Remington 700 BDL in .308

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A friend of mine had a Rem 700 in .308Win manufactured in the early '90s.It wore a muzzle brake(not that I care for them in such a light kicking caliber but it was there!)and a Leupold 3X9 with multi dot reticle.
He told me that the thing had something like 3 or 4 boxes of ammo through it.Looking at the locking lugs,I knew that the thing was like new.
$500 later it was home.Not a scratch anywhere on the steel or wood:mint condition.Now,those who know me know that I shoot aprox 2000 cast bullet loads for 1 with a Jword load.But yesterday,I decided to see what it could do before putting lead bullets through the bore.I had 18 Sierra 125gr bullets at hand which topped a starting load of IMR 4064(42.4gr).
3/4 to 1'' 3 shot groups at 100 yds.I thought I had died and gone to paradise!
Not often in the life of a shooter that a great bargain turns out to be also a great shooter!
 
I feel your Glee

Many years ago, I acquired a partially sporterized 1891 Argentine Mauser in 7.65X53. Once I found the correct diameter bullets, (.313) I loaded them up and shot Ballentine signs at 100 yards. That day, the Argentine out-shot both a Ruger Model 77 in 7mm Mauser and a Sako .243 Forrester.

If you have back issues of American Rifleman, from the 80s I think, you'll find a full article write-up on this affair.

Good luck with your new rifle and frankly, I'm sorry I too didn't start out with a .308 when I started hunting. I was a novice and I allowed the "experts" to convince we that I needed a .30-06: more recoil, more length, more weight and no more effective against whitetails.
 
My 1st 1/4" @ 100 yds group was with a Rem 700 BDL in .308. The load was the 168 gr Sierra BTHP Match bullet. I initially bought it for 500 Meter Metallic Silhouette our local range was talking about, but that never happened. So 20+ years later with probably not over 200 rounds through it I sold it at an auction, and was astounded when the hammer fell at $950. I had attached a couple of the target centers with 1/4" groups to the trigger guard when it was out for review before the auction.
 
If you get a chance, try some Varget with 150 gr or 168 gr bullets. I used to shoot 4895 in my Remington .308 Varmint. I was pleased with 0.75" to 1" groups at 100 yds. Switching to Varget with the same bullets, nearly halved my group sizes! Should have done that long ago.
 
While I am more towards 38-55,45-70 and 30-30 with cast bullets,I must admit that once in a while(read once per 3 or 4 years),I liked to get my 1978 Browning BBR in 30-06 out at the range and shoot regular 1 1/2'' 200 yds groups with its slender 24'' bbl(3 shots;hunting rifle standard;others is 5 shot groups).
My load for it is with Sierra bullets in 165gr spbt shape.
I guess I'll have to decide if I keep my Safari Parker Hale for cast and my Remington for J bullets!
Decisions,decisions...life is soooo tough!
 
OP, is that a Walker trigger in it. If it is, are you going to replace it? I have a ADL from the 80s and I can't decide if I want to go through the hassle of sending it to Remington for a change, do nothing or replace it with a drop in. I'm leaning towards doing nothing because the drop ins are expensive and I don't trust Remington right now to change it out. What's your thoughts?
 
pennzy, how bad is the trigger now? I would never send it to Remington, lots of cost shipping, for one thing. A gunsmith could probably do it a whole lot cheaper, repair or replace. The BDLs from the 80s, I believe, had a certain amount of adjustment to them and I guess the ADLs had the same triggers. Been years since I owned a 700, but I think the trigger adjustment screw was covered in a blob of brown epoxy, which had to be scraped off to get to the screw. I don't know when or if Rem quit doing this, but I've heard they discontinued this feature on later models.

Unless the trigger is awful, I probably just leave it alone if it doesn't have the adjustment screw.
 
My trigger is fine. Just concerned with the class action replacements. Last I talked to Remington they told me March was the cut off for sending them in for a change. No one can tell me if the new triggers are any good or is CS was good. Most over at the 700 Rifle forum advise upgrading to a aftermarket drop in.

The Remington fix is free , both shipping and parts and labor but you have to take your scopes off and it could take awhile to get the gun back.
 
Last edited:
pennzy said:
OP, is that a Walker trigger in it. If it is, are you going to replace it? I have a ADL from the 80s and I can't decide if I want to go through the hassle of sending it to Remington for a change, do nothing or replace it with a drop in. I'm leaning towards doing nothing because the drop ins are expensive and I don't trust Remington right now to change it out. What's your thoughts?
Click to expand...

What a coincidence!I was looking at replacement triggers an hour ago!Like I said,I'm more used to shooting Sharps and High Wall with set triggers with letoff measured in ounces...and very few of them.
Back to the Rem 700;after looking at what is offered and considering that my trigger,while being hard(around 4#)but crisp,I decided for now that I'd tinker a bit with it but if I get really ticked off with it,I'll look into a Jewell or Timney.If I move on for replacement,I'll talk to a few guys at the club and then decide which one I'll go for.
 
The one that got away! In the early 1990's I walk into Vance's in Columbus, Ohio and see a bull barreled 700 with matte Parkerized metal and a matte oil finished stock. Caliber 308. The FBI had an order of 500 of them, there were 8 over run, Vance's had 5 of those. I passed at $389, I went back 2 hours later to get one, and they were all sold.

