The Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD offers a great deal of precision for the money. It comes with a threaded barrel to ease installation of a suppressor, as indicated by the rifle’s “AAC” nomenclature, although it and the optic are not included in the $833 MSRP.
By Richard Mann
Remington
www.remington.com
At first blush you might think you have to shell out big bucks for a long-range rifle, but the Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD with a suggested retail of only $833 will hold its own against rifles costing much more. Features like a 1-in-10-inch twist, 20-inch heavy barrel with a threaded muzzle, a Hogue OverMolded Ghillie Green Pillar Bedded Stock and Remington’s externally adjustable X-Mark Pro trigger make this .308 Win. a bargain when it comes to precision rifles. Once we added all the right components, its performance was so good that it’s going to stick around for ammunition testing.
The Remington 700 Tactical AAC-SD shot sub-moa groups with a variety of loads when it arrived, but with the careful selection of components, the author was able to make it reliably connect at 500 yards and beyond.
Going with the 700 platform is also a no-brainer for other reasons. There are more aftermarket accessories for the Remington 700 than any other bolt-action rifle. You can pick up a detachable magazine kit like the one from Accuracy International. There is an abundance of top rail options, like the MARS rail that allows night vision and illumination to be mounted in conjunction with other optics. And, you could even opt for one of the high-tech S.T.A.R. fully adjustable stocks from Sisk Rifles. With the 700 the possibilities are endless.
The first three-shot group fired from this rifle made a single hole. It was well under MOA. Since then a lot of different loads have been run through this rifle and none have disappointed. The gun’s “sniper” log (at least that’s what the log book for this rifle says on the cover) shows that Black Hills 175-grain Match, Remington 150-grain Hog Hammer, Norma Diamond Line 168-grain Match and Lehigh Defense 170-grain CF Subsonic loads have all continually delivered sub-MOA performance.
The true test of any precision rifle is on paper, and this is the kind of performance you can expect from the 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD.
Some of the rifle’s stock setup seems to beg for long shots, like the X-Mark Pro Trigger that comes from the factory set at a 3.5-pound let-off weight. It’s crisp and provides kind of interface mandatory for reliably connecting at distance.
The barrel has 5/8-24 threading for the addition of muzzle devices. To mitigate recoil, a muzzle brake can be added, but expect things to be a little noisier. A flash hider can reduce visual report after dusk and suppressors are another option.
But a rifle alone does not a sniper make, even a rifle that shoots as well as the Remington SPS Tactical AAC-SD. As a minimum you’ll need a riflescope and scope base and mounts. To be versatile and efficient in the field you’ll also need a bipod and a sling. If you want to be silent and deadly, you’ll need a suppressor, too. By taking the base Remington model 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD and adding a few accessories you can shoot with the best rifle money can buy out to 500 yards and beyond. Here’s what you need.
Though the Hogue stock on the rifle has a slight bit of fore-end pressure, the barrel is free-floated from the action to the tip of the fore-end.
Riflescope, Scope Base & Mounts
The selection of a proper riflescope is key, especially if you want to keep it simple. Most long-range riflescopes have a mil-dot reticle, which is a very effective tool for long-range shooting, but it can be confusing without routine use. Also, it’s best suited to working with a spotter who can give the shooter corrections in mils. Most average guys don’t have a spotter. (Girlfriends don’t count.)
The trigger is the key interface between a rifle and a shooter. Remington’s X-Mark Pro Trigger works extremely well, and let-off weight is user adjustable.
There are many styles of reticles for long-range shooting and they all work. However, many are as hard to figure out as your spotter. (At least spotters who are also girlfriends.) You need to use them and use them often to be able to use them with efficiency and speed. Most tactical riflescopes also come with target turrets that are elevated windage and elevation adjustments with 1/4 MOA or 1/10th MIL clicks. These allow you to dial-in hits at long range. The thing is, you have to know how many clicks to make.
For the best results with long and heavy match bullets, a .308 Win. needs a 1-in-10-inch twist, like this Remington. Often, the common 1-in-12 twist found with some .308s is not enough to stabilize match bullets.
Life for average guys with non-sniper jobs is already confusing enough. I know common folk who can’t figure out heir iPhone. Leupold’s CDS (Custom Dial System) riflescope seemed like the hillbilly solution to a math problem that can be as complex as taxes. This riflescope utilizes a standard duplex reticle and custom generated elevation dials marked to match the trajectory profile of your ammo from your rifle. If you want to hit at 300 yards, you turn the dial to “3,” hold dead-on and shoot! This approach works because you actually go to the range and chronograph your ammo to determine an average muzzle velocity. You send that, along with some other information, to Leupold and it will custom engrave a turret for your CDS scope. Cost? About $700.
