With Remington gone -- what "budget" action?

[GSRswapandslow]

with rem's bankruptcy, its nearly impossible to find a non-barreled 700 action already and surely complete rifles to follow...what will be the new budget action that becomes the primary action for the masses?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Was a 700 really a budget action to start with? Its common and good parts available but people look to like a savage for budget builds from what ive seen.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

Was a 700 really a budget action to start with? Its common and good parts available but people look to like a savage for budget builds from what ive seen.

For every savage i see....there are 15 rem's. At least in my limited observation

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yes but thats not because theyre the budget route, its because theyre easily modified with parts from mild to wild and everything inbetween

 

[457ciSBC]

Yes but thats not because theyre the budget route, its because theyre easily modified with parts from mild to wild and everything inbetween

Right, like a Gen 1 SBC

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Right, like a Gen 1 SBC

And not an olds or pontiac

 

[shoot4fun]

I am with @Dusty Stevens 100%. The R700 was, maybe, a good "budget build" action several years ago (when quality was overall better). For the last few years we have seen them so hit-or-miss that a 700 action takes quite a bit of massaging to get it in condition to compliment the rest of your custom build.
By the time you pay to bush the firing pin hole, add Sako-style extractor, flute the bolt body, square up all the faces and (in some cases) have the bolt retimed you could just by a Origin or Stiller Tac and be ready to go out of the box.
Oh, and if you want a 700 action now, you really will have to pay scalper's prices for one. Have you noticed how much "collector's value" has been added by sellers lately?

 

[Doug Beach]

Why would you need to flute the bolt body, or add a Sako extractor? Neither of these will add an iota of accuracy.

 

[shoot4fun]

Why would you need to flute the bolt body, or add a Sako extractor? Neither of these will add an iota of accuracy.

The 700's extractor is fine as long as you never ever touch it. The firing pin bushing has become necessary as the 700 firing pin holes are sloppy. That can't be done without taking the extractor out so I have found it's best to go ahead an do the new extractor while you have it apart.
The fluting, while not necessary, is something done quite frequently these days. @boltfluter can attest. I put it in play because you just don't see many custom actions (for my comparison) that are not fluted, have small FP and have "upgraded" extraction.

 

[AndyTaber]

The biggest detriment to the Savage action is the lack of a good trigger.

 

[hoz53]

with rem's bankruptcy, its nearly impossible to find a non-barreled 700 action already and surely complete rifles to follow...what will be the new budget action that becomes the primary action for the masses?

I dont think the remington 700 is the budget action either with so many different companies building their low dollar line of bolt actions. I could never buy a rem as cheap as alot of those others. Do you have a bunch of used 700s in stock? mabie i should sell a few.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I dont think the remington 700 is the budget action either with so many different companies building their low dollar line of bolt actions. I could never buy a rem as cheap as alot of those others. Do you have a bunch of used 700s in stock? mabie i should sell a few.

I will take them send me a PM.

Sooo, who said Remington is "done"?

 

[urbanrifleman]

If Remington goes completely away, the Remington barrel tenon will disappear completely.

 

[hoz53]

I will take them send me a PM.

Sooo, who said Remington is "done"?

Im not sure Im ready to sell them but Thanks anyway. I have a couple complete rifles i could sell--- Anyway why do you think the Rem Tenon would go away if Remington isnt revived. Do you think all firearms companys would switch to one common nutted thread size?

 

[gme]

Tikka T3 lite is about $100 bucks more than a Rem 700 varmint was, needs no work, has a better factory trigger and barrel and while not as many trigger options as the Remmy there are still some very good choices available

 

[Toolbreaker]

with rem's bankruptcy, its nearly impossible to find a non-barreled 700 action already and surely complete rifles to follow...what will be the new budget action that becomes the primary action for the masses?

Howa's seem to have a good standing, and for a little more a Tikka is a good step up from what I've read. Both look to be well supported through the aftermarket.

 

[Tommie]

Remington 700-
Keeping gunsmiths in business for 60 years.

 

[ebb]

I vote for the PGT bomber action.

 

[Scorpio]

As far as budget actions, my guess would be Howa, as it is mostly compatible with certain R700 aftermarket items, such as stocks. There is additional aftermarket support for it that seems to be in more abundance than for Ruger, Savage, etc.

But imagine if Harley or Chevy went away. There is so much aftermarket support for these brands that you could build an engine for either one without using a single OEM part. I believe the same is true for Remington. And, the clone parts are better anyway. You can order a Defiance Machine Tenacity for under $1000, a Bartlein barrel for $350 and have the two expertly mated for $350. Drop that in a $350 KRG stock with a $150 Timney trigger and you have a kick ass rifle for $2200.

I guess that's more expensive than an R700 ADL Varmint but you'd spend more getting that rifle to perform like one I just described.

Personally, for "out of the box" fun, I like Ruger. But I'm weird. I have a Ruger Hawkeye LRT 300WM and I LOVE it.

 

[riflewoman]

“Budget Action” is misleading. The ages old idea that a gunsmith can “true” a Remington to the quality of a proper all-up match grade action borders on idiocy. I don’t care how “good of a machinist” you think they are there are few with the skills and toolmaking abilities to properly true an action. Certainly not within the cost differential.