Remington's Model 783 300 Win Mag

Another day of snow clearing. What else is new? We are having a record snow fall with no signs of this cold, wet weather letting up. The only reason for mentioning conditions is because they wreak havoc on the schedule and we are clearly running behind. It’s a very long hundred yards to change a target where three foot snow drifts are involved and a lot of defrosting is required after being parked at a shooting bench for hours in -3ºF.

This particular Remington Model 783 is the fourth example of this model we’ve examined. One of the reasons we’ve revisited the model a number of times is because it is an excellent firearm that is often misunderstood and/or misrepresented. We live in a tragic world of public misinformation these days that could easily be remedied by removing the “Comments” section that follows comprehensive articles.

The Model 783 is designed to be an affordable, durable and highly accurate hunting rifle. To those ends, the rifle was designed to be built with precision while: requiring using fewer process steps, reducing material cost, using a higher degree of automation, achieving an excellent aesthetic result. I have no doubt that Remington accomplished all of those objectives.

The action is pillar bedded to the stock and the barrel is free floating. The stock is fitted with a high quality SuperCell recoil pad. The drop safe trigger is adjustable between 2.5 – 5.0 lbs. The barrel is button rifles. These are features not common to much more expensive bolt action rifles, features that are often added by gun owners as expensive gunsmith modifications.

The trigger guard is poly, but not an integral part of the stock. The flush fitting detachable magazine is of the staggered type, rather than round self centering.

Made in Kentucky… Yes, that is the U.S.A

The Remington Model 783 is manufactured in the Remington Mayfield, Kentucky plant where Remington is expanding from 44,000 square feet to 91,000 square feet and bumping employment from 91 to 315 people. The plant accommodates Model 783 production as well as several Marlin product lines. Not sure how anyone can grumble over “Made in America”. Millions invested in America and the creation of American jobs. Wonder how many thousands of jobs New York State’s politics have costs the residents of that state?

And now a picture and 1,000 words… or so…

The Model 783 has a thick wall, cylindrical receiver with a minimal port opening for the sake of receiver rigidity. The receiver is all steel with no poly inserts, as is the case with Remington’s low cost Model 770. The 783 receiver top measures a robust 0.345″ compared to a Model 700 receiver which measures 0.215″.

Bolt lug seats are integral to the receiver, just like the Remington Model 700, however, the 783’s lugs are not set back as they are on the Model 700. Subsequently, the Model 783’s bolt face sits flush against its barrel rather than in a recess in its barrel. 

During the evaluation of the Model 783, there was no incidence of empty brass not ejecting as a result of the reduced ejection port size. During live fire evaluation I top loaded the staggered magazine and routinely dropped a round into the chamber without mishap or hardship. The Model 700 aft receiver is flat contoured like a Mauser. The Model 783 maintains a 1.360″ diameter front to rear. Because the receiver isn’t stepped, it utilizes symmetrical scope bases from and rear; two Model 700 front bases.

Both the Model 700 and Model 783 have barrels with threaded shanks and a sandwiched recoil lug. However, where headspace for the Model 700 is controlled with depth of chamber reamer cut, the Model 783 has a degree of headspace adjustment provided my the barrel nut positioning.

I still don’t like Michael Bolton

Both the Model 700 (lower) and Model 783 share a common bolt body diameter of 0.695″ and opposing twin lugs for a 90º lift and approximately 4.500″ stroke. That is enough cartridge length capacity to handle a Remington Ultra Mag.

As referenced earlier without illustration, a notable physical difference is that the bolt body and face extend beyond the Model 700’s lugs to recess into the rifle’s barrel shank when the bolt is closed; Remington’s three rings of steel. The Model 783 does not share this feature. The Model 783 also has a sliding rather than fixed extractor and a floating bolt head to keep it at right angles to the rifle’s bore.

The Model 783 is produced in two barrel lengths, 22″ for standard cartridges and 24″ for Magnum rounds, as is the case with the subject 300 Winchester Magnum chamber. Nothing is fragile on this rifle, which probably explains its 7.5 lb weight without scope.

The stock… bad image to follow

The stock is secured to the barreled action with two graded, internal hex head fasteners. Removal is easy, and necessary when adjusting the Model 783’s trigger.

I think there is enough clarity in the image above to illustrate the two pillar bedding inserts molded integral to the stock and the strengthening ribs in the barrel channel. The Model 783 does not use an integrated aluminum frame and the barrel is full floating. From experience with Remington and other manufacturers products with similar stocks, the result is usually consistent accuracy and recoil dampening and I saw nothing different in the Model 783.

The magazine is a staggered type. The base is poly, the rest is steel, including magazine box and follower. I was able to load 3 rounds of 300 Win Mag and one in the chamber for a total capacity of 4. The magazine type allows easy top loading if desired, however, the simple one catch release… sounds like fishing… makes the magazine easy to load when removed from the rifle.

Where the Model 700 gets the X-Mark Pro trigger, the Model 783 gets the sear presetting CrossFire trigger. The little spur hinged in the trigger face acts as a safety to prevent a very light trigger from firing without finger tip depression. Pull is adjustable from 2.5 – 5 lbs by cranking set screw in the front face of the trigger housing.

I would be remiss if I did not point out the similarities between the CrossFire, above right, and the Pro-Fire X7 found on the Marlin bolt gun… as well as the similarities in barrel nut system and receiver. Marlin is, of course, a Remington brand, manufactured in the same plant.

Personality

The Remington Model 783 as a 300 Winchester Magnum is interesting. A little heft makes it a rather easy shooting magnum with enough power to be used for all North American big and dangerous game. With factory ammo it is an easy sub MOA rifle, putting up 3/4″ groups routinely with a cold or hot barrel and it shot consistently enough with temperature rise to do about the same with 5 shot groups.

The rifle has nice lines, the synthetic stock is well done, with the possible exception of the swivel attaching points. I like the metal parts finish. It is highly scratch resistant, finger prints and debris wipe off cleanly. The bolt stoke is smooth, the detachable magazine releases cleanly and locks in securely. The SuperCell recoil pad absorbs recoil energy like a sponge, yet it has good lateral structure for shooting support.

 

The selection of a scope for a 300 Win Mag big game rifle is not casual as it may have to be depended upon in life or death situations and it may have to routinely perform under extreme conditions. Remington succeeded in producing an excellent value priced firearm through superior design. Unfortunately, the inclusion of a no name scope diminished the rifle.

The scope had very short eye relief, gummy magnification ring movement, cheap aluminum rings and no information regarding the scopes specs, resistance to rain, cold, fogging, shock, etc. was provided. The only information on the scope came in the form of a poorly produced generic pamphlet with “Made in China” as the only identification of source. OK, Joe, why are you thumping on the scope so much? It was the only thing I could pick on. The Model 783 is aces and a terrific value for any hunter.