Help choosing one of the Remington 700 series

[Remingtonfan]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here, and I am hoping one of you can help me choose my first rifle and to make some choices. I plan to buy the rifle within 3 months or so.


(a) I have decided a Remington 700 P will suit my needs. I plan to do target firing at the range and also some outdoors. Also will use the rifle for hunting. My budget for a rifle at the moment is around $500 to $590.

From the sound of it I might have to change the stock to something else as there seems to be bad reviews of the plastic or injection moulded stock. Any stock suggestions or would you disagree witht he "bad" reviews?

I dont like the Remington 700 VTR. I like the look of the Remington 700P LTR but i dont seem able to compare it properly VS the other Remington 700 series. I like black so I prefer Remingtons with a matt black look.


Can I have your opinions as to if i should get a new Remington 700 P or a used one? I was really thinking of a used one and any extra cash i could use for the scope and or get more ammo? what websites should I look at if i am to look into getting a second hand rifle?


I really seem to like the "Remington 700 5R Milspec" but its too expensive (about $1100), plus i dont like that it is stainless steel. Its just too shiny if i was to hunt with it. I would guess it can be painted but i dont want to screw that up! Cannot seem to find a used one, as i dont know where to look (plus of course i have no idea to to see if the rifle is ok, like if the barrel is damaged etc)

I like bolt action as its fewer parts, easier to clean and.........i just like it.


(b) I would like to be able to fire the .308 ammo, and being able to shoot the 223 also from the same barrel would be nice. (from research only the Remington 700 P will fire the .223 and the .308 ammo but correct me if i am wrong).

(c) I would like help choosing the ammo (yes i know how to choose for the calibre but i am unable to make a choice based on brand, mainly as i dont know the differences or how to compare to make my selection). In other words if i want .308 ammo and was given the choice between WOLF ammo and WINCHISTER ammo who do i choose and why? Assume I do shooting at a range and hunting in the forest.

(d) My choice of scope from research is a Bushnell 3-9x40 Trophy XLT Rifle scope, although i will admit i cannot seem to figure out if this will fit on Remington 700 rifles. Any thoughts or suggestions on a "better" scope for my choice of rifle. My budget is about $150 for the scope. I would like the scope to be 0.5 MOA (or better) and dont plan to go beyond 800 meters. How do i know if a particular scope will fit on a given rifle?

(e) There seeems to be different bullet mouldings. I see there is three choices (Moly), Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or Danzac), and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN or "White Graphite"). Which one should i choose and why?

(f) What cleaning products / tools should i get for cleaning my rifle? I figured i should get a bore snake but what else?

(g) I would like a front mount, but i dont know which mounts will fit the Remington 700. Any suggestions please?



Looking forwards to hearing your replies.

[TheNatureBoy]

Welcome to TFL : )

A. You're probably gonna spend more than $500-$590 for a 700P thats in good-excellent condition. You obviously understand that cause you're still saving $$$.

Don't base your opinion of the stock on the reviews of others. For example, I like the X mark pro trigger thats on my 5R but the majority of the reviews I've read about it are negative.

New or used 700P? I personally prefer new but if you can get a used one thats been taken care of...

Don't let the stainless steel barrel on the 5R scare you. When you take it to the woods to hunt, put some camo tape on it (barrel) and do your thing.

B. .223 and .308 from the same rifle barrel?

C. I wouldn't use either. I would hand load for the 700P. To answer your question...I've never used Wolf ammo or Winchester ammo.

D. $150 will get you a good hunting scope. 0.5 moa has more to do with the person behind the rifle, the rifles action and barrel vs rifle scope.

E. Pass. Don't know.

F. Purchase a cleaning kit. Also Hoopes or a product to remove powder residue from barrel (although something similar will be included in the kit) and solvent to remove copper fouling. I would also recommend purchasing a one piece cleaning rod.

E. Front mount? Probably won't need it with the scope. If you use low to medium height rings you definitely won't.

[ky hunter]

Lot's to learn for you have you ever shot a gun?

[Remingtonfan]

Thank you for the detailed replies to my question.

Can you clarify some points for me:

I dont mind spending a little more to ensure it meets my needs. How much should i expect to spend on a new 700 P (and a used 700 P).

You mentioned handloading, what exactly do you mean by that?
I am assuming you mean manually adding each bullet each time, or do you mean hand-loading each shell with powder ?

How do i know if a rifle is well taken care of (apart from the obvious like rust)? What should i look for etc

Lastly, there is several Remington 700 series rifles, so how can i properly compare them? Is there a method to the madness?


PS: thanks for the tip to put camo tape on it. I never thought of that!

[Remingtonfan]

Hi KY Hunter,

To answer your question, yes i have shot guns before.

I have shot a springsfield and a glock. Both are handguns as you know.

I have never shot rifles, although i have held and dry fired a shotgun.

[TheNatureBoy]

Check out gunsamerica.com and seach Remington 700P for new and used prices.

Handloading? Purchase a reloading kit, a manual (Sierra, Nosler, Speer, Hornady) with load data, bullets, primers, cases, and powder. Check out the reloading section of this site and go to you tube and seach the same.

Physical appearance is important. Is the stock beat up, outside/inside of the rifle barrel pitted, crown damage, trigger has a lot of play in it, anything that suggests that the owner did not take care and properly maintain the rifle. Those are just a few things. Others can add to the list. You can also google this for other suggestions. I've never purchased a rifle from a gun shop. Always from individual owners. This gives me a chance to handle the gun, fire a few rounds, etc.

