GUN TESTS GRADE: A

$798

According to the Remington website, the Model 700 was introduced in 1962. By our count from that same website, the Model 700 has been factory produced in 49 different calibers and 81 different models. One would think that Remington believes they have a winner on their hands with the Model 7 CDL, and they would be right. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and this group of testers think that hunting rifles should look like hunting rifles. While they can indeed be gorgeous, we are not into high-gloss stocks and metal finishes you can see to shave with on a rifle we are going to beat around with in the woods. Our Model 7, basically a compact version of the Remington Model 700, in the CDL variant epitomizes that look. This rifle has a matte-blue finish on the barrel, action, and bottom metal. The stock is a nicely grained, dark walnut with an ebony forend and an oil-rubbed look to the finish. The stock shows well-executed checkering on the grip, and more checkering wraps the forend. There are two sling-swivel studs and an inch-thick-plus Remington SuperCell recoil pad that noticeably reduces felt recoil. Wood-to-metal finish is very good. The stock is in firm contact with the barrel for its entire length. The inside of the barrel channel is even dished out a bit right in front of the recoil lug, where it looks almost like it is bedded to the action.

The carbon-steel barrel is 20 inches long with a 1:10 twist. It has a slender profile that narrows to approximately 0.56 inch at the muzzle. The bolt head on a Remington Model 700/7 completely encloses the head of the cartridge, which is then surrounded by the barrel which, in turn, is wrapped by the action. Three rings of steel, as Remington calls it. The bolt head has a small claw extractor mounted inside as well as a plunger type ejector.

The push-feed bolt moved smoothly when we worked it at the bench but wanted to bind a little when we worked it from the shoulder. The safety is a two-position rocker switch on the right side of the receiver. The bolt release is a small tab just behind the front edge of the trigger guard that releases the bolt when pushed toward the action. This rifle brings a four-round internal-box magazine. The bottom metal is really metal. The magazine floorplate is easily released, but not too easily.

We have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the X-Mark Pro trigger, and we are not really sure why. We really liked the old Remington 700 trigger but, given current propensity to litigation, we understand the change. We are not sure if it is the width of the trigger, how smooth it is, how rounded it is, or what. We just always felt like our finger was trying to slide off the trigger. Not to fret. Timney Triggers (TimneyTriggers.com) makes a marvelous aftermarket trigger for a Remington, and they are very easy to replace. We do acknowledge that the X-Mark Pro is a very usable trigger with the second-lightest pull measured in our tests. And it can be adjusted lighter. We, however, freely admit we are trigger snobs. Our only gripe is about feel, not function.

Our Team Said: The Model 7 shot very, very well. It won our accuracy contest for this batch of rifles, shooting several sub-half-inch groups. We shot it, we worked with it, we thought about it and we debated about it. While this is not our top overall pick, it came really close.

Written and photographed by Joe Woolley, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.

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