School Me: Remington 700 SPS Tactical .223 16.5"

IUHoosier429

IUHoosier429

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Full disclosure - I am not a modern bolt gun guy at all. That said, I have the opportunity to pick one of these up locally and it's kind of speaking to me.

Anyone here with experience on these SPS Tactical guns in any caliber? Are they good/bad/meh? Anything to look out for? They seem pretty easy to customize with tons of aftermarket support. Is it worth spending a bit more on these than other entry-level .223 bolt offerings from Savage, Mossberg, etc.?

Thanks for any feedback!
 
They usually shoot decent. The matte black finish will rust very quickly if left unoiled. May have cosmetic blems. Chamber will probably have a leade so long you can't reach the lands. May not feed great. Check the twist and be sure it's right for the bullets you want to shoot. The aftermarket is all that makes them worth more than any other, and only if you value changing things. Make sure the scope mount holes aren't off center or otherwise defective I recall that being a common flaw.
 
Beef15 said:
They usually shoot decent. The matte black finish will rust very quickly if left unoiled. May have cosmetic blems. Chamber will probably have a leade so long you can't reach the lands. May not feed great. Check the twist and be sure it's right for the bullets you want to shoot. The aftermarket is all that makes them worth more than any other, and only if you value changing things. Make sure the scope mount holes aren't off center or otherwise defective I recall that being a common flaw.
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Tell us how you really feel. 😂

I think it depends on the price point, or which Savage, Ruger, etc models we’re comparing to. If you’re comparing to the sub-$400 rifles, the SPS is probably a good way to go. If you’re talking $500-700, I’d take a Savage all day. I haven’t owned/handled a Ruger or Mossberg bolt gun so can’t really speak to them.
 
Is there a reason you are looking at a 16.5: barrel?
 
I have had 3 of them. most were 1.5-2 moa guns on a good day with handloads. They rust easily. There is zero reason to buy one over a bergara or tikka or savage or ruger. I would take a hard pass unless it was $250 or less. The days of those being good rifles are now far behind us with remington's awful build quality and finishes. Did I mention there are much better options out there for the $$?
 
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Watch the twist rate of the barrel … if you looking for longer distances with heavier projectiles. I seem to remember the SPS was a 1:9 twist. Like @JBoyette said 55 to 69 grainers is about the best diet … anything heavier tends to like a faster twist.
 
Ive had a 20" SPS for years. Used to shoot lights out. That is the problem with Remington 700 bbls. They are not meant to be shot as much as I shoot a gun. I probably have a dozen 700's in 223 and 308. The bbls wear out in short order if you shoot them a lot. All mine have been rebarrelled except for my 5R and PSS. They are only a few years old. I was shooting my 20" in UBR matches in Factory Stock class. I shot a perfect 66 on the last target in a match but the previous 3 targets were like a shotgun. It just quit shooting. I did not keep a bbl log on this gun. THe bbl steel is just too soft.
 
MadMardigan said:
Remington is a bit hit and miss these days. I’d suggest a Ruger American and upgrade the stock.
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Shot a LR match back in Feb. against a father/son team who were shooting Ruger American's. They shot so much better with those cheap rifles than I shot with my JP rifle that cost many times more. Further evidence that no matter how much one pays it will not make up for lack of skill 😂 The Ruger American's are a stupid good bang for the buck and remington should be hanging their heads in shame with their poor quality rifles of the last 10 or so years!
 
Thanks, everyone. Very helpful info and insights in this thread.

REELDOC said:
Is there a reason you are looking at a 16.5: barrel?
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It's what's available from a guy here locally. I don't hunt, don't reload, and don't shoot competitively, so the shorter barrel is actually kind of appealing to me. I wouldn't stretch this much farther than 300 yards most of the time anyway.

I'm gonna pass unless the guy comes down quite a bit in price. From what he's asking and what y'all are telling me, it's just not worth it right now. Thanks again.
 
Jmoser said:
My SPS .308 is 2010 vintage, incredibly accurate with Amax hand loads. I did upgrade the stock but it shot well out of the box. Can’t speak to current production tho.
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My 20" 308 still sports it's factory bbl and with 168 AMAX handloads it's a tac driver. I put a B&C carbine stock on it as soon as I bought it. Those stocks are no longer made.
 
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