First Centrefire .223 - R700?

[Viper]

Hi all,

It's time to get my .223! I have been looking to get a Steyr Pro Varmint, but looking at the new prices (£1,600) I'm starting to think I should be looking second hand. Even the Pro Varmint second hand is £1,100 and that's the rifle only, no scope or mod.

I'm not too keen on getting the usual Sako or Tikka but I like the look of the Remington 700. When I was younger I had always imagines getting the R700 in a larger caliber but can't see an issue having it in 223?

I've come across this one on GT with a scope (no mod though, so £200 to spend) but it's had quite a few moderations: https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... 7152258735. Are modified guns better to stay away from or can it be a good thing, remembering I am new to this.

Thanks for any guidance!

Tom

[phaedra1106]

Buy a Tikka T3, better quality all round, job done :)

[saddler]

Nowt wrong with Rem 700's - got three

Mate still has this one for sale for £600 as a package: http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... SF&start=0

Yes, it's a 1:12 twist but it is accurate as hell & will stabilise a couple of brands of 62gr bullets.
My own .223 & 5.56 rifles tend to be 1:9 & 1:8 - yet I mainly run them with the 52gr A-Max bullets = so the VSSF above is THE perfect platform for the 45gr-55gr bullet weight range.
A lot of .223 folk in the US are actually going back to the original rifling of 1:14

Shop around & see what takes your fancy, lots of .223 options & they all have pros & cons.

[ovenpaa]

Certainly nothing wrong with a .223 700, they can be superbly accurate and they are a known quantity. I was out with a friend this week and he was shooting a .223 Varmint to great effect out to 250 yards.

[bamboo]

Regarding the modifications on the rifle you're looking at - there are none I can see that would give me concern really. Jewell triggers are highly regarded generally, and if it was installed by a competent person (tested for safe operation) and well maintained since, it would count as a plus in my opinion. You'd have to consider if the pull weight suited your intended use as well. The other modifications are easily user installed.

One last thing - there was a recall issued due to factory triggers on R700 recently. Something to bear in mind when buying.

[saddler]

One last thing - there was a recall issued due to factory triggers on R700 recently. Something to bear in mind when buying.

The trigger recall was some two years or so ago now...and ALL affected triggers were replaced free of charge by the Remington firm, so not sure of your point?

The vast majority of Remington 700 owners install an after market trigger, though nothing wrong with the standard one - just a few random examples of misuse in the USA lead to the recall for "product liability" reasons.

My 700 Police has had nothing but the issue trigger in it for almost 20 years. Never been an issue & never let me down.

[bamboo]

My point was it would be something to ask the seller (ie have you had a replacement trigger from Remington) *if* the buyer was the least bit concerned. I assumed not ALL had them replaced as I was never contacted regarding my own R700. No offence meant!

[Viper]

Hi all,

Thank you for the opinions so far, it's always appreciated! It's good to know about recalls in place and good to see the 700 has a good reputation.

It's good to know there's nothing to be concerned about with the mods on the GT link, my only other concern with it is if it's such a good gun why would they be selling it

Saddler thank you for the link, however I'm not a fan of that style stock.

[toffe wrapper]

Hi Viper
Nothing wrong with rem 700 in 223, the one you linked to is a police model so should have a 1:9 twist that will suit heavy bullets.
I have a 700 police 223 LTR with a 20 inch barrel in a AI stock and it is excellent.
As for why sell a good rifle, it could be many reasons none of which reflect on the rifle for sale.

TW

[DW58]

You don't say why you don't fancy Tikka/Sako - were I in your shoes I'd go for a Tikka T3 with a 1:8 barrel thus allowing you to shoot heavier bullets. You won't get better value for your money, plus you'll get a much better barrel and build quality than Remington.

Two other rifles more than worthy of Consideration are the Haenel Jäger 10 and Sauer 100, both are high quality German-made rifles which will kick Remington into touch at affordable prices.