About 6 months latter, a small store has a used Rem 700 PPS with the Leupold 3.5-10x40 sniper scope on it, I get it for $800 OTD. I ended not liking that scope and sold just it for $400. I put Ken Ferrell steel bases and rings and a Leupold 6.5-20x40 AO scope on that gun. I had a few thousand rounds of 1975 match 173 grain ammo (M-118), at 200 yards a 3 shot group would be completely in the iris of your eye! In 2006 I got a Savage 10 BAS That outshot the PPS, so I let it be known I would sell the PPS. I got $2000 for the rifle and bases.

In early 2000 the Ohio Highway Patrol, went to one rapid response team from 2 teams and surplused out 5 PPS rifles with the 3.5-10 sniper scopes and a Pelican case at $1200. My oldest son was in the Army and took leave just to buy one of those. When he lived in Texas (about 2011), some guys he worked with (all Marines) said that Army guys didn't know how to shoot. So one Saturday they went to a 200 yard range on a ranch. He made sure they would already be shooting their Varmint rifles when he arrived, They has some nice 223 groups. He got into position and shot 3 groups; one each of the other guys targets. He put his group inside their best group. Ammo used: M-118 Special Ball 168 grain. He won 3 cases of beer.

Remington 700 308's have been known to shoot well!

Ivan

When you find a Lot# of an ammo your gun likes, buy all of that Lot number you can find! I have been fortunate and found 1000 and 2000 round stashes of good ammo 4 times. I always keep a 500 round reserve until I find another good Lot. You just never know when a case of beer might be on the line!
 
My .270 also makes me look good. Minute of woodchuck easily. Kept me in shooting shape for deer season when I still hunted.
 
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federali said:
Many years ago, I acquired a partially sporterized 1891 Argentine Mauser in 7.65X53. Once I found the correct diameter bullets, (.313) I loaded them up and shot Ballentine signs at 100 yards. That day, the Argentine out-shot both a Ruger Model 77 in 7mm Mauser and a Sako .243 Forrester.

If you have back issues of American Rifleman, from the 80s I think, you'll find a full article write-up on this affair.

Good luck with your new rifle and frankly, I'm sorry I too didn't start out with a .308 when I started hunting. I was a novice and I allowed the "experts" to convince we that I needed a .30-06: more recoil, more length, more weight and no more effective against whitetails.
Click to expand...
The Mauser model Argentino 1891 and 1909 are excellent for firing, they are built with very good materials. The problem we have in Argentina is that 7.65 x53 ammunition is very expensive and instead .308 ammunition are cheaper and have variety.
 
My favorite rifle is my BDL in 25-06 with an old Weaver wide angle scope that was on it when I bought it used in the mid 70s. I have used it hunting many times and it has taken numerous elk along with deer and antelope. My best kill was a cow elk uphill at 290+ yards with one shot.
 
I have a very similar story; I bought at a gunshow a Rem M 700 Varminter in 308 W. I only wanted the stock and the action as I was going to rebarrel it to a dedicated prairie dog rifle. But, I had the good sense to shoot it first to "see what I bought". I cleaned extreme fouling from the bore, retuned the trigger, checked the bedding and went to the range. I had a favorite 308 W target load that had shot very well in other rifles. After a couple of fouler shots, I shot a five shot group at 100 yds. I looked thru my spotting scope and didn't believe what I saw. I collected the target, took it home and measured a group at .256". That rifle was bought 25 years ago. It sets in my gunsafe not 8' from me right now. I am a firm believer in the potential of all Rem 700s.

The one take-away from this story is that this is probably every bit a 30 years old rifle.
 
Bought my 700 ADL back in 84 when walnut still ruled. Ran me $335 out the door. Mirror polish on receiver and barrel. looks kinda custom compared to offerings lately. Quite accurate to boot. Probably closer to a grand today with black walnut.
 
At a yard sale in 1984 I picked up a very early 700 in 223 with a steel checked butt plate and bright bluing and bull barrel. It shot terrible until I loaded 60 grain spitzers as long as possible. Probably 3" shot out of the rifling! A later owner rechambered it to 22-250, but it was already too far gone. It needed a new barrel.

I picked up one with a used Schneider Barrel that was originally a 26" 222 Rem. 1:14 twist, rechambered into a 24.5" 22BR. With 50 grain Combined Tech. Poly tipped bullet over Benchmark will run 3800 fps and hold 1/4" groups at 200 yards (Rem 7 1/2 primer, Lapua formed and neck turned 6BR Brass). I have a 35 grain Berger MEF Bullet load, that will do 4400 fps but only dose 1/2" groups at 100 yards. While it vaporizes any small animal it strikes, the barrel wear isn't worth the show!

(ca 2009) I have a different 700 Stainless action that was barreled with a 28" 6x284, whish is a modern equivalent to the post WWII wildcat 6mm-06. It has a 1: 10 twist and shoots 70 grain Sierra GameKings over H4831 SC (Fed 210M primer, Necked down Norma 6.5-284 brass). Not a super fast cartridge (about 3400 fps), after I zeroed the scope, I shot a match of "unknown distance", later turned out to be 525 yards! The gun shot a 1" group, I won about $35 for three shots!

In 1988 I found a 700 BDL in 30-06 in fantastic condition for $100 at a yard sale. It shot great! A friend from Australia, just had to have it, and would mail me a check for $125. About a month later I got the check for 125 Aussie Dollars. When it finally cleared my bank, I got $83 US. Oh well.

Ivan
 
Ever had a bad 700

I’ve had a few. Two .223, two in 260, 35 Whelan. Never a disappointment in the accuracy department. the 260s and .223s easily below MOA. I also had a Remington Mohawk 600 in 308 that was closer to .5 moa
 
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