Yes, you read that correctly – this is a review of the Remington ADL. I’m not talking about that dusty, walnut-stocked bargain gun your grandfather bought back in the 1970’s. I’m talking about the cheapest Remington 700 that you can buy today. A Model 700 so cheap that Remington barely acknowledges its existence. You can’t find these ADL’s in any Remington catalogue or website listing. Nope, these cheaper-than-cheap guns are available in limited areas and only in limited stores – mainly “big box” retailers like Wal-Mart, Dick’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and a few others. That said . . .
Recently I’ve been making friends at the local range and I finally found someone to take me coyote hunting out here in the desert (yay!). When going through my inventory, I realized that there was a gun “hole” – a gap in my firearm selection if you will. Everything small was either too small, (such as the Savage 93R17 .17HMR I reviewed in November) or, if the caliber was right, it was too heavy (namely all my AR’s) for this type of hunting (stalking, sitting, calling, stalking, sitting, calling, etc).
I love buying used guns and have literally bought dozens of them over the past few years. With the exception of the S&W 629 Mountain Gun that wouldn’t shoot worth a damn, I have had nothing but the best of luck with them and at a significant price savings. I tried my hardest to find a used .223 or .243 – every gun and pawn shop within 50 miles has been thoroughly searched each week for the last two months. So I got frustrated to the point of looking into a new gun and quickly spotted a potential candidate.
At my local Wal-Mart, there was a Remington .243 ADL for a whopping $399.97. I didn’t even realize they still made the ADL but apparently in an attempt to sell rifles at Savage-like price points, Remington still offers the ADL to a few big-box retailers. For the record, both ADL and an equivalent Savage .243 were the exact same price. I went with Remington because I have an extra BDL trigger guard for a short-action and an adjustable OEM trigger hanging around if I should so desire.
After looking around, at less than four bills, the ADL is actually a pretty good deal – after all, you’re getting the same M700 action that all other 700′s get, the X-Mark Pro trigger, and a 3-9x scope. Since the SPS is nothing more than an ADL with a hinged floorplate, I couldn’t justify spending $200 more (or more, considering you are getting a 3-9x scope) for the trigger guard that I already had.
Out of the box…
The barrel has a 1-9.125″ twist rate which should be sufficient enough to send 100 grain projectiles down range sufficiently stabilized. Since I’ll be using this for coyotes and coyote food (i.e. ground squirrels for bait), I’ll be working up some handloads in the 50-85 grain range. For those of you who live in whitetail country, the .243 with 100-grain Core-Lokt rounds have proven to be quite effective for many hunters. Since I also will be putting in for a javelina tag, I picked up a couple of boxes of the previously mentioned 100-grain Core-Lokts for testing purposes.
The scope comes mounted and bore-sighted and from what I can tell, is nothing more than a Tasco World Class 3-9×40 available elsewhere for $50-60 – except that this scope has a Remington “R” on each of the turret caps. Like previous ADL models, there is no floorplate, simply an internal box magazine that holds 4+1 in the short-action calibers. The trigger is an X-Mark Pro trigger but is adjusted from the factory and has no provision for any external adjustments. Surprisingly enough, the trigger breaks cleanly at 5 pounds and has no perceptible slack or creep. Certainly not a target trigger, but it works well enough for coyote hunting.
At the range…
Unfortunately, the wind was gusty on the only day I could give the gun a test – 10 mph was the normal wind speed and gusts up to 25 mph weren’t uncommon. I figure if I could shoot between gusts and swells, I could at least test the action and check pressure tolerances of my handloads.
Apparently when Remington says that the scope is bore-sighted they mean that the scope is pointed in the general direction that the muzzle is. As it turned out, the first couple of rounds downrange couldn’t even hit paper on a 2’x3’ board. After pulling the bolt out and bore-sighting by eye, I found paper and was only a little off. After a couple of clicks here and there, I was centered and ready to begin testing for real.
Since getting my Beta Chrony from Brownells a few months ago, I seem to be using it all the time, even when testing factory ammunition. I started with the 100-grain Remington Core-Lokt PSP rounds and as expected, they shot fine and showed moderate accuracy. Trying my best to deal with the wind, I was able to keep a 10-shot group under 2-1/2”. Not great, but not bad for the conditions. The Core-Lokts clocked in at an average speed of 2942 f.p.s. (10’ from the muzzle) with an SD of 15 and an ES of 51.
