Remington 700 BDL Questions

[TTundra]

No offense taken It is always good to learn from someone who has more experience than me. I would still not recommend a Remington model 700 for shooting Dangerous Game.
For Plains Game , l would think of no reason not to own one.

First choice, not for me either, but has taken many DG over the years. As far as your friends rifle, thats their story.

In terms of # of firearms, there are wants and needs and both are equally fun to acquire and build. Although I have my favorites whom get 90% of the love.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

First choice, not for me either, but has taken many DG over the years. As far as your friends rifle, thats their story.

In terms of # of firearms, there are wants and needs and both are equally fun to acquire and build. Although I have my favorites whom get 90% of the love.

I can relate .
My Favorite is my New BRNO ZKK -602 In .375 HH Magnum which has a 7 shot Magazine Capacity.
I will be acquiring a Side by Side shotgun which can shoot slugs safely and accurately. Currently , l am Scouting for a Nice Winchester Model 21 with Cylinder Chokes and 3 inch Chambers to use slugs with.
By 2021 , l also want to build an 11.2 × 72 mm Schuler rifle on a BRNO ZKK- 602 action , Because l believe the caliber deserves to be revived .

 

[sierraone]

Patrick, Half the rifles (IMO) that go to Africa each year to hunt are push feed. If you want the 700 and VX2 3x9, then buy it and spend alot of time at the range. If you are happy with the feed, ejection and accuracy, then go hunt with it. You will not be the first nor last to hunt Africa with a push feed rifle.

 

[Red Leg]

You are in all probability , right. However , there is a saying " Where there is smoke , there is always a fire . " There are too many independent accounts of this happening , to be regarded as an internet myth. The issue is , in all probability , grossly exaggerated. But l have no doubt in my mind that it has happened. The guy l mention , owns 63 fire arms ( that's right , 63 ). Out of them , at least 17 of those guns are Remingtons ( Including a really nice 5mm Rimfire Magnum ) . He never had one go off. The only one which did was a .30-06 Remington Model 700 , at a time when rumors were circulating about them going off. What are the odds that he negligently discharged the ONE gun in his entire life , which had reports of going off on their own ?

I suspect a lot of folks here own a few more than 63 firearms - often considerably more. And counting the ones we have owned, traded, and sold - well the number gets very high indeed. That tends to equate to real and practical personal experience with many of the firearms that are so often a subject for discussion.

Then others have extensive military and or police backgrounds, offering unique personal perspective or experience with given subjects. And of course, we are very fortunate to have a number of experienced guides and PHs who represent, I am sure, many combined centuries of experience with a host of questions dealing with guns, game, and gear in Africa and beyond.

 

[Red Leg]

View attachment 299875 I always post some Radical view on a particular fire arm , and then realize how how unreasonably hateful , l might have been. Truth be told , the others are right .
When my Dad did his Tour in Vietnam , he remembers seeing that the .308 Winchester Remington Model 700 had just started becoming the standard rifle among snipers. Before that , the standard rifle was a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 with a heavy barrel.
Lots of American Custom Makers base their rifles on the Remington 700 Action.
Hart Custom Rifles use the model 700 action exclusively and my father in law is a big fan. Here is an email from them when l asked them if they could build me a DETACHABLE MAGAZINE rifle in .22 Savage Hi Power . For non dangerous game , you will most likely be fine.
However , l must say from my own personal experience , reliability of the Remington model 700 has been ... Mixed. At least , this was  the case when l was growing up in the 1980s. Were they accurate ? God , yes. If they weren't , so many precision rifles wouldn't be built on model 700 actions. It was 1986 , l believe , when a guy in the ranch next to ours accidentally shot one of his prized cattle when his new Remington 700 went off for no reason. He is still around now. Hunts White Tail with my Dad. He is a VERY careful shooter. So l doubt he would negligently discharge a rifle . He installed an after market trigger in the model 700 and it worked well until he sold it in 1999. Probably , Remington has fixed all these issues by now. But the stories of the Remington Model 700 jamming are a little too numerous for my liking. Some of them, to people l personally know and not just online. Even more numerous than your standard pushfeed. I would not recommend it for Dangerous Game like Grizzy Bear .
P.S : I will say that most of these issues occur on the .416 Remington models from my observations

