Revisiting The Old Model 700 in .270

[sage5907]

Your mention of that Redfield Widefield brought back memories to me because it was like looking at a TV screen. I had one in 6 power on a 25-06 and when I bought it I thought I had found something really good but after a year or so I ended up taking it off the rifle. I was a really good shot at moving animals with a round scope picture and what I found out with the Widefield was that the eye goes to the center of a circle quicker and a round scope picture makes it easier to find the animal in the center of the reticle. I remember that like it was yesterday.

 

[WestKentucky]

I love my 700 in .270 but it needs some love. It was my only centerfire rifle for a VERY LONG time. I shot that rifle oodles gobs and lots. No clue what the actual round count is but I’m guessing it to be somewhere near 10,000.

Got it when I was 15. Mowed yards all summer and saved money. Got the rifle, a scope, and a few boxes of ammo the very first year Bass Pro was open in Nashville. Shot it a lot getting used to it. Shot it a lot hunting deer, coyote, turtles on ponds… reloaded cases til they got the shiny ring at the base knowing that meant the brass was wore out. Didn’t understand incipient case head separation, and didn’t care. Then I went to college with it. 4 years of 100 rounds every other week adds up quickly. By this point I was pretty good with my loads and knew the rifle well enough to start making people look stupid at the shooting range. No telling how much money I made on $20 bets and shooting double or nothing until people realized they had been suckered.

Like an old car that you REALLY know, there comes that bad day when something happens that you could avoid but young and dumb stands in between you and doing what needs done. I loaded cases I knew needed to be retired, but I didn’t have any new cases and beer money was more important than brass money. Stuck one that was a touch long pretty hard. Ripped the case in half trying to clear the jam. Had to drive it out with an aluminum rod from the muzzle. It was stuck good enough that it took several hard hits with a 4lb maul. The gun has never shot the same since that event. The rifling is about shot out for roughly the first 10 inches. It needs a barrel, but at this point why spend $400 on a barrel when a complete Savage Axis is the same money. I’ll do it some day I’m sure, but not today and probably not anytime soon. I miss that rifle every time I carry something different to the deer woods or shooting range though.

 

[gotboostvr]

I love my 700 in .270 but it needs some love. It was my only centerfire rifle for a VERY LONG time. I shot that rifle oodles gobs and lots. No clue what the actual round count is but I’m guessing it to be somewhere near 10,000.

Got it when I was 15. Mowed yards all summer and saved money. Got the rifle, a scope, and a few boxes of ammo the very first year Bass Pro was open in Nashville. Shot it a lot getting used to it. Shot it a lot hunting deer, coyote, turtles on ponds… reloaded cases til they got the shiny ring at the base knowing that meant the brass was wore out. Didn’t understand incipient case head separation, and didn’t care. Then I went to college with it. 4 years of 100 rounds every other week adds up quickly. By this point I was pretty good with my loads and knew the rifle well enough to start making people look stupid at the shooting range. No telling how much money I made on $20 bets and shooting double or nothing until people realized they had been suckered.

Like an old car that you REALLY know, there comes that bad day when something happens that you could avoid but young and dumb stands in between you and doing what needs done. I loaded cases I knew needed to be retired, but I didn’t have any new cases and beer money was more important than brass money. Stuck one that was a touch long pretty hard. Ripped the case in half trying to clear the jam. Had to drive it out with an aluminum rod from the muzzle. It was stuck good enough that it took several hard hits with a 4lb maul. The gun has never shot the same since that event. The rifling is about shot out for roughly the first 10 inches. It needs a barrel, but at this point why spend $400 on a barrel when a complete Savage Axis is the same money. I’ll do it some day I’m sure, but not today and probably not anytime soon. I miss that rifle every time I carry something different to the deer woods or shooting range though.

A $400 barrel, is a $400 barrel.

A $400 axis is a $200 action, $100 barrel, and $100 of various other bits.

I'd rather have a good action, with a custom barrel exactly how I'd like it, than a run of the mill budget gun.

 

[6.8 hunter]

Amother thing to mention on the subject of Remington 270's: Pretty easy to find them with 24" barrels too.

 

[EMC45]

I was checking my scope level last night on the 700. It just feels right

 

[Chuck R.]

