Remington 700 as a safari rifle anyone?

[IvW]

Accurate and strong for PG.....I could not use it ever again for dg.....not only the extractor sucks....iron sights suck, only 2 up, etc. Etc.
Accuracy means nothing when failure is imminant....

 

[Uncharted_NT]

No thanks, when you break the bolt handle off one then you understand why.

 

[WoodencrossIII]

I never heard of anyone breaking off a handle before until now, that’s some serious working of a bolt I wonder if there is too much excitement going on to break off a bolt handle in the heat of the moment and adrenaline is going we just don’t know our own strength I guess. My new rifle won’t have to be used in that way I just got it to look cool and be one of the guys wishing to hunt a Cape buffalo someday lol although it might happen. I mostly got it for the cartridge though a 416 seems to be great in the midway mark of these type of cartridges it’ll probably get used on bear deer and elk though.

 

[Milo]

I never heard of anyone breaking off a handle before until now, that’s some serious working of a bolt I wonder if there is too much excitement going on to break off a bolt handle in the heat of the moment and adrenaline is going we just don’t know our own strength I guess. My new rifle won’t have to be used in that way I just got it to look cool and be one of the guys wishing to hunt a Cape buffalo someday lol although it might happen. I mostly got it for the cartridge though a 416 seems to be great in the midway mark of these type of cartridges it’ll probably get used on bear deer and elk though.

I had my bolt handle tig welded on my 375rum as a preventative measure.

 

[BJH65]

One of my favorite gun writers, Ross Seyfried, was a pretty accomplished gentleman. Really knowledgeable gun writer, experienced big game hunter who liked the big bore rifles and handguns. He was 1981 IPSC World Champion Johannesburg, South Africa, done with a moderately customized Pachmyr 1911, the last one to perform this with a fairly standard pistol before the advent of highly modified race guns with red dots taking over.

Ross was also a PH in Africa from 1979-1989, United Safari Zambia, working with PH’s Cotton Gordon, Mike Cameron, Ray Sparrow and Hugo Seia. His primary rifle used to back up hunting clients was a Remington 700 KS 416 Rem Mag synthetic stock with the bolt modified with a Sako extractor.

I won’t lie, my personal preferences are CRF Winchester Model 70’s and Brno ZKK-602/CZ 550 for DG but I wouldn’t hesitate to use a Remington 700 with the bolt modified with an M16 style extractor and putting the necessary rounds down range to insure reliability for DG hunting. As an aside, I’ve put over 200 rounds through my Remington Custom Shop 375 RUM with the standard unmodified extractor without issue.

From what I’ve read so far on AH, most favor CRF Mauser style bolt action rifles, factory or custom, and more than a few really like their Blaser R8’s and of course the double rifle folks. Those who like the Remington 700 for DG seem to be fewer but it’s performed fine with those who’ve used it.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I never heard of anyone breaking off a handle before until now, that’s some serious working of a bolt I wonder if there is too much excitement going on to break off a bolt handle in the heat of the moment and adrenaline is going we just don’t know our own strength I guess. My new rifle won’t have to be used in that way I just got it to look cool and be one of the guys wishing to hunt a Cape buffalo someday lol although it might happen. I mostly got it for the cartridge though a 416 seems to be great in the midway mark of these type of cartridges it’ll probably get used on bear deer and elk though.

My brother in law bought a 700 in 17 Remington cheap because the bolt handle was broken off. He had someone solder or weld it back on.

 

[Odinsraven]

Don Heath - leasons learned from the Zim Professional tests - article is on here !

Remington 700. The 700 may be a very fine hunting rifle. I don't know because I've never used one, but I do know that it is a piss poor dangerous game rifle especially in .416 Rem caliber. Apart from the odd inexplicable misfire, a broken extractor cost us an elephant wounded and lost at Rifa. This is not the first year that I've seen a broken extractor on a Remington 700 in .416 either. In addition they are just about the hardest rifle to refill the magazine in a hurry. My memories this year of students and candidates using them is that of youngsters frantically trying to thrust cartridges into the mag, only to have a double feed, the rounds pop straight back out or many other problems. A two round reload took on average, twice as long with the Model 700's as it did with just about any other make of rifle. The difference between the Remington and the Weatherby is that the latter can be downloaded a little so as to operate flawlessly and the safety fixed, whilst I do not know that anything can be done with the Remingtons except to re-barrel them to a plains game cartridge and leave them at home when out after the dangerous stuff. To be fair though, all of the extraction problems seem to be confined to rifles in .416 and .375. and they seem reasonably reliable in .458 provided you are prepared to tolerate the awkwardness of the reload. I am not. A good single shot or even a Weatherby is a better choice.

 

[Firebird]

I have taken two 700’s with me. The .300 wm shooting 200 gr trophy bonded bear claws and just last month a 7mm-08 shooting 150 gr Accubond long range bullets. Both performed to or exceeded my expectations up to and including multiple kudu. For dg I had a different rifle. Remingtons quality has struggled badly from time to time, both my rifles were made in the 1980’s or earlier. I have also replaced triggers, bedded, stripped and restained stocks. The 7mm-08 has a muzzle brake which I removed for the last trip but will put it back on before my girls use it closer to home this fall.

