The Remington 783 Scoped comes with a rifle and a scope, everything you need for the range or the tree stand. Shown with the camo stock option.
To learn more, visit https://www.remington.com/rifles/bolt-action/model-783.
To purchase on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=remington%20783.
For years Remington has made a name for itself as one of the premier manufacturers of high-quality bolt-action rifles. Their flagship rifle, the Remington 700, has withstood decades of use by hunters and shooters alike, and is well-known for its outstanding accuracy and reasonable price point.
The rifle comes equipped out of the box with a 3-9X scope that is mounted and boresighted.
But “reasonable” doesn’t always mean “affordable” in today’s economic climate. Depending on the model and features, shooters often pay between $800 and $1,500 for a Remington 700, and that’s not even counting a rail, a mount, and a scope. Not everyone (or, at least, not everyone’s spouse) can justify dropping half a month’s pay on a new rifle, no matter how legendary it may be.
The Remington 783 Scoped might provide an answer to that dilemma. For less than $400, shooters get a quality rifle along with scope rings and a scope—everything they need to get deer season off to a good start. And, it comes with the scope and rings installed and boresighted.
It’s a great option for young or first-time shooters, too. Christmas is on the way, and the Remington 783 comes in a variety of chamberings (from .223 Rem. up to .300 Win. Mag.). I tested this in .270 Win., which, while a nice caliber, might hit too hard for someone of slighter build. The .223 Rem is a good option for those recoil-sensitive. It’ll get the job done, but it doesn’t hit too hard and the ammo isn’t too expensive.
Speaking of price, keep in mind throughout this review that the Remington 783 (and scope) is a mere $399 MSRP. It’s not a perfect gun, but it is perfect for someone looking to buy a solid rifle on a budget or for a parent hoping to introduce their kid to shooting without breaking the bank.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, here are the specs.
The scope has a 3-9X power range, which is one of the most common and popular with deer hunters.
SPECS
- Chambering: .270 Win., .22-250 Rem., .223 Rem., .243 Win., .308 Win.,.30-06 Sprg., 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 Win. Mag., .243 Win.
- Barrel: 22 inches
- OA Length: 42.5 inches
- Weight: 8.625 pounds
- Stock: Synthetic, dual-pillar bedding
- Sights: 3-9X Scope
- Action: Bolt-action
- Finish: Black
- Capacity: 4
- MSRP: $399-$451
Rifle Features
If you like frills, the Remington 783 probably won’t be your cup of tea. This is a working man’s rifle—what you see is what you get. But it does include a few nice features I want to highlight.
We’ll start where all the magic happens: The barrel. According to the owner’s manual, the 783 includes a magnum contour button-rifled barrel that’s been free-floated to enhance accuracy. Remington says it’s been crafted in their newest manufacturing facility “using proprietary methods that create the tightest tolerances from rifle to rifle.” Sounds good to me.
The rifle features a two-position safety as well as a cocking indicator at the rear of the bolt shroud.
I received in a camo-stocked version of the 783 Scoped packaged, which bumps the MSRP to $451 compared to the $399 MSRP of the black-stocked model. The rifle’s weight was the first thing I noticed coming out of the box. It’s hefty enough to handle larger rounds, but light enough to carry all day on a hunt. It’s also light enough to take a shot without a rest or bipod, which is sometimes necessary in the field. The rubber shoulder pad also helps absorb the recoil, allowing for longer range sessions and comfortable shooting.
The action itself is what you’d expect from Remington, and in many ways it reminded me of the 700. It’s smooth without being loose, and it never failed to load or extract a round. Sometimes the bolt was a bit tough to close, but that’s to be expected on a new rifle. The push-feed bolt also includes dual, opposing locking lugs, a 90-degree throw and a sliding plate-style extractor.
The receiver is where 783 departs from its great-grandfather. Unlike the 700, the primary one-piece cylindrical receiver has a small ejection port, which helps with rigidity and accuracy. Some have called the 783 an “evolution” for Remington, and the receiver provides a great example of that evolution.
The action cocks on opening and includes a cocking indicator—a small pin that protrudes from the rear of the bolt—to indicate to the shooter that the rifle is ready to fire. The firing mechanism also includes a foolproof two-position safety that blocks the trigger from releasing the firing pin when in the “Safe” position (it does not, however, prevent the action from being able to be cycled).