My vintage 1960-61, 721 in 270 has the original metal butt plate and it has started to get my attention a bit.
(Even with my "anemic", (according to one member here.. handloads.)

Like I told you, Jack O'Conner's spirit weeps every time somebody loads down a .270Win..

It's just not right.. on multiple levels.

 

[sage5907]

Although I had a 270 Weatherby Magnum earlier I bought my first 270 Winchester in 1978 and what struck me up front was how easy it was to find accurate loads. Everything I loaded gave MOA accuracy and for years the 270 was my base line for accuracy when comparing it to other calibers. I've loaded 130, 140 and 150 grain bullets with IMR 4831, IMR 4350, Reloader 17 and Reloader 22 and they all gave good results. Today I'm loading 130 and 140 grain bullets with IMR 4831 and that works for me. I gave up on 150 grain bullets because the velocity was low and in the early years the bullets would go completely through a deer without opening up. A good friend had a Model 700 in 270 and for him I loaded Speer 130 grain HotCor bullets with 55 grains of IMR 4831 and he took many deer with that load and I also used it in my 270's. Very accurate, good penetration and the bullets stayed together. A 130 grain bullet would usually weigh between 70 and 90 grains after impact. It was common to find the bullet under the skin on the far side of the animal. I have never loaded a bullet that causes as much blood shock as a Nosler Partition and today I use them in my hunting loads. Like Chuck R elated, ole Jack O'Connor would smile.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Like I told you, Jack O'Conner's spirit weeps every time somebody loads down a .270Win..

It's just not right.. on multiple levels.

And I said my Mea Culpa to Jack right after I shot that deer this season.
I plan on bumping the load up a grain or two next batch. Provided the accuracy stays the same..

 

[sage5907]

And I said my Mea Culpa to Jack right after I shot that deer this season.
I plan on bumping the load up a grain or two next batch. Provided the accuracy stays the same..

Ole Jack was loading the 130 grain Partition with 60 or 62 grains of military surplus 4831 but that was a different powder than IMR 4831. I remember when DuPont started marketing IMR 4831 and thinking it was the same as military surplus I stuck in a stiff charge and really flattened some primers. Today I usually load 55 grains of IMR 4831 with Nosler bullets, but with Sierra or Speer bullets I will load 56 depending on the accuracy. I don't consider 55 or 56 grains to be loading down a 270. The Nosler manuals went up to 57 grains but 55 grains was listed as their accuracy load. Over the years I learned a lot more from experience that I did from reading Jack O'Connor.

 

[Gun-Reck]

I have a 1974 production 700 in 30-06 that was my primary hunting rifle for close to 40 years. In 1925 the 270 and 30-06 were very different animals, but with modern loads there isn't much that you can do with one that the other won't do. The 30-06 still has an edge in that it will handle 200gr and heavier bullets. But for any animal from elk on down a 270 is the equal of 30-06.

I've sort of soured on the 700 design and moved to 308 about 15 years ago. I still have mine and after replacing the trigger take it hunting occasionally. I was actually thinking the other day about getting it to the range and using it more next Fall.

I would strongly advise changing out the trigger. The ones made prior to 2007 are a flawed design. Incidents are quite rare, but they do occasionally discharge with no trigger pull. Usually when you move the safety from "SAFE" to "FIRE". The sear can disengage as the rifle is carried and handled. When that happens, the safety is the only thing holding the firing pin back. Move the safety and the gun discharges.

Mine never dropped the firing pin on a live round, but did it on an empty chamber twice, once in the 1990's and another time in the 2010's. Twice in 50 years isn't bad, but I'd prefer none. After the 2nd time I ordered a new trigger. It's a 15-minute DIY project.

Before Remington was sold the last time they would replace it at no cost as part of a lawsuit settlement. They never advertised it but if you contacted them they would do it. I don't know if the new owners will honor that agreement but the last I heard it was a 3-4 month turn around. I just did it myself.

Timney Triggers Impact Remington 700 Trigger Right Hand 3 to 4 lbs

The Timney Impact is the next trigger in the People’s Choice Line of Excellence from the craftsmen and women of The World's Finest Trigger. Timney...

