Remington 700 as a safari rifle anyone?

[WoodencrossIII]

Hey just curious of stories of guys who have successfully used Remington 700s chambered in safari cartridges and the success or lack there of.
I recently purchased a Remington 700 in 416 rem mag and I’m excited to shoot it.
Thanks gentlemen.

 

[USMA84DAB]

You might want to look up Kevin Robertson's experience with that rifle and chambering while elephant hunting in the Zambezi valley.

 

[sureshot375]

I can’t really speak for that caliber, but I have a custom shop 700 in 375 that has killed an absurd amount of dangerous game being used over the years by many friends and family.

@Hunter-Habib has the same rifle and has used it to great effect. I believe he has modified the extractor on his to an m-16 style extractor.

 

[WoodencrossIII]

A quick search on the Kevin Robertson story I can’t seem to find anything.

 

[Philip Glass]

I sadly gave up on Remington years ago. My beloved .30-06 gave me trouble before a safari, went to the smith, then something else broke right before we left. I am sure we have a few on here who hunt with them.

 

[Mountaineer]

I bought one and changed the extractor to a Sako style. I have not had a seconds trouble with it. It’s made a few trips to Africa now. Shoots well also.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I can’t really speak for that caliber, but I have a custom shop 700 in 375 that has killed an absurd amount of dangerous game being used over the years by many friends and family.

@Hunter-Habib has the same rifle and has used it to great effect. I believe he has modified the extractor on his to an m-16 style extractor.

@sureshot375 is 100% correct. Here’s mine. It was a gift from my son-in-law and has been exclusively serving as my dangerous game rifle of choice for quite a while now. I have absolutely zero reasons to complain about it.

I had McBride’s Gun Works in Texas install an M-16 extractor to it, because I don’t trust the factory Remington Model 700 extractor (esp. in large bore high pressure chamberings such as the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum or the .416 Remington Magnum when being employed in humid dusty conditions such as the Zambezi Valley or the Kalahari). Far too flimsy, in my experience. I once had a Remington Model 700’s extractor break during a Cape buffalo hunt in 1979. It was not a pleasant experience.

 

[BJH65]

I have a stainless Remington Custom Shop North American Model 700 375 RUM. While I’ve not taken it to Africa, I’ve put about 200 rounds through it with zero issues and taken elk, bison and wild boar. It’s one of my more accurate rifles, well under one inch groups at 100 yds.

There are stories of the Remington 700 extractors breaking on the larger calibers like 416 Rem Mag and 458 Win Mag. You can research and form your own conclusions. Many, like distinguished AH member Hunter Habib like installing an M16 style extractor for increased reliability. If you choose to do so, I recommend LRI, they are experts at this.

LRI AR-15/M-16 Extractor for Remington M700 style bolts

Machined entirely in house the LRI version of the Magnum AR15/M16 extractor offers a more reliable alternative to the OEM Remington type. Our extractors begin as bars of 4140 Chromoly and are in a parkerized finish. Springs are made from a slightly heavier wire gauge to increase shell pressure...

www.longriflesinc.com

 

[revturbo9967]

A quick search on the Kevin Robertson story I can’t seem to find anything.

He had a learner PH rip the extractor off trying to reload their rifle on a wounded elephant. Although these situations are rare, the .416 rem is hot. There is a reason Remington stopped producing rifles in their own caliber.

 

[revturbo9967]

I’d also say that rifle is probably ridiculously too light and is going to be a brute to shoot. Most PHs will not have an issue with a push feed rifle for the client as long as you are well versed in shooting it. If you can get acclimated to the recoil that thing will produce, and shoot it well, it will probably do fine in Africa.

 

[GuttormG]

I have had a m98 rip the case rim off a case, ergo the m98 is useless..


(Actually, the only rifles i have had issues with extraction with is m98s).

 

[WoodencrossIII]

This is all interesting info, thank you for the replies. I’m still excited for the rifle and glad to get it. I’ve been waiting for the chance to get a 416 and it came about.

 

[Safari1]

Shot my elephant with a 700 .458

Lots of plains game with 700 ADL in 7mm REM Mag

 

[Aaron N]

Isn’t Larry Potterfields near perfect safari rifle a 700?

 

[WoodencrossIII]

It is but he has modified it significantly, but it’s still a 700

 

[Graham Hunter]

I have used a 6mm,7mmag,300 H&H, 375 H&H and 416 Rem with the Sako extractor. No issues at all. These are all older models before Remington went to shit.

 

[buffybr]

I took two different Rem 700s in 7mm RM on two African hunts and my Rem 700 in .375 RUM on two African hunts, including my Zimbabwe buffalo hunt, all without any issues.

 

[Surgeon1]

The only Remington 700 actions I own are varmint calibers and long-range calibers, including clones and I have several. Clones (many very good) is about your only option for a varmint or long-range rifle or an older 700 that has been "blueprinted". For plains game in Africa where the risk of a dangerous game encounter would be low, they likely would be fine! I use Model 70 CF or Dakota 76's with great success. Good Mauser actions including some old military 98s can be made into great rifles. The
CZ 550 and the South African Vektor actions are excellent to build a true African Dangerous/Big game rifle on. And, IMHO the Rolls Royce of big CF actions for a true magnum Dangerous Game rifle is the Granite Mountain action!
The 700 and its clones are not and never will be Dangerous Game actions/rifles to trust your life on!

That being said I personally hunt DG with a double rifle and a Custom Model 70 or Dakota as backup.
However, this year in Uganda I took a rifle for plains game that was one of several my late brother and I built as "ultralight mountain rifles" in the 80s. After his death in 2007 I retired this old battle hardened 300 Wby that is an aggressively lightened mag length Remington 700. with an early Kevlar Brown Precision stock and a laser bored break (designed and made by my Aeronautical engineer brother). Originally sporting a Leupold 2.5-8 in control rings at 6.5# now having a Leica 2.5-15x50 at 7.0#. This rifle has been in and out of a horse scabbard at least 1000x and taken 1-5 elk annually, Ibex, Aoudad, Caribou, Moose, Brown & black bear, Moral Stag in Mongolia, 2 other Stag species, 4 sheep species and many others in its 21ys prior to retirement.
Out of retirement it was off to Uganda in March. Using my beloved Swift A-frames (200gr) at a very mild 2825fps I was able to take 9 plains species (8 were one shot kills).
Of all the guns I've owned it is one of my most prized.

 

[IvW]

My first dg rifle was a Rem 700 classic in 375 H&H.......biggest piece of shit I ever bought. I got rid of it as fast as I could, switched to Brno ZKK 602 actioned rifles and never looked back....

 

[roklok]

I have a 700 custom shop stainless KS mountain rifle in .375 H&H. I havent taken it to Africa, but have used it in Alaska and took a nice Kodiak bear with it. It has been 100% reliable. The older 700s are good rifles with the possible exception of extractor issues though I have not experienced this. Putting a M16 extractor in is good insurance.