Remington's Model 700 Long Range

I’ve owned a number of 300 RUM chambered Remington firearms; CDL and Sendero types. This one is quite different, and I mean that in a good way. I like the alloy steel and all black finish. A rifle of this type should be all black with non-reflective surfaces and I like the way an alloy steel versus a stainless steel rifle seasons with use. They start off shooting accurately and typically settle in and shoot even more accurately after a a hundred rounds or so. The choice of heavy profile 26″ barrel is right for this cartridge. It is nice to be able to shoot a dozen rounds through a barrel without hearing the sound of sizzling bacon when it touches your fingers.

The Bell and Carlson M40 tactical stock is another good choice. It is tough and stable; urethane, aramid and graphite fibers and hand laid fiberglass. An aluminum bedding block has been added for consistent fit between barreled action and stock, which contributes greatly to accuracy and small group sizes. The stock has two forward swivel studs to permit the simultaneous use of a sling and mounting a bipod. The recoil pad is a Decelerator rather than the Remington SuperCell, but it does the job even with the big Ultra Mag.

The first time I encountered a stock with similar geometry, it was on a Remington Model 700SF Ultimate Muzzle Loader. The stock has a wide flat forearm, not unlike the Remington Sendero, but it tucks in at the fingers and up at the floorplate. The pistol grip has less of a palm swell than the Sendero, and the comb is a very nigh Monte Carlo. So much so that the front of the comb is relieved to permit full bolt travel. Why? Because this is a stock that is made for scoped use without compromising for use with metallic sights. It is an application specific, rather than a universal application production part.

The bottom metal is aluminum, matte finished to compliment the dark synthetic stock. The floor plate release is high inside the trigger guard and away from fingers even under recoil, something I actually favor over the Oberndorf style release.  The bolt stop release is also within the perimeter of the guard; high and also out of the way of fingers.

The X-Mark Pro® is one of my favorite triggers. So much so that I leave them in place when we build rifles from new actions. I think most people who don’t suffer from gun forum hysteria would agree that it is an excellent design and a quality production. As received the trigger is set at 3½ lbs, however, it can be adjusted +/- within any reasonable range. The trigger has no creep and does not develop any in use. A tribute to finally finished, hard surfaced parts; the trigger is has very smooth movement.

The product model remains constant, regardless the cartridge selected, differing only in magazine capacity and rate of twist. The pull on this most recent stock is 3/8″ shorter than other Model 700 rifles, including tactical and other long range models. This length works well when shooting through a high magnification scope.

Chamber selection makes sense

As of this writing, the Remington Model 700 Long Range is chambered for, left to right: 25-06 Remington, 7mm Remington Mag, 30-06 Springfield, 300 Winchester Magnum, and 300 Remington Ultra Mag. All proven long range cartridges that cover a pretty wide swath of long range applications.

The table above is an expression of relative performance based on factory ammunition in common and popular bullet weights. The table does no reflect a statement of preference.

Start big, end small…

We’ve worked up a decent number of handloadsfor the 300 RUM in the past. I am sure most would demonstrate good accuracy with the Remington Long Range,  however, finding a few good combinations for this particular rifle was an excellent excuse to spend some time reloading and shooting at the range.

A bunch of bullets and powder and primers were tossed together to form various semi harmonious combinations and tested. The final combinations contain elements that don’t always play well together; relatively light weight bullets, particularly boat tail bullets,  and high muzzle blast producing very slow powder.

Retumbo is very slow powder intended for  cartridges like the Remington Ultra Mag, but with heavy bullets. Norma 217 was developed specifically for 300 grain bullet 338 Lapua loads. The 165 grain Sierra and 168 grain Berger VLD utilized here are both boat tail bullets. The 180 grain Sierra ended up being the only flat based bullet in the group. The best way to know if a combination works is to try it.

Warning: Bullet selections are specific, and loads are not valid with substitutions of different bullets of the same weight. Variations in bullet material and length will alter net case capacity,  pressure and velocity results. Primer selection is specific and primer types are not interchangeable. These data represents maximum loads in our firearms and test equipment and may easily be excessive in other applications. All loads should be reduced by 3%,  and developed following safe handloading practices as represented in established reloading manuals produced by component manufacturers. Presentation of these loads does not constitute a solicitation for their use, nor a recommendation.   Cartridge: 300 Remington Ultra Mag  Firearm: Remington M700 Long Range  Max COL: 3.600″  Bullet Diameter: 0.308″  Primer: CCI 250  Barrel: 26″  Reloading Dies: Hornady  Max case length: 2.850″ (73.50mm)  Groups: Three shots

COL and Capacity   Load Data & Performance Bullet Type Bullet Weight C.O.L. Inches Net Grains Water   Powder Charge Grains Muzzle Velocity FPS Muzzle Energy Ft/Lbs 100 Yard Group Size “ 200 Yard Group Size “ Sierra SPBT 165 3.600 104.9   Re25 96.0 3189 3727 1.1 2.0 Sierra SPBT 165 3.600 104.9   Retumbo 103.0 3508 4510 0.7 1.8 Sierra SPBT 165 3.600 104.9   IMR7828 93.0 3282 3747 0.8 2.1 Berger VLD 168 3.600 103.2   Re25 95.0 3100 3586 0.9 2.0 Berger VLD 168 3.600 103.2   Retumbo 102.0 3469 4490 0.7 1.5 Berger VLD 168 3.600 103.2   Norma 217 100.0 3358 4208 1.0 1.9 Sierra SP 180 3.600 103.9   Re25 97.0 3237 4189 1.0 2.3 Sierra SP 180 3.600 103.9   Retumbo 99.0 3343 4468 0.9 1.7 Sierra SP 180 3.600 103.9   Norma 217 96.0 3237 4189 0.9 1.6

I realize every post made to a forum begins with, “I am new to firearms, bought a new pump action rifle and went to the range. I could get better than 0.25″ 100 yard 10 shot groups. What am I doing wrong” At which point a dozen participants tell the person not to worry because things will get better. The Remington Model 700 groups were shot through a new rifle with no more prep than running a patch through the bore and checking torque on the stock and scope fasteners. More time to experiment, getting more trigger time and allowing the rifle to settle in would definitely improve performance.

Shooting personality

The Remington Long Range, at 9+ pounds is not a featherweight. Still, recoil and report are… stout and sharp with maximum loads. The stock does a good job of deflecting recoil and the recoil takes a good deal of the smack out of shoulder contact. Probably a function of the high comb and lack of drop, the rifle lays flat under recoil making quick follow up shots reasonable.

The Remington Model 700 Long Range does not have to be loaded up to full tilt Ultra Mag levels. Some 150 grain Remington Level 1 ammo clocked 3002 fps and made the rifle feel like I was shooting a 30-06 Springfield, so it is a flexible combination even with factory ammunition that can spend a day at the range with its owner none the worse for wear. A final point… for this type of rifle, with these components, the price tag represents a major bargain. Nice rifle, great combination