Hello all new to the Forum and I would like to dip my toes into Benchrest. For now, I am thinking about getting a Remington 700 in .223 (gotta have the beautiful wood stock) and learn to shoot it well and try my luck competing locally out to 300yds. I think the .223 ammo is readily available, not too expensive, easy to reload, and has a good selection of reloading components. Its also, as I understand it, fairly accurate out to 300yds and by the time I have outgrown it I will know what I want next (like a 6PPC or 6BR or ???).
My question to the Forum is this: Which 700 to get? A fairly new-ish 700 BDL in .223 like the one for sale on one of the auction sites (discontinued in 2007), or would you guys recommend the 700 Varmint Special which was discontinued in 1994? I really want the beautiful wood stock so I’m not considering a synthetic or the current production VLS Laminated Stock. I can take the time to search for the right rifle.
And just to toss another option into the mix, there is a 700BDL wood stock in 6BR for sale on this Forum (although I can’t seem to find the ad right now) which is tempting.
Lastly, should I consider a different cartridge? My thinking for the .223 is that it would be versatile and not just for Benchrest. If I got a 6BR I’d have to immediately invest in reloading equipment as I’m not sure if 6BR is available off the shelf. With the .223 I could take my time and wait until I had the need to reload, or had 500 empty brass looking at me
A little about me. I fell in love with shooting when I was very little and my first time shooting was with the Webelos at a Scout camp when I was 10 or 11 circa 1970. I asked my parents for a .22 for Christmas for many years but never got one. I remember buying my own subscription to Guns and Ammo magazine when I was 12 and reading them cover to cover many times. Elmer Keith, Jeff “Cooper on Handguns”, Dick Metcalf, and many others. I always loved the articles on benchrest shooting and dreamed of one day participating in that sport with a Remington 700BDL in 7mm Rem mag. Of course that’s what EVERYONE shot back in the early 70’s. I continued with that magazine subscription for many years.
At 18 I finally bought my first rifle from a guy for $25 – a Winchester Model 61 pump action .22LR that I still own and shoot on occasion. That thing is the most accurate rifle I have shot to date with open sights. Next came a Remington Nylon 66 and when I was 21 a Ruger MKI pistol. When I moved to Utah for a while I shot Metallic Handgun Silhouette, which was a lot of fun. However the dream of Benchrest did not materialize. Fast-forward to today and all but my M61 are gone, so I am “rebuilding” and seriously looking to scratch that Benchrest itch I’ve have for 40+ years.
Thanks to all the great people on this Forum that take the time to educate and mentor us newbies.
Michael
My question to the Forum is this: Which 700 to get? A fairly new-ish 700 BDL in .223 like the one for sale on one of the auction sites (discontinued in 2007), or would you guys recommend the 700 Varmint Special which was discontinued in 1994? I really want the beautiful wood stock so I’m not considering a synthetic or the current production VLS Laminated Stock. I can take the time to search for the right rifle.
And just to toss another option into the mix, there is a 700BDL wood stock in 6BR for sale on this Forum (although I can’t seem to find the ad right now) which is tempting.
Lastly, should I consider a different cartridge? My thinking for the .223 is that it would be versatile and not just for Benchrest. If I got a 6BR I’d have to immediately invest in reloading equipment as I’m not sure if 6BR is available off the shelf. With the .223 I could take my time and wait until I had the need to reload, or had 500 empty brass looking at me
A little about me. I fell in love with shooting when I was very little and my first time shooting was with the Webelos at a Scout camp when I was 10 or 11 circa 1970. I asked my parents for a .22 for Christmas for many years but never got one. I remember buying my own subscription to Guns and Ammo magazine when I was 12 and reading them cover to cover many times. Elmer Keith, Jeff “Cooper on Handguns”, Dick Metcalf, and many others. I always loved the articles on benchrest shooting and dreamed of one day participating in that sport with a Remington 700BDL in 7mm Rem mag. Of course that’s what EVERYONE shot back in the early 70’s. I continued with that magazine subscription for many years.
At 18 I finally bought my first rifle from a guy for $25 – a Winchester Model 61 pump action .22LR that I still own and shoot on occasion. That thing is the most accurate rifle I have shot to date with open sights. Next came a Remington Nylon 66 and when I was 21 a Ruger MKI pistol. When I moved to Utah for a while I shot Metallic Handgun Silhouette, which was a lot of fun. However the dream of Benchrest did not materialize. Fast-forward to today and all but my M61 are gone, so I am “rebuilding” and seriously looking to scratch that Benchrest itch I’ve have for 40+ years.
Thanks to all the great people on this Forum that take the time to educate and mentor us newbies.
Michael