If you want to maximize your options, attach a Remington MARS rail to your 700 SPS. It will allow you to combine sight systems and illumination with ease.
None of this will work without a way to mount the scope, and it might surprise you that the mounts are just as important. A riflescope has to be mounted solid for precision shooting. Leupold’s Mark 4 rings, used by military and police snipers, area as reliable as the sun, but if long range is your game the base is just as important. To ensure you have enough adjustment to dial in a correction at 500 yards, you’ll want a scope base with some integral elevation correction. Leupold’s one-piece Mark 4 base has a 15 MOA slope built in. The bases and rings will set you back about $250.
Bipod & Sling
Serious long-range shooting is conducted from the prone position, and for that you need a bipod. Harris Bipods are trustworthy and affordable.
Harris bipods have been the industry standard for a long time. Caldwell also makes some good models. Serious long-range rifle work is conducted from the prone position and from there, a six- to nine-inch bipod is ideal. Harris offers both a fixed and a swivel version. The swivel option offers a bit more leeway in positioning, but it’s not a must. Brownells can get the fixed version headed your way for about $80. You might want to carry this rifle, too, so a sling is not a bad idea either. The very wide Blackhawk Kudu Stretch Sling is extremely comfortable. If you want a shooting sling, consider the Galco Safari Ching Sling.
It’s true that a .308 Win. doesn’t kick very hard. However, fire 200 rounds from the prone position in one day and you’ll appreciate Remington’s super-soft, Super Cell recoil pad.
Suppressor
Suppressors are becoming more common, and more states are also allowing their use for hunting. This is great news, because suppressors eliminate noise pollution and save shooters’ hearing. Suppressor ownership, if legal in your jurisdiction, is easier than you think. It does, however, involve an application process, more background checks, a $200 check to ATF and the kind of paperwork that makes it best to enlist the aid of a local dealer to help walk you through the process.
We’ve had the opportunity to use suppressors from a variety of different manufacturers, but Lehigh Defense versions are very quiet and built to extreme precision. In fact, the suppressor we prefer on .30-caliber rifles is the Lehigh Iroquois, which retails for $1,000.
A common misconception when it comes to long-range, precision shooting is that you need a high-magnification, tactical-styled riflescope. All you really need is a quailty scope with about 10X magnification that allows you to make click adjustments with ease. Leupold’s CDS scopes are perfect for this application.
The Lehigh Defense Iroquois suppressor is 12.25 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter. It is manufactured from grade-nine titanium and heat-treated stainless steel. It is not rated for full-automatic fire, but is compatible with both supersonic and subsonic ammunition. Thread adapters are available for a variety of thread configurations for between $60 and $75. In most cases, rifles will shoot better with the Iroquois suppressor than without.
Other Gear
What else do you need to go with your $700 dollar rifle in order to get hits at long range? Well, for sure you’ll need ammunition. Usually, the best place to turn is match loads, like those from Black Hills, Buffalo Bore, Federal, Norma and Winchester. If you want long-range hunting loads, consider ammo loaded with bullets that have a high ballistic coefficient, like Berger Hunting VLDs, Nosler AccuBonds or Barnes Barnes Tipped Triple Shocks.
If you plan to use this rifle for long-range hunting, select a good hunting bullet with a high ballistic coefficient. Black Hills’ 180-grain Nosler AccuBond load is a great choice.
One other accessory you might need for this rig is a cheek pad. Why? When you get your riflescope mounted, unless you have a really fat head, you’re probably going to find if you rest your cheek on the comb of the stock, your eye will be below the center of the riflescope. Improper cheek weld is detrimental to precision shooting, so attaching a cheek pad like the Blackhawk! IVS Performance Cheek Pad will put your eye in the right spot, give you place to store some extra ammo and maybe even a range finder or some breath mints. (Hey, be considerate of the girl who is spotting for you.)
A stock Remington 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD weighs 7.3 pounds and has an overall length of 39 5/8 inches. It is currently only available on .308 Win., but the wide range of options offered in the Remington 700 line for the last 50 years has set the standard for sporting and tactical rifles. They range in price from a suggested retail of $702 for the snythetic-stocked SPS (available in 14 different chamberings) to $2,117 to the Bell & Carlson Medalist Varmint/Tactical stocked Target Tactical model.
There you have it. You should be able to put this complete kit, sans suppressor, together for less than two-grand which is about half the price of some top-end long range rifles. Will they shoot any better than your Remington 700 SPS? Probably not. At least if you go the 700 SPS route, you’ll have enough cash left over to buy an identically set up rifle for your significant other. Be warned though, girls sometimes shoot better than guys.