I did some handload testing to see how the ADL held up to high pressures and was happy to find that I could get the velocity that I wanted without any signs of pressure. I tested the 75 and 87-grain versions of the Hornady VMAX rounds loaded in fully-prepped R-P brass. Velocity measurements were as follows:
|
Powder |
IMR 4064 |
Bullet: |
75-gr VMAX |
|
|
Charge Wt |
Velocity Measurements @ 10 ft |
Avg |
||
|
39 |
3406 |
3400 |
3363 |
3390 |
|
39.5 |
3381 |
3413 |
3379 |
3391 |
|
40 |
3409 |
3414 |
3434 |
3419 |
|
40.5 |
3514 |
3458 |
3485 |
3486 |
|
41 |
3518 |
3505 |
3495 |
3506 |
|
Powder: |
IMR 4064 |
Bullet: |
87-gr VMAX |
|
|
Charge Wt |
Velocity Measurements @ 10 ft |
Avg |
||
|
34.8 |
3013 |
3051 |
3010 |
3025 |
|
35.1 |
2948 |
3029 |
3026 |
3001 |
|
35.4 |
3026 |
3026 |
3020 |
3024 |
|
35.7 |
3101 |
3144 |
3064 |
3103 |
|
36 |
3103 |
3099 |
3130 |
3111 |
The best group I was able to squeak out was a 1” (3-shot) group from the 75-grain VMAX (with 40-grains of IMR 4064) and 1-3/8” (3-shot) group with the 87-grain VMAX (using 34.8-grains of IMR 4064). Again, remember that 10 mph wind and 20+ mph gusts were making things difficult.
For my handloads, I was using 2x and 3x used brass that I picked up alongside a set of dies off of Backpage.com. I have some more load development to do – mainly I want to try a few lighter bullets and some new brass, but was overall happy with my results. The 75-grain bullets will certainly be enough for coyote, so I at least have a “go to round” in the mean time.
Conclusions…
Anyone who has tried to squeeze accuracy out of an SPS stock with a bipod knows that they’re better used as a boat paddle. The ADL stock is no different and it’s on top of my list of things to upgrade. The Remington-badged Tasco scope is a close second. It works, but suffers from only having around 2” of eye-relief, blurred edges, and a very stiff magnification knob.
However, despite the pitiful stock and a scope that leaves much to be desired, the Remington ADL still represents a great value for the money. Remington 700s are easily modified and tuned into any “gun” you want. For me, this gun will be dragged through scrub desert, leaned against Golden Barrel cacti, and likely bungee-strapped to an ATV mounted gun-rack.
For those who may be just getting into hunting or are trying to find a “back up” gun for the occasional friend or relative that comes to shoot/hunt with you, the ADL is a great choice. At my local store, they are available in .223, .243, and 30-06 – three calibers that should cover almost every game animal in North America.
Specifications
Brand: Remington Arms
Model: ADL Synthetic Package
Caliber: .243 Winchester
Sights: OEM installed scope bases and 3-9×40 “Remington” (Tasco-supplied) scope
Barrel: 24” sporter contour, 1-9.125” twist rate
O/A Length: 44”
Weight: Around 8 lbs. with scope
MSRP: $ Unknown, retails for $399.97 at Wal-Mart in the Phoenix Metro area
Ratings (out of five stars)
Remember – all of these ratings are both subjective and relative to the class of firearms they are in. A 5-star “budget” rifle is not on the same playing field as a 5-star custom 1911.
Style * * *
I wouldn’t call it “stylish”, but it certainly looks better than a “Sporterized” Mosin-Nagant in an ATI stock.
Ergonomics * * *
Like most stocks, I have a problem with my cheek-weld – most end up being “chin welds.” I need to pay attention to solid and repeatable placement, which is why I prefer adjustable comb stocks on my target guns. Overall, the ADL handles just like any SPS so use that as a reference.
Reliability * * * *
Two boxes of factory ammo and 50 handloads that approached maximum loads with no problems to speak of. The barrel cleaned easily but required some Hoppe’s 9 to get all the copper out. A few good soaks and it was as clean as new. I’ll add the 5th star after taking it through the desert a few times. Maybe.
Customizable * * * * *
Well, it’s still a Remington 700 so the sky’s the limit when it comes to customizing. I’ll be adding a B&C Alaskan II stock and a nicer scope ASAP. The advantage of the ADL is that you’re not paying for any “extras” that you don’t need.
Overall Rating * * * *
A great backup or entry-level “starter” gun. I’d give it a 5th star if it had a better scope, but considering that the ADL package is almost $200 less than a stock SPS (which doesn’t include scope or bases), it is worthy of at least 4 stars.
Hey! They arent all that cheap and that plastic-y!
