Fact checked by Steven Lines, lifelong Hunter, and Outdoorsman
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Precision shooting, whether for hunting, competition, or simple practice, requires a high-quality firearm. For this reason, many shooters opt for a Remington 700 rifle for all of their accuracy needs. But just how accurate is a Remington 700?
Out of the box, most Remington 700 rifles are capable of producing 1 MOA of accuracy or less. This of course has many factors, such as the skill of the shooter, outside conditions, and ammunition.
For those who have some of the basics of shooting down, a Remington 700 rifle can be very accurate right out of the box, straight from the factory. There are a few things that you can do in order to ensure that you achieve this type of accuracy, and ensure that you are keeping your Remington 700 rifle as accurate as possible, but overall, there is a reason that many refer to this gun as the most accurate factory-made rifle in the world.
How to Measure a Rifle’s Accuracy
When most people refer to a rifle’s accuracy, they are really wanting to know how consistent it is shooting. An accurate rifle will be able to shoot a group of shots very close together and be as consistent as possible at doing this. A less accurate rifle will have larger spaces between its shots, and its shot groups will not be as tight or as consistent.
This is often referred to as MOA, or minute of angle. This correlates to the minute hand of a clock with a 360-degree face. Each “minute” refers to 1/60 of this clock and can be used to determine the accuracy and where to aim when shooting out to longer distances. It is often used to help determine how accurate a given rifle is, depending on its MOA at various ranges.
MOA in Accuracy
Consider that one MOA is equal to one inch at 100 yards. This is considered a great benchmark for an accurate rifle. As you increase the shooting distance, so too will the MOA increase. For example, a gun that is shooting 1 MOA at 100 yards should, in theory, be 3 inches MOA at 300 yards, 5 at 500 yards, etc. While MOA is more important for actually understanding where to aim due to bullet drop at longer distances, it is also used to give shooters a quick reference to how accurate a rifle is.
In fact, many companies will now advertise their rifle’s MOA on the box of the gun or other advertisements. For a Remington 700 rifle, regardless of the actual model, you can expect to achieve this 1 MOA at 100 yards. Many times, they may even be less which is a good thing. If it is more, many times the company will either fix or replace the rifle free of charge.
This translates to being able to shoot a one-inch group at 100 yards, meaning all three or four of your bullet holes in your target are within one inch of each other. Again, the closer and more consistent your shots are, the more accurate the rifle is.
Shooter Skill and Other Factors
While it is easy to determine what a gun should do, it is not always easy to get it to perform the way you want due to a shooter’s skill or other outside factors. Many things go into getting a gun to perform as best as possible, and the way you shoot it can heavily influence just how accurate a rifle can be.
For example, even the most accurate gun in the world will miss its target if the shooter is using improper shooting techniques or rushing their shot. Because of this, it is important to learn how to properly shoot before determining just how accurate a rifle truly is. Things such as controlling your breathing, a relaxed grip, and proper scope adjustments will make a night and day difference in your accuracy.
One of the most important skills you can utilize for accurate shooting, however, is proper trigger control. Many shooters fall into the trap of quickly pulling the trigger, which can cause them to pull the gun off target. In order to avoid this, you should attempt to pull the trigger as slowly and consistently as possible. Avoid the temptation to quickly jerk or pull back, and allow the gun to go off as a surprise to you. A light trigger pull with consistent pressure will produce the most accurate shots.
Is the Remington 700 a Sniper Rifle?
The Remington 700 is easily one of the most accurate shooting platforms in the world, and for this reason, many police and military snipers will use it for their work. There are many different models of the Remington 700 to choose from, all with special characteristics or aspects that make it suited for one job over another. And thanks to its basic and well-designed base, many specialty shooters, hunters, and snipers will use a Remington 700 to build a brand new sniper rifle.
From replacing the barrel to adding new bolts, an already accurate, straight from the factory Remington 700 rifle can be made to be even better. Shooters from all over the world will modify and add to this platform to increase its accuracy and get the best possible shots with it. Thanks to its quality and ease of use, it is no wonder so many people choose this gun as a base to start with when building a new sniper rifle.
Final Thoughts
If you are searching for a highly accurate rifle straight out of the factory’s box, you will need to look no further than the Remington 700. Whether you intend to shoot it like this or modify it to make it your own, you will be amazed at just how accurate a Remington 700 rifle is!
Steven Lines is a hunter and outdoorsman from Safford, Arizona, USA. Since he was a child, he has been hunting and fishing and has over 20 years of outdoor experience. Steven works as a hunting guide in Arizona during his spare time and runs a Youtube channel dedicated to sharing his outdoor adventures with others.
Sources
- www.huntingmark.com
- https://freerangeamerican.us/rifle-accuracy-things-to-check/
- https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/how-accurate-is-my-hunting-rifle-3-or-5-shot-groups/