What a nice Remington 700! I like all of the upgrades, they make it much more efficient and comfortalbe to use.
Just got a rem. 700 sps tactical in 308. Topped it with a prostaff 7. Bore sighted it. Dialed it in. I am shooting 3 shot groups at 100 yards that a nickel will cover. Awsome gun
You are not very smart for someone that says they have that many years in law enforcement.you are a joke.
I have a remington 700 sps acc sd 20″ barrel .308. Just got my recall letter from Remington yesterday. Really like the rifle disappointed that it has to go back. For safetys sake glad remington is making it all correct, and a 40% coupon from the remington store for my troubles. This will not deter me from remington any manufacture can and will have troubles. As long as they jump right on it,correct it,at no cost to customers. Of course we would all wish that manufacturers catch these things before they come to production and start selling them. We are only human. Look at GM and the other recalls it happens to the best. Just be safe first, follow the safety rules all the time,just in case of gun failure. I do that with every gun I handle. Just recieved my badger ordnance scope mount and now the rifle has to be shipped before getting the mount and scope on.
Well I just bought a brand new 700 aac-sd and it has to go back to the factory to have the random firing problem fixed. It has never been messed with but, remington is going to fix it for free. Cant wait to get it back and shoot it.
Ive heard alot of things about the hogue stock that comes with the setup and was wondering if anyone has not had a problem with shooting sub moa with the setup?
Ive heard alot of things about the hogue stock that comes with the setup and was wondering if anyone has not had a problem with shooting sub moa with the setup?
Symboliklink,
I love the rem 700, mine is 30 06, but if you can reliably hit an egg at 850 to 1000 yards, you are the greatest rifleman of all time. My best friend is a Marine Corps sniper from the past, who recently qualified at 1000 yds with his M1A supermatch and iron sights. As great a shot as he is, he would never boast B.S. like that. They qual with a 22 inch steel plate. A little bigger than a damn egg.
Yeah… I’ve done that. “all day long” admittedly was more figure of speech. But have taken out most of a carton at 850 using a Millet TRS-1 16X scope. Able to put a 10 shot group in the same 0.35″ hole at 100yds, too. I’d upload the pic if this forum was capable. But, the greater point is, an 18-20″ BBL is the optimal length and mass for a 308’s burn. Having a suppressor helps stabilize the barrel whip, too. But, bassin99 is just a forum/product troll and pissed me off. Probably works for Marlin. ;LOL
BTW… that 22″ plate your talking about…. You’re talking ‘palma’ iron sight shooting. That’s a whole different world in shooting my friend. I’m using a scope.
Tom,
The Corps just switched to the new SSDS (scout sniper day scope) or leupold mk 4 a few years ago. I can’t speak about that much because I got out shortly after it was launched. I did have a chance to shoot it out of the EMR and it was not bad glass wish I could say that about the new stock.
So I have a question I am thinking of picking this up for a 500-1000 range gun. Would the Vortex Viper hs-t be a good choice for this set up or should I just put another grand down for a tried and true optic.
“Leupold’s Mark 4 rings, used by military and police snipers, are as reliable as the sun,”
NOT
I Spent 12 years in the Marines, Scout Sniper for 8 years. STA PLT H&S CO 1st bn 5th Marines, STA PLT H&S CO 1st bn 7th Marines at the stumps in 29 Palms after leaving Mateo. H&S CO 1st Recon Bn, Iraq and Afgan. Never saw Leupold Rings. Not once. Never used Luepold Mounts, Rings or scopes. Used Unertl, Nightforce and S&B. Saw one Premier, mostly S&B on the A3’s. Love that glass….Swarovski the best IMHO. Best glass out there even though im a Zeis guy by nature.
So What is this “Leupold” you speak of????
wrong swampwood…remington is outta here. they are looking at tenn.
I own a 700 -30-06, older than dirt but shoots great and want to buy rem 700 308. Never had a miss fire, but after the liberal tv show I called Remington and they offer to safety inspect and update the trigger mechanism for free. When I asked for more details, really no response other no comment. Moral of the story is probably three sides story, defective, misuse, or abuse were involved in the older rem 700 misfire. As an old Vet said to me it probably pays to get real pro to look over your gun every other year on top of your general maintenance. Just like getting new tires and brakes might a good idea every 3-5 years.
It’s a shame that Rem has sucked up to NY and, failed to leave the Anti-gun state like they blustered. I won’t be buying a Remington.
I’ve looked online for more dets about the Lehigh Iroquois suppressor and cant find anything. Anyone got a website for it?
I’ve looked online for more dets about the Lehigh Iroquois suppressor and cant find anything. Anyone got a website for it?
