Remington 783 Rifle Review

By Bob Shell

Remington 783 Rifle Review
Remington Model 783 Rifle
AmmoLand Gun News
AmmoLand Gun News

Apache Junction, AZ –-(Ammoland.com)- While it goes back quite a way, low price good shooting rifles have really come into their own in the last few years.

Most of the larger companies have economical rifle offerings to complement their high price gun line.

I have tested and reviewed quite a few over time, and except for minor complaints, they perform very well. Frequently they are as accurate and reliable as the more expensive rifles.

The main differences are in the cosmetics and methods of manufacture. A high price gun has a nice looking wood stock and has a better looking blue job, neither which makes the gun shoot better.

Remington has been selling plain Jane rifles for many years. They came out with the 721 and 722 years ago and they performed well above their price line. I have owned and shot quite a few of them in calibers from 222 to 300 H & H mag and never had any problems.

They are strong, safe, reliable, and accurate what else can you ask for?

Later on the 788 made its appearance which is another low price and high performing rifle. Throughout the years, Remington has brought out other plain rifles to supplement their fine model 700 line. For info on their extensive line of products you can go to www.remington.com

A new one is the Remington 783. I received one in 30-06 which in my mind is the best all around hunting caliber. This gun is one of the plainest looking models I have ever seen though it has clean lines. The only thing in the box except the rifle is the ever present safety lock and the owner’s manual. I do wish they would include a scope mount, which would add very little to the cost of the rifle. I did get some Weaver two piece mounts and rings as I want to keep away from high dollar accessories to see what an average hunter on a budget can expect. And what a buyer should expect from this rifle is good accuracy, absolute reliability, and ease of use. And this rifle measures up to those requirements. A game animal doesn’t care about what the rifle looks like. The safety manual is pretty detailed and should be read by anyone buying this rifle. I left the trigger at the factory setting as it was just fine, not being too heavy. I don’t like a trigger under 3 LBS. on a full power hunting rifle.

Bob Shell review and testing out the Remington 783 Rifle
Bob Shell testing out the Remington Model 783 Rifle

I obtained a Hawke HK 3032 4 X 12 scope to mount on the 783. It is a moderately priced scope but has a lot of features that hunters should like. Among them are a green and red lit reticle and various other useful adjustments. The reticles are adjustable for brightness in both red and green a feature useful in less than ideal hunting conditions. I have used Hawke scopes in the past always with good results. Shooting with the Hawke scope proved to be a pleasant experience and I always look forward to testing their products. I shot it at various ranges and power settings at our local shooting range and the optics are very clear. That of course makes it easier to shoot groups at the tested ranges. A definite thumbs up on the scope well worth purchasing.

They have a great lineup of optics well worth looking into for more info you can go to www.hawkeoptics.com .

Various types of ammo will be used in this review. It seems that most info put out these days is focused on high tec bullets. Make no mistake, they work and work well. However, for those on a budget the old standby cup and core bullets work in most situations. They have brought home the bacon for generations and will continue to do so.

Winchester 30-06 180gr Ammunition
Winchester 30-06 180gr Ammunition

If I was going on a hunt for a real large animal such as a moose or large bear I would go with one of the high tec slugs. For deer and similar I would not feel bad taking a cup and core bullet. A good friend of mine uses a Remington 180 grain Core Loc in the 30-06 and always has good results. The animals in question are deer and elk. I have both factory and handloads in this review to let the reader know what is available. Some of the factory fodder is Barnes www.barnesbullets.com Double Tap www.doubletapammo.com and Hornady www.hornady.com .

30-06 Ammo
30-06 Ammo

All of these brands of ammo work well and are well worth buying and using. One advantage to owning a 30-06 is the endless choice of ammo bullet weights and styles. You could spend a year finding and testing the verities of factory and handloads. Then you would have to start over because of all of the new stuff introduced. I shot a variety of ammo at our public range with most loads doing well. This gun seems to like the 150 grainers a little better than the 165’s and 180’s though they all shot well enough.

