thinking about getting a remi 700 sps varminter in .243. anyone have any opinions on these? personally i dont like anything but a blued finish or some stainless guns. not the applied stainless-looking coating actual stainless. the stock felt a little cheap on the varminter but i was thinking a heavier laminate stock could be found for cheap and pillar beded.

I have enjoyed mine in .223 Rem. I did replace the trigger with a Timney, as my gunsmith was very unimpressed with the X-Mark Pro that it came with. Perhaps the current triggers are better since I bought mine about 4 years ago. I don't even mind the stock. It seems much sturdier than most cheap synthetic stocks like the one on my Howa Lightning or Model 70 Super Shadow. Tnat 26" barrel does provide the opportunity to maximize the velocity of your loads.

im not to worried about the trigger since ive got 3 timneys from a gunsmiths going out of business sale including a 4oz one with no saftey that you can adjust every angele of the trigger on. what size groups you shooting with it?

I have one in a .223 and my gunsmith was impressed with the XmarkPro trigger. The stock is a little cheesy and needs a Boyd laminated.

The darn thing looks kind of rangy but shoots good.

did your boyd laminated stock add any weight?
id love to get it up over 11 or 12 lbs.

quote:

as my gunsmith was very unimpressed with the X-Mark Pro that it came with. Perhaps the current triggers are better since I bought mine about 4 years ago.

The XMarkPro was revised within about a year of its introduction. So anything today will be slightly different.

LWD

quote:

Originally posted by craveman85:
did your boyd laminated stock add any weight?
id love to get it up over 11 or 12 lbs.

I haven't added the Boyd stock to it yet and I'm sure it would add some additional weight to it, but would also tighten up some groupings.

Currently it starts out at 9lbs. add another pound for the scope and mine has a suppressor on it for a little more than another pound and load it up with 5 shells and you're getting in that area of 11-12 pounds. I think a Boyd's stock would probably net out an additional 3/4 pound.

I still carry mine around for some field hunting and a 13 pound hunting rifle is getting up there to hold on a running critter and swing through properly!!!

most of my varmint hunts are over bait. i dont mind a big gun as my friend had a 1.25 inch bore punt gun that we loaded with a few hundred grains of black powder and 8oz of shot. gun weighed 48lbs and i was the only one that could shoulder it so i had to shoot it. carried it about a half mile that day before we found a porcupine. still kicked quite a bit and left a bruise for about 2 weeks. i guess that was a light load

actually think this decision may have made a little bit of a turn. think ill be getting a howa .243 24" heavy barreled stainless action. rifle-stocks.com has a really nice target stock that would run me about 185 including shipping. my .223 howa standard barrel puts out .75" groups with factory remi ammo. i figure if im going to shell out 569 for a rifle and then 300 for a decent stock i might as well spend the 489 for the action and 185 for the stock and buy me a nice trigger to go along with it.