The Remington 700 has been the gold standard for bolt action rifles since, well, ever. But there are still cheap bastards like me out there that would rather gamble with a lesser piece of kit than pay the extra couple hundred dollars, which is where the 783 comes in. It’s not quite as expensive as the regular 700, but the el-cheapo version has some improvements . . .
The 783 doesn’t feel too bad, actually. The stock suffers from the same issue I have with almost every other bolt action rifle on the market (that the cheek piece is too low), but that’s unfortunately par for the course. What’s different about the gun is the receiver, specifically the shape of the ejection port.
The original Remmy 700 was designed to be a top loading gun, so there’s no metal going over the top of the bolt. But for the 783, it’s designed to be magazine fed and therefore has a smaller ejection port. This adds a ton of rigidity to the frame, and also would appear to cut down on machining time in the manufacturing process.
MSRP is around $450 for the base model, which puts it lower than the normal 700s but still not quite in spitting distance of the 100 ATR and American Rifle models that are fighting it out for the cheapskate dollar.
The only thing I’m not sold on is the bolt handle. It’s plastic, and while I get that it’s cheaper to make, it just feels, well, cheap to me. I would have much preferred having to shell out a couple extra bucks for a metal bolt handle.
In general, the rifle feels great. It’s solid, seems well built and comes from a great heritage of firearms manufacturing. But we’ll have to test it out to see if it lives up to the hype or if, much like Marlin’s nosedive into the gutter, is the beginning of a Freedom Group-inspired tailspin.
Safe bet this writer is making up this review and never even seen this rifle. Lost all cred as I just bought one and the bolt handle is not plastic. It looks plastic in a pic so this writer just goes by pics and not facts. Go home
That video was pretty funny. Yet, it also called the liberals on how stupid their gun control measures are. Win-Win.
I own a 783 first the bolt handle is Not plastic! This gun goes toe to toe with the 700 no problem it’s smooth accurate and I’m my opinion better the the sps wich I also own.
I held a 783 this week and I’m almost positive the bolt handle is not plastic. It’s a shame that these stories get started without knowing for sure what is or is not. Please don’t assume the bolt handle is plastic, check it out for yourself.
Not sure if it is but I was not happy with this gun at all. Did not feel right the bolt was nothing to write home about. there are better choices out there over the 783. Its kind of hard to beat the American or the Axis they are both great priced rifles! The Marlin XL7 is a great buy to! I wish it came with a box mag like the others.
It not plastic I just picked one up last night have not even a chance to fire, it is a 270 and it feel great and if it shoots like a Remington this will be a great buy for use who donot have money to burn.
I just saw this Rifle the other day and boy what a joke. The American is 10x better than this gun. I don’t know what they had in mind with this gun but it feels really cheap and the bolt does not slide well. Honest I would rather buy the 770 Over this rifle. The Axis is a great choice too!!!
Hey automatic hater. Ive held both the 783 and the American. American stock felt cheaper, bolts both slid well, and the steel box mag slipped in better than the Americans which catches unless you put it in perfectly level. So tell me in detail, how is the American 10X better than the 783?
I’ve been looking at the 783, axis and American and the 783 def had the best feeling stock atleast for a bigger guy not so small in my hands and seems to have a little more to it not weak feeling. the 783 and American def had smoother bolts too.
I have a certain amount of respect for people, even if they’re anti-gun, who do the research and come to a conclusion, whose position on the subject isn’t just a knee-jerk reaction. At least they did the work. This woman has (should have) less-than-zero credibility when talking about guns, and especially when talking about Stand Your Ground laws, because she hasn’t done the basic research (despite living in the basic research) to understand that SYG has nothing whatsoever to do with her son’s death. She is willfully ignorant, and just wants someone to pay for her pain. It’s disgusting.
Man, I hope we can do better than fat ass Christie.
“If we were violent, we have the means to cause a great deal of destruction. We don’t because our aim isn’t to take anything away from anybody.”
Thanks for putting this in writing Ralph, I think it is a point that is not mentioned enough and is downplayed when it is.
I always said to myself how absurd this really is, if these anti-gun people were truly afraid of us, truly scared out of their wits that we were violent and would kill them indiscriminately, then they have to be the stupidest bunch of people on the planet to continually poke the bear the way they do. But the facts just don’t match their narrative.
Seldom does any critical incident go perfectly.
Detached reflection is not demanded in the presence of an upraised knife.
Let’s wait until more facts come out before we start choosing sides, shall we?
John
Is that a AR pistol with a G36 type upper? Never seen something like that before
What good is the test when it isn’t running Frog Lube against the best corrosion-prevention products on the market? Eezox comes to mind.
Neither Frog Lube nor Eezoz is a good friction- or impact-parts protectant. There are many good oils and greases. I use Lubriplate FMO 350AW oil and Lubriplate SFL-0 grease as appropriate. I’m sure some other choices are as good.
I own an axis, a 783 and an American. i like all of them like anything else in life theres positives and negatives to all of them but as for “better” ??? i would say whichever ones laying next to your trophy in a picture on your wall is the better one. i’ve killed deer with all 3. woodchucks, fox, coyote; none of them complained about the stock of my gun or trigger system when i wadded them up at 200+ yards.
