Tell me about the Remington Model 7 please

[Texasred]

I am considering purchasing a Remington model 7 in 308.
I would like to get the XCR stainless version and would like some opinions should anyone have any?
Is this action truly as strong and to the same quality as a Remington 700?
Is the reciever forged?
Any problems common in this model or action?
This will become my primary deer rifle, replacing my sendero special, which is to heavy and cumbersome.

 

[Franco2shoot]

Mine is an older Model 7, not new by any means, but I absolutely love it as a high powered 100 yard tack driver. Mine is in .308 and I will say that the barrel heats up after the 4th or 5th round, but the pattern seems to stay fairly tight. The action is silky smooth and coupled with a good scope you can't go wrong IMHO.
KKKKFL

 

[highorder]

the action is not forged; they are produced from pre hardened bar stock.

 

[Legionnaire]

I have an older Model 7 in .308, and it is my primary deer rifle. I put mine in an H.S. Precision stock. It wears a Leupold 2-7X compact scope. Whole rig is light, very handy, and accurate enough. Mine shoots just over 1 MOA with Remington Express Core-Lokt 150 grain SPs. (Sure, I get occasional groups well under one inch, but I wouldn't claim it's a sub-MOA gun; might be, but I've not done much ammo research or worked up any special loads for it ... the Core-Lokts are good enough.) I have mine zeroed 1.5" high at 100 yards, which gives me a point blank range nigh on 250, which again is quite adequate for the PA woods. Never had any problems with mine. Love it.

My son has a Model 7 in .243. His was less accurate out of the box. Discovered the stock was slightly warped. I hogged some wood out of the barrel channel and lightened the trigger to four pounds, and now it shoots just under 1 MOA regularly with 100 grain Remington Core-Lokts. I have my eyes open for another one ...

Model 7 = Good Gun

 

[dakotasin]

as strong as a 700? i don't think so - there's less material on a 7 than a 700. but, for practical strength, yes, it is strong enough for anything safe you'll do w/ the gun, and stronger than many other brands.

receiver question answered...

problems w/ the model 7... it isn't as widely supported as the 700 by aftermarket companies. i suppose that could be thought of as a problem by some. scope bases are not the same, and sometimes you have to look a little harder to find exactly what you want. but, inherent mechanical problems, no, it doesn't have any.

the barrel is short and light, so be aware that muzzle blast may become an issue. because the barrel is so light, they can sometimes be finicky about ammo.

the m7 is a good, solid gun.

 

[ArmedBear]

Nice little gun. Wonderful balance, easy carry.

I wouldn't buy one due to the price, though.

It's jumped up over the last few years, and is now too expensive for what you get when you buy a production Remington, IMO. And the safety should be replaced immediately, for field use. It doesn't offer a way to lock the bolt.

 

[Shawnee]

They are very good rifles... great to carry, which is what you'll do with it 99.999999% of the time.

They are so good that it is rare to find a used one for sale. If you find a used one for sale it will almost certainly be a .308 - and there is a reason for that. Blast from one in .308 is substantial.

But it does come in calibers that are effective and much more user-friendly than the .308.

 

[ArmedBear]

Here's what I'm pondering...

http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=535&type_id=103&cat=001C

Controlled round feed, 2 more inches of barrel to tame the .308 blast but still 4 oz. lighter, comes with 3-position safety, no camo to get scuffed up, and about the same price as the Model 7 XCR.

 

[Bill73]

Guess why you rarely see a used Mdl. 7 for sale.

 

[ArmedBear]

Guess why you rarely see a used Mdl. 7 for sale.

Because the older ones were a lot better, for a better price?

Until recently, the standard model had a proper safety, a laminate stock, and iron sights. Then there was a no-frills stainless/synthetic model for the same price, sans sights. They were two excellent all-around hunting rifles that would do anything. I sure wouldn't sell an older one, either!

As it stands, the XCR is one really expensive gimmick-filled rifle that replaced one that worked just as well for a price tag hundreds lower. Even the new CDL's retail for 800 bucks, with the botched safety, mediocre finish and utility-grade wood. No thanks, especially if I can get a well-built M70 Featherweight again, with nicer wood and a better safety, for about the same price.

For the $600 that the laminate gun went for a couple years ago, I'd buy a Model 7 willingly now. But not what Remington offers now, for the prices they want. And there's still no excuse for having to put on an aftermarket safety to get what are standard features on less-expensive guns.

Something to consider: Howa Ultralight Stainless.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

And the safety should be replaced immediately, for field use. It doesn't offer a way to lock the bolt.

Is it the same deal on the model 700s?

 

[Shawnee]

Here is a model 7 on Gunbroker with laminate stock. It says NIB but could it be old stock ?????

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=89906838

 

[Richard.Howe]

Is it the same deal on the model 700s

Yep.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Hmm. I see no use for a bolt lock.

 

[ArmedBear]

Hmm. I see no use for a bolt lock.

You must not have any brush. Some places don't.

Here, to get anywhere, you end up dragging yourself and your rifle through some thick stuff, even when you aren't planning on it.

