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Ruger American vs Rem 700 ADL (308)

  • Ruger American

    Votes: 17 65.4%
  • Remington 700 ADL

    Votes: 9 34.6%

Ruger American vs Rem 700 ADL

6K views 35 replies 22 participants last post by  Jed Cooper 
#1 ·
I'm in the market for a Remington 700 SPS tactical, and also a secondary (lighter to carry) 308 for long hiking hunts. I've boiled it down to the ruger American or rem 700 ADL. seems everybody is bashing Remington lately for diminished QA control. But I like the 700 design. Should I take the plunge on 2 Remington's ?

I've already decided on the SPS 700 for my first choice.
 
#7 ·
So those 2 lug Mauser and Winchester 70 actions are inferior to the multi lug Weatherby's ?

Check for lug ENGAGEMENT on most modern factory rifles and you are in for a very rude surprise. WHY accuracy gun smiths lap locking lugs.

Yet I have seen many factory rifles shoot quite well with poor lug engagement, poor bedding and other issues.

I simply can't agree that the 3 lug Ruger is the best there is.
 
#6 ·
Bought a .223 SPS last year. It shot decent groups but threw the first shot out every time. A five shot group would measure .9" with one way out, the other four into .5" or so. Sometimes a bit better or worse. But a solid 1" shooter for sure at 100 yds.

Started fiddling and found that one lug was not bearing at all, the other one maybe 40% engagement. So unscrewed the barrel and had my Smith lap the locking lugs. That did surely help and accuracy was now a bit better and the groups were rounder.

Also heaved the crap plastic stock and used an HS Precision I had from a gun trade. We bedded the action and first few inches of the stock barrel into the new stock.

Original trigger is a cruel JOKE. Best we could do with it was 5 1/2 pounds. Replaced that with a Timney.

Still .8 to 1" five shot groups. Always that one shot out.

I eventually rebarreled with a similar taper Bartlein 1 in 8". Then it really shot well. Maybe the original barrel was not properly stress relieved? It surely would not group as well as older 700's I have shot and owned.

Current Rem 700's are a mere shadow of what they once were. Such a shame. Depends too on what your expectations are. For a hunting rig most of them are adequate. In my opinion they all need an immediate trigger replacement. The original is junk. At least my one example was.

Not a fan of the SPs stock either. Too weak. Easy to bend thee forend. Bare minimum drop it into an HS Precision.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I bought my Ruger American in .308 in Oct. 2015 to put a rifle under my 2.5 - 10 Vortex scope. Rifle was cleaned and bore sighted. Shot from an improvised rest on a picnic table. First shot was perfectly centered but about 4 1/2 inches low. Second shot only made the hole half again as large. Third shot was still 4 1/2 inches low but pulled to the right about 2 inches. Made 10 1/2 MOA vertical adjustments. Fourth shot split the right side of a nickel size bull. Fifth shot was pulled low and left. Sixth shot was level with the bullseye but 2 inches to the left. All shots were fired at 100 yards
I have only owned three center fire rifles and am by no means an accomplished rifle shooter with poor eyesight and unsteady hands.
What more could you want from a $350.00 rifle at 6 1/2 lbs and a pencil barrel. It will cost you nearly twice that to buy a case of cheap ammo.
Buy the RUGER!
 
#9 ·
I'm staying with the Savage 10/110 series, but I like your approach with one heavy gun and one light gun, in the same caliber :)

I have a light .30-06. Savage. Not accurate, it is an older model, but it works.

I have a heavy .308. Savage. Accurate.
And a light Remington model 7 .308, to go with it.

One interesting thing to consider, if you reload, is are you going to keep brass separate and neck size? Or are you going to combine brass and do a full re-sizing?
 
#12 ·
I would look for a lightly used older gun, many options available. A few years ago I bought a 1966 Sako off the original owner, with accessories, mint condition. I didn't pay much more than most Remington's cost from a store today.

You don't have to go that far. A 1970's Winchester Model 70 is something to look for too.
 
#23 ·
I would look for a lightly used older gun, many options available. A few years ago I bought a 1966 Sako off the original owner, with accessories, mint condition. I didn't pay much more than most Remington's cost from a store today.
Nice, do you have a picture? I think the same way, last year I bought a 1960's Sako Finnbear .30-'06 at the LGS for $700, a new similar Sako today is about $2K and probably not as good. My best group has been .375". Here it is from last Saturday, 400+ lb. cow elk, NM, 284 yards.
Snow Deer Wildlife Reindeer Winter
 
#14 ·
I have a Ruger American in 308 with a cheap Simmons scope and it shoots so good that the Redfield scope I bought for it is sitting in the safe. Mine likes 180gr bullets.
It's not the best rifle made but it's a great rifle for the money.
 