I recently purchased a Rem 700 SPS tac new in box for $500 at a gun show. I havent done any mods. Threw on a cheap Leapers ( I know, blasphamy, its all I had around) and bore sighted it. First 3 shots, 150 gr Rem umc rounds. Non-match. About a 3/4″ group. Second 3 rounds, 168 GR match. 2 holes almost thru each other, 3rd about 1/4″ off @100 yds.
Im no marksman so I cant complain. I did try some cheap 148 gr rounds someone had at the range and it opened up to just over 1″ group. Looking fwd to testing more ammo types.
I have to say i have owned this rifle for awhile now and I shoot pretty regularly with it. I have noticed that the 1:10 twist doesn’t shoot the lighter round for crap, I started with some garbage american eagle 150 grains and the rifle was actually hopping around. I switched to federal gold medal 175 and she shoots like a dream. I live in montana and live at a pretty high elevation so i don’t know if that is really helping my range but i am tagging 800 yard targets with not much problems. but anyway I have noticed that you have to use 168 grains or heavier.
Why would you assume it’s due to the 1-10 twist? Have you ever stopped to think,”hmm..maybe this rifle likes some loads and not others”, just like every rifle on the planet. Almost every 308 and 30-06 and 300 win mag have 1-10 twist, and people shoot everything down to 110gr bullets out of them with surgical accuracy. I know because I do it with all of those calibers. Oh yeah and 110gr works great out of a 1/7 twist too, even going 2400fps out of a 300blk.
Are still my favorites !
damned predictive spelling setting.
I actually had a remington .788 bolt handle come of in my hand!
The brazing let go. Also had a REM700 varmiter new as well in which
the bolt would not fully close. As the bolt handle channel was not relieved enough.
In all fairness Remington fixed the stock for free no shipping,
And gave me a brand new mod 700 in a similar caliber in a straight trade
For the failed mod 788. NOW THAT’S SERVICE !
If its man made it can and will fail . Even a Remington.
But I still own quite a few and ate my favorites.
I’d say, based on the above post, that anyone looking to buy a bolt action should definetly take a long hard look at this rifle and BUY IT!!!!!!!
Great gun! I have the 308 sps tactical and it is deadly accruate. Best gun for the money.
It’s Funny reading some of the stuff on here! We got 3 or 4 old timers up this way that will tell you (If you stand their and listen to them) How bad the Mod 700 is. Myself, I have shot ‘maybe close to 50 or more Caribou” and must be near 25 or more moose with my old mod. 700 in all kinds of bad weather ( the coldest shot I took was near
-45 below 0) And this rifle Always worked! But as I was saying, you listen to some of the guys and you just know there Full of B.S. / One guy was talking how the Bolt-handle fell off the bolt, and the gun would Fire with No-one touching it i.e. bad-safety….hell, one guy ever tried to tell me the Rifling fell out of the barrel of the Rifle from a guy that knew a guy…LOL ! You could get a bad-one maybe, but if you did, Remington would make it Right! Bottom line, most of the B.S. you hear is just that..B.S. / Buy you a Remington, take care of it the way you should, and it will be the Best gun you ever owned. Wishing all a Great day And Good shooting!
Right! thank-you for having said so.
I did my homework and bought this exact same rifle over a year ago, added a nice Nikon Scope (~$300) and a nice muzzle brake. Brake works great and its so loud it even gets seasoned shooters attention at the outdoor range. Extremely accurate. This is the Bolt action Rifle to own.
“Mr. Drew”,
I put quotes around your name because according to you writing, grammar, and punctuation skills, you would fail my 7th grade special education Language Arts class. “never recommend(ing) a Remington 700 to NO ONE” is a double negative and therefore is the same as always recommending a Remington 700 to everyone and on which I can agree! You are not a “retired police officer and sniper”, at least not in this country, you writing skills are ATROCIOUS! (THAT MEANS BAD). You are most likely a pre pubescent juvenile man-boy that hates all things manly like firearms and real women. When you grow up and are able to purchase a real gun which in this country is 18 years old, make it a 700 and learn to shoot. They are AWESOME! In fact, get an ar-15, 870, and a Glock to go with it, and stop watching hatchet job documentaries by others without doing just a little bit of Google research on the subject.
I guess that would include me as well, I am currently a sniper and a LEO yet I still make frequent typos and spelling and grammer errors as well. When in a forum such as this. I thinks it’s partially caused by the hahahaha rum, beer, bourbon , and mental melt down during my days off.
As far as the 700 trigger, all the above statemnts are , for the most part spot on, the trigger failed due to alterations of some sort out of specs.
But, I know for a fact the rifle I was speaking of in my earlier post ( with numerous drunkin typos) was a new rifle fresh from the case. The basic sniper using this rifle stated that nobody has touched this rifle.