 

[Fumbler]

You know...for a lower price you can get a Tikka T3 Lite that will weigh less and shoot better

Nothing wrong with the Model 7.
I have two friends who own them for deer hunting and both have never had problems.
They're nice rifles. I like how handy they are in the woods (as is my T3).
Not as accurate as my T3, but plenty accurate for deer hunting.

 

[ArmedBear]

The gun on GunBroker is the version sold until recently. Could easily be NIB.

I'll take a laminate stock over the low-grade walnut on the CDL any day of the week. And I've even learned to appreciate shnabels lately as they make it easier to grab the gun when it's propped vertically, though with a sling, it doesn't matter really.

The Mountain LSS would be my choice among Remington's offerings over the XCR. It's lighter, $100 less, and has a longer barrel, too.

However, I'd skip all of those, unless you really need stainless (and some environments do favor it), and get one of these: http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa/howa_ranchland.html

$499 MSRP with the Hogue stock in your choice of black, green or coyote. You could buy two of them and scope 'em nicely for the price of the Remington and a scope. The Howa action is very similar to the Remington, works just as well, shoots just as well. Comes with 3-position safety and a trigger that the user is encouraged to adjust himself. (Another beef I have with Remington is their trigger policy. They've got a lot of balls all 'round, especially given their rapidly-rising prices.)

 

[The Deer Hunter]

You must not have any brush. Some places don't.

Here, to get anywhere, you end up dragging yourself and your rifle through some thick stuff, even when you aren't planning on it.

I try to avoid it but I don't see whats so hard about closing the bolt.

 

[ArmedBear]

You will if you ever pull the trigger and nothing happens.

We're talking about a hunting rifle here, not a target gun. The cheap version retails for 800 dollars.

You should be able to flick the safety off while aiming it, and be confident it will fire, plain and simple, even if you had the gun slung on your back or you're kneeling in a bush you whacked through in the dark. That's where I was the first day out this year.

A hunting rifle that can't deliver that baseline functionality just isn't worth what Remington charges for it. There's no excuse.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

I still don't see the problem here.

 

[TexAg]

I've got one in 6mm and have been hunting with it for 15 or so years. Never had a problem. I can flick the safety off of it while aiming and have confidence it will go off because it always has, even after crawling through brush. Its a great lightweight rifle perfect for deer and coyotes. Gripes about no controlled round feed or the Remington safety are over blown and are just a matter of personal taste in my opinion. Now I will grant that I might not buy a model 7 now too because of the price.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

Guns without bolt locks in thick brush can
a) have a partially opened bolt then will not fire
b) magically open and unload themselves
c) allow debris into the action
d) drop the bolt entirely

None of those may be objectionable on the average deer hunt. Hunting dangerous game they are UNACCEPTABLE.

 

[TexAg]

Ok I gotta know how do they drop the bolt entirely? You'd have to hit the bolt release to have it slide out entirely.

 

[chieftain]

My model 7 is about 12 years old. 20" stainless barrel has been cryo'd.

Shoots about .75' with Remington Core-lok's. I have shot better groups, but not worth the extra effort or money for a hunting rifle.

Has had an action/trigger job.

Mounts a 3X9 compact Burris, Scope, with black synthetic stock. It is designed to shoot 3 rounds cold into what ever I need them placed in.

Goes bang when I pull the trigger, places the bullets where ever I need them, if I do my job, and drops what ever I hit. Now what else do I need? I guess it needs a bolt lock otherwise it will not do what it already has done.

boy, I didn't know it was defective. All it did was shoot tight groups, when ever I pulled the trigger. I guess I better get a padlock to keep that bolt closed. Yea.

Haven't gone hunting with it for about 9 years now because of health problems.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[ArmedBear]

Look, it's perfectly fine to say about a particular gun, "I don't need a better trigger; I don't need a bolt-lock safety; I don't need CRF; I don't need sub-MOA." You probably don't, and maybe you even prefer PF to CRF.

However, the gun in question here doesn't exist in a vacuum. It has an MSRP of $1080 when you can buy a perfectly functional, light weight centerfire hunting rifle for 300 bucks, brand new, from any of 3 other American companies (one of which is now part of Remington, I guess). If someone's spec is something that "Goes bang when I pull the trigger, places the bullets where ever I need them, if I do my job, and drops what ever I hit. Now what else do I need?", the 7's price is a bit high.

It's entirely legitimate to point out that, for a grand, it lacks a feature that is standard on every other rifle, even for a fraction of the price.

You decide if you care.

Frankly, I wouldn't buy one for the money they are now asking. That doesn't mean it won't kill a deer. It doesn't even mean I don't like the way it handles and shoots. In fact, I do. I also have a soft spot for the 870, but I'll tell you what isn't perfect about it.

The OP wrote, "Tell me about..." Well, that's "about." And the fact is, if FN makes the new M70 like they claim they will, the gun above will be a much better value than the M7 for about the same money.

A few years ago, the M7 was priced much more reasonably. It's also not my fault if Remington jacks up their prices when there's some good competition out there.