I have a Rem 700 with a 24" heavy barrel in 22-250 that sits in a glossy wood stock. I have owned it for almost 20 years, and figure it has 300-400 rounds through it. I feel that it has gotten heavier over the years, or maybe it is my old broken down body. It is a fantastic shooter, very accurate, but I find I don't get as far from the Jeep when calling as I used to, so i find I am taking my AR more and more, it only wears a red dot so I have to pass on the longer shots. I am really considering selling it to finance a sporter barreled 22-250 to cut the weight. It is a true conundrum, as I really like the rifle, and have been considering replacing the Burris 2-9x40 scope on it for something with a BDC type reticle. Wondering what would you guys and gals do?
Rem 700 Hvy Barrel
- Thread starter AKBman
- Start date
Winny Fan
New member
If it's a Remington 700 BDL Varmnt Special, which is what it sounds like from your description, I'd keep it. They are few and far between as they are no longer made. It hard to compare its quality to a lot of entry level, budget minded, rifles that are popular today.
A scope with more magnification might be a benefit to the rifle and its capabilities.
A scope with more magnification might be a benefit to the rifle and its capabilities.
I was thinking the same thing, it sounded like a "Varmint Special".
The Varmint Special had a 24 inch bull barrel on them, close to around 1in at the muzzle, which is quite a bit larger than a regular varmint contour. My dad used to have one, they're a tank to pack around but they always shot really well.
I'd probably hang on to it and if you do sell it, they usually will command a fair bit higher price than a regular sporter barrel Rem BDL Custom DLX 22-250
The Varmint Special had a 24 inch bull barrel on them, close to around 1in at the muzzle, which is quite a bit larger than a regular varmint contour. My dad used to have one, they're a tank to pack around but they always shot really well.
I'd probably hang on to it and if you do sell it, they usually will command a fair bit higher price than a regular sporter barrel Rem BDL Custom DLX 22-250
Brad Phillips
Active member
As Winny Fan said "hard to compare its quality to a new entry level budget minded rifle"
I would buy a new sporter weight rifle and keep the Varmint Special. At the very least, get what it is worth if you do sell it.
I would buy a new sporter weight rifle and keep the Varmint Special. At the very least, get what it is worth if you do sell it.
Winny Fan
New member
Originally Posted By: lockrotorYou can always put a different barrel on it. Have your gunsmith put a new take off barrel on it, and keep your old barrell. Can always be put back to original, And you can alway bed the new barrell to take up the gap of the bull barrell.
That would ruin a good rifle stock if you wanted to go back original with the saved barrel.
The Varmint Special rifle is worth far more as it was built. Buy a decent light weight barreled rifle and move on.
That would ruin a good rifle stock if you wanted to go back original with the saved barrel.
The Varmint Special rifle is worth far more as it was built. Buy a decent light weight barreled rifle and move on.
varminter .223
Well-known member
Never sell an accurate rifle.....never!
Look at a Rem 783 in 22/250. Lots of pluses to a 22/250 in the 783 actions are machined extremely true, fast lock time, solid steel detachable magazine, free floated barrel, nice recoil pad, catch them on sale for $300. 783 barrels I have scoped are pretty good, far from a Savage.
Weigh your AR and your 22/250 varmint...get ready for a shock.
Weigh your AR and your 22/250 varmint...get ready for a shock.
FairChase93
Active member
Originally Posted By: ackleymanLook at a Rem 783 in 22/250. Lots of pluses to a 22/250 in the 783 actions are machined extremely true, fast lock time, solid steel detachable magazine, free floated barrel, nice recoil pad, catch them on sale for $300. 783 barrels I have scoped are pretty good, far from a Savage.
Weigh your AR and your 22/250 varmint...get ready for a shock.
I've been hearing this a lot lately about the 783s. Semi local smith around here has been building a ton of "budget" customs with the 783 action.
Weigh your AR and your 22/250 varmint...get ready for a shock.
I've been hearing this a lot lately about the 783s. Semi local smith around here has been building a ton of "budget" customs with the 783 action.
WyoBull
Member
As has been mentioned above, put some oil on it and put it back in the safe. Then go buy and Tikka T3x Lite and use it for your yote gun.
I have a 17 Remington in the 700 BDL glossy stock with the black fore end. It sits in my safe and while I know I could sell it for good money, I just can't seem to get rid of a classic like that.
I have a 17 Remington in the 700 BDL glossy stock with the black fore end. It sits in my safe and while I know I could sell it for good money, I just can't seem to get rid of a classic like that.
Originally Posted By: Winny FanIIRC, the BDL Varmint Special rifles had 24" barrels that were about .810" at the muzzle.
Maybe we're talking about two different Remington BDL Varmint Special models, but all the VS's I've been around were 24 inches long but had a much larger barrel contour than the standard Varmint or Sendero type contour. They were more like a M24 or MTU contour and were .900+ with very little taper, in fact almost no taper.
Just a standard Rem Varmint contour is .820 at the muzzle.