I had a Rem 700 ADL .243 in beautiful walnut (not laminate either). I assume we are talking about the same gun, breach loading, no floor plate…Mine had a nice polished bolt though.
Now I know mine was worth more than $4….
Good review, Thanks for sharing….
@brigo05 – you’re correct – this is the “new” version of the ADL. The previous models (I have one in .270) had nice walnut and no floor plate. It wasn’t as nice as the BDL or CDL line, but still very attractive.The SPS replaced the ADL and went to synthetic, although Remington maintained the wood-stocked BDL and CDL lines.
I had the same gun in .270. Loved it and never should have sold it, except I needed to actually eat and stuff.
For coyote hunting I go with a 58 grain Hornady high velocity (3750 fps) round. Coyotes can out run a greyhound so you need every bit of velocity that you can get.
Handloads or factory ammo?
Factor, but I bet you could handload an equivalent round.
I will start handloading again when I retire later this year.
The 58gr. V-Max is my go-to bullet for .243. The accuracy and terminal performance is incredible. The Sierra 60gr. HP flat base is another top choice. Varget and Benchmark have been excellent powders for me.
+1 for the cheap gun. You shouldn’t take a 1000 dollar gun out in bad conditions like that where you are concerned about scratching it up. Stainless steel and polymer are best choices for all weather all terrain guns. If your groups are smaller than a coyote then you’re good to go
The things people blithely say without explaining are kind of amazing here.
A 7.18 pound 39.5″ AR-15 style rifle is too big and clumsy for shooting coyotes? So you buy an 8 pound 44″ long bolt action rifle? I don’t get the logic.
Good for you for buying a new rifle and having fun with it, but it’s kind of silly to say that a full sized M-16 which has been used for generations to hunt and stalk people on battlefields isn’t suitable to shoot varmints like coyotes.
Thank you, Skyler! I was gonna say something similar, but you beat me to it. An AR would have worked just fine. Most ARs are lighter and shorter than the ADL. If you wanted a different caliber – okay. If you wanted a bolt-action – okay. I don’t know how heavy/long your AR is but there’s no reason you couldn’t have just added a $60 optic on it and been good to go. Also, there’s the added benefit of rapid follow up shots with the semi-auto (in case that crazy wind comes around again). Otherwise, nice review of the ADL.
@Skyler – Overall, it was the combination of acceptable weight, size, accuracy, but most importantly it was the price that won me over.
You make a good point but perhaps misread what I said. I said that “my” AR’s are too heavy, not all AR’s- my lightest AR with scope installed comes in at 9.5-lbs unloaded and it is also front heavy and not something I want to drag through the desert. I almost considered getting a SIG M400 Hunter (and may still just for the hell of it), but at $400 this cost 60% less than the SIG and it came with optics. Although the scope is less than ideal, it is acceptable for dragging through the woods (or scrub).
Also, keep in mind that this is a .243 and it is actually a hair under 8lbs (I rounded up). A .223 with 22″ barrel is even lighter. To get a comparable AR-based gun, you’d have to go with an AR-10. Even a basic ML AR-10 A2 comes in at 8.5lbs before optics and ammo; FL AR-10′s are over 9lbs. Weight wise, they are comparable, with a slight edge going to the ADL.
Fair enough, but I dare say that the fad of putting a lot of gear on the rails seems to be based mostly on the fact that there are a lot of rails.
Iron sights work fine for shooting coyotes out to five hundred yards with an AR and 5.56mm rounds (though I find the scope to be very useful as my eyes have gotten older). Anything else might be fun, but isn’t strictly necessary.
So unless you really just like buying new rifles, and there’s nothing wrong with that, perhaps another course of action would be to put your AR on a diet. Or just man up and carry it if you make it so heavy.
I see a lot of Marines putting gear on their rifles overseas, but I’ve rarely seen it be useful.
The things people blithely say without explaining are kind of amazing here.
Which is why I’m so happy to have you here to set us all straight. We’re not even worthy enough to bask in your reflected glory.
I said that blithely and it requires no explaining.
Amen to that. The AR-15 is also way more fun to shoot than a bolt with less than match – grade accuracy. I’d rather blast out a 10 shot 2 1/2″ fast group with an AR than slowly eke out a larger than MOA 3 shot group with a bolt gun. My bolt guns are all MOA or better, which makes them more fun to shoot than less accurate bolt guns. Especially at public ranges, where the guy next to you is checking out your groups. Again, my opinion.
Not only have AR’s been carried, dragged, and “low crawled,” all over the world, so also have heavier guns such as the MK 203 and M249 SAW.
