Remington 700 SPS Tactical, 7.62x51mm NATO

As mentioned in my drag bag post, my Remington M700 was my first precision weapon system. In the Marine Corps, you get the opportunity to push the limits of marksmanship fundamentals with the iron sights of a service rifle or carbine. Shooting an iron sight M16 or even M4 out to 500 yards during standard qualifications has always been a point of pride amongst Marines. However, I wanted to put together an M700 to get into precision and long-range shooting.

I read reviews high and low about which M700 model to purchase. There are so many different trims, build levels, barrels, actions, stocks, and calibers to choose from in Remington's M700 line-up. At the time, and still today, the SPS Tactical was considered the best bang for your buck out of an M700. It features an adjustable trigger, heavy profile 20" barrel, and was  1 MOA-capable or better out of the box. I was on a tight budget at the time I purchased this rifle, and I still believe that it was an excellent value.

I decided to go with a chambering of .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO due to it's commonality, service record, and wide availability of load data. There are many rifle cartridges that excel at long range precision, such as .338 Lapua, .260 Remington, .300 Win Mag, etc. For the most part these cartridges are exclusive to bolt action rifles, and it was important to me to select a cartridge that was compatible with semi-automatic platforms as well. If .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO works well enough for Marine Corps Scout Snipers, its capabilities far surpass my own shooting abilities.

Here is my M700 SPS tactical as it stood when I first acquired it on a budget.

Remington M700 SPS Tactical, .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO
Bell & Carlson Tactical A2 Stock
Millett TRS-1 4-16x50mm, with Illuminated Mil-Dot Reticle
Warne Precision 20-MOA Picatinny Scope Base
Burris XTreme Tactical 30mm Scope Rings, Medium
Harris BRM-S Bipod, 6"-9" Notched Legs, Swivel
KMW Pod-Loc

Initial impressions out of the box, is that the rifle lives up to Remington quality expectations. The action was tight, but smooth. The finish was attractive and even, but does not resist the forming of rust on high-use areas (such as the bolt knob). When I used the rifle for dry-firing, I would need to rub some oil into the bolt knob before storage. Otherwise the knob would become thoroughly rust colored.

I've personally shot this rifle in excess of 800 yards according to my Mil-Dot Master. It took quite a bit of shooting and scope adjustments, but consistent hits were achievable once the rifle was doped in even with standard Federal ball ammunition. Match grade ammunition would obviously lend itself to more consistent performance.

I sold this rifle to a Border Patrol Agent who was preparing himself for Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) sniper qualifications. While this rifle suited my needs at the time, I quickly learned its limitations. With a capacity of four rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, five rounds always seemed to go quickly. Loading each round individually always felt slow and cumbersome, especially under stress. I ultimately transitioned to the Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) Modular Weapon System (MWS), an SR25 pattern rifle in .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO, but more on that later!