Thread: New to shooting remington 700 rifles

Hey guys, i am new to all this so i was looking for my first rifle. Now i would prefer to buy one rifle and use it for a long time. I was mostly interested in shooting at the range, not too much into hunting but got some mates who are into it so could join in if i can.
Therefore i started looking at the Remington range to start off.
I saw they had some entry models and the SPS tactical really caught my eye, i need recommendations tho, in term of range i saw that most of the ones around auckland do 200 -600 and clevedon does 1000 so would you go for a .308 or a .223 ?

also in term of the rifle in itself i went to a few stores and most of the stores staff mentionned that the SPS tactical stock was a really bad one, anyone have a user feedback they can share please.
I also saw a remington 700 5R, which according to the guys at the store was based off the US Army m24 program but retooled for civilian use as they did not meet the criteria for the m24 when tested.

i know i am asking a lot, just wanting to learn as much info as possible.

thanks guys

.223 cheaper to run and easier to LEARN with as recoil is less. if you are new to shooting fullstop a .22lr will teach you a heap cheaper still and far easier to find SAFE place to practice shooting.
when you can consistently shoot at 100 yards then think about shooting further...walk before you run..or in case of 1000yards back to back marathons carrying a 45kg pack.

im not even going to get into the 223 vs 308 debate - that is a different can of worms. ask to shoot different calibers that your mates hunt with and see where you feel comfortable. recoil can be dependent on fit as well, so one 308 could kick you like a mule while another is mild...

clevedon 1000yds is for specialized target rifles (see nranz.com), mostly single shot actions, with massively heavy match barrels. the likelihood of someone doing well with a standard remmy 700 is pretty remote...

my suggestion to you is to go along to one of all of the above ranges, ask to have a go, and try lots of different rifles before buying something.

and realize that anything that says "tactical" on the label is a marketing gimmick aimed at catching wannabe "snipers".

also go to several different gunshops, handle a range of rifles and see which one feels best. take anything a salesman in a shop tells you with a healthy dose of scepticism.

welcome to the wonderful world of spending money on guns

Sps is short for shitty plastic stock

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Sps is short for shitty plastic stock

yep total shite, and this from a reminton owner! mind you mine is a bit like "grandads axe" now

Cheers guys went to reloaders today in Onehunga and tried the 5R and it felt just right lol weigh barrel and stock, reason is i would prefer to buy one rifle and not spend on another one down the track hence why i am skipping the .22 but thanks for the advice i will def have a go at the different ranges and see which i prefer

reason i wanted a remington is due to the aftermarket parts available to them and also i saw a magpul 700 hunter stock at a show in USA before and felt for it completly lol

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Sps is short for shitty plastic stock

You may be quite right there but maybe its just me but i actually like the REM 700 SPS. Ive got one recently in 308 and as plastic stocks go i actually dont mind it at all. Looks better than some you see, feels pretty good to me,seems a nice fit and i have been impressed with the REM 308 since i got it.
Take it bush shooting, in its short time its shot one 8 point stag and 6 goats. Key points ive found is shoots well, pretty accurate . Nice recoil pad with it, hardly feel any recoil.
Has a good half cock and a very solid positive safety. Darn nice trigger since i got it down to 2lb and like the fact its got a hinge plate for the mag. Cant really fault it, darn thing is going out in the bush with me more than my 243 and im a 243 man. I have no intention for changing stocks, i just like it. Nice balanced outfit, going well but each to there own. Dont use a bi pod and from all accounts if you going to use it more at the range the REM isnt a bad option. Lots of things you can change on it , ie stock, trigger etc if you going to do longe range shooting but for general hunting purposes they pretty good. (esp when you get a new one for half price lol)

Originally Posted by sylpharion

Cheers guys went to reloaders today in Onehunga and tried the 5R and it felt just right lol weigh barrel and stock, reason is i would prefer to buy one rifle and not spend on another one down the track hence why i am skipping the .22 but thanks for the advice i will def have a go at the different ranges and see which i prefer

reason i wanted a remington is due to the aftermarket parts available to them and also i saw a magpul 700 hunter stock at a show in USA before and felt for it completly lol

I'm thinking I might do a rem 700 with that stock. Looks good and if you can buy a good gun in a shit stock sweet as if you're going to be using an aftermarket one anyway?

Mine has the Hogue stock, its by no means stiff but ok for a bit of fun.
I too want to get the hunter stock when its available as well as upgrade my scope...
My 308 700.

...one from the web with a Vortex HD...

I am also a remington 700 sps owner my one is in 270, I have not regretted buying my one it shoots very well out of the box I also reload for it because I could not be bothered spending hundreds of dollars finding the right factory load for it

i am also looking at that setup too we should pool up and do a group ordering for that stock

thanks for the feedback guys i think i will be starting out on a 223 sps with the shorter threaded barrel and then go from there

@Skatieguy want's one too

If you are only using it for target shooting, have a look at the howa varmint, and tikka varmint rifles also. Both pretty good options and will likely shoot a little better out of the box than the rem, which by all review are a little hit and miss accuracy/finish wise these days. Not to say you wont end up with a good rifle, but there are a few rem lemons out there

If you haven't already made your purchase i'd suggest the 308.

223 is great, i'll probably get one at some point, but if you do get into hunting as you mention it's not really a beginners deer gun. Quite a few folks on here use them for deer but most of them have a lot of experience with shot placement, etc. Your effective range will be a lot less on deer in any case. I've hunted with an old culler who's used nothing but 223 for years and just brain shots, but even he admits he won't have a crack much beyond a couple hundred meters.

If you go 308 you've got your target rifle and can use it for any game in NZ. I doubt you'd even notice the cost of ammo unless you are shooting a LOT. I was considering a 223 due to these visions I had of firing hundreds of rounds a day, but i'm lucky if I fire 20 at the range. And if you go hunting and fire a couple of shots you've had a good time.

308 if your shooting on the long distance ranges 300m plus 308 for sure but as others have said master your gun control with a 22
something like this would be perfect
22LR Norinco JW-15-S Scoped Suppressed Package | Trade Me get the 16 inch barrel one every gun safe must have a 22 in my opinon