Of all the thousands of rounds and multiple 700’s out there I have seen in schools, abuse, trainings, and operations, this is the only rifle I have seen this happen. Reington 700’s old and new are rock solid performers.
reminds me of the Remington I carried in NAM..shoot’s great and on target..AND a lot better stock and trigger..would not trade it for a new puppy !!! think I’m gonna try and shoot some coke cap’s again and see how good my eye’s are..
Just by reading this article I can pretty much tell you really don’t know a whole hell lot about long range shooting .
1, a 20 inch barreled rifle is not a long range rifle
2. a 308 is hardly a long range cartridge. yeah yeah I know they shoot them at 1000 yard matches but there are far better long range cartridges that actually have some pop when it gets there.
3. If your scope will not dial up to 500 yards without a ramped base its a piece of shit.
4. Most true long range shooters don’t consider 500 yds “long range”
5. You make it sound like all you have to do is dial a cds dial to hit long range. This is the kind of mistruth that some folks buy into not knowing anything about weather conditions as temp, wind and barometric pressure.
Hard to believe the stuff you guys print sometimes.
Not everyone is a professional like you! 1000 yds is amazing sniper distance for a regular non magnum bullet, Now, get your friend, pick up your .50 cal and spend $500.00 shooting for a day at a mile… 20″ with 1/10 twist is built for accuracy not velocity… but it still manages 1000yds with decent accuracy.
bassin93… you are just as ‘full of it’ as Mr. Drew. Neither of you should get in public and embarrass yourselves, showing your ignorance, as you have. For one, 308 finishes its “effective burn” at 18-20″. A barrel any longer is gratuitous and provides no further benefit. To say “a 20 inch barreled rifle is not a long range rifle”… what good is a bullet that has the maximum developed energy if you can’t hit your target with it? A 20” barrel produces the highest accuracy there is amongst any other length choice for a 308. I can crack chicken eggs all day long with my Rem 700 SPS TAC AAC/SD at 850 -1000yds. And if you really think a 308 has “no pop” out at 1000-1200, I challenge you to stand out there with the best body armor you can find, if you truly believe that. If by some miracle you manage to survive it, I assure you, you will never express your ignorance like that out in public ever again. Now… if you want to still penetrate 1/4″ steel plate at 1200+, get yourself a 338 Lapua, 416 or 50 BMG. We’re discussing, the Rem 700 SPS Tactical in 308 here. You’re obviously in the wrong forum.
That is dependent on the bullet and powder type. Most .308s will develop more velocity from a 24″ barrel than they will from a 20″ barrel.
I totally agree. But, I respectfully believe you missed my point. What I was trying to say was… Even with the longest burns, the bell curve (most all of) of the energy derived from the powder load and energy transferred to the bullet, is done in the first 18-20″. That is what I meant by… “effective burn”. Barrel lengths beyond 20″ on average DO increase velocity, but in the end, degrade the stability of the bullet in flight and the accuracy of the shot. The ideal range of barrel length for the “highest accuracy” achievable (not max velocity) with 308 is 18-20″. That is why I said, “what good is a bullet that has developed maximum energy/velocity if you can’t hit your target with it?” I shoot with a Rockcreek Gunworks suppressor. A very good one BTW. And to launch out at less than 1050ft/sec and to reach out and touch someone at 500yds and still be “effective” using 185 -225gr is pretty dog-gone good and a tricky shot to make in anybody’s book. Hence… the 1:10 twist rate. Shooting subsonic velocities brings a whole new “scale of challenge” to the table. And further to bassin93… all Richard Mann was trying to explain was, how simple is was to dial up a new range with a Leupold CDS. NOT that it eliminates the need to still consider wind-speed, bar-pres, temp, altitude, spindrift, coriolis, etc. Reading bassin93’s comments just frustrated me by the raw and sheer ignorance of them. They insulted this weblog and made me feel I lost 30 seconds of my life I’ll never get back.
I prefer to zero my crosshairs mid range for whatever I feel will be max distance for given terrain/environment (to each their own). Once I do that I use come-ups and holds based off of range estimates using mils and ACI obviously. I usually use my digital watch’s barometric and temp reader. The most challenging part is determining wind, not at my location but intermittently (mainly with multiple valleys and their crosswinds, experienced this a couple times- eeeeeeks) and most commonly mid range and POI. Of course an important factor commonly overlooked is mirage only obtained through experience. The most important thing for ANY precision long gun owner is know how to maintain a proper data book during different conditions and altitudes. For those of you with limited knowledge use a tool such as a kestrel or ballistic computer to double check your calculations. Do not rely on these means as they have electrons coursing through them and you need to know the formulas to be truly consider yourself a precision shooter / designated marksman / sniper!!! You should also keep a log of bullets fired through the gun so when you know maintenance cycles and when your grouping goes to shit you can deduce barrel wear.
