Remington 783

[elmerkeithclone]

Last Saturday I watched a 20 year old kid score a 96 with 2xes in a USBR shoot using a Remington 783 in 308. There were guns there that cost 10 times what that kid paid for his 783.

The young man let me shoot his rifle a few times and give it a once over. I have to say that for they are......a budget priced no frills rifle made for the working class.....I am impressed.

Today while paying my wish full thinking visit to the listings on gun broker.com I came across a brand new 783 Compact in 308 for $270.00 and it comes with a $40.00 rebate. That means with the $20 shipping fee figured in I'm into it for $250.00.

Anyone hunting with a 783 up there?

[sayak]

Last Saturday I watched a 20 year old kid score a 96 with 2xes in a USBR shoot using a Remington 783 in 308. There were guns there that cost 10 times what that kid paid for his 783.

The young man let me shoot his rifle a few times and give it a once over. I have to say that for they are......a budget priced no frills rifle made for the working class.....I am impressed.

I don't own one, but I just love stories like that. Haha! Kind of Cinderella-ish.

[Skrap]

I have read several magazine review that said pretty much what you mentioned. No frills, some machining marks that could use a file, not terribly pretty but **** accurate. Almost seems like the newer version of the old, ugly, reliable and very accurate model 788s.

[BrownBear]

Bud of mine bought one for his son. After load testing and sight-in, he went out and bought a second one for himself. This guy has a bunch of high dollar guns, but those 783's do most of the hunting now. His words: "It only took $300 to turn a bunch of $1500 guns into safe queens."

[sayak]

The lower budget Remmys, Rugers and Savages, along with a few other brands, are good shooting rifles for the most part. They just lack refinement. You pay for refinement.
When I was out walking through the woods and sitting in the rain watching and calling for moose this season, I worried little about the Ruger American I was carrying. I would have been far more concerned about any of my wood stocked rifles I own..

[Meanderthal]

Not long ago Sportsman's Warehouse was selling them for right around $200 after a mail in rebate.
I think it was like $249 before a $40 rebate.

I don't need one but I kinda regret not getting one anyway.
I tried to swear off buying cheap stuff but sometimes it just makes sense to.

[BrownBear]

I tried to swear off buying cheap stuff but sometimes it just makes sense to.

Yup. Sometimes good enuff is good enuff. Don't need a NASCAR winner to drive to the grocery store.

[elmerkeithclone]

It's kinda ironic or maybe moronic depending on how you look at it but I just sold a couple of safe queens in 308. They were too purdy to drag around in the woods or some such nonsense. I was down to one 308, that being a Remington 700 Light Tactical Response rifle that is probably the most accurate rifle that I have ever owned. I hope that a member of my lineage will be shooting the LTR 100 years from now. The LTR is not a thing of beauty but it is the rifle that I use when I shoot USBR and though I'm not opposed to hunting with it I would rather go with Sayak's mind set and hunt with a gun that is more utilitarian. The 783 that I purchased is the 20 inch barreled compact model. I have a nice older Redfield 1-4x 20mm scope that will get called on to make the 783 shoot where I'm looking.

[Smitty of the North]

I would rather go with Sayak's mind set and hunt with a gun that is more utilitarian. The 783 that I purchased is the 20 inch barreled compact model. I have a nice older Redfield 1-4x 20mm scope that will get called on to make the 783 shoot where I'm looking.

Well, "utilitarian" certainly has practical value. Especially up here in the soggy, rainy, swamps.

But I do wonder just how "utilitarian" or RUGGED the Remington 783s or the Ruger Americans are.

Both of these rifles, I would describe as "No Gunsmithing" rifles. (Not the kind one would be changing, with after market items.)

This year I hunted with my BEAUTIFUL, Custom Sporterized Mauser with a Wood Stock hand made from a Blank, and hand checkered, Shilen Barrel, and the whole 9 yards.

It got a leetle damp, but not wet, since I didn't hunt in the rain. It now has some minor, and Honorable scratches and dings.

Now, with a 783 I could,,,, "ignore the rain"??? Drag it through the buckbrush??? What if the trigger got bent or something?

If they are rugged enough, sounds like a nice rifle to pack around for fending off bears. (With 200 grain 30-06 loads.)

I too, would like to hear from folks who have carried them, and/or hunted with'em, and perhaps learn how well they hold up.

Smitty of the North

[theultrarider]

I dont have the Remington so I cant speak for it. But do have a Ruger. Im embarrassed actually to tell anyone how I treat that poor gun. My Dad would tan my hide! But like has been said. With all the rain mud dust and dirt, banging around in wheelers, and then the boat and saltwater, a "pretty gun" just doesnt make sense to me here for a hunting gun. My Ruger has held up wonderful to my years of use abuse and neglect. I have many times used the butt of the gun for scraping willows and even spruce trees when I've forgotten to bring a Scapula! Then sit down at a bench and the thing still shoots 1" groups at 100 yards. Hard to beat that. I broke down this summer and bought me a new toy. A
Ruger American in a .17hmr. What a tack driver! Then again I spent double on a scope for it than what I paid for the gun. I mounted a Vortex 6x24 50mm scope on it. Forget exactly which model it is. But shooting it at 70 yards just laying across the rack of my wheeler its all keyhole shots. Crazy accurate. Nothing like head shooting birds at 100yards. Fox should be alot of fun as well this winter.