The Hornady interlock 150 grain loads were the most accurate though some of the others were close. There is a price difference of $10 or so between the Interlock and the fancier bullets. With this setup I can expect 3 shot groups at 100 yards of an inch which is good performance from a hunting rifle. The crosshairs on the Hawke scope made shooting at all ranges easier. Once gun was sighted in hitting the 300 yard gong wasn’t a big challenge again thanks to the Hawke.

Like all rifles it has, it’s preferences on ammo.

LOAD                                          BULLET                                     VELOCITY                                     COMMENT
65 X Super Performance   150 grain Rem soft point           2911                                         consistent
51 X WC 744                      150 grain Rem soft point             2710                                          Garand load
Double Tap                        150 grain Barnes TTSX                 3072                                           fast
Hornady                             150 grain Inter Lock                     2836                                           deer
Hornady                            150 grain SST                                  2793                                           ok
60 X Super P                    165 grain AP                                   2865                                       high es
12 X Herco                       165 grain cast                               1440                                         nice
60 X Super P                   168 grain Barnes                            2838                                        very consistent
Barnes                               168 grain TSX BT                           2741                                          consistent
Hornady                            180 grain SST                                2764                                          good load
Winchester                     180 grain Power Point                   2715                                   very consistent

Hornday American Whitetail 30-06 Ammo
Hornday American Whitetail 30-06 Ammo
Barnes Vor-Tx 30-06 Ammuntion
Barnes Vor-Tx 30-06 Ammuntion

The market has a few good low price hunting rifles and if you are shopping for one, I would suggest
that you give this one a good look. I give both the rifle and scope a two thumbs up.

Bob Shell
Bob Shell

Key Features:

  • New Crossfire trigger system, factory set at 3 1/2 lbs. and user adjustable from 2 1/2 to 5 lbs.
  • Carbon steel magnum contour button rifled barrel
  • 22″ standard chamberings and 24″ on magnums
  • Pillar-bedded stock and free-floated barrel
  • SuperCell Recoil Pad
  • Model 783 accepts two Model 700 front bases
  • Available in 270,308, 30-06 and 7 mm Rem mag.
  • MSRP starts at $439.00

About Bob Shell
A Custom Reloader of Obsolete and Antique Ammo, Bob Shell, writes about the subject of Guns, Ammo, Shooting and Related Subjects. Visit: www.bobshellsblog.blogspot.com

56 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jon

I have a 783 7mm rem mag I love it tight groups and consistent never had a problem

Mallory burnett

What grain of bullet is good for

accuracy

Jay

What grain loads are you shooting in your 7mm

Goatboy4570

”REM 783 feeding issues” Mine in 270 had a problem with the cartridges on the left side of the mag sticking, so the first and 3rd rounds cock and jam, in partiular the first one. Now if you notice, the mag is stamped sheet metal, thats fine except the top edges are left square (and sharp) in the stamping process and work to grab the brass, this causes the cartridge to not ride out across the bolt face properly. This edge on the cartridge side of the tin needs to be filed round and sanded smooth. Once filed round the… Read more »

Jacob Wagner

Just bought the 783 in 30-06 yesterday. Gander Mountain is going out of business so i purchased the rifle with scope combo for $209 before tax. Looked online and saw Remington had a $40 rebate so sent that out today. Haven’t shot it but i sure do like the $169 price tag!!!

Kirk

Just wondering if you purchased the rifle online or in a store and if so, which store? Has the closing occurred, or are they still in business? That’s an awesome price.

Joshua Bulluss

I love my 783 in .270! I have never heard of any issues from anyone about the 783 not feeding correctly. Over all I prefer it over the 770 do to that was a horrible make.

ILMSteve

I have a new 783 in .270 and just got back from sighting it in at the range. No problem with loading ammo into the clip. Clip seated tight. No problems with loading a round. Bolt was smooth. No problem with ejections.

The stock felt good and allowed me to line up the scope comfortably. Recoil was less than I expected. The Super-cell butt absorbs really well.

I shot 130 grain.

I like it. For what I paid, I think I have a real good rifle.

