NDR - Remington Model 770

B

Bill Gass

Active member
Hi Guys

My nephew is getting a new rifle for big game hunting. He is considering the Remington Model 770 with factory mounted 3-9x40mm scope in 30-06 calibre. Here are the links to it;

Rem 770 - SIR

Rem 770 - Rem site

Any opinions about this firearm? It says that it is an upgrade of the "Famous 710 model"

Bill G.
 
Famous 710 - LOL

It is an OK, cheap gun, not much more.

In my opinion, spend the money on a model 700 - you can pick up used ones all day long. If he wants to use it to get meat, works great, and if he ever wants to make it more accurate or customize it, there are endless options.

Charlie
 
He might want to also look at a Savage 110 or Stevens 200 (same gun older trigger style) for about the same price, maybe less. The reason being is that there are a bunch of after market parts made for them. If in a couple years he wants a better trigger they have em, if he wants a better stock they have em, if he wants to switch barrels it can be a home project with a little care. You can customize a savage piece by piece if you want, something I doubt will ever be possible with the 770. Besides they have a great out of the box accuracy reputation.
I've never handled a 770 and only picked up the 710 in the store so they might be a fine gun but the options with the 110 action at least deserve a look.

http://www.savageshooters.com/ has a bunch of links and info on them. I've been thinking about getting one to do a slow project on.

I also keep hearing about people finding great deals at Walmart on 700 ADLs but I've never seen them.

Tim
 
Bill,
No less than Phill Shoemaker of Alasakan Bear fame likes it.

I think this is the model that is being made in eastern Europe and is a copy of the mouser claw type extractor.
Price is right and the action is designed for hunting in bad weather like you prob. see plenty of. Nothing wrong with 700's but this gun is OK too.
Except for BIG bears you will never go wrong with the '06

Check out the forums at 24hourcampfire.com and ask there. I think it would be a safe bet you will get some [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]answerers[/font] that help you out.
 
Not to open up with this but I want you to understand some idea having a small amount of credability with the 710/770.

I worked as the Process/Manufacturing Engineer (Only 2 engineers in the facility at the time, my engineering manager and myself) at the time the Model 710 started its infancy stages fresh out of design in 99' from the R & D group in Elizabethtown, KY. The manufacturing facility is located just outside of Mayfield, KY in a place called Hickory. But is known as the Remington Arms Facility, Mayfield, KY. Which is can be found on the gun barrel.

By design the gun is button rifled. There may be a lot of skeptics out there on the style of rifling in a barrel but the 710 has an advantage over the 700 with the hammer forged barrel. The button rifled gun is a smoother shooting bore compared to a hammer forged barrel not matter whom claims otherwise. The only process that would make a hammer forged barrel produce a tighter tolerance is lappy, back lapping, or etc. Which is why some of your other name brands can claim 1" groups of 100 yards with a hammer forged barrel. Less or no inclusions are within the groove and bore of the button rifled barrels. Inclusions can be anything from hair line creases to slight burrs not noticed with naked eye. The great thing about the gun over the 700 is the fact of the chamber and head space requirements were designed all within the barrel. The receiver on the gun is nothing more the aesthetics. Society would have frowned on the the gun with no receiver. You can literly lock the bolt within the barrel and fire. ( I do not recommend as to not cause anyharm to other rednecks out there like myself). The 700 the barrel has to be matched by headspace with the receiver. Some "Craftsmanship" has to be detailed on each gun. In the manufacturing industry that just means the process can't be repeated over a repeated process . You can pick any number 1000, 710 would be within a specific range. Through them in a pile and tear them apart, put back together with no issues. You would have to pay a gunsmith to do the same on a 700 barrel to receiver fit. That is why you pay more for the 700. In fact most components of the 710 were modeled directly off the 700 with the approach of cutting cost...You know the routine when an investment firm purchases your company...Cut cost, cut cost...But since the goverened party of the gun industry is ATF...In some cases cost has it's limitations based on the rules of what is a passable gun to be sold to civilians.

The main intent of design of the gun was to appeal to somebody whom can't afford loading their own shells and wants to pass through Wal-Mart to pick a box of shells for the $15.00-$20.00 range. Plus you could pick the gun up at Wal Mart out of the box with a sighted scope which would lessen the time you needed at the range to get on target. Overall I can't say the gun outperforms the 700...I don't have that data to report anymore nor would I discredit either gun...I'm an work as an engineer not marketing..

I don't feel you are getting a bad deal purchasing the 710 or now 770. If you don't mind putting the silver spoon down and purchasing a product by function ( I am not saying you eating off a silver spoon..No offense on you personally...It is just a statement of what I had to deal with in internal competition of the 710 to the 700). I have one of the first 200 guns we produced of the 710 and proudly hunt with it today when I get the chance to deer hunt. Like any product in the firearm industry it's typically of not the gun in the man or woman's hands that causes a poor hunt it's the man or woman not knowing how their gun performs which causes the dissappointment. I don't care what you shoot, if your hunting for meat you don't have to be neat...

Buy the gun for your nephew. They now make the gun in a youth model 223 or 243 (don't quote me on the caliber I just know they in one of those) if your nephew is of smaller frame or younger. He can beat the hell out of it like an 870 and be proud to have the gun in his hands years from now. Like a stated before if you are buying for function you really can't beat it, if you are buying to impress your hunting buddies you'll get laughed at till you out shoot them with over the counter ammunition.

Good luck on your decisions,

Kristan
 
That is the 798 you are talking about with the Mauser design...Out of Europe from Kustava...Don't know exact spelling...
 
Kristian,
thanks for the numeric clarification on the two different models. It was a very good write up on your project. Interesting how you solved the longstanding problem of fitting a barrel.
Good luck with the marketing.
 
Next week I will be setting in on the range firing the 710 for the first time. Of course like Kristan said it's gonna be out of the box with the installed scope and a fresh box of wal-mart ammo 270 cal. It's not my worries of the gun itself as much as the scope and rings. 9 OUT OF 10 people I know shoot boxed ammo. This is the 2nd year I've shot reloads in my 700 and it's because I couldn't get the group I was looking for. No more no less reasons.
 
One limitation to keep in mind (and maybe it is a benefit, not a limitation) is that you will be limited in the amount of customization you can do. Maybe that is okay, but it is worthwhile knowing now, rather than later.

I am impressed that the 710 is a marvel of mass production and I realize that is a huge accomplishment. On the other hand, if I was richer than I am now, I'd want the most custom gun I could afford, hand build by one of the master craftsmen of the trade, to heck with the price.

NOt telling you anythign you don't know, but the way I see it, mass production can be great for high volume at a repeatable quality and a low price. Hand crafting is great for one off, top quality at a high price. A gun like a mass produced model 700 with some minor work is a great compromise for a helluva lotta gun for not a lotta money. A great compromise...

If you want an mass produced appliance/tool gun, the 710 and 870 are marvels of inexpensive quality.

My best friend deer hunts with a 710 and an 870 both, and he puts deer, ducks, rabbits, you name it, down consistently if he does his part. The guns do everything he could ever want and more. They didn't break the bank to buy, he can be as rough as you please to them and never worry about it, and if and when they craps out, he can throw them away and buy a new one at the local chain store.

If that is the kind of gun you want, then it should fit the bill perfectly.

Charlie
 
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