FYI, a 3-inch group at 100 yards (aka horrible) = 30 inches at 1000 yards =you arent hitting any vitals (persay, may get lucky)
Your gun should be at least what is called a 1 MOA gun to even qualify as a Precision Rifle (aka Sniper). Anything less then that is icing on the cake (mine shoots sub-quarter, craziest rifle I have shot to date). Once you get a reliable (1 MOA or less) rifle then everything else is shooter error (very common with proclaimed “Snipers”). Owe yea and last thing, keep your rifle, scope, and ammunition covered from direct extended periods of sunlight (i.e. summer heat), will affect viewing and bullet trajectory and throw calculations off making your data book pointless unless you consistently do it that way but then don’t think your shots will be remotely close in the dead of winter.
TIP: Okay last thing, barometric pressure is the truly problematic long range precision factor inexperienced shooters have in identifying and commonly overlooked and will definitely affect impacts making you think the scope slipped or some other whacked ass thing.
I prefer to zero my crosshairs mid range for whatever I feel will be max distance for given terrain/environment (to each their own). Once I do that I use come-ups and holds based off of range estimates using mils and ACI obviously. I usually use my digital watch’s barometric and temp reader. The most challenging part is determining wind, not at my location but intermittently (mainly with multiple valleys and their crosswinds, experienced this a couple times- eeeeeeks) and most commonly mid range and POI. Of course an important factor commonly overlooked is mirage only obtained through experience. The most important thing for ANY precision long gun owner is know how to maintain a proper data book during different conditions and altitudes. For those of you with limited knowledge use a tool such as a kestrel or ballistic computer to double check your calculations. Do not rely on these means as they have electrons coursing through them and you need to know the formulas to be truly consider yourself a precision shooter / designated marksman / sniper!!! You should also keep a log of bullets fired through the gun so when you know maintenance cycles and when your grouping goes to shit you can deduce barrel wear.
FYI, a 3-inch group at 100 yards (aka horrible) = 30 inches at 1000 yards =you arent hitting any vitals (persay, may get lucky)
Your gun should be at least what is called a 1 MOA gun to even qualify as a Precision Rifle (aka Sniper). Anything less then that is icing on the cake (mine shoots sub-quarter, craziest rifle I have shot to date). Once you get a reliable (1 MOA or less) rifle then everything else is shooter error (very common with proclaimed “Snipers”). Owe yea and last thing, keep your rifle, scope, and ammunition covered from direct extended periods of sunlight (i.e. summer heat), will affect viewing and bullet trajectory and throw calculations off making your data book pointless unless you consistently do it that way but then don’t think your shots will be remotely close in the dead of winter.
TIP: barometric pressure is the truly problematic long range precision factor inexperienced shooters have in identifying and commonly overlooked and will definitely affect impacts making you think the scope slipped or some other whacked ass thing. Know your cold bore shot for first round impacts (key for hunting). Setting cross hairs mid range = if you think you will be shooting at 1000 yards set the rig up for point of aim and point of impact at 500 yards. This may require data being built for estimate and will change on aforementioned atmospheric influences. This is individual shooter preference. Come-ups will be based on range and barometric pressures while holds will vary based on windage mostly (but may include other conditions). If you’re trying to break world records you better have the skill and rifle (aka Lapua) to execute!
getting back to the article. 2 questions. Would it be possible to publish more groups the rifle did. Also, to all out there, what do you think of the stock and its bedding. Just good to go? thanks all.
I learned to shoot at the age of 6 with an ole single shot over 50 years ago. I’ve never had a gun that would or could go off on its own. Nor would I ever own one that did. Whatever it is should be remedied now. If the reputation of my company depended on this gun Id invest in a new trigger mechanism or safety that would fix it. The risk is too high. At least sell it at cost. Perception is 99% of most things in our lives. TV and movies constantly give people the impression that guns are unloaded when there’s still one in the chamber etc. We need to put pressure on Hollywood to ALWAYS show the unloading of guns the correct way.
mmmmmmmmm, you’re kidding right?! You sound like the same people who are afraid of guns and because they are they do not think anyone should have them except the police. FYI, I have see local, state, and federal LE fire their pistols and I would rather not call them in a gun fight. Thank you for showing us your true colors, YELLA!
Sincerely Your,
7 tour combat vet 😉
P.S. come and try to take my rights. I promise the response will be swift! just! and decisive!
Charles
The only way to have the problem you have is: 1. You tried to lighten the trigger not knowing what you were doing and left some damage on the assembly that you know will Remington is going to see, there for you will not send it back. 2. Same as 1 only a friend did it.