Rich

If you don’t mind me asking, what size of person are you, and how old are you? I have 30-06 and 300 H and H hammering my shoulder. I am thinking on buying the 783 in a 270 caliber and shooting 130 grain bullets through it or shooting the minimal recoil ammunition advertised by manufacturers to see if this helps for me now that I am getting older.

Trey

Well the .270 will cut down to begin with and the butt on this rifle is nice….My 76 year old grandfather still shoots a rem 270. BTW I’d be interested in the 300 h&h

MIKE O'QUINN

BOUGHT THE 783 REMINGTON AT ACADEMY SPORTS FOR $260 AFTER REBATE, VERY ACCURATE USING HORNADY SUPERFORMANCE AMMO. NO FEEDING PROBLEMS.

eyebolts

I won a Remington 783 in 30-06 at a friends of the NRA banquet. I thought free gun AWESOME! Threw a Crossfire II 6-18×44 AO scope BDC reticle on it with some Leupold Dovetails and bases. Love the rifle. Shooting Rem Core Lokt 180 grains. Added a TipTop bipod and a budget sling. Still breaking it in, on my 15th round. I live out in Wyoming so figuring out the whole windage issue and zeroing. Fun to do. I’m having a great time figuring it out. Nice little rifle.

Jack Williams

I just bought a 783 in 270 this thing has so many problems I don’t know where to start. Called Remington yesterday u p s picked it up today the sent it to one of there repair shops. If this thing comes back fixed it will be unreal i will let you know when I get this piece of junk back.

Trey

I’m sorry for your luck. What kind of problems were you having? I love mine. It performs flawlessly. But am very interested in your issues. It will be the first Ive heard of them.

Lester Taulbee

I have the 783 in .308. I have had absolutely no issues at all with it. Great price. Mine came with a non branded 3-9×40 scope included for about $318.00 I am impressed with the rifle. Its all I could ask for in a budget shooter. I am also going to buy the same rifle (783) in a 30-06. I couldn’t be happier with it. If it shoots and gets the job done, does it really matter that Remington cut costs but using a cheaper stock? Where do you think your savings are coming from? Great budget shooter in my… Read more »

Marty

Trying to decide whether to buy a 783. Based on the comments above re: magazine and “soft Strike” problems I am wondering if Remington has fixed these issues or if they are just random instances of these problems.Not interested in a “Lemon” . does anyone have an update?

art dunlap

I am going to buy the 783 Remington tomorrow based on your fixes for the clip and for the magazine and for the firing pin. Thank you so much for your suggestions I hope it all works out well for me I look forward to testing it and I will leave a comment for you once again thank you and Merry Christmas or happy Hannukah whichever applies

Eric

FEEDING PROBLEM SOLVED
Look down into your empty magazine box. If the front part where the actual bullet will lay, is down and not parallel to the back, simply push the clip all the way down a couple of times until the spring gets un stuck and shoots up to the top. Oil it and your feeding problem is solved.

Zachariah

I am having the same issues that Greg Young is saying he is having. I have the 783 in .308 and after about 40 rounds I started having the rifle fail to fire. At first I thought it was my ammo. I went home took the rifle apart and cleaned it up and then got a couple different ammunitions. Got to the range and fired about 40 rounds again and then started having it fail again. I started loading it down with lubricant into the bolt area and working it and that seemed to help but was starting to fail… Read more »

greg young

I bought a rem 783 in the 30-06 feb 2014 right out of the box I could put 4 rounds down range then there was an issue of all you heard was click so I would wait about 30 to 45 second then eject the round then place another in there to fire and the same thing would happen. then the third would fire no issues and so on then I hit the 8th round and again the same thing. I called Remington about the issue they called it a soft strike . and said send the gun in and… Read more »

Kyle

Bought 783 in 308 from local gun store at a cheap price on sale. Academy had a $289 special plus a 22 Marlin. Of coure they only had 15 the first day. Bad business. I waited 5 days and there it was. I have gone to the range and have shot over 25 rounds with no problem. I hope my luck holds because if it fails I will have to try and shoot a hog with a 9 mm Glock. Bet I would miss that shot but I have a couple 31 round mags if he would just stand still.