I have a 783 .308 my bolt handle in metal not plastic it is a very good rifle
I purchased a 783 7mm rem mag. Bought a scope vortex nothing to fancy. Bought 20 rounds to play first day. Best but pad I have felt specially with the recoil. With I 5 shots had this gun zero in at 200 yrds with 2 inch grouping no stand just resting on a log. Went to 300 continued with 2 inch grouping getting used to gun. 400 hundred no problem hitting on target folled up the last ten again ay the 200 yrd target 1.5 in grouping. Payed 400 for this gun canadian. No custom features a scope and a newer shooter. The gun is amazing for the price. Played with a tika t3 7mm rem mag. A little better feel but all in all left 700 dollars in my pocket with the same results. Time to go hunting.
Jay, what ammo were you using for your first box. I need to pick sum up for my 7mm also and didn’t want to waste money on ammo that its not going to eat well. thanks
I bought the 783 30-06 earlier this year. Yes the bolt is a little rough, but that is all I can say. Zeroed in less than ten rounds. I am very happy with it even though it is not pretty as has been pointed out previously. And, yes the bolt handle is very much metal.
I just bought the 783 Compact in 308 Winchester. I put a Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 scope, Vortex rings, and Weaver base. My local gun shop charged me $348 for the rifle, and with the scope and rings I purchased, I am into it less than $500 total. It shoots one ragged hole at 100 yds; with boresighting upon purchase, it took three shots to zero. No complaints. I am by far not a long range competitor but I was in the military for 29 years and was a small arms instructor. I would not hesitate to recommend this rifle for typical hunting and recreational applications. I will be shooting it at the 500 yard gong tonight at a local gun range to see how it does. I live by the old saying “only accurate guns are interesting” and this one is a keeper.
I do have other middle to higher end guns such as Rem 700 in 270, Tikka M695 in 30-006, Win M70 in 30-06, and T/C Encore with 22lr, 243 and 270 barrels…this one will hold its own with any of those. And they also have decent Leupold, Pentax, Burris, and Vortex scopes on them.
I own one and i dont know why these guy is so sure that it a plastic bolt handle…. its all metal… luv it
I also lost interest of what the author had to say after the plastic bolt handle comment. I have shot a 783 that belongs to a friend in 7mm RM. The bolt is a little rough out of the box but break it down, scrub it good, and use a quality lube and repeat for the receiver and it smooths out quite well. I find the trigger to be excellent for a hunting rifle very little take-up and crisp break. Only stretched it out to 200 yards but it managed a 4 shot group of just over 1″ using factory nosler ammo with accubond bullets from a Coldwell rest. I would not hesitate to buy one were I in the market for an inexpensive rifle for hunting. He has since upgraded to a Boyd’s classic stock and now it’s a looker and a shooter!
And THE BOLT HANDLE IS NOT PLASTIC!!
I purchased a 783 in 270 Win. Put Redfield Revenge on it. Bore sighted an headed to range.
Was only 2″ to right And 1.5″ low. Made corrections, rifle put up .796 group@ 100- [email protected]@300..
I was shooting 150gr bullets that I load, rifle came through like a champ. This was shooing off rest, not sled.
I would put it up against any other rifle for accuracy. The eight pointer Tuesday evening want argue that either.
Great Gun For The Money!! PS The Bolt is Steel. That guy is STUPID
I’ve read through all of the comments and didn’t see anyone mention that this gun is not a Savage knock-off; it’s a knock-off of a Savage knock-off.
This gun is a reworked Marlin X7. Shares the same trigger group (identical), same bolt head (for the long actions), and barrels are interchangeable (Savage barrels have 0.015″ less case protrusion from chamber) as an X7. The receiver was changed in shape and the barrel nut is different and of course the (seemingly nice) box magazine but they are being made on the same line as the now discontinued Marlin X7.
It’s a shame Remington didn’t just outright rebrand the X7 and continue making it instead of their own uglier copy. The X7 was my favorite bargain rifle and I built a custom off of it’s action. I would use a 783 for a future build if I could get one under $300.
Just bought one in Georgia for $220 plus tax. 30-06 version.
Don’t really care what it’s a knock-off of, if it’s accurate and reliable.
To add to the Savage knock-off comment, it takes Savage 10/110 (round receiver)2 piece scope base from Leupold.
I was picking up some items at Walmart and decided to meander over to the rifles and look at a few. I held and operated the Savage Axis, Ruger American and the Remington 783 last. I got to tell you the Remington 783 felt the best and the Bolt Action was extremely smooth verses the others and the mag was all metal and went in very nice verses the other non metal ones on the other two rifles. When I go back its going to be the Remington 783 that I’ll get. It is over and above the others.
Someone care to tell me why a magnet can stick to a plastic bolt handle???????
It is dangerous to our wallet for us as consumers to assume that because a rifle, in this case, is less expensive that it is junk. I have looked at this rifle on numerous occasions and have a favorable opinion of what I see. Finish is not great, but then its main competitors are not better in this regard. The stock is ugly, kind of like the Ruger American stock is ugly, but you know what those stocks are fine ergonomically. It is easier to see how ugly they are if they are not camo, so that may be a reason to by a camo version if it is available.