Just buy another trigger assembly, take it to a reliable smith to set it and consider it a cheap lesson learned and no one was injured or killed.
If you what to sell it I will give you $350 for the piece of junk as is.
Charles,
I think you work for CBS. Calling bull crap on your comment. Go troll somewhere else.
Never had a problem with my R700P
Michael
i have a 700 put over a 1000 rds thru it never a problem the only problem Ive heard is people fixing the trigger system Semper Fi my friend
500 yards?? heall’s bells, i’ve got a 30+ year old 700 that’s good to go past 500. what will this new rilfe do out at 1000 yards?
NO YOU DON’T, Mr. CHARLES W. DREW!!! You aren’t going to run a hit piece on Remington here.
– The trigger itself is safe, and if it weren’t, Remington would never have been able to build and sell 5 million of them over the decades. But because it has three screws on it that can be adjusted with a small screwdriver, it can be made unsafe if the person wielding the screwdriver doesn’t know what he is doing.
– This problem has never been reproduced in court on a properly setup rifle. Why? Because it only happens if your trigger has been CHANGED from factory adjustement to an unsafe condition, usually by setting trigger pull far too light.
EASY TO ADJUST: http://www.quarterbore.com/library/articles/rem700trigger.html
– If you are unwilling or unable to have your Model 700 trigger properly adjusted, Remington will be happy to replace your entire trigger assembly for $20 plus shipping.
http://www.remington.com/pages/news-and-resources/safety-center/safety-modification-program/remington-model-700-and-model-40-X.aspx
SORRY, I should have read all the comments before adding mine. It doesnt sound like there is a problem after all.
Sounds like an amazing rifle! “low Budget” compared to the .300 wwm and .338 LM people tend to be migrating to lately…which are neat, but, spendy to feed.
As to this last comment, I’ve owned Remington, specifically in BDL and in many different calibers and never had one problem with any of them. Seems that their customer service would at least make recommendations. Sounds odd, always had good luck with Rem…they are an outstanding company.
@Charles Come on man, If you say you are a sniper and you can’t figure out whats wrong with your weapon if its going off by its self…??? I have a 700 SPS and I bask in its perfection.
I have a Remington 700 SPS Varmint with custom aluminum pillar and full length titanium DevCon bedding, Jewell Trigger (set to 7 oz), Leupold VX-R Patrol, Leupold QR rings, Leupold Alumina Covers, Angle Cosine Indicator, and Harris Bipods. My rifle groups sub-quarter at 100-yards, never would have believed it if I hadn’t done it myself. A true tack driver!
Next project- threading the heavy barrel for suppressor.
I have a remington 700 BDL and would never recommend a Remington 700 to NO ONE. The rifle goes off by it’s self with out ever touching the trigger. Remington REFUSES to fix the problem or even acknowledge a problem even exist. As a retired police officer and sniper I have handled guns for most of my 58 years. The 700 is the only rifle I have ever shot or owned that has had this problem. To EVERYONE I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND EVER OWNING ONE OF THESE RIFLES UNTIL REMINGTON ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS A PROBLEM AND IS WILLING TO FIX IT AT THEIR COST ! ! ! !
you need to provide more evidence than just saying it goes off. How many times has it done it? What were YOU doing when it went off? Show it on video and you will get a better response from Remington. My 700 XCR tactical has never gone off by itself, ever.
My XCR also has never gone off on its own. I’ve heard of people talking about this, and I tried and tried to get mine to fire by smacking it, bumping it, flipping the safety on and off, and just couldn’t get it to fire on its own. From what I understand, Remington corrected this issue years ago.
My 700 only goes BANG when I squeeze the trigger, I love this rifle.
I have owned over one dozen Remington 700 rifles in various calibers and used them under various conditions both in the field as well at the range. I have found every one of them to be not only very accurate but completely dependable. Not once have I ever had a spontaneous discharge or even any kind of glitch. I’m sure that’s why most police departments as well as the U.S. military use the 700 as there base platform for accurate and dependable long range shooting. I have been shooting for most of my 63 years and the first rifle I always go to is a Remington 700!
Charles I think you need to watch a little less CNBC, and perhaps keep your trigger adjusment within specs, and clean your rifle.
If your rifle is stock (no changes as delivered), and you are a retired police officer: surely you are aware that if the problem is “as stated”, there a number of venues for you to take. Trying to convince me at this point thru this blog is well…not very convincing. No one was able to prove that Remington rifles would self-discharge; the only highly publicized case on TV was ultimately about a rifle that was not only never maintained (at least from the pics I saw) but the kicker was that the trigger had been altered (lightened). I don’t have a dog in this fight, I don’t own a Remington rifle…but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one if the need arose.