But I don’t want to sound like a gun nut (’cause I just read and commented a previous TTAG post), so let me congratulate you on a sub 400 dollar gun purchase. Certainly can’t do that with an AR-15! Hooah!
@Accur81 – more fun to shoot? 10-shot group? Ummm, I did mention that this was going to be used for hunting right? I have enough AR’s, AKM’s, and an SKS to shoot when I want to blow through a ton of ammo….
And obviously AR’s have been beat to hell around the world – but mine haven’t
I don’t know of many Marines shelling out their own money for their own M4′s or M249′s. While I don’t have many safe queens and I love me an Arizona “pin stripe” on an XJ/TJ/YJ, my $2000+ AR’s are best kept pretty (or as pretty as possible)!
Back in 1985 I came really close to blowing $7000 on an M-60E3 that was for sale in a small gun shop in Old Town Alexandria, VA. I should have bought it.
Ah, well. A beat up AR has more street cred!
I have lots of fun shooting sub MOA with expensive bolt guns and optics – but that accuracy isn’t necessary for hunting (my first deer gun was a Marlin .30-30 around 3 MOA with a Simmons scope). Most of my hunting shots have been standing offhand. And some of those, truth be told, were flat out misses. I haven’t ruled out the possibility of “operator error.”
To each their own, eh? One could potentially argue that the AR craze is a little long in the tooth…but I’m not a gun nut, so I wouldn’t know…
“I love me an Arizona “pin stripe” on an XJ/TJ/YJ”
+1! The Kofa’s put plenty on my TJ.
I don’t see the big deal with rifle weight when you are out hunting. It’s not like you are packing 80lbs of ammo, rations, grenades, body armors and other gear. If you can’t carry a 9 lb rifile and a few rounds of ammo you aren’t in good enough condition to go hunting.
“I don’t see the big deal with rifle weight when you are out hunting.” .
.. spoken like a true non-hunter!
Guessed wrong. When I go deer hunting I carry a small backpack with water, some food and knives.;
A Remington 700 with 5 rounds of ammo. If I end up running out of ammo then I had a really bad day. I have spent all day in the woods without getting fatigued. I am not Rambo. I am a 62 year old (well last season 61 year old) guy in pretty good shape. The difference between 7lbs and 9lbs is in the noise.
Depends on the kind of hunting as well – I know elk hunters who do the “backpack” method, carrying as much as 60 lbs of equipment on their hunts
I do a lot of hiking and camping with my wife and we aim for the lightest load possible. Even still, my pack on a 3-day camp is around 60-65 lbs (depends on season). Having walked up many, many canyons I can say that the lighter the load the better.
The same applies to hunting for me. However, there is a limit. I don’t carry light or featherweight guns nor do I have any interest – that obviously wasn’t my intention with this one. On day hunts on relatively flat ground, who cares. I had a monster 12-gauge for turkey hunting and never thought twice. I used the same gun for pheasant hunting and was in misery half way through the hunt.
Again, people are making a mountain out of a mole hill here – weight was a small factor for me.
I agree with you (and I’m pushing 50) and I frankly don’t see the obsession with these “mountain rifles” – a bolt gun stripped down to under 7lbs in some ferocious caliber that kicks so hard it nearly knocks your teeth out.
I very much prefer a 9lb rifle which is comfortable to shoot, reliable and stout. To me, the only (and I mean only) possible justification for going with a light rifle is to carry more water on desert sheep hunts. I’m not carrying any less weight, I’ve merely shifted what I’m carrying.
Standing offer… I’ll give ya $200 for it if you really think its so underwhelming . Just drop me an email.
Thats an every-man’s gun in every sense of the word, and it will take deer out to 300+ yards with the best of them. I love me some .243!
Good review. I keep eyeballing the same rifle every time I’m in Walmart, might be worth checking out the 30-06 version.
Every year around hunting season the stores in my neck of the woods (Portland Or) put Howa 1500 rifles on sale for $429 +/-. They come with a really sweet Hogue overmolded stock and a Nikko Sterling scope (which I have never owned, but did not appear to completely suck at first glance). If I needed a cheap deer hunting bolt gun, I think that would be my first choice. The only advantage I see in the Remington is that it appears to have a more weather-proof finish, instead of the traditional blueing of the Howa.
That sounds like a great deal! Plus I live in the desert, we don’t have rust for the most part
I picked up a .222 Rem savage 860E for 200 dollars used that will lay a coyote right out. At 3150 fps a 50 gr vmax with a poly tip will do the job. Great for groundhogs too. These are not heavily skinned animals and most weigh around 40 lbs.