The steel detachable magazine is another nice feature. The steel latch makes the magazine easy to remove and easy to install, which, again, is ideal for a new or young shooter. There is an audible and tactile click each time the magazine is inserted, and it doesn’t matter whether the front or the back is inserted first (no AK magazine problems here). Plus, the four-round capacity is more than sufficient for a hunt, and the shooter doesn’t have to worry about catching an extended magazine on a branch or a vine.
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The 783 employs a detachable box magazine manufactured from steel.
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Remington says their Supercell Recoil Pad reduces recoil by up to 54 percent.
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All those features are helpful, but the trigger is what makes the Remington 783 stand out. Despite its super-low price point, the gun still includes Remington’s CrossFire adjustable trigger system. The trigger is set at 3.5 pounds but can be calibrated to be heavier or lighter to fit the shooter’s preference. The trigger is adjusted by removing the action from the stock and rotating the trigger adjustment nut with a hex key wrench. It’s a simple process, but I didn’t feel the trigger needed any fine-tuning coming out of the box. The weight was perfect, and the break was nice and crisp. In the realm of factory triggers, the CrossFire doesn’t disappoint.
Remington didn’t spare any expense with their Model 783. It functions as you might expect a Remington to function, and it includes features that are usually only included on more expensive rifles. If you’re looking for a budget rifle that doesn’t feel like a budget rifle, the 783 is a great choice.
Scope
The plywood target you see to the right of the reticle is 100 yards away with the scope set to 9X. The picture doesn’t do the scope justice, but you get the idea.
The 3-9X scope was clear and held zero, but, compared to the rifle, it’s the all-in-one product’s weakest point. Remington doesn’t say in the owner’s manual who manufactures the scope, and there isn’t any branding that I could find. Given that many pre-packaged scopes only include a maximum magnification of 7X, I was pleased to see that this scope goes all the way up to 9X from 3X. The sight picture is clear enough to see paper holes at 100 yards, and I didn’t have any trouble adjusting the magnification. The scope even includes a ring to adjust the clarity of the reticle.
But that’s about where the nice features end. The first thing I noticed about the scope was the limited eye relief. The eye relief isn’t long enough to get a comfortable cheek weld. I had to get my eye so close to the scope that on one shot the recoil pushed the scope back into my forehead.
The scope adjusts .25 inches per click at 100 yards, and the clicks were nice and crisp. But the reticle does not include MOA hash marks, and the tracking only seemed to work half the time. As I was sighting in the scope, I had to move the reticle more clicks than I thought was necessary. Maybe my math was off, but it seemed like the reticle didn’t always track as it was supposed to.
I believe the scope is bore-sighted at 100 yards from the factory. The rings kept the scope in place well enough, though I had to tighten them before shooting for the first time.
All that being said, the scope functions more or less as a scope should: it holds zero and allows the shooter to see the target more clearly. New shooters shouldn’t expect to make any 500-yard shots with this scope, but, again, the whole package only costs $399. Remington says the 783 Scoped is designed to be taken out of the box and into a tree stand. As long as you’re not hunting on the Great Plains of Nebraska, that’s exactly what the scope allows you to do.
Accuracy
I tested the rifle at 100 yards with four different types of ammunition using a Caldwell Lead Sled. I shot five, 3-shot groups with each loads. I also recorded the velocity of the bullet at the muzzle for each shot and averaged that data as well.
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The Federal Fusion ammo performed the best in the rifle.
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And while it liked the other two Hornady loads, the 783 did not like this GMX load at all.
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Given the gun’s cost, achieving a sub-MOA average with any load on a windy day is an accomplishment. As I test different loads I’ll be able to determine exactly what the rifle likes and what it doesn’t like. The Federal Fusion is a great contender, but I’m excited to test more loads to determine just how accurate this rifle can be. Though it was a windy day, every load except the some Hornady GMX I tried shot at least one group under one inch. In fact, that Hornady GMX ammo performed so poorly in the rifle I actually pulled it from the shooting results chart I was compiling. It apparently just did not like this load at all.
Conclusion
The author really liked the 783’s adjustable CrossFire trigger.
So, should you purchase the Remington 783 Scoped? As with any firearms purchase, that depends on what you want to use it for.
If you’re looking for a competition-caliber Remington 700 on the cheap, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re looking for your next deer rifle—or your kid’s first deer rifle—you should absolutely order one. With the right ammunition, the Remington 783 is accurate enough to hit your target every time. While the scope leaves something to be desired, the rifle alone is worth what you paid for the entire package. The scope allows you to take the rifle out of the box and onto the range, and the price point allows you to do it without breaking the bank. In today’s economy, that’s more than enough reason to pull the trigger on a Remington 783.
