Remington Model 700 Still As Good As Ever

The Remington 700 is a rifle design that has stood the test of time.

Q
After a 10 year absence from shooting, I plan on buying a Remington Model 700 in .270 WSM or .270 Win. Is the Remington 700 as good as it was? I’d also consider Tikka, Sako and Winchester rifles. People have commented that the .270 WSM is a barrel burner and reloading components are hard to come by. What is your opinion of the trigger on the Remington 700? Do any of the other rifles have a better trigger? What is your opinion of the new Lithgow .22 rifle? By the by, using your pet load in my Remington 700 I put 5 shots into one ragged hole at Silverdale about 10 years ago. If the Nosler Ballistic Tip is no longer available, can you recommend another bullet? Are Timney triggers good aftermarket replacements?
– Nick Karas

A
Both the Remington Model 700 and the Winchester Model 70 are fine rifles. My own .270 WSM is a Model 70 and I have another four in different calibres. The Model 70 Featherweight in .270 Win. is a good rifle. The Remington Model 700 is just as good as it ever was, and you won’t go wrong with one. Many hunters prefer the Model 70 because it has controlled-round-feed. The .270 WSM is a bit harder on barrels than the standard .270 Win., but if barrel life is a consideration, buy the standard .270. Reloading components for the .270 WSM are no harder to get than for any other cartridge. With the exception of the case, it uses the same components and powders. All modern rifles have good triggers, including Remington and Winchester.
I have one of the Lithgow Crossovers which I’ve had restocked with a Boyd’s laminated stock and bottom metal and steel magazine from a Brno Model 2. The metalwork is first class on the Lithgow, but the target stock is not well-suited for sporting use. The name “Crossover” is a misnomer because there is no such thing as rifle stock that is ideal for target and sporting use. Alas, I believe they are using the same stock on their new centrefire rifle. Both .270s are best served by large-rifle magnum primers,there is no advantage to using benchrest primers in a hunting rifle. Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets are available as are AccuBond which is a better big-game bullet. With the 130gn Barnes TSX bullet in the .270 Win. a good load is 55-56gn of AR2209 for about 3100fps and in the .270 WSM 64gn of AR2213sc or 60gn of AR2209 gives the same velocity. I prefer using 59gn of W-760 for 3137fps and MoA accuracy in my gun which has a Maddco barrel. In the .270 Win. with the 130gn Ballistic Tip or AccuBond, 58gn of AR2209 generates 3050fps. In the .270 WSM it takes 62gn to get 3200fps. In my Sako L461 .223 I load the 55gn Lapua bullet (or the Nosler) with 27gn of W-748 for 3196fps and 24.5gn of BM2 for 3175fps. Happy to hear that the load I gave you 10 years ago worked out so well. Timney triggers are great for ex-military actions, but you don’t need to replace the triggers in modern guns.