As well as an elegantly-styled classic stock and 600mm fluted stainless barrel, Remington’s new Model 700 CDL Stainless has the crisp adjustable X-Mark Pro trigger and R3 Super Cell recoil pad.
When it comes to a big game rifle there are all manner of heavy and cumbersome models on offer, some with outlandish stocks which are much too heavy and bulky, burdensome and badly lacking balance. They are about as handy to carry around in the mountains as a grand piano. This type of gun is put to shame by the new Remington Model 700 CDL Stainless which combines a slim, trim walnut stock with stainless steel barrel and action. Although the late, great Jack O’Connor was renowned for his conservative tastes, he would undoubtably have given this stock his stamp of approval. I also think he’d have recognized the practicality of the rifle’s stainless steel metalwork for mountain hunting in all weathers. To sweeten the pot, the test rifle is in what was his favourite calibre – the .270 Winchester.
The mountain rifle should above all things be portable, handy and relatively light, as it gets carried a lot more than it gets shot. Weighing 3.2kgs bare, the 700 CDL mounted with Leupold two-piece mounts and a new Redfield Revolution 3-9×40 scope weighed exactly 3.5kgs which is just about right. As a practical, fast-handling and accurate mountain rifle, the 700 CDL would be hard to improve upon. At the other extreme, an ultra-light outfit may be easier to carry in the field, but gives jolting recoil and is difficult to hold steady when you’re breathing hard after a steep climb.
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