To learn more, visit https://www.remington.com/rifles/bolt-action/model-783.
To purchase on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=remington%20783.
Apart from a somewhat lackluster scope, the 783 was a great performer. And considering its modest price tag, that is all the more impressive.
I took one of these 783 rifles in .270 Win. to Colorado as a back up rifle on a DIY elk hunt. My Primary rifle was a Weatherby in .300 WBY.
The Colorado resident I was hunting with told me to keep the Weatherby in camp and carry the 783. The 783 felt like it was half the weight of the WBY.
The 783 shot sub MOA groups with Remington 150 gr core-locts. The game didn’t seem to care much about the accuracy.
Nice review and good rifle for the money. It can be a good rifle for a beginner or a person which want to try precision rifles.
I really enjoyed this article..!!
And Remington should be Happy to know you have “inspired me” to Purchase one for myself!
I am NOT a Hunter, but have several friends who ARE…and I would Love to join them for some Deer Hunting!
I am also a member of a very nice Gun Club, and would enjoy some really precision sport shooting.
I am a Marine Veteran, and ‘can handle’ the recoil of the larger rounds, [ I trained with the M-14 shooting a perfect score on Rifle Qual.] but would appreciate your recommendations on which choice will be best for Whitetail deer, and what is the better choice in light of cost and availability…
Thank You
Nice review. As a 46 year old brand new shooter, I’ve found the 783 to be a great platform to learn. I installed a muzzle brake and bipod on the 783, which lets me shoot very consistently to less than 1 moa. I also bought a Nikon 3-9 40mm bdc (centerfire) with weaver rings as the stock scope couldn’t handle the muzzle brake. I just started to shoot 200 yards at my range. This is a fun rifle to shoot. The American eagle 150 gr fmj seemed to be most accurate for me.
As for the price, it’s nice to have a lower cost rifle that will be easy for newbies like me to try out. As remarked above, I bought the rifle in .308 from Dicks for $299. Prior to this rifle, I had never fired a round in my life. At $500+ price points, I couldn’t really justify a purchase, as I had no idea if I liked to shoot and living in NY, there are few places to ‘try out firearms’. With the lower price, this Remington just converted me into a firm second amendment supporter.
The greatest thing about the lower price of entry is that it opened a whole new world to me. I learned about muzzle brakes, scopes, base mounts, rings, torque screwdrivers, ammo types, zeroing scopes, breathing techniques, and a ton of information about Federal 922r and NY Safe act laws. Prior to the 783, I never understood all the hoopla that gun owners had about the laws. I was surprised to find that the laws didn’t change the basic function of the firearm, only the cosmetic add-ons, no wonder it makes people mad.
At any rate, this rifle has been loads of fun to learn and your review article was great to read about my 783!
The one main problem is the bolt handle it is a real pain to get a good grip on. It’s flat and short and really need to be reconsidered. Turned me off Remington I went to Savage AxisII much better fit and feel.
Save your money ….This rifle is complete crap
I like the looks of this one. This is going on my wish list. I think it would be a keeper gun. Keep me up to date . PLEASE. THANKS !
Why? Honest question. Opinions mean nothing if you don’t explain them.
“Their flagship rifle, the Remington 700, has withstood decades of use by hunters and shooters alike, and is well-known for its outstanding accuracy and reasonable price point”
Tell that to someone killed by a faulty model 700
Remington new about the issue for many years, or is it decades, and never fixed it.
What issue dies this one have that they might ignore?
I believe you meant to write out “knew” and not “new,” which is understandable judging from your poor sentence structure and probably a poor IQ and rash comment. Get a life
Anyone accidentally killed by a Model 700 (or any other firearm for that matter) was killed by the Dumbass that didn’t keep his weapon pointed in a safe direction…. Gun Safety 101… KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION AT ALL TIMES…It is literally the first thing printed in the Gun Safety Manual…
By the way… You need to work on your typing and/or grammar…You type like a 10 year old…
The amount of stupidity on this Blog never ceases to amaze me….
anyone that was killed by a Remington 700 on accident was the one hanging out or being a idiot and not making sure it was unloaded or pointed in a safe direction it was the company’s fault but the stupid owner
I picked up a 783 in .270 last year without the scope but put a Prostaff 3×9 on it. I got out of the store for $440. It took 5 shots to get it dialed in, 6, 7 & 8 were in the center with 2 of them touching. The trigger is pretty amazing for an out of the box rifle however, I got my son a Ruger American a couple of years ago and it’s also very nice. Maybe triggers are getting good in all “budget” rifles… I’d buy either one of them again.