Remington has addressed the situation multiple times. They also have a position letter on the subject. I too, have seen Remington 700s go off w/o touching the trigger.
It went , if I recall this right, You place the safety in fire, snap off, then work the bolt, place the safety in safe, pull the trigger. Nothing happens, but when you flip the safety to fire, the gun went off. I was attending a NRA Precision rifle Instructor course and a fellow student had this issue with his Remington SPS.
Everytime this rifle was manipulated in theis manner it snapped off. I suggested the rifles owner call Remington immediately. I am sure they would send someone to check this.
I also, ask if anyone has tinkered with the rifle messing up the three screws that become loose and allow this to happen. Operator advised that the rifle, although 4 years old was band new never fired stored in his employers armory.
I spoke with my Remington armorer about this. Before I could finish he told me exactly what happened and described how we got it to fire W/O the trigger being touched. It’s an easy fix.
My current sniper rifle has been assigned to me since the mid nineties. After three barrels several beatings and annual inpsections, it has never NEVER , had an accidental discharge. Our team repeated the above in an effort to have test them and not one had this problem.
It was explained to me as three screws in the trigger mechanism were not adjusted properly and caused this to happen. Thank God we have a good armorer.
But, All this is no longer a problem as Remington no longer produces triggers with this issue.
I have 5 Remington 700’s only had your issue with one, come to find out someone tried to do a trigger job on it and butched it up, sounds like someone (possibly you) tried to lighten the trigger incorrectly and results in misfire. Remington will fix it, but I took mine to local gunsmith 30 bucks later I was ready to shoot, once again I have 5 of these and none have had any issues except the one I bought used, but once fixed has worked great ever since.
As an actual former Army sniper with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who was brought up on the 700’s big brother (M24) and who owns many 700’s in many calibers, I have never seen a Remington “go off by itself” that hadn’t had some redneck gunsmithing done to it, and even those required the weapon’s safety to be disengaged and a sharp blow delivered to the butt of the weapon. Maybe Charles should blame Bubba for messing up his rifle, not the company who warns against tampering with the mechanism.
Really you’re going to go their. Look “We” and I use the this word broadly. The shooting public have thousands of rem 700 in various configurations Ok? So if your guns fire randomly or slam fires when closing the bolt Maybe Sir you should send your weapon in for an inspection.
Causes:
protruding firing pin due to Brass from a defective primer
protruding firing pin from a dirty gun possibly
a shallow barrel recess or the reamer did not cut deeply enough ( i doubt that )
Bad ammo on your part
bad lot of ammo from a foreign source
Bad primer protrusion Excessively high in the primer pocket
California has a drop test an along with any agency who uses the Rem 700 and they have to
Pass this drop test before this weapon can be sold in the DCCC. Democratic Communist Country of California!
So what ever to your BS remark about Remington 700s having a history of accidental discharges
Go back to Mother-Jones and report epic failure.
You’re living in the 70’s man… that issue was fixed long ago… Mine shoots .3 MOA with Remington 180G Hunting ammo… LOL
Had mine come back from factory for the remington 700 trigger recall . And the trigger feels like crap. Feels hard to pull like pulling on a AR single stage trigger. Before sending the rifle out it was smooth and crisp. Very unhappy with trigger job. I should have bought a new timney. Would have been cheaper than 2 Boxes of ammo. And would not been without it for 2 month’s.
I too have a Remington 700 SPS Varmint with custom aluminum pillar and titanium DevCon bedding, Jewell Trigger (set to 7 oz), Leupold VX-R Patrol, Leupold QR rings, Leupold Alumina Covers, Angle Cosine Indicator, and Harris Bipods. My rifle has never discharged without me pulling the trigger, even with its current 7 ounce pull which is a light touch (finger straight and off the trigger until intending to fire). I verify my trigger pull before and after firing with no signs of travel even with the original factory trigger I use to have. Check your trigger pull and adjust the allen head screw in the trigger well. There will be two screws if I remember correctly, google it. I am willing to bet your trigger pull screw loosened up. My original trigger came with some serious thread lock stuff in it which made it virtually impossible to increase or lower trigger pull.
I made a couple upgrades and have a great tactical rifle. I ditched the Hoague stock and mounted mine in an HS Precision M-24 with a raised comb. Then I installed a Timney trigger. I mooorunted a Warne 20 MOA Maxims base and rings and a Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9 scope with a TMR reticule. I screwed on a Battlecomp 2.0 compensator-flash hider. The comp screws off for the installation of a suppressor. So outfitted, the rifleis good for .5 MOA with match ammo.