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On that note:

Found this interesting.
(the sound is bad away, but good in the close-up)

Remington 700 Walker trigger fix and safety explanation.
Rethink replacing a 700 trigger.​

 

[Rubone]

My "old" 700 is a 25-06 BDL, with a Weaver 3X9 TV screen, that rifle is very accurate and has taken lots of game for me and others. A friend gave me some antelope once and mentioned "oh by the way, that was your rifle I shot it with!", as a friend I lent it to lent it to him!!
My "new" 700 in .270 is a 700 Classic version!! Of course that still makes it about 40 years old...

 

[sage5907]

My "new" 700 in .270 is a 700 Classic version!! Of course that still makes it about 40 years old...
View attachment 1203073

This is a great looking quality rifle with smooth lines with a user friendly design. If you compare this rifle to the new rifles being sold in gun stores today it is easy to see why we continue to love these old rifles. Missing from this picture are the plastics, composites, fiberglass, rails, adjustable cheek piece, detachable magazine, suppressor, muzzle brake, bipod and other items that are so common in the industry today.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Now that you have it zeroed for presumably 100yds, you need to raise the elevation by at least 1.5” (eastern US) or 2.5” (Western US).
That way, it’s point and shoot to 250-300yds with no hold over for bullet drop.
My Remington M700 in .270.

And yes! It’s shoots just as good as OP’s!
That’s the exit wound! Speer 130gr HotCore running 3100fps over MagPro. (22” bbl chronographed).

 

[sage5907]

Now that you have it zeroed for presumably 100yds, you need to raise the elevation by at least 1.5” (eastern US) or 2.5” (Western US).
That way, it’s point and shoot to 250-300yds with no hold over for bullet drop.
My Remington M700 in .270.

When I was young and ignorant I was using a 270 and reading Jack O'Connor it was said that if you were shooting at an animal at distances over 300 yards to place the horizontal line on the reticle level with the top of the animals back and that would allow the bullet to drop into the kill zone. So, when I thought the animal was over 300 yards I tried this a couple of times and shot over the animal. That quickly taught me to make sure I had hair in the center of the reticle when I pulled the trigger. The answer with a 270 was to shoot at the upper third of the body.

 

[GooseGestapo]

When I was young and ignorant I was using a 270 and reading Jack O'Connor it was said that if you were shooting at an animal at distances over 300 yards to place the horizontal line on the reticle level with the top of the animals back and that would allow the bullet to drop into the kill zone. So, when I thought the animal was over 300 yards I tried this a couple of times and shot over the animal. That quickly taught me to make sure I had hair in the center of the reticle when I pulled the trigger. The answer with a 270 was to shoot at the upper third of the body.

It depends on the distance and the animal and the ammo (bullet).
A .270 sighted 1.5” high at 100yds is zero at 200yds (130gr @3,000fps 22” bbl).
-6” at 300yds.
Sighted at 2.5” high at 100, it’s zero for 250yds. Only 3.5” low at 300yds, 15” low at 400yds.
Nothing magical about the .270…
Zero/zero at 100yds hobbles it just as badly as it does a .30/30.
A pocket range finder good to 500+yds is less than $60 on Amazon…

Amazon.com

I guess your animal wasn’t over 300yds…

 

[WisBorn]

I may have to borrow Dad's rifle this year! A model 700 BDL DM in 30-06. He has taken more deer with that rifle than the rest of the rifles he has owned combined.

The past two years he has used a Savage Axis 243 I picked up at Wal-Mart. He is in his 80s and the 06 recoil is more than he can take anymore....

 

[sage5907]

A pocket range finder good to 500+yds is less than $60 on Amazon.
I guess your animal wasn’t over 300yds…

I was talking about the era before range finders were available. The only way to judge distance before rangefinders was to estimate the distance half way to the deer and double the distance. If you're used to seeing 200+ pound bucks at 300 yards and a 150 pound buck shows up it is easy to miss-judge the distance. There was a time not so long ago when there was no range finders, no gps, no trail cameras, no box blinds, no atv's. using deer attractants was not common, and the quality of a Remington 700 was better then than it is today. Just look at the rifle in post #36.

 

[JDeere]

1 inch high at 100 is where I sight mine at. In all my years of hunting I never hunted anywhere I needed to shoot further than 200 yds. Longest shot I ever had to make was 175 yds. Stepped of yardage and used trees or bushes as references is what I did and still do.