Maybe we're talking about two different Remington BDL Varmint Special models, but all the VS's I've been around were 24 inches long but had a much larger barrel contour than the standard Varmint or Sendero type contour. They were more like a M24 or MTU contour and were .900+ with very little taper, in fact almost no taper.
Just a standard Rem Varmint contour is .820 at the muzzle.
Winny Fan
New member
I dunno.
I owned two of them in the late 1970s and on into the early 1980s. One was a 22-250 and the other was a 6MM Remington. I don't have any pictures of ether. I don't remember if they were stamped "Varmint Special" anywhere , but that is what they were called in Remington literature and in common discussions in gun wrags at the time, and they were housed in a BDL stock with a black fore end tip like you see still on all standard BDL rifles.
There was a definite taper on the barrel in the chamber area with pretty much a straight taper from there on to the muzzle. Maybe they did measure .820" at the muzzle, but the Varmint Special was not a straight tube rifle from breech to muzzle by any means. One unique feature on the Varmint Special rifles was a scope block that was screwed on the barrel that most users removed for a conventional length varmint scope and plugged the screw holes. Other than that the barrel was clean.
This first picture is on an early Varmint Special rifle with the pressed fleur delis checkering. Remington history shows that the Varmint Special was introduced in 1967; fleur di lis pattern 67-68, ribbon pattern 69-73, solid cut checkering 74-77, and skip line pattern 78-97. If you look closely at this rifle, you can see the short bolt shroud over the end of the firing pin that was a feature of early Model 700 riles. Later 700 rifles have a longer bolt shroud that prety well covers the bolt striker like you see today that was first required to allow standard weight 17 Remington BDL rifles to be exported to Australia.
The next two pictures are of an older generation (74-77) rile with solid cut checkering. This is the era that my two Varmint special rifles came from. Rifles built late in their production cycle had skip line checkering but I didn't see a picture of one of them.
If you look closely at the last picture you can see where the scope block was installed on the barrel. You can just see the plug screws along the barrel profile. Obviously by nature of the beast, no open sights were offered on these rifles.
And lastly a 700 Varmint Special with ribbon checkering.
The scope block plug screws from where the scope block was removed are more evident on this rifle.
Remington did at one time make a Model 700 heavy varmint model but I don't recall what they specifically called it or when it was made, but they are not the Varmint Special rifle. They were also housed in a BDL style stock.
I owned two of them in the late 1970s and on into the early 1980s. One was a 22-250 and the other was a 6MM Remington. I don't have any pictures of ether. I don't remember if they were stamped "Varmint Special" anywhere , but that is what they were called in Remington literature and in common discussions in gun wrags at the time, and they were housed in a BDL stock with a black fore end tip like you see still on all standard BDL rifles.
There was a definite taper on the barrel in the chamber area with pretty much a straight taper from there on to the muzzle. Maybe they did measure .820" at the muzzle, but the Varmint Special was not a straight tube rifle from breech to muzzle by any means. One unique feature on the Varmint Special rifles was a scope block that was screwed on the barrel that most users removed for a conventional length varmint scope and plugged the screw holes. Other than that the barrel was clean.
This first picture is on an early Varmint Special rifle with the pressed fleur delis checkering. Remington history shows that the Varmint Special was introduced in 1967; fleur di lis pattern 67-68, ribbon pattern 69-73, solid cut checkering 74-77, and skip line pattern 78-97. If you look closely at this rifle, you can see the short bolt shroud over the end of the firing pin that was a feature of early Model 700 riles. Later 700 rifles have a longer bolt shroud that prety well covers the bolt striker like you see today that was first required to allow standard weight 17 Remington BDL rifles to be exported to Australia.
The next two pictures are of an older generation (74-77) rile with solid cut checkering. This is the era that my two Varmint special rifles came from. Rifles built late in their production cycle had skip line checkering but I didn't see a picture of one of them.
If you look closely at the last picture you can see where the scope block was installed on the barrel. You can just see the plug screws along the barrel profile. Obviously by nature of the beast, no open sights were offered on these rifles.
And lastly a 700 Varmint Special with ribbon checkering.
The scope block plug screws from where the scope block was removed are more evident on this rifle.
Remington did at one time make a Model 700 heavy varmint model but I don't recall what they specifically called it or when it was made, but they are not the Varmint Special rifle. They were also housed in a BDL style stock.
Winny Fan
New member
Here's a couple of 700 Varmint Special rifles in 243 Win and 7mm-08 with skip line checkering. Among the last of the breed in the production cycle.
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-f...un_id=101251142
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-f...un_id=101285899
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-f...un_id=101251142
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-f...un_id=101285899
I wasn't very clear on the contour no taper thing, my bad, I didn't mean they were a straight barrel, but rather once past the chamber section they had little to no taper.
I could be wrong, but I believe the Varmint Special used the same barrel contour as the M40 and you're correct, I've never seen one that had "Varmint Special" engraved or stamped on it anywhere.
I could be wrong, but I believe the Varmint Special used the same barrel contour as the M40 and you're correct, I've never seen one that had "Varmint Special" engraved or stamped on it anywhere.