Lange, to answer your direct question (which is excellent)
No, the only reason I don't recommend Remington M700 rifles and their variants is the fact that I have had so many come to my shops here in Wyoming and in years past in Nevada and Idaho, needing major repairs.
They break more than all other bolt actions combined. Not an opinion, that is a fact that I can verify from the bond books kept in those shops.
I love the way they feel and look and they are usually quite accurate.
But I just don't trust one for myself.
The 3 major factors are:
1 Problems with triggers and safetys.
2 Bolt handles coming off.
3 Breaking extractors.
If you look in a Midway or a Brownells catalog you will find a LOT of aftermarket triggers offered for the 700 type rifles. Now I'll grant you also find them for most other rifles too, but all the other models of rifles get triggers changed out for reasons of feel, not usually for the reason of safety.
In those catalogs you also find "Sako style extractor kits" for M700s.
Why?
Because it is a very good up-grade.
Ask yourself why only military surplus rifles (which get bubbaed a LOT) and Remington extractors are offered as "general fare" in these catalogs.
No extractor conversions for Winchesters, Mossbergs, Savages, SAKOs, Tikkas, Rugers, Brownings, Winchesters, HOWAs, Weatherbys, Blazers, CZs, and only replacement extractors for military rifles (not conversions) All those extractors seem to work well enough that there is no industry to supply a conversion for them, as they would not sell enough to make it viable. But there is for the M700.
So, in a nut shell I can say with 100% honesty that I have no other reason for withholding my recommendation to buy a Remington.
And Remington did and could make a super good bolt action! Remember in the pre-DuPont days Remington manufactured some of the very best bolt actions ever made. They were the M30s, 30Ss and 720s.
Those were outstanding rifles.
Remington says they can't do it anymore because they cost too much to make.
Remember Winchester said the same thing in 1964?
But today you can get a Model 70 that is as good and in some details better than what Winchester produced in the 40s and 50s.
So I don't buy Remington's "reason" that "they can't".
I do accept their reason that they wont. They WONT make a rifle I can feel total confidence in, so I WONT buy what they make instead. Pretty simple business proposition. A straight forward offer, and rejection of that offer.
I do not consider them to be worth their asking price.
So I always recommend rifles that I know will not come back on me later.
As a gunsmith it is very bad business to tell someone to buy something that later breaks. Then they remember what I said and it makes me look incompetent.
I should thank Remington for their business attitude I guess, because I make money on the repairs, but I want to be honest when I am asked by a shooter what I would recommend.
I no longer run a gun store, but I did at one time. In fact I ran 3 of them in 3 different places at times in my life. I make guns on a custom basis too, and I have done so for 44 years.
So it is safe to say that excluding only the most costly of rifles, I could have about any rifle I want.
I own no 700s 721s or 722s.
I have owned the M30s. It is an outstanding rifle. I have used a few of the 720s and I think they were excellent. I have a very high degree or respect for their old 1917 Military rifle too. I have owned many Remingtons at various times.
I also own or have owned Rugers, Marlins Winchesters,Savage, SAKO CZs Mausers, Styer, Springfields, Weatherbys, and a variety of guns made on various actions from various nations.
If you want to know what is good when you go to a restaurant you can often do well by asking the chief what he would order.
Asking a skilled contractor to make your house as if he were making it for his own family and himself will get you his best work and best recommendations.
Ask a surgeon what other surgeon he would go to if he needed surgery if you want to know who is good at his trade.
Well when I am asked what I would buy for myself I tell people.
And I tell them why.