To compare you can search this site, you tube, google. Snipercentral.com also does a very good job as far as comparing rifles/reviewing are concerned. You will find reviews on the 5R, 700P and others. Good info.

[mrawesome22]

To clear something up, 223Rem and 308Win are different cartridges and cannot be used in the same gun.

[pilpens]

welcome to tfl.
(a) $500 to $590 rifle - maybe a used 700P OR new SPS.
The 700P has good stock. The sps may need a replacement stock to improve accuracy.
(b) .308, .223 - has to be one or the other. Since, you will do some hunting, let the size of the game you will hunt decide the caliber to get and possibly influence the barrel length.
(c) Wolf ammo - I have tried it on my rifle but the accuracy is terrible.
(d) Scope - check out Nitrex scope at natchess online. Nikon buckmaster, Burris fullfield, Sightron, Weaver. Maybe a 3-12x, 4-16x. It really depends on what you do.
(e) bullet moulding? --- do not know --- it may be too early to worry about this. Stick with regular factory ammo available at Walmart or the local gun shops for a little while. Reloading can come later.
(f) cleaning - bore snake is good. oil, hoppes, patch, bronze brush, etc.
(g) front mount? ----- bipod? Harris bipod pivot -- approx $90.
=====================
My 100 yard paper puncher setup:
Remington 700 SPS 20" tactical .223
- replaced stock with Bell & Carlson light tactical ($200)
- picatinny rail and mount ($40)
- Scope - currently have a fixed 24x but later will change to a lower power variable; maybe max at 15x or 16x.
- Harris 6-9 pivot bipod ($90)
- X-mark trigger is OK. It is not the best feeling but OK enough. I would bet that most of the aftermarket trigger would feel better.

[ky hunter]

Start out with a 22 rim-fire in a bolt gun and you can learn about rifle shooting and have fun doing so. Then you can jump in to center fire with recoil.Hey every one needs a 22 rim-fire.Have been shooting all my life the 22 is still the most fun.Thats the truth.

[warbirdlover]

Remington 700 SPS series are great guns and the X-Mark Pro trigger is super nice. My new 700 SPS Buckmasters .270 shoots cloverleaf groups at 100 yards. Don't believe all that BS about their stocks or quality....

[ndking1126]

Is there a method to the madness?

In my opinion, no.. Not sure why they have so many options. But to get you started, here's the break down. The big differences you are looking at are 1)blind mag or detachable magazine 2) quality of stock 3)quality of the finish 4)Barrel length/quality.

1. Blind mag- bullets loaded one at a time and ejected one at a time by closing and opening the bolt. This is the ADL and I think standard SPS, but maybe not. Detachable mag - like using a magazine in the pistol. This is BDL, CDL, SPS Varmint, Tactical, VTR and others. This is a personal preference in 99.99% of the situations.
2. The standard SPS stock is cheap and can flex. If it doesn't have good contact (ie, bedding) with the action, it won't be as accurate as it could be. Stocks with alluminum bedding blocks or pillar bedding are typically more accurate. The 700P stocks are known for being pretty good.
3. Tis is like a standard blueing versus stainless steel vs whatever their extreme weather nitride something or other jee-wiz coating. Maybe it's just me, but good old fashion bluing has always served me well.
4. You have a couple of barrel choices here. You've got the standard sporter weight barrel that is light and will typically be accurate, but heats up quickly. Then you've got the varmint barrel, I think they are .85" or so at the muzzle. This would be like the 700 VLS. You can expect this to be nice and accurate. Then you've got the serious barrels, like on the Sendero II. The thicker barrels are heavier, typically more accurate and won't heat up as quickly.

Other than that, it's a lot of fluff in the difference in the line up.. this model is sponsored by the latest deer hunting show. This model has a laminate stock. That model has the Xmark trigger, but that one has whatever.. I gave up trying to figure out all the difference on their models.

[warbirdlover]

The standard SPS stock on my Buckmasters does not flex or I wouldn't be shooting the groups I can out of it.... The local range "ace" took it and shot almost a one hole group at 100!

And the standard SPS has a hinged floorplate.

[giaquir]

Can't beat a late 1980's Rem 700 BDL in .270.
Sight the rig in properly with the proper bullets
and if you can see the animal
just aim right at it.DRT

[Remingtonfan]

When looking at ammo, I see the prices are quite varied.

I see brass as a choice and steel as a choice for cartridge casings. I am assuming this is the main factor in the price difference.

However the question remains, why would i pick brass cartridges over steel cartiridges (ignoring the price differences). What technical advantages / disadvantages does one have over the other and sample scenarios where you would pick steel over brass (and vice versa) ?


For anyone interested, I made an excel sheet of all the 308 Remington 700's models i am considering, and bascailly in my opinion I will be going with the Remington 700 SPS (Stainless steel barrel).

[Remingtonfan]

Hey WarBirdLover,

What scope you got there in that picture?

[warbirdlover]

That's the new Nikon ProStaff 3-9 X 40 matte with the BDC reticle.

[Remingtonfan]

Thanks WarBirdLover,

I did some looking around the internet and this "Nikon ProStaff 3-9 X 40 matte with the BDC reticle" scope you mentioned....i saw pictures and my first impression was that the center line just looked too thick.

What are your experiences and thoughts on that?