For someone like me, who grew up in northern Michigan and spent many a year deer hunting in the fall with my dad; I always have to tip my hat to a good quality hunting rifle.
When I think of quality, I think of Remington. And when I think of a rifle that can shoot a buck from a football field or more away, I think of the Remington 700 SPS Tactical. It very well may be the perfect rifle for big game hunting.
The Remington Model 700 SPS (Special Purpose Synthetic) Tactical rifle is a bolt action rifle outfitted with a 20โ heavy-contour tactical-style barrel. the heavy barrel is exactly what everyone should be looking for in an accurate hunting rifle.
That being said, if you are looking for something geared more toward recreational shooting without the weight attached to it, this one might not be the one for you. It is, however, an extremely versatile rifle, capable of handling close-range situations as well as something off in the distance.
The stock is ergonomically designed and made of black synthetic with Hogue over moldings. This allows for a good cheek weld on the gun and is actually more comfortable, but more comfortable than its wood or metal counterparts.
Now, you might have heard of the so-called “three rings of steel” design that the Model 700s are famous for. For the uninitiated, Remington designed this model with what they call “three rings of steel” surrounding the case head; the bolt face, the barrel, and the receiver.
The bolt face locks right into the action end of the barrel, ensuring perfect alignment between the bolt and barrel. Once thatโs in place, the barrel threads securely into the action. These โthree ringsโ come together to form a rock-solid design that gives this rifle its remarkable accuracy straight out of the box.
The 700 SPS Tactical comes with a semi-beavertail fore-end that makes gripping the gun very easy. It also gives the gun a little bit more in terms of stability when the rifle is placed on a rest.
The stock feels amazing, and the weatherproof Hogue grip will make you extremely confident in holding this gun when you shoulder it.
It feels exactly the way a modern rifle should but does lack a little bit of the charm that the classic wooden style provides. The short action of the bolt and the twenty-inch barrel make this rifle very easy to maneuver and get a lock on your target fairly quickly.
One of the things that I absolutely love about this gun is the hinged floorplate magazine. It makes loading and unloading the rifle as easy as blinking and breathing. The hinge opens by pressing down on the release button inside the trigger guard; to put it back in place, you just push it back until it clicks.
The Tactical model is drilled to you and add a rail or scope rings for mounting your favorite optic. With a rail attached, it is really easy to set up a scope to the correct position for you. Mounting optics on the rail is extremely easy. The 700 SPS Tactical is also equipped with two sling mounting points near the fore-end and the other near the recoil pad under the stock. Trust me, you’ll want to sling this one as it has a good bit of heft.
Now that I have told you about my favorite parts of this bad boy, I have to get on with it and tell you about the range test I put the 700 SPS Tactical through. I decided to mimic my deer hunting conditions as closely as possible.
In the past I have primarily hunted with .308 rifles since they seem to be the perfect cartridge to put a deer down as humanely as possible. the 700 SPS Tactical has got to be one of the most comfortable large-caliber rifles that I have ever shot in my life.
One of the big standout things to me in my testing was the recoil pad. I shoot a lot of shotguns and the first thing that I tend to do when buying a new shotgun is changing out the recoil pad. The recoil that I felt out of the 700 SPS Tactical was a lot less than most of the other .308 rifles out there today.
I ran a few different cartridges through this rifle to see what it could really do. First up was PMC Bronze, 147 grain FMJ-BT .308 Winchester, with a muzzle velocity of 2,780 FPS. Then I tried Wolf Polyformance, 145 grain FMJ, steel case, clocking in at 2,750 FPS.
There wasn’t a whole lot of difference in the ammo used when it comes to recoil, accuracy (up to one hundred yards, or feeding. The action was quite smooth when loading either steel case or brass ammunition and had no feeling issues that I can speak of.
With match-grade ammo like Hornady Black, that’s when things really begin to tighten.
150g rounds are perfect for hunting as well as the fact that they can produce a grouping about as tight as the width of a can of soup from the Model 700’s barrel. With a muzzle velocity of 2,820 FPS, the bullets will hit targets hard out of a twenty-inch barrel.
Some of the other main good things about this rifle that it is very affordable for its accuracy at about eight hundred dollars. The recoil is extremely manageable and runs any kind of .308 ammunition. Mounting a scope of any size is extremely easy. Cleaning the gun is also almost as easy as cleaning your kitchen countertop.
A couple bad things about the rifle is that it is a bit on the heavy side and can be a bit of chore for youth hunters or any kind of long-distance hiking.
That being said, this thing is an absolute workhorse. It’s a very dependable rifle whether you are a big game hunter or just a recreational target shooter. This budget-friendly rifle is accurate, easy to clean, and will make for a great weapon to pass down from generation to generation in your family.
