Well over many threads during the time I have frequented this board, the CRF guys (I am one of them) have pushed the point that for big game a CRF rifle is mandatory.

Now for a new spin on it do the CRF guy's concede that a Rem 700 may be the better choice for a varmint gun......or do the CRF crowd still need there control feed rifles for popping varmints as well.

I would suggest that for a varmint rig the rem 700 is acceptable......I feel ill admitting that

Model 30 Remington is my favorite. Guess that makes me disagree.

Yep, has a ring to it don't ya think? Remington/Varmints! I would certainly have a varmint specific rifle built with a Remmy action.

Huntr

The manner in which a rifle feeds rounds from its magazine, (if it has one!!) has no effect whatsoever on whether or not that particular rifle is accurate enough to be used as a varmint rifle! It is well known that the Remington 721-722-700 family is characterized by generally fine accuracy, and that they are plenty accurate enough for varminting. The 722 made the accuracy reputation of the .222 Remington cartridge BEFORE the benchrest boys jumped on it. However, the Remingtons don't have more potential accuracy than controlled-round feed rifles, they are just easier to bed and to gunsmith in general. This means it may be easier to get a 700 to shoot well than it is to get the same level of accuracy from a Model 70 Winchester. It does NOT mean that you CAN'T get the same performance from the M 70!

I am waiting for some replys from the forum heavies on this...i'll be interested to hear what they have to say

I'm in Eldeguello's camp on that, but I've never owned a 700, probably never will. I...just....can't. I think that by the time you work a Remmy over, you could save money and time by getting a Cooper. Or something else.

I may not be a forum 'heavy', but I have used the following rifles for varmint hunting:

Anschutz 1416LD .22LR
Bushmaster XM15-E2S .223 Remington
Cooper Model 21 Varminter .17 Mach IV
Kimber (Oregon) .17 Remington < !--color-->
Remington 700 BDL .22-250 Remington
Remington 700 Custom .243 Ackley Improved
Remington 700 Custom .25-06 Remington
Remington 700 VS .223 Remington
Remington 700 VS .22-250 Remington
Ruger #1 .220 Swift
Ruger #1 .243 Win.
Ruger 10/22 .22LR
RWS/Diana Model 48 .177
Savage 10FLP Tactical .223 Rem.
Savage 93GLV .17HMR
Thompson/Center Contender .223 Rem.

The Kimber is the only CRF varminter I own. Since few of the animals classed as varmints here in the U.S. are dangerous, there isn't any need for CRF.

Really, how much damage can a bull prairie dog inflict on you?

George

I have used both for my varmit hunting and found no advantage to either but then again I have never been charged by a dog or yote
I have had several of the winchester HV's and they will match the remington any day of the week.

I don't have a problem with pushfeeds for big game or varmint hunting, I own and use Weatherbys. As to the 700s, I just don't care for them aesthetically. I get all the accuracy I want from rifles that I like. Not saying they are bad, I just don't like the way they look, the bolt handle, the way the safety works, etc. jorge

I'm a controlled-feed advocate for most big game hunting, but I've also owned a slew of Remington 700s over the years. In fact, most of my varmint hunting has been conducted with Remington 700s, and I have a Model 700 barreled-action in the works right now at Mark Penrod's for a custom .280 Remington project. I also have had great luck with push-feed Model 70s, and I like Weatherby Mark Vs a great deal.

AD

There's really no need for CRF in a varmint gun, IMHO. I do prefer CRF for all my big-game guns (and I would require it for dangerous game), but I have hunted with push-feeds as well. Carried a surplus Enfield for a long time (push-feed and cocks on close ) One makes do with what one has at hand! I'm working on my second Savage in a varmint caliber, and these push-feeds have given me great results. Pdogs don't care if you have to spend a few minutes clearing a jam, should one ever occur. maxman

There usually isn't much of left of them after I hit one.

George

Such quarry is certainly not threatening. I have no problem with PF for most applications so long as the bolt is not soldered together and something other than a washer for a recoil lug.

I use a 40X for target competition. It was the path of least resistance. Besides many of the team here like push feeds as they load single shot anyway.

Also autoloaders are push feeds and work well.

CRF is a good idea for a manually operated rifle and I like the M70's that have it for other reasons. The machinery aspect of crf appeals to me also.

I would use a Remington for varmint hunting of course but I don't have any now. I just prefer the features of other rifles more.

The only CRF I would have for an accuracy gun is Model 70 and that is because of Jewell trigger, bedding configuration and stock availability.

For an all out accuracy rifle the Rem 700 has a couple of advantages over the M70.

1) Better for "glue inns" because they are easier to get apart than the M70. Also the trigger can be removed without ungluing the rifle.

2) Better for being able to move barrels between actions because the extractor slot fouls that up with M70.