I clean my stuff up good when I get home. But dont cry about them in the field regardless of conditions. And they have never failed me yet.

[elmerkeithclone]

I dont have the Remington so I cant speak for it. But do have a Ruger. Im embarrassed actually to tell anyone how I treat that poor gun. My Dad would tan my hide! But like has been said. With all the rain mud dust and dirt, banging around in wheelers, and then the boat and saltwater, a "pretty gun" just doesnt make sense to me here for a hunting gun. My Ruger has held up wonderful to my years of use abuse and neglect. I have many times used the butt of the gun for scraping willows and even spruce trees when I've forgotten to bring a Scapula! Then sit down at a bench and the thing still shoots 1" groups at 100 yards. Hard to beat that. I broke down this summer and bought me a new toy. A
Ruger American in a .17hmr. What a tack driver! Then again I spent double on a scope for it than what I paid for the gun. I mounted a Vortex 6x24 50mm scope on it. Forget exactly which model it is. But shooting it at 70 yards just laying across the rack of my wheeler its all keyhole shots. Crazy accurate. Nothing like head shooting birds at 100yards. Fox should be alot of fun as well this winter.

I clean my stuff up good when I get home. But dont cry about them in the field regardless of conditions. And they have never failed me yet.

+1 on the Ruger American in 17HMR. I have been shooting heck out of mine all summer. It's a very fun wood chuck gun. On a calm day when heart beats aren't bouncing the cross hairs I have shot 3 shot 1/2 inch groups at 75 yards. I'm taking it squirrel hunting tomorrow.

[sayak]

No, you really can't gun smith these rifles, although I did put some irons on my Ruger and polished up the bolt to slide smoother. I found that the steel on the barrel rusts easily, so I painted it, and it is holding up quite well with all the beating I give it. As I mentioned, it is dead-on accurate and I don't give it much thought, I just use it... maybe even abuse it a bit.

[elmerkeithclone]

Well, "utilitarian" certainly has practical value. Especially up here in the soggy, rainy, swamps.

But I do wonder just how "utilitarian" or RUGGED the Remington 783s or the Ruger Americans are.

Both of these rifles, I would describe as "No Gunsmithing" rifles. (Not the kind one would be changing, with after market items.)

This year I hunted with my BEAUTIFUL, Custom Sporterized Mauser with a Wood Stock hand made from a Blank, and hand checkered, Shilen Barrel, and the whole 9 yards.

It got a leetle damp, but not wet, since I didn't hunt in the rain. It now has some minor, and Honorable scratches and dings.

Now, with a 783 I could,,,, "ignore the rain"??? Drag it through the buckbrush??? What if the trigger got bent or something?

If they are rugged enough, sounds like a nice rifle to pack around for fending off bears. (With 200 grain 30-06 loads.)

I too, would like to hear from folks who have carried them, and/or hunted with'em, and perhaps learn how well they hold up.

Smitty of the North

Yup Smitty, time will tell how tough they really are.

I have to admit that when afield I don't always take the best care of my stuff. I have hunted with some very pretty stocked rifles and always find myself over concerned about scratching the finish. I do way better when hunting with a turd gun. I'm a better hunter and enjoy my hunt more if I don't half to fuss over the gun.

[Smitty of the North]

I dont have the Remington so I cant speak for it. But do have a Ruger. Im embarrassed actually to tell anyone how I treat that poor gun. My Dad would tan my hide! But like has been said. With all the rain mud dust and dirt, banging around in wheelers, and then the boat and saltwater, a "pretty gun" just doesnt make sense to me here for a hunting gun. My Ruger has held up wonderful to my years of use abuse and neglect. I have many times used the butt of the gun for scraping willows and even spruce trees when I've forgotten to bring a Scapula! Then sit down at a bench and the thing still shoots 1" groups at 100 yards. Hard to beat that. I broke down this summer and bought me a new toy. A
Ruger American in a .17hmr. What a tack driver! Then again I spent double on a scope for it than what I paid for the gun. I mounted a Vortex 6x24 50mm scope on it. Forget exactly which model it is. But shooting it at 70 yards just laying across the rack of my wheeler its all keyhole shots. Crazy accurate. Nothing like head shooting birds at 100yards. Fox should be alot of fun as well this winter.

I clean my stuff up good when I get home. But dont cry about them in the field regardless of conditions. And they have never failed me yet.

Thanks for the report. that sounds about as good as it gets.

I have ONE SS Syn rifle, and it's rugged, but it's not a Light Weight rifle.

When the Ruger American came out, and was discussed on this forum, some folks disliked it right off the bat, but I knew or thought I knew it would be popular, and I said so. From what I see, I was right about it. Shucky Gee, now Remington is in competition with a similar design.

Smitty of the North

[Smitty of the North]

No, you really can't gun smith these rifles, although I did put some irons on my Ruger and polished up the bolt to slide smoother. I found that the steel on the barrel rusts easily, so I painted it, and it is holding up quite well with all the beating I give it. As I mentioned, it is dead-on accurate and I don't give it much thought, I just use it... maybe even abuse it a bit.

I vaguely remember you mentioning that. What kinda iron sights did you put on, or have put on?

Iron Sights would be great on sich a riffle, IMO.

Smitty of the North