I purchased a Ruger Ranch Rifle several months ago in 5.56mm. It came with an 18 inch, medium weight threaded barrel for $350.00 dollars.
It’s the best low budget rifle I’ve ever owned. It will print on average one inch groups with Tula 62gr FMJ ALL DAY LONG. The Tula known to be dirty and not that accurate (just don’t tell my Ruger that).
As long as I keep my ammo below 75 grains, with quality ammo, every hole in my targets usually touch each other.
I mounted a Nikon P-223, 3x9x40 on it (located on sale and for around $500.00 dollars, it will outshoot many expensive rifles that retail from $900.00 – $1200.00 dollars.
If it were me, I would skip the Remington and for a few more dollars have a very nice and ACCURATE rifle.
CDNN has the same rifle as mine on sale right now for under $320.00 dollars. I’m going to be on that like white on rice!
I own one of these package rifles in a .308 Winchester. Purchased from Cabela’s in Sydney Nebraska for $289.00 on sale. (yeah, that’s 1980’s prices) Unlike the Savage Axis and it’s more expensive cousin, the Model 11, I’ve had ZERO magazine feed & ejection problems. As stated by the Author, the trigger breaks clean and crisp. For it’s price point, the accuracy is surprising. Nosler 125 Accubonds, hand loaded to 3100 fps in used brass easily print MOA @ 100 yards all day long. (why somebody is not offering this load commercially is beyond me). Out to 300 yards, this load virtually duplicates factory 270 Win. external ballistics with a lot less recoil, and delivers more punch to the target… For the record I live and hunt on the High Plains of Western Nebraska and this is my every day gun. It lives under the back seat of my Pickup and has yet to let me down. Saves my expensive 700’s from being knocked around and banged up. The metal magazine is light years better than it’s Savage, Mossberg or Ruger counterpart. My only real knock on this rifle is the small loading/ejection port. It makes one off loading of the chamber very difficult. I don’t care much for the Scope package either (switched mine out for an old fixed 6x Nikon I had laying around) but again as stated by the author, for an entry level or a knock around firearm, at this price point, it’s pretty tough to beat…I would like to see them abandon clips altogether and go back to box magazine. There’s really no good reason to have a removable clip in a hunting rifle. They just end up getting lost or broken.
The 783 will never replace the 700, but it was never meant to. Like the 110 did for Savage all those years ago, this is the rifle that will probably save the Remington brand from bankruptcy.
“For years Remington has made a name for itself as one of the premier manufacturers of high-quality bolt-action rifles.”
That WAS true, UNTIL thay were taken over by Freedom Group and a bunch of “bean counters” took over the operations from actual gun people. Then in a genius move by the “bean counters” they started to try to lower prices (AND QUALITY) so they could compete with “Savage” and “Mossberg” in the lower priced markets. At the same time “Savage” and “Mossberg” upped their quality and shot right past Remington in the quality and accuracy department. I was a life long Remington supporter, I worked for them, I humped an M24 made by them on occassion while working for my Uncle Sugar, I operated a “warranty station” for them for a time; and I own a vast assortment of their “pre-Freedom Group” rifles and shotguns.
That said I can tell you that the new Remingtons are “DOG SHIT”, you want a real rifle and scope save your money and buy something else as long as it’s not a Marlin, Bushmaster, DPMS or any other product that Freedom Group has ruined. Fair warned is fair armed!
There’s a lot of ignorant un-informed biased BS that floats around these blogs and this post is a good example…
Not a bit of BS in my post, just my professional opinion as a 30 year full time Gunsmith school who was school trained and fully apprenticed. I’m not biased against Remington, I’m just broken hearted at what they’ve become. You wouldn’t be a paid company Troll by any chance would you Keith?