 

[Chuck R.]

IMHO the "hold on hair" at 300 for a 3000 FPS normal hunting rifle when sighted in at 200 is pretty good advice for a standard reticle. This is my .260Rem, 120 grain at 2930 FPS:

What I like better is the standard Leupold Duplex, because for a lot of rifles the junction is a good 300yd hold, when centered and when "holding on hair" equals 400:

My .270, 24" barrel H4831SC, 130 NAB at 3170FPS, zero'd at 200 with a BDC reticle, scope is a VX6HD 2-12x42 CDS with the turrets left in MOA.

My dope at 35 degrees and 10MPH cross wind:

Distance, yards​	Bullet speed, f/s​	Energy, ft-lbf​	Elevation, inch​	Elevation, MOA​	Windage, inch​	Windage, MOA​
100.0​	2941.0​	2497​	D1.3​	D1.2​	R0.7​	R0.6​
150.0​	2818.2​	2293​	D1.5​	D0.9​	R1.4​	R0.9​
200.0​	2700.5​	2105​	D0.6​	D0.3​	R2.5​	R1.2​
250.0​	2582.7​	1925​	U1.5​	U0.6​	R4.0​	R1.5​
300.0​	2467.7​	1758​	U4.9​	U1.6​	R5.8​	R1.8​
350.0​	2355.5​	1602​	U9.7​	U2.6​	R8.0​	R2.2​
400.0​	2248.6​	1459​	U16.0​	U3.8​	R10.6​	R2.5​
450.0​	2142.3​	1325​	U24.0​	U5.1​	R13.6​	R2.9​
500.0​	2039.1​	1200​	U34.0​	U6.5​	R17.2​	R3.3​
550.0​	1940.8​	1087​	U45.8​	U8.0​	R21.1​	R3.7​
600.0​	1842.9​	980​	U60.1​	U9.6​	R25.7​	R4.1​
650.0​	1747.4​	881​	U77.0​	U11.3​	R30.9​	R4.5​
700.0​	1654.1​	790​	U96.6​	U13.2​	R36.7​	R5.0​

 

[Rodfac]

An old and sometimes forgotten classic rifle and cartridge, the .270. It was Jack O'Connors favorite, shared by many others in the post WWll era. At realistic hunting distances, both east and west of the Mississippi, it'll do anything the more modern whiz-bang offerings claim with equal precision. Best regards, Rod

 

[WisBorn]

An old and sometimes forgotten classic rifle and cartridge, the .270. It was Jack O'Connors favorite, shared by many others in the post WWll era. At realistic hunting distances, both east and west of the Mississippi, it'll do anything the more modern whiz-bang offerings claim with equal precision. Best regards, Rod

If it wasn't for Jack, would the 270win have survived?

 

[Rodfac]

I think so, Wis...it's a heck of a good cartridge lacking only a heavy bullet like the '06 or .308 to make it a truly an all-arounder. Recoil on ones that I've handled with 130-140 gr bullets is just a bit lighter than a fully loaded '06 or .308 with 150's. Too, in the day, the top manuf's all chambered for it. Rod

 

[WestKentucky]

Don’t ask me how because I don’t really know.

My longest shot on a deer is 700 yards and that was figured using the scales on a topo map. I was leaned up against a row of round bales looking out over standing soybeans. I was about 17 and it was nearing the end of rifle season. Was a rough year of sickness, weather, and my best friends mom passed too so there was a lot going on so I missed most of the season. So a 2.5 yr old buck came out in the beans. I guessed him to be about 300 maybe a smidge past so I held at the top of his back and let a round fly. Plop and drop. Got dark quick so I walked out to where he was at, except he wasn’t there. Had walkie talkies and called for dad to come help look. Dad popped out from the woods and came down to where I shot from. I gave him landmarks in the background and he walked me in closer and then out further. I found the deer on a rise further out than I thought he was. I know I pulled the shot because I felt it, and thought I missed but I got back on the deer and all I could see was feet and head flopping so I knew he was hit hard and down right there. To this day I don’t know how I managed that shot because I didn’t pull it that hard, but he was a 170ish pound 8 pointer, and as flat as a .270 shoots, it doesn’t shoot THAT flat.