The Army's 30-06 sniper rifle was based on the Springfield 03-A3 not the model seventy. It did not have a varmint barrel, but did have a very unique configuration. The Army adopted the Model 24 (Remington 700 in .308) in 1988. In Vietnam, the Army had its greatest success using .50 cal MG in single shot mode with telescopic sight. Some M1A1's were also cobbled together for sniper use. In Vietnam (1966), the Marine Corps did adopt the Remington 700 varmint model giving it the designation M40. Perhaps it is the USMC rifles your father remembers. It has been used extensively since both in .308 and .300 Win Mag since. Both services have experimented extensively with Barrett .50's in the post-9/11 world.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

The Army's 30-06 sniper rifle was based on the Springfield 03-A3 not the model seventy. It did not have a varmint barrel, but did have a very unique configuration. The Army adopted the Model 24 (Remington 700 in .308) in 1988. In Vietnam, the Army had its greatest success using .50 cal MG in single shot mode with telescopic sight. Some M1A1's were also cobbled together for sniper use. In Vietnam (1966), the Marine Corps did adopt the Remington 700 varmint model giving it the designation M40. Perhaps it is the USMC rifles your father remembers. It has been used extensively since both in .308 and .300 Win Mag since. Both services have experimented extensively with Barrett .50's in the post-9/11 world.

Yes ! Dad's tour WAS in 1966 , Red Leg . It was called the M40

 

[Patrick Darby]

I appreciate all the input. These are all great points and certainly forces me to consider somethings I hadn't thought about. The 30-06 would be for my wife to shoot and serve as an additional option to shoot state side. I'll see what I can do to get the price down a few dollars.

 

[Red Leg]

Excellent spouse’s rifle paired to your .300.

 

[IvW]

I can relate .
My Favorite is my New BRNO ZKK -602 In .375 HH Magnum which has a 7 shot Magazine Capacity.
I will be acquiring a Side by Side shotgun which can shoot slugs safely and accurately. Currently , l am Scouting for a Nice Winchester Model 21 with Cylinder Chokes and 3 inch Chambers to use slugs with.
By 2021 , l also want to build an 11.2 × 72 mm Schuler rifle on a BRNO ZKK- 602 action , Because l believe the caliber deserves to be revived .

Have you extended the magazine?

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Have you extended the magazine?

I honestly can't tell if someone did. I bought it second hand , IvW. Why ? How many does your two .375 HH Magnum BRNO ZKK-602 rifles hold , IvW ?

 

[sestoppelman]

The Army's 30-06 sniper rifle was based on the Springfield 03-A3 not the model seventy. It did not have a varmint barrel, but did have a very unique configuration. The Army adopted the Model 24 (Remington 700 in .308) in 1988. In Vietnam, the Army had its greatest success using .50 cal MG in single shot mode with telescopic sight. Some M1A1's were also cobbled together for sniper use. In Vietnam (1966), the Marine Corps did adopt the Remington 700 varmint model giving it the designation M40. Perhaps it is the USMC rifles your father remembers. It has been used extensively since both in .308 and .300 Win Mag since. Both services have experimented extensively with Barrett .50's in the post-9/11 world.

The Winchester Model 70, both standard barrel and heavy, was used by Marines in VN, Carlos Hathcock used one on his first tour as a sniper. It was used by others as well. The 03 or 03A3 were used in WWII and Korea.
The M40 was not based on the Varmint model, it was actually the opposite. The Army and Marines (primarily the Army) did use M14's as sniper rifles, the M21 system, not cobbled together M1A1's as you have it. The M1A is the commercial variant of the M14, (and didn't exist until 1974), an A1 variant would have been a modified version, but you knew that I suspect. Small points but...

 

[IvW]

I honestly can't tell if someone did. I bought it second hand , IvW. Why ? How many does your two .375 HH Magnum BRNO ZKK-602 rifles hold , IvW ?

Both hold five in the magazine and if you do it right you can get another in the chamber so total 6 with one up the spout. One is original the other is semi custom/
My 500 Jeff takes 3 in the mag and one up the spout but is more difficult to do than either of my 375 H&H's.

Never seen or heard of a ZKK 602 that takes 7 in the mag in 375 H&H. Could you post a picture, I am curious, as somebody may have made a magazine extension of sorts. Is it standard or a custom built on a ZKK 602 action?

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Both hold five in the magazine and if you do it right you can get another in the chamber so total 6 with one up the spout. One is original the other is semi custom/
My 500 Jeff takes 3 in the mag and one up the spout but is more difficult to do than either of my 375 H&H's.