I’m going against what my Mother taught me about engaging stupid people here, but sometimes, I can’t help myself… (sorry Mom)…
No.. “Big John”…I am not a whatever a “Troll” is…. “Paid Company Troll”? That’s funny… If only. If you had bothered to read my Post above you would see that I also critique on the 783 for a small loading/ejection port (Remington dialed down the size of the port to strengthen the action after they trimmed the walls of the receiver to cut material). For the record, Browning does the exact same thing and has for decades… I also criticized the Scope Package. Again I’m going to chalk it up to cutting costs. It’s not a great scope. Mounts could be better…Probably manufactured in China somewhere. It’s sufficient but not ideal. ….I just know a loudmouthed lying Jackass Internet Commando with an agenda when I see one. Maybe you’re not getting enough attention at home? ..You act like these Companies had much of a choice. If You were an actual “30 year full time trained Gunsmith” as you claim, (I’m going to ignore your lack of grammar) you would already know that sky rocketing production, material and labor costs have forced companies like Remington to cut those costs wherever and whenever possible to remain competitive in today’s market. (read avoid Chapter 11).. Unlike you I’m not going to claim to be something I’m not. I’m just your average Western Nebraska Cattle Rancher with 12,000 acres of pasture & about 3500 head of cattle along with a couple of hundred sheep, goats & chickens that we need to protect from predators and what not. I’ve used that 783 almost every day for the last 2 years and again… It has never jammed, never failed to feed or extract and with the right load, is as accurate as the majority of shooters can be. What it is not is “DOG SHIT” as you so eloquently stated in your post… It’s a solid entry level rifle with a trigger and barrel arrangement that guys like me used to have to pay Gunsmiths a lot of money to achieve… It has an affordable price point and It gets the job done. The fact that it’s almost indestructible and saves my high dollar furniture guns from getting banged up is gravy on the biscuit… That’s exactly what Remington advertises it to be…
You should probably just go back to your Mom’s basement now and stick with the porn and video games…Leave the grownup talk to the Grownups…
Wow Keith, you seem to have some anger management issues when someone disagrees with you. You should probably talk to someone about that. My grammer issue was due to changing some of my post around with “cut and paste”, then prematurely posting it. I tried to correct it after it posted but there wasn’t a way to accomplish that.
I can assure you that I have been a full time professional Gunsmith for over 30 years, I was school trained at MCC in Troy, North Carolina (while stationed at Ft. Bragg) and I did an apprenticeship after graduation for an additional two years under a Journeyman who…WAIT FOR IT….ran a “Remington Warranty Repair Station” in Connecticut. I also worked for Remington at the Remington Gun Club in Stratford, CT for a spell with Bruce Reynolds and John Cisero (look them up). As for your accusation that I “would already know that sky rocketing production, material and labor costs have forced companies like Remington to cut those costs wherever and whenever possible to remain competitive in today’s market.”…I completely disagree with you. The two things Remington always brought to the table were quality and repeatability. Quality is achieved by enforcing good quality control standards (inspections) throughout the manufacturing process, which Remington no longer does. Repeatability would also relate to that QC process, by regularly checking parts dimensions as they are being produced. In the CNC world there is no excuse for recoil lugs not properly engaging on both sides of the receivers or many of the other problems I frequently encounter with the new Remingtons (due to sloppy tolerances and poor quality control). Anyone who ever blueprinted a 700 action can tell you there’s a distinct difference between pre and post Freedom Group 700’s. The pump rifle and pump shotgun line have become extremely sloppy as well and their O/U shotguns are produced overseas.
It isn’t “sky rocketing production, material and labor costs” that are causing this; that sounds like corporate propoganda at it’s finest. The cause is being driven by “the managing investors” trying to squeeze every dime they can out the corporation for the “shareholders”. That’s where the focus is now, not in producing a quality product…and I will say for a third time- it’s heartbreaking to watch.
In closing, I will let the readers decide who the “Internet Commando” is in this exchange, best of luck to you cowboy…I’d love to meet you in person.
I just won one in 300 WIn Mag in a raffle, but since there is nothing I hunt in Texas that needs a 300 Win mag (plus the ammo is almost $50 a box) I traded it for a Ruger Hawkeye SS in 6.5 Creedmore. I got a $250 dollar credit towards another gun purchase.
As the author writes about the price point being a great starter gun, I will agree. They were on sale in the DF/W area the 3 rd week of Nov 2016 for $299.00 at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy was close behind. That is really hard to beat anywhere and this is a good shooter. Reloading might help the accuracy a bit more but all in all it really is a good deal now that Savage has gone $700 or more. The Savage Axis version is is even a little more than the 783 and the Ruger American retails for for the low $500’s (from the places I looked and what is advertised in the paper), you experience might be different)
For the money you spend you can’t beat these rifles.
You can often find them on sale for $50 or more off the MSRP. Add a sling and your ready to tag a deer. Great job Remington!