 

[coreydb]

The fundamental issue with the Rem 700 chambered in .416 Rem Mag (aside from the varying QC) is the inadequate extractor. The receiver easily handles chamber pressures from military rounds loaded to 70,000 psi. The Sako or the M16 claw extractor remedies the failure to extract situation. If ammo is hand loaded, do not load hot; In another string on this site , this topic was discussed. I had one I built from an older one I had in 300 win mag, because I was a Cheap Charlie. Several hundred rounds through the rifle with no issue, either from hunting or the range. I live in Virginia where the summer temps get to 100-103 deg. and still the rifle shot perfectly. Would I trust a new RemArm though?.....

 

[WoodencrossIII]

I’m going to handload for it and I’ll probably keep velocity down for sure near 2100-2200 depending on everything how accurately it shoots cycles and reading brass

 

[Doug3006]

It was the 700 that gave the 416 Remington cartridge a bad name. At least initially. Too many failures to extract because of the weak extractor. Controlled round feeders chambered in 416 REM, (including Mauser, Winchester, and CZ) haven’t had the history of extraction problems

 

[HoosierHunter]

I have a Remington 700 mid 90’s serial number that has been retro-fitted to a 404 Jeffery. I’d love to her opinions or experience with that. It’s the only one I’ve heard of. Any information would be appreciate. Custom barrel, glass- bedded… etc.

 

[BJH65]

It’s interesting that my Remington 700 375 RUM was designed for a maximum chamber pressure of 65,000 psi and the 416 Rem Mag was designed for a maximum chamber pressure of 62,000 psi. So my 375 RUM at even higher pressure has held up fine after well over 200 rounds with the original factory extractor.

My custom shop 700 was also one of the later ones, made in 2016 when Remington’s quality was slipping but mine was actually put together at the Dakota factory when Remington closed their custom shop and moved it over to Dakota who they owned at the time. I actually didn’t buy it with Africa in mind. It was to be my North American rifle for everything from wild pigs, to elk, moose, bison, and grizzly/ brown bear.

 

[WoodencrossIII]

I’m wondering if some of these extraction issues were due to ammo rifle combo could be something or that particular time era of rifles built were just prone for that particular time who knows, I am glad to hear it and know of it.

 

[BJH65]

I’m wondering if some of these extraction issues were due to ammo rifle combo could be something or that particular time era of rifles built were just prone for that particular time who knows, I am glad to hear it and know of it.

I’ve actually bid on a couple Remington 700 Safari 416 Rem Mag rifles in the past. I wouldn’t mind owning own and taking it to Africa for buffalo. I was definitely operating at max pressures with my Remington 375 RUM, launching 235 grain TSX at 3300 FPS and TTSX 270 grain at 2980 FPS in hot weather, again zero extraction issues.

 

[WoodencrossIII]

I’ve actually bid on a couple Remington 700 Safari 416 Rem Mag rifles in the past. I wouldn’t mind owning own and taking it to Africa for buffalo. I was definitely operating at max pressures with my Remington 375 RUM, launching 235 grain TSX at 3300 FPS and TTSX 270 grain at 2980 FPS in hot weather, again zero extraction issues.

That’s awesome and I agree I doubt I’ll have any issue whatsoever with it, like I said too it’s not going with me anytime soon to Africa but for other critters here at home I’ll try to use it on. I think it’s an interesting caliber and that’s smoking fast for a 375

 

[mark-hunter]

Hey just curious of stories of guys who have successfully used Remington 700s chambered in safari cartridges and the success or lack there of.
I recently purchased a Remington 700 in 416 rem mag and I’m excited to shoot it.
Thanks gentlemen.

I once used a remington 700 in 30-06 for plains game hunting (camp gun). All worked well.
This is all I can say.

But I think this video may interest you, and is promising:

 

[Luvthunt]

Have a 700 in 416 rem and while at the smith for some work the extractor broke and we installed a m16. Used a 340 wby built on a Rem action for years. We mod’d that extractor when the rifle was built. It gave flawless performance over 30+ years.

 

[IvW]

So why would one start with an action that has obvious flaws and then do all sorts of mods to try and get it to function as it should have in the first place?

They have terrible iron sights....
Only take 2 down in bigger calibers.....
Are horrible to top load......
They are built too light for caliber......
Dangerous extractor......
Pushfeed......

Piece of crap for DG.....or a high stakes hunt....

 

[grand veneur]

At the end of the nineties, I used a borrowed Remington 700 rifle caliber 416 Remington Magnum during a buffalo hunt in the Zambezi Delta in Mozambique. I would not buy such a rifle, but you can hunt with it. Otherwise, I owned a Remington 700 Sendero rifle caliber 300 RUM for a short time around 20 years ago. The rifle also was easy to hunt with and even good for shooting at longer distances. The disadvantage was that when riding with the rifle on my back, the bolt action constantly opened. I sold it and had a custom rifle caliber 340 Weatherby Magnum built with a FN Mauser action, better suited as a safari rifle in all cases.