Remington 700 opinions/advice

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Dc777

New member
I have a couple of questions pertaining to this gun. I've always wanted a nice glossy wood stock rem 700 like my grandfather has used since before I was born, but I could never bring myself to spend a lot of money on one gun ( I always feel guilty for spending a lot of money on a toy for myself)... Well a few weeks ago I came somewhat close to getting what I wanted. I swapped my first gun ( marlin 336w) for a synthetic stock remington 700 in .243..... It has a Leupold base with rings and a cheapo Simmons 3-9x40 scope. So far I've only shot it twice. My question is about the cartridge.... Is the .243 suitable for long range shooting? If so, I might add a bipod anda better scope and down the road maybe a different stock.... The next question is what is the used value on it ( for trade comparison). The gun is an ADL with the checkering as opposed to the newer ones. It doesn't have any scratches on it. I'm not sure how I feel about deer hunting with it as I'm a bigger guy and I have been hunting with a .300 mag the past 4 years or so. I've got a buddy telling me that I should be hunting with the .243 instead of the .300

Any opinions are appreciated, Thanks
 
Is the .243 suitable for long range shooting?
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Absolutely! The 243 Winchester is nothing more than a 308 Winchester necked down. It is a very accurate cartridge and very capable of long range target shooting.

The next question is what is the used value on it ( for trade comparison). The gun is an ADL with the checkering as opposed to the newer ones.
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What year was the gun manufactured? Also if you could post pictures it would sure help in determining the value.

I'm not sure how I feel about deer hunting with it...
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I used to hunt with a 300 Winchester Mag but got tired of the heavy recoil and have switched to a 243 for deer sized animals and a 7WSM for elk. The 243 is more than enough for any deer as long as you use good bullets and put your shot into the vitals in my opinion.
 
I don't know how to determine the year ( please tell me). I do know that the bolt has that little locking feature that you need that green remington tool for. I'll work on taking a picture.
 
The .243 is plenty for most deer out to at least 300 yards or so. If you start talking about big timberline Mulies and longer distances, then I would move up to the .300WM since you already have it.

The .243 is great for long range target shooting (700 plus). You will want to reload for it and use match bullets. But, you probably have a relatively slow twist. The 100 and 107s may not be as accurate as the 90s and 95s, but something you should certainly try out first. Barrel life, especially if you push them fast, is a bit less than some of the other calibers, but you should be able to get 4 to 6K if you are reasonable with velocities. Barrels are plentiful for 700s, and the nice thing about the .243 is that if you want, you could re-barrel to say .260 and just re-size your brass.

If the stock does not "speak" to you, shop around at places like Boyds and get yourself a nice wood or laminate stock that you will like more.
 
Thanks bud. I don't reload but maybe after Christmas I can give it a try. Where I hunt is on a steep hill with a massive drop off ( weirdest thing ever since its in sw Alabama. The idea with the .300 mag was plenty of power to bust through the shoulder so the deer doesn't get down the hill.... That would cause me to get into a dangerous situation. Can someone tell me how to determine what year the gun was made?
 
So I can just buy a different caliber barrel for it as long as it is a short action cartridge? No other modifications?
 
So I can just buy a different caliber barrel for it as long as it is a short action cartridge? No other modifications?
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Not really. For yours, in .243 Win, you can choose any caliber you want as long as the parent cartridge has the .308 case head. .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, 7mm-08 Remington, .308 Winchester and .338 Federal are the common ones with factory produced ammo. There are of course wildcats and a few other less common ones too, but if you want to re-barrel, those are the ones I would consider. If you want to reuse the .243 brass with just re-sizing, then the .260 is the simplest.
 
The info on my barrel doesn't look like what's on that site. It just has a serial # that starts with the letter "G"
 
It appears to be a newer ADL. I made the mistake of thinking it might be an older one with a wood stock, sorry. Without the scope those can be purchased for around $400-$450 new. Yours looks to be in very good condition so I would think it's worth is around $375 or so.

My son owns an ADL's in 7mm Remington Mag (newer like yours). It is a good shooter, most groups are around and inch and with some finer reloads it'll produce 3/4" groups. The nice thing about the Remington is there are so many aftermarket parts you can build it into almost anything you want. Have you shot yours yet?
 
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I fired two rounds out of her this past Saturday at a friends house. The scope wasn't tightened down therefore it is way off. I was shooting under a metal roof and I think my .300 mag was scaring the crap out of people inside the house, si I only shot her twice. I didn't want to ruin my welcome. I believe the previous owner said it was 10 years old or so, but who knows.
 
I got my 243 a few years ago and it is an absolute pleasure to shoot. It is one of those items that I kick myself for not getting earlier in life. Reloads I put together for just plinking shoot MOA and carefully crafted reloads have produced 1/4" groups. The cartridge is a joy to shoot and you'll be able to shoot more due to it's low recoil.
 
Sounds good. Recoil doesn't bother me, as I shoot a .300 win mag. When I shot the .243 the only thing that let me know the gun went off was the little bit of noise I could hear through my ear plugs... It dang sure didn't kick.
 
I had a trade offer for the gun today but all of a sudden the guy thought it was worth twice what the gun price guide said.
 
My first centerfire magnum rifle,1976, was a MDL 700,7mag. It was perfectly serviceable, for what it is. Drilled bar stock, washered recoil lug and fused bolt.

Most affordable rifles share these attributes now days, MDL 700, Browning bolts, Savage, Tikka, Marlin X, and Ruger American. With modern manufacturing techniques, these are remarkably accurate and reliable. The affordable exceptions are the Howa/Vanguard, and Thompson bolt actions, which have solid bolts, integrated recoil lugs and receivers machined from solid billets.

While I sold my MDL 700's decades ago, there are many that give MDL 700's little respect. I won't bash them, but I won't buy one either. I can now afford rifles built the old fashioned way. I own Coopers, Weatherbys, and a couple of Rugers. The MDL 700 is probably the most popular rifle in America now and has put plenty of meat in the freezer in spite of the controversies surrounding them. I have never personally heard a first person account of a MDL 700 failing in any harmful manner.

If you find one at the right price, it should be a fine entry level rifle.
 
I have never personally heard a first person account of a MDL 700 failing in any harmful manner.
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You have now.

I have had one discharge without pulling the trigger. Was able to duplicate the issue several times. I can say 1st hand that the issue is very real. After something like that happens to you, you do some research. I've seen enough PROOF.

But even so I'd still recommend a 700 as a viable option. I've never told anyone to avoid a 700 because they could be dangerous. Just tried educate people so they will understand that the issue on pre-2007 made guns is very real and that extra precautions should be taken with those guns. Remington redesigned the safety in 1982 so that it is now possible to unload the gun with the safety in the "SAFE" position. This did not address the real problem, but greatly reduced the possibility of the gun discharging. I'd feel much better with a post 1982 gun. But the possibility still exists. Mine is a 1974 rifle. The flawed trigger design was replaced in 2007 so the issue has been completely resolved on newer guns.

I too have moved on from the 700. Not really because I think they make a dangerous gun, but because I've come to appreciate guns with what I consider to be better designs. The 700 is certainly a viable option with a lot of good qualities. If I had an older gun with family history I'd certainly keep and use it, just with extra care. That is exactly what I did.
 
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