#16 ·
Lots of older Rem 700's out there for donor actions.

Check contact of the locking lugs, lap if required.

Add a good trigger. Buy a decent barrel blank ,cut to the taper You wish.

Cut the barrel threads and carefully chamber. Use an equal amount of care fitting the barrel.

Drop the action into a stable stock and bed it. You should now have an accurate rifle.

Rem 700's and the old push feed Win 70's all make great donor actions.
 
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#17 ·
You would think that a factory with good quality machining equipment like a Remington factory could produce a quality 700, especially since they've been making that design for several decades.

I know Remington has changed into the Gerber of the gun world, but still.

That said, I do own a new bushmaster QRC (Remington ) and it's been flawless thus far.

Of all the bolt actions on the market, I like the (look, feel, and action) of the 700 the best. (Under the $1000 range anyway).

Maybe Remington will up the QA one of these days.

Thanks for the votes and replies.

Winner = the Ruger.
 
#19 ·
I know you said you've decided on the Ruger but, did you look at the Tikka T3 at all. IMO it's one of the nicest, smoothest and best built factory actions on the market today. It has a 70* bolt throw, side bolt release, if you ever wanted to change out the bolt handle you can do it yourself without having to send it to a gunsmith (and it's not just silver soldered on like the 700s). The Tikka I own started out as a T3 Lite .243Win and shot 3/4" groups at a 100 with the factory pencil barrel. It's since changed calibers and wears a heavier profile Bartlien barrel and shoots slightly smaller groups. I also own 2 factory Remington .308s (mil-spec and a 700 varmint) and I use Remington's almost exclusively at work and with that being said Tikkas are the only factory actions I'll purchase in the future. Just my .02 cents
 
#21 ·
I have always preferred Savage rifles, but I picked up a Ruger American Ranch in 300blk. I have been very impressed with it for a $350 rifle. It will shoot 1-1.25" groups consistently with any ammo I put in it. From 150gr FMJ reman to 110gr Barnes Vor-TX premium. For a cheap gun with a 16" pencil barrel, I couldn't ask for more. It will be my choice for any hunting in the future.
 
#24 ·
Very nice Paul, how far did it go before dropping.
 
#26 ·
Very nice Paul, how far did it go before dropping.
First shot at 284 yards hit the lower lung and probably would have killed it, the rest of the herd ran off and this one just stood here. Put a couple more in her at which point she laid down sitting up, I didn't want to take any chances, a guy at the lodge the day before gut shot one and ended up chasing it 7 miles. I moved up to 100 yards and hit her in the back of the head, hence all the blood by the mouth. Kind of brutal but it put her out of her misery. So all in all she probably went 10 yards after the first shot.
 
#29 ·
As a general statement only a fool would buy a new, lower end, rifle made by either. I've owned 10 or 12 Rugers, great gun for the money. The ones made by either 30 years ago are real rifles, the new ones are an embarrassment as far as I'm concerned.



http://www.gunbroker.com/item/601918118
 
#28 ·
Before I bought my Rem 700 Sps Varmjnt a few weeks ago, I read a ton of reviews... nothing negative except to discuss the SPS (ADL) stock, which does not have a bedding block.

So I bought a Magpul Hunter 700 replacement stock that has length of pull and cheek comb adjustability as well as a bedding block.

I'm heading to the range tomorrow to scope it in, but it's my fist rifle ever (as a kid I used my fathers rifles to hunt with), so I don't expect to be looking to take MOA measurements, just get the scope sighted for now.

My buddy has a Savage 110 he'll be bringing, so I'll try it out and see if I can make any comparisons. I'll use the same ammo on both, but I think his twist is 1:10 and mine is 1:12.

I already know to have the action blueprinted, so I'm looking to do that eventually.

I seriously didn't find any negative reviews of Remington's quality... just the crappy trigger coming in between 1.5 and 5.5lbs, sometimes unadjustable.

I'm okay with that, primary use will be hunting.
 
#34 ·
Range report on my new Rem 700 Varmint..

The gun shoots better than I do.

I could see my reticle jumping with each heartbeat, I didn't have sand bags, just cheap blocks of wood covered in carpet, and I haven't regularly shot a rifle in almost 2 decades so I'll need practice to get better and know if my rifle needs lapping/blueprinting.

The SPS is garbage because of its stock; no bedding block, not free floated, barrel touches the stock all the way to the end.

The action and barrel are the same as higher end Varmint options.

The Ruger American, even though dirt cheap has a bedding block and floated barrel. For hunting you can't go wrong.
 
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