When the model 722/721 came out, they were the economy grade rifle of the day. But they were very good rifles. The 700 evolved out of them. When Remington brought out the 788, they were and are plain and simple, yet very accurate and serviceable rifles.
My point is that the 783 has some great design features, some of which they “borrowed” from their competition. Some of those things are actually innovations and make things better for us enthusiasts.
Now, the bolt handle on this rifle is cast steel. I don’t know why they chose to make it as ugly as it is, but it is metal and not plastic. It seems to me the reviewer who wrote this article never actually picked one of these up and worked the action on it.
This rifle might just wind up embarrassing the flagship 700 in performance. It definitely deserves a look from folks that can’t afford a $850 production rifle. There is already some pretty neat aftermarket stuff available for it.
bought Remington 783 in 308 and have problems ejecting the empty brass. Tried six different brands of ammo, same problem. Any ideas?
I bought one in 7mm magnum an the bolt shuts an locks fine without a cartridge but when you try to load a cartridge the bolt won’t fully shut or lock. Can anyone tell me why?
@Glenn, don’t try to shoot it. Take it to a gunsmith. Are you using factory cartridges or handloads. If handloads, have they been fired in a different rifle? If it is not the ammo, then the rifle may have a serious problem, or just needs to have the bolt/receiver cleaned and maybe polished. Find out what a gunsmith has to say, and contact Remington,,,,I think their customer service is beginning to be a lot more “accommodating”.
“Remmy?” Seriously?
Any 10 round magazines for the 783?
I have the 783 in .243, came with a scope mounted, scope is decent for a freebie, only paid $336 for the rifle with optic, bolt is an odd shape being flat, but is very much a metal bolt. My rifle is bore sighted only to the scope, it shoots about an inch low and to the left, but offers 4 shot groups within 1.25 inch at 100 yards in a standing position with no rest, my sister has the savage axis in 308, not exactly Apple’s to Apple’s but I can tell you, even carrying the last name of savage I will take the Remington 783 in every available caliber before I spend more on the savage axis line, it has issues to say the least, mag falls out with recoil, can’t place a single shot on paper, which in all fairness is probably all scope related, but in my hands and my own opinion I wouI’d say the Remington feels a bit more solid, more comfortable to shoot, and in my area is almost $100 cheaper than the savage, now onto the ruger american, I have not fired one as of yet, but I have manipulated it in the store, all of which were green, cool if you like it i suppose, I would rather the black, aside from that, the American seemed to be a decent feeling rifle, did notice the magazine was finicky, and it was the most expensive out of the three with no optic, savage even had an optic, but the American was about $60 over the savage, so $160 over the remmi, couldn’t justify a solid reason to pick the American with no optic and the ugliest of the bunch to me, have had the personal issues with the axis, so that steered me away, and then there was the 783, I personally find it better looking than the other two, more comfortable in store than the others, and the most affordable, once I fired it, well we have formed a bond, I have added a few things to it as well, purchased about two weeks ago and ran around 100rounds last Sunday alone, hitting golf balls on a bore sight at 100yd, there are a few that have said it, but I’ll say again, but the 783, any caliber, you won’t be sad about it!
I own 2 rem 783s and one in 30-06 sprg the other in 300 win mag both have metal bolts and handles plan on buying one in 223 rem good groups with on range reliable use rem oil once in awhile and your set good for family guys on a budget
A few haters in here, which is ok. Firearms are pretty subjective in some ways. I just picked up a .270 783 for a song. With the sale and the $40 mail-in I’ll only be out $270, scope included! First, it’s not a pretty rifle – it’s not supposed to be! It just has to work, which it does pretty well. I ran 40 rounds through it at the range at 100 and 200 yards and am happy with the results. It will get the job done. Next, the bolt handle is not plastic. Also, yes the bolt did not slide well out of the box, but after a good cleaning/oiling and a few shots into the first box of ammo it started working itself out. The only complaint I have is the “factory bore sighted” claim which was total hogwash. It was WAY off at 50 yards as was a friends .243 we were sighting in at the same time. Mine was way up & left, his was way up & right – 8-10 inches in either direction for mine! Making the proper scope adjustments put us both on target. Easy! Other than that, we’re both pretty happy with the rifle.
I now own three rem 783s 30-06 sprg 300 win mag and 308 win also own two rem 700s in 7mm mag and 243 win no problems with 783s dropped a bull moose at 300 yds last year no problems at all better rifle than savage axis by far test one out you workin boys with families to feed you will like them
Bought a 783 30-06 new. First shot the extractor blew out of the bolt. Sent it to a “certified” Remington repair shop. Got it back. 12th shot, the extractor blew out of the bolt. Sent it to another Remington repair shop. Got it back tonight. Took it out of the box. Pulled the bolt to clean it and the extractor literally fell out of the bolt. I’m done. I won’t buy another Remington.
Sorry to hear that. I shot the hell out of mine using several different brands and loads. I had great success in its accuracy and operation. Ill keep my fingers crossed.