Jeff wallace

I have two remington 783s and they are great for us guys on a budget one is in 30-06 sprg and 308 win plan on getting the king 300 win mag soon these rifles are under rated

Rod

My girlfriend bought me the Remington model 783 in .270 caliber for a very early Christmas gift. I put a Vortex scope on it and went deer hunting in South Texas. The rifle worked well for me. I had no problems with the magazine. I was able to shoot 2 whitetail deer and was very pleased with the rifle

-USMC-Sniper-hoorah!!!

I’m looking to get the Remington model 783- in 308cal for shots any where from 400-to 800 yards and I’ve heard a lot about the faulty mags is there an easy fix for that or should i just get the model-700. I just want cheap rifle to shoot coyotes and hogs with.

Tristen

Thanks for all the comments I think I’ll stick with savage instead of blowing $400 on a faulty weapon!

mike vance

I bought the 783 in 7mm Remington magnum in February of 2016 and it shoots like a dream. I’ve put 6 boxes of rounds through it and never had a magazine issue, or a bolt issue. with a Winchester 150 grain copper jacket soft point it groups inside a dime at an exact range of 109 yards. I have a list of 3 other calibers that im going to perchase in this model. and it shoots every bit as good as the legendary Remington 700. the axis doesn’t have shit on the Remington 783.

Mike

California has a law that a gun buyer must show that he can properly load the weapon he is purchasing. This law revealed the very flaw many have mentioned above. I went in tonight to pick up my new Remington 783 in .308 and sure enough that sucker wouldn’t feed to save its life. The store balked at refunding my money, but I’ve seen enough recent stories about the 783 .308 failing that I’m going to fight them on this one. Can’t believe Remington won’t acknowledge their mistake. Asst manager of store said he’d talk with manager and corporate tomorrow… Read more »

Dan

Hey guys i had the same thing happen to me. The gun is really accurate but didn’t feed, but was sure it was the mag. Remington didn’t seem to think so and told me to send it in, rather than give me a new mag so i said F*** you and fixed it my self. Here’s the fix, take a pair of vice grips or strong pliers suitable to bend the steel and bend them upwards SLIGHTLY were talking 1 or 2 mm here max, we just want the round to sit a few 1/8 inch higher to make contact… Read more »

bshook

I bought the 783 in .270 right after Thanksgiving for $259 (w/ rebate from Remington) at Academy and it has been AWESOME!!! I have hunted in the hill country of Texas on a managed ranch this season. Last hunt was 28deg in freezing rain in an open air ground blind. Shot a whitetail doe at 189yds while ice was all over the scope and gun. (deer ran less than 30yds) My 783 has performed very well and has been very accurate so far. I outfitted it with a Vortex Crossfire II Scope and have only shot Winchester 130gr Power Max… Read more »

Neil O

I have a .270 Remington 783 and I love it! I was shocked when I was able to shoot consistent 3 shot groups at 100 yards with all holes touching using cheap federal 130 grainers from a rifle that cost me $210. I also have a new Ruger American All Weather 22-250 compact that shoots great also but the Remington feels more solid. My RAR that cost me $200 more than my 783 suffers from a warped stock that touches the left side of barrel a common problem so look for that if you go Ruger route.

Armed GrandPappy

I bought a 700 years ago and it was a great rifle. But the rifle and I seperated at some point for reasons I won’t go into. Since I had such good luck with the first one, I went and got another in 30.06. Can’t hit a damn thing with it! Sometimes I feel it will shoot around the corner. Never been dropped or mis-handled. I recently shot at a deer at 350 yards and didn’t miss once……but twice! I am an experienced shooter and this should have been an easy peasy shot for me and my old rifle would… Read more »