Mike

for some reason an older remington 700 action feels smoother to me over most mausers and winchesters at least mine does. recently CZ has caught my fancy, the action on my little 527 is the smoothest I have felt on any mauser style rifle. Looking at the CZ 550 though from what I have seen I am not yet ready to trade my mid 80's remy. dangerous game is the only time you need CRF

I have said many times that any rifle which functions well and proves itself to be reliable and accurate, is a good one regardless of it's configuration or type.
My hunting rifles are CRF just because they are what I had to work with at the time but so are some of my target rifles.
I would have no problem with using a Remington for any purpose providing it functioned as I wanted it to. Heck, I would probably even use an A-Bolt under some circumstances (if everything else was destroyed in a fire and an A-Bolt was all I could get my hands on for instance). Actually, after giving it some thought, scratch that last bit. I'm sure I could find a Lee Enfield or something to use in place of an A-Bolt. Given the choice of an A-bolt and a single shot 12 gauge with slugs for an antelope hunt, I'd have to think it over! I freely admit this is possibly just prejudice on my part but I can't help it. For those who own and like A-Bolts, I apologize for casting aspersions upon your shootin' iron. I just can't like 'em. Regards, Bill.

I have several 1917 Enfield's in varmint calibers but if I were starting from scratch it would be hard to argue with a Rem 700 battery. I also have a Rock River Arms AR-15 that seems to be ideal for the closeup work, my 22/6's, 243/06 for moderate work, and 338/416 Rigby for the truly tough stuff!!

If I were truly starting over I'd look at the AR-15 for close-up and an AR-10 243 of some sort for longer stuff (maybe with additional uppers handy), and a good bolt action for the absolute longest stuff.

Those AR's are remarkably accurate...

Use a screwdriver when needed but a sledge hammer is a specialized tool for a specific job...

Reed

Thats what I thought...that geberally speaking the CRF crowd will accept a PF rem 700 if it is for blasting vermin from the truck window or over a burrow.

My two "serious" hunting rifles are both controlled-feed classic stainless M70's built by Bill Leeper, a 284 backpack rifle and a 358 Norma for bigger stuff. I wouldn't have it any other way. My all-around varmint rifle however, also built by Leeper, is a 223 Ackley on a short-action 700.

The foreend on my CZ 452 in .22 WMR fits nicely between the side mirror and the door frame on my truck.



JCN

I am in the process of replacing my entire battery. Just tired of fooling with half baked factory and custom rifles, and would like a "few" dead reliable, practical firearms to hunt big game with. So, I've gotten rid of a bunch of rifles, in both PF and CRF configuration. My preference runs on the CRF end of things, and LH model 70's will be the basis for the rifles I hunt with from now on. However, when I got rid of the rifles I owned to finance some new guns, I kept a couple. One is a Savage 99 my Father gave me for Christmas when I was 13, and the other is a Remington 700 LH short action chambered for the 22-250. It is my coyote rifle and will be for years to come. That 22-250 fed with 55gr Hornady V-Max bullets is suberbly accurate and very pelt friendly.

Chuck

One school of thought has long been to respect the hunt by matching a proper rifle to it.

Perhaps a large bore Mauser for the big five in Africa.

Or a small bore Mannlicher-Schoenauer for mountain goat in Europe.

If these make sense to you, then using an over-bore Remington to shoot rats at the dump will be the only logical choice.

George in Oz on private property we do afir bit of shooting foxes rabbits etc. from the ute window...I just assumed you blokes in the state shot varmints from your truck window as well. By Burrow, I mean the warrens or holes where rabbits live...don't you call them that in the US ??

I am a dyed in wool control feed person for hunting big game..but my varmint guns are an old sako clip fed and a Rem 600 and a Rem 722, all in 222.....also a Sako L-461 custom rifle I built in 6x45 with a Mod 70 safty and built like a Safari rifle at about 5.5 lbs...

My first c.f. rifle (1962) was an M70 Target Grade in .220 Swift. The darn thing had to have the extractor squeezed to facilitate single round loading. Traded it off for a semi-auto made in Belgium, cal. 300 Win Mag in the late '60s and have used it for almost all big game since then. For fun guns I went through a lot of Rugers and moved to Remington bolt guns when I got serious about 1000 yard benchrest, custom barrels and building rifles.
I still have the 1903 O3A3 that was remodeled by me in the early '60s, it is a CRF and has very little value to anybody except my son and me.
Somebody once said something about only accurate rifles are interesting and Rems and customs are the most intersting to me.

I shoot several times a week, mostly with PFs. I have never had one fail. CRFs may look glamorous, but PFs work just fine and have a better accuracy record.

The practical accuracy advantage of PFs over CRFs is a crock, at least in a hunting rifle. Actions like the Model 700 might own the benchrest game, but the Model 70 has won more 1,000 yd. championships than any other action.

AD

I like CRF for my big game rifles. Currently a Mauser and Model 70. I just built a varmint rifle on a 700 and just had the extractor fail. I know this will not happen to everyone, but I was sure glad this was a varmint rifle and not a big game gun. By the way my old standby varmint rifle is a CRF model 70, and it hasn't failed yet.

Ya think�


Ya think maybe the accuracy potential of a rifle might hinge on factors other than the method used to pull the fired case out of the chamber�

I wonder � are muzzle loaders more POTENTIALLY accurate because they have no extraction system whatsoever?

Sorry, I�ll TRY to quit pointing out the irrelevancy of certain heated subjects in certain contexts, but it�s difficult.

Jim in I - I 'm glad you said that....I was thinking that but you said it.............

If I had to use them I'd probably replace the safety...

You think its hard to get a guy to do good accuracy work on a WIN - try a Rugger M77! Been my personal PITA for the last 2 weeks - but I found one.