I couldn’t find a single used, sub-30 cal, non-rimfire rifle to save my life! I looked all the time and know most of the shop owners by name. No one had anything I was looking for on the used rack (or new rack for that matter)… I almost picked up a .22-250 built on a FN action and a custom laminated stock. Unfortunately, the barrel bore looked “grey” and dull and I was hesitant about getting it.
I scored a .270 Winchester Remington 700 ADL back in law school for $250. The trigger is probably a lot like yours: a bit heavy but very short and crisp. Mine has proven to be extremely accurate, and Joe Grine has seen it shoot sub-1″ groups at 300 yards with handloads. (The stock was junk, so I replaced it with a heavy pillar-bedded John Plaster stock.)
If you’re looking to customize a Remington 700, the ADL is a great place to start as long as you’re happy with the sporter-weight barrels of the ADL. It’s also a perfectly decent budget rifle in its own right, and perhaps superior to other Big Box rifles because of its customization potential.
I love my Remington 788 in .243. Nothing fancy, but great for getting rid of pests.
Bought the gun cheap at Target when they were getting out of the gun business.
.17 HMR will kill coyotes all day long if you place your shot correctly.
Been there, done that. I’ve killed coyotes, rabbits, badgers all deader than a wedge with a .17 HMR at ranges from 60 to 225 yards. It is a very deadly round when you use the 17gr V-Max pill.
As for Remington: They’re the Walmart of guns. Finding new ways to make guns cheaper every year since the early 60′s.
I researched this topic and couldn’t come to a true consensus and thus decided to go with a centerfire. Some people have good luck, some say a .222 is the minimum caliber for ‘yotes. I don’t know the answer and may perhaps give it a try some day!
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My older ADL has a beautiful walnut stock. It is also a .243 and bought used last week for $399 plus tax. The bonus? It’s got a world-class Kahles 6x scope on it.
It’s more accurate than I am.
I own 2 ADL’s. A 30-06 and 243, both of which shoot 1 in. groups at 100 yds using my favarite hand loads. The 30-06, I have glass beaded and floated the barrel. The 243 I floated the barrel and made trigger adjustments. My 30-06 has burled walnut stock and I prefer wood over synthetic. Remington rifles have tighter chambers and this is one reason they shoot soo well. I don’t shoot them as often as I should because I have a 340 savage that is deadly on groundhogs and coyottes. Savage 340′s have a 1 in 14 twist 24 inch barrel on the 22 hornet and thus will handle most longer bullets in my humble opinion.
I have the earlier version of Remington’s ADL mounted with a Weaver 2.5x fixed power scope and the hard plastic stock. It is light and fast. The groups I get are in line with Patrick’s. Not great, but good enough for <300 shooting on deer size targets. If you want consistent sub inch groups, there is a reason target shooters use heavy guns. I am sorry, but 10 lbs pound rifles suck if you are going to be carrying them all day. If you are hunting over five thousand feet, don't even think about carrying that heavy cannon. You young guys, do what you want… you have plenty of time left to learn life lessons, but for us older guys, I just as soon have a light rifle like the Remington ADL. So what is the best rifle to have? The one you have in your hand when you see game.
Patrick, are you still monitoring the replys to this article? If so please respond, I have a few questions for you.
What is a good safe grain to shoot through the 700? I’m looking at buying bulk ammo.
I have a ton of coyotes and deer on my land…I want to kill both…the people at the gun store told me to go with either a .243 or 7-08 any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Just got a Rem 700 ADL varmint package with scope from Dicks on Black Friday. 26″ bull barrel 308 for $349. I might put the scope on a 22lr or something and change the stock after shooting it for a while. You simply will not get a better deal moneywise than this buying any other gun in the USA.
The gun is only as good as the man behind it.
I bought a Remington 700 ADL at a garage sale down the street 30 yrs ago. Glass bedded and free floated the barrel. it shoots 3/4 groups at 100 yds. it is a 270. Shot deer mostly and a few coyotes with it over the years. I think of it as a beater gun. Few scratches here and there from the years in the field and she still shoots as good as I can. Nice gun. Just like me, a little rough around the edges but gets right to the point when the time comes.
62 grain barrnes varmet gernade bullets and Varget ,
created .50 inch groups at 200 yards.
out of my new .243 out of the box after sighted in .
these rifles are high quality and 50 year preformers.
I have a 270 and 3006 also.
on the down side the scope a bushnell/remington does not focus or clear well and only has les than a 2 inch eye relif witch is great for eye cuts