Brian R Gard

I bought a model 783 7mm Rem Mag with camo stock from Sportsman Warehouse out the door including state sales tax with Bushnell scope mounted and bore sighted it was 312 dollars, also a 40 dollar rebate is supposed to arrive, but that was six weeks ago. No complaints on this rifle was shooting about 1.5 inches at 175 yards for 3 shot groups consistently with cheap Privi Partizan 174 grain soft points. The magazine clip is excellent it has a resounding click when it is in place, also liked the way the sling attached, rather than being screws that… Read more »

Ben Hess

I have 2 old (40, 50 year old) Remington 30-06’s that work great and wanted to buy a new 700 (or 783) in 308 just for longer shots. I will NOT buy any new Remingtons since 90 percent of all the stories I hear about modern Remington production is the rifles are a waste of money. All I hear is modern Remington rifles are of very poor quality and have worthless customer service. I recently purchased a Savage Model 10 in 308 and it maintains sub moa groups to 500 yards (thats how long the range is). Do NOT waste… Read more »

tom goode

i have been looking to buy the 783 in 270 cal. but every where i read get bad report’s even here. i’m a rem. man but hate to spend money on rifle where all bad report’s. i have a few savage’s in many different caliber’s i can shoot cheap bear ammo in all of them at a 100yds. 3 shot’s from each gun put a quater and cover 3 holes my 30-06 weather warrior love’s the golden bear 168gr. sp cut hole for hole and iv’e shot several different type’s ammo but bear it love’s. so thank’s for your input… Read more »

Allen W

I am looking at buying a remington 783 30-06 for my first rifle to go hunting with and was wondering if you had any pointers to offer about this rifle.

Ken W

As to the issue of some of the mags not feeding. Several months ago, maybe early October, a friend gave me a pile of gun magazines that he was done reading. One of them, and for the life of me I can’t recall the name of the publication, included its recent review of the 783. In the article was the mention of the tested rifle’s magazine not feeding properly. What the reviewer determined was that the inside of the rifle’s magazine well was pressing in on one (or both?) sides of the magazine, apparently to the point the side wall(s)… Read more »

Bruan R Gard

I bought a model 783 in 7mm Rem Magnum, am breaking in the barrel – shooting and cleaning, been out 3 times, initially very good accuracy, shooting 3/4 of an inch to 1.25 inches at 100 yards using cheap Privi Partizian 173 grain ammo, so far impression of rifle is good. No problems with magazine or chambering a round from magazine for this rifle.

William Smith

I purchased one of the 783’s in .308 and the damned magazines won’t feed! I’ve got 5 of these things and all of them (including the one that came in the rife) won’t feed! Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this thing without sending them back? I’m pretty sure that some light dremel work or something a nice file won’t fix, but I’d rather hear from somebody who knows these things so I don’t file the wrong place. Thanks for any help you might suggest!
(I’m using Sierra Match King 168 grain)

Stephen Lay

Will, I have the same problem with my brand new 783 in .308. I sent the rifle back along with the supplied magazine and after a month I just got it back with a repair form that list the problem reported and found as “fail to feed” and “fail to feed from magazine. Technician Comments was “adj mag box, test” and “REPAIRED WARRANTY”. I don’t know what the hell Remington did, but whatever it was it didn’t work. The original mag still doesn’t consistently feed rounds and my brand new extra mags don’t work either. I am thoroughly disgusted with… Read more »

Stephen Lay

Update: Well, I got hold of Remington Customer Service and was told that the stock may be the problem and that Remington was going to send me a new stock, and just in case, a new mag too. Awesome customer service! I got the stock and mag and guess what….. It still fails to feed. The bolt rides over the cartridges on closing and won’t chamber them. I bent the catch at the rear of the mag on my other ones and they seem to be working, so I guess I’ll do the same to the new one as well.… Read more »

Herb

I have the same problem, 2nd time out at the Range, Rounds started to get jammed up, I can shoot all day a round at a time the minute I put the Magazine in it happens, called Remington that are sending a new Mag, hopefully that will cure it. I checked the torque on the action bolts and re-torqued them according to Remington manual just in case. I will post results ASAP.

