Gun Review: Remington 783 Rifle in .308

Remington 783 Review Bolt Action Hunting Rifle

Remington 783 Review Bolt Action Hunting Rifle

Remington first rolled out the Model 783 back in 2013. The affordably priced rifle that was based on the Marlin XL7 design now comes in a range of six calibers — including 7mm and .300 Win Mag – and puts a quality bolt action within reach of virtually any shooter. Mine is chambered in versatile .308 Winchester and, incredibly, you can find one for under $300.

Remington 783 Rifle Review Budget Hunting

Add about $25 and you can get one with a mounted 3-9×40 scope. The 783 is also available with an American black walnut stock, giving it a more classic hunting rifle look for about $150 more.

Remington 783 Rifle Review Budget Hunting

The Model 783 comes standard with a free-floated carbon steel barrel with button 1:10 rifling, as well Remington’s impressive, adjustable CrossFire trigger system. Mine has a camo pillar-bedded synthetic stock which contains nylon fiber for rigidity.

Remington 783 Rifle Review Budget Hunting

The adjustable CrossFire trigger is impressive for a rifle at this price point. As in many budget hunting rifles, the trigger guard is plastic.

The push-feed action and 90-degree bolt throw are smooth and positive. Remington’s put a two-position safety (it’s a little clunky, but works well enough) behind the bolt rather than on the tang like the Savage Axis.

Remington 783 Rifle Review Budget Hunting

The 783 features a four-round steel box magazine that’s released with a steel magazine latch. Using steel instead of plastic, even for the latch, in a gun at this price is unusual and very welcome. The 783 is also equipped with a Supercell recoil pad which Remington claims reduces felt recoil by 54%. While I’m not sure how to measure that, it definitely tames the .308 round’s kick.

Remington 783 Rifle Review Budget Hunting

The Model 783’s finish is well done and clean, especially for a sub-$300 rifle.

Remington 783 Rifle Review Budget Hunting

A budget rifle doesn’t save you much money, though, if it doesn’t put rounds on target. I tested the 783 using . . .

Barnes Vor-TX 150gr
Remington Core-Lock 180gr
Remington HTP 168gr

This isn’t a precision rifle, it’s meant for hunting. So I tested it at ranges from 50 to 200 yards, the ranges it’s most often going to be used in the field.

After shooting several of the 180 GR and 150 Gr it was clear that the gun was accurate as well as extremely comfortable and was very accurate for its price point.

While all three bullet weights produced hunting-accurate groups, the 150gr Barnes produced the tightest three-round groups at All of the rounds performed well but the Barnes had the tightest grouping of the three, putting up groups just under 1MOA.

In short, the Remington 783 is an extremely good value in a reliable hunting rifle.

Specifications: Remington Model 783

Caliber .308
Barrel Twist 1:10
Barrel Length 22”
Overall Length 41 5/8”
Weight 8 ½
Barrel Finish Matte Blue
Stock Synthetic
Barrel Material Carbon Steel
Length of Pull 13 3/8
Drop(comb) 1”
Drop(heel) 1 5/8”
Magazine 4 Round
MSRP: $354

Ratings (Out of five stars):

Style: * * *
This is a budget bolt gun that looks pretty much like every other budget bolt gun (think Savage Axis, Ruger American and T/C Venture). It’s not beautiful, it’s utilitarian and it works. If you want some style, upgrade to the walnut stock.

Ergonomics * * * *
The 783’s surprisingly rigid synthetic stock has molded-in checkering that’s aggressive enough for a good grip. The two-position safety is positive and well-placed and the bolt action is surprisingly smooth.

Build Quality * * * * 
Surprisingly good. The finish is nicely applied, the stock is well molded without annoying seams and a detail like a steel magazine latch rather than plastic on a gun at this price point is much appreciated. Again, the budget priced 783’s action is notably smooth.

Reliability and Accuracy * * * * *
It’s a bolt gun, so it just works. I was able to get under 1 MOA with a 150gr bullet.

Overall * * * *
The Remington Model 783 isn’t safe queen. It’s an ultra-reliable, ultra-affordable rifle (with a very good trigger) that lets you get into hunting with minimal expense or shoot another caliber without draining your wallet.