunt. It felt horrible, but actually shot accurately enough (1 - 2 in 5 shot groups at 100yards). I ended up giving it to him as a present. (Worth the money to keep him from using MY guns).

Buy something else.

 

[DeputyVaughn]

I could have bought this one with a Bushnell sportsman on it for $275.
I've had a Mossberg ATR in .308 and another in .243. Both zeroed fine and would have been good hunting rifles for 1 or 2 cold shots. However, after the second shot, as the barrel got warmer the shots would climb upward and right to about 5 inches off zero in 6 shots. No fun for plinking. I want a shorter heavier barrel to avoid that.

Scott

 

[Durty]

I would not screw with any remington bolt rifle that's not a model 700. My buddy at work has a 710 clambered in .30-06. After I looked at it and listened to his experiences in using it, I recommended that he switch to hunting deer with a wooden mallet. If I was going to buy an "economy" rifle and was determined to buy one brand new, I would go for a Savage over any other "economy" model simply because their low-end stuff has a pretty good following.

 

[jpwilly]

This design is a bolt that locks into the barrel not a barreled reciever. The tube that would normally be the reciever is just a piece of pipe. This design isn't weak but is cheap to mfg and screams junk. It doesn't mean the rifle won't shoot or serve it's purpose safely. If they sold them for what they are worth say $75 we would all most likely own one as a loaner or knock about. What's sad is that they sell them for the same price of a traditional rifle with solid action and barrel screwed into it like the Marlin XL/XS or Savage, Stevens etc... STAY AWAY!

 

[NOLAEMT]

At the gun shop I work at, we've had a couple come back to be sent off for repair.

Mostly an issue of the stock breaking at the pistol grip or at the sling swivels.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

You must have a really loose definition of "sweet".

 

[LawScholar]

I love my dad and bro's Remington 700s in .243 and .30-06. I also love our three 870s. I am a Remington fan.

That said, I have heard almost universally mediocre/negative things about the 770.

My own recommendation is a Savage.

 

[DeputyVaughn]

Arkansas Paul, for as much as one can check one in a fun store without actually shooting one, it was ok. I'm not a big fan of the stock but the rifle was balanced well and pointed quickly. It has a straight barrel and I suspect it won't be overly affected by heat like the tapered Mossberg. The bolt was a bit sticky but I wondered if that was just a lubrication issue. I'll keep looking for something more of what I need.

Scott

 

[faster4whl]

I have a 770 in 30-06. Its my first centerfire but I have no complaints with it. I've cleaned it and lubed it up and the bolt cycles just as smooth as my buddys new 700 ss. The gun feels good in my hands. The trigger is nice especially for hunting. The only thing about the rifle is the magazine. It feels a little cheap, but I've got the hang of slapping it in their. It shoots as good as I can. For a deer rifle that won't get shot more than 2 boxes a year, it works great.

 

[birddog2]

I own one, Took a 130 class 10 pt this past season. Bought it because it was cheap and I wanted a .243. Shoots 100 gr core-lockts right at 1" Had a trigger job done on it, that helped a lot. Really don't care for a long action .243 though. For a plinking arm it's worth the $275.00 I paid for it.