Dan

Hey guys i had the same thing happen to me. The gun is really accurate but didn’t feed, but was sure it was the mag. Remington didn’t seem to think so and told me to send it in, rather than give me a new mag so i said F*** you and fixed it my self. Here’s the fix, take a pair of vice grips or strong pliers suitable to bend the steel and bend them upwards SLIGHTLY were talking 1 or 2 mm here max, we just want the round to sit a few 1/8 inch higher to make contact… Read more »

Craig

I too am sick of Remington. My 783 was a replacement for a Marlin which went back 4x so I said send me something I stock that works(to make a long story short). My 783 shoots nice but the bolt almost always goes under the 3rd round. I refuse to call or deal with Remington ever again. I find pulling the bolt back very hard works most of the time. However the gun sits in the safe I don’t want to sell it and screw someone else. I’ll try what you did. I also had to send back a model… Read more »

james

I had the same problem bend the little tab on the back of the magazine until it feeds. mine works great now. jim

Jeremy Fletcher

i have a 783 in 270. everytime i shoot it and try to bolt the next bullet in it hangs up. i have to use it like a single shot. any suggestions

EchoEv1

If what you are saying is true…..and I doubt it……Contact Remington and they will replace it.

Chip

I have the same problem and today it stuck in place after the first shot. we got it to rotate and then the handle came off. we got the bolt out and the shell case was fine, don’t know what the hell caused it but Im NOT happy. Now I need a new bolt. This rifle is a LEMON.

Ray

I have always been a Reminton fan until about 3 years ago. Then I noticed a serious slide in quality and found that the customer service could care less. I am to the point that I am afraid to try anything new the company comes out with because two out of three Remingtons I have bought in the past three years, from 3 very reputable dealers have let me down. I purchased a new model 700, and it worked fine. I still have it in my hunting collection. I also purchased the 887 pump. The plastic coating started chiping then… Read more »

Butch Devaux

I hunt with a remington model 742 in a 308. I have been reading a lot about the remington model 783 for a while when it came out in dicks sporting goods in August i got the first one they had in a 30 06 model, this gun is everything they have said about it. i used the remington solid scopes well worth the money, very happy with this rifle.

Patrick Abboud

Hello Butch Devaux

I wanna ask if the Remington 783 in a 308 is very beautiful rifle and there is any matter in it?
Can you give names about dealers that i can buy a new Remington 783 in a 308?

Thank you
Patrick

Daren

I have a Savage Axis, Remmy 700 (not 783) and a Ruger American all in .308, if i could only take one with me, I’d take my Ruger. Damn accurate rifle and always dead on with the first cold bore shot! On paper the Ruger wins again, go figure…I paid over 2,000.00 for my “custom” Remington 🙁

Tyler

The savage axis is a fair gun I have it in .308 the only problem I have is the trigger pull is much like a handgun I personally like a lighter trigger pull but the magazine on it is very easy to use , the bolt on the gun is very nice it almost looks like galvanized steel.

Jeremy Simerly

They have a spring on Amazon that is for the accutrigger and it reduces the lbs. on the savage axis .308. I did it on mine it took a matter of 3 minutes and it make it perfect.

Gary Grimm

Mr. Shell, thank you for the review of the Remington 783. I am going to purchase either the Remington 783, the Ruger American or the Savage Axis, in .308. I purchased a Mossberg ATR 100 in .308 four years ago. The only feature I am not pleased with is the internal magazine. Loading from the top is a struggle for me at 64. Between the Remington, Ruger or Savage in comparable models, which would you choose as a working man’s deer hunting rifle? I will put my Zeiss Conquest 3 x 8 x 40 scope on it. Thank you, Gary… Read more »

Josh

Remington 783 in .270 all day long.

Trey Diveley

I got my 783 in 300 Win mag…..If I needed a smaller cal it would have been 30-06. I love 30 cals. They have so much range in terms of whats available.(I already had a 30-06….) I also lowered my trigger pull to the 2.5 pound mark(Warning, this level should only be used my competent shooters to avoid misfires). I love the gun. It is topped with a Carson 6-18×50 scope.