Never seen or heard of a ZKK 602 that takes 7 in the mag in 375 H&H. Could you post a picture, I am curious, as somebody may have made a magazine extension of sorts. Is it standard or a custom built on a ZKK 602 action?

IvW , it is a standard BRNO. I bought it second hand so someone may have worked on it.
And of course , l am more than happy to show you all my guns .
But l need 14 days. I am in Europe now ( Currently UK , as it's the Glorious 12th and I am having a nice time grouse shooting ) . As soon as l return to the states in 14 days , l will send you a picture . I am curious myself now , after reading your comment , as to whether my BRNO ZKK - 602 is modified or original. Sound good ?

 

[IvW]

IvW , it is a standard BRNO. I bought it second hand so someone may have worked on it.
And of course , l am more than happy to show you all my guns .
But l need 14 days. I am in Europe now ( Currently UK , as it's the Glorious 12th and I am having a nice time grouse shooting ) . As soon as l return to the states in 14 days , l will send you a picture . I am curious myself now , after reading your comment , as to whether my BRNO ZKK - 602 is modified or original. Sound good ?

When did you buy this ZKK 602 375 H&H?

 

[Red Leg]

The Winchester Model 70, both standard barrel and heavy, was used by Marines in VN, Carlos Hathcock used one on his first tour as a sniper. It was used by others as well. The 03 or 03A3 were used in WWII and Korea.
The M40 was not based on the Varmint model, it was actually the opposite. The Army and Marines (primarily the Army) did use M14's as sniper rifles, the M21 system, not cobbled together M1A1's as you have it. The M1A is the commercial variant of the M14, (and didn't exist until 1974), an A1 variant would have been a modified version, but you knew that I suspect. Small points but...

The Marines bought a number of commercial rifles and issued them, and some model 70's were among those, however only the Remington was "typed" as an official acquisition. They purchased a run of Remington 40X's (I believe 500 - 750 rings a bell?). Anyway, they were in essentially varmint/heavy target configuration with wooden stocks. Chicken or egg hardly matters. Logically (for a DOD entity) the marines "typed" them as the model 40. I think they have the A5 and A6 variants fully fielded now and the A7 is in the pipeline. And you are right, the Army rifles were of course M-14s - dragged one around a bit in Ranger and Airborne school back before I became civilized and was issued a pistol. The army could not get its act together for a dedicated sniper rifle acquisition and the armorers at Fort Benning were doing their best to build, assemble, "cobble" rifles out of issue 14's and an assortment of scopes and scope mounts. Some of the Army's best work was done with ol' Ma Deuce and early night vision technology in single fire mode. Hathcock, as I am sure you know, held the record kill of 2500 meters with the M2 for many years. In 1988, the Army essentially adopted the USMC solution with some minor changes. We good?

 

[Red Leg]

IvW , it is a standard BRNO. I bought it second hand so someone may have worked on it.
And of course , l am more than happy to show you all my guns .
But l need 14 days. I am in Europe now ( Currently UK , as it's the Glorious 12th and I am having a nice time grouse shooting ) . As soon as l return to the states in 14 days , l will send you a picture . I am curious myself now , after reading your comment , as to whether my BRNO ZKK - 602 is modified or original. Sound good ?

The ZKK 602 in .375 has a 5-round magazine.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

When did you buy this ZKK 602 375 H&H?

It reached my home 5 or 6 days ago. My Wife has it , IvW . She has shot it and it's actually seven shots. The person l bought it from said that it held 6 in the Magazine. I naturally thought that it meant 5 in the Magazine and 1 in the chamber. Now , l realized he meant 6 in the Magazine and 1 in the chamber.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

The ZKK 602 in .375 has a 5-round magazine.

I got paranoid to see if someone actually tampered with my rifle and so started checking you tube.
Apparently this guy's one holds 7 shots as well

 

[IvW]

Will be interesting but I can assure you in standard form it holds 5 in the magazine.

 

[Red Leg]

I got paranoid to see if someone actually tampered with my rifle and so started checking you tube.
Apparently this guy's one holds 7 shots as well

Interesting. BRNO apparently thought they were five-round, and every one I have seen was. But, that was clearly six in the basket in the video. This old gun test report shows 5 rounds. https://cdn.gun-tests.com/media/pdfs/RIFLE_CZ_602.pdf