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By
John Zent, Editorial Director
If the Remington 700 XCR bolt rifle
is indicative of how American hunters’ tastes have evolved,
then substance has completely trumped style. Not that this latest
version of the ubiquitous M700 is “uglified”—it’s
not—but unless one appreciates a subtle color contrast provided
by the synthetic stock’s rubber grip surfaces, then every
attribute is geared to performance.
Remington boldly calls the XCR “the most
durable hunting rifle ever built.” While it’s virtually
impossible to verify such a claim, during the year I’ve had
one for testing I’ve seen nothing to refute it. Other discerning
users here at NRA Publications have confirmed that the XCR lives
up to its acronymic moniker—which stands for [E]Xtreme Conditions
Rifle—by subjecting it to some of the harshest conditions
hunters can experience.
Structurally, the XCR is no different than the
4 million or so M700s and dozens of model variations that preceded
it-—same three rings of steel securing the case head, same
opposing twin locking lugs, same two-position safety. Like many
predecessors it offers a hinged magazine floorplate, and even though
it has come equipped with the trigger that once made the M700 the
world’s leading target rifle, a new trigger unit—greatly
improved, according to Remington—is on the way.
What
makes the XCR stand out is its metalwork, an unprecedented combination
of material and finishes that put it somewhere between non-corrosive
and indestructible. The result is so impervious to moisture that
it tempts me to become lax in routine maintenance. Last week my
son and I were caught out in a freak December thunderstorm that
soaked us to the skin and drenched all our gear. When we slogged
back to the truck, his heirloom lever-action got all the attention
because I had seen enough of the 700 XCR to know it wasn’t
going to rust. Whereas that poor old lever gun showed a trace of
orange-peel pitting the next day despite the thorough wipe-down,
the Remington was as unaffected as a rock.
As is the case with practically all current weather-resistant
rifles, the 700 XCR boasts a stainless steel barreled action. The
chromium in stainless steel puts the brakes on corrosion but can’t
stop it altogether, so manufacturers typically coat the metal for
a further level of protection. Nickel plating is a preferred coating,
and that’s how Remington top-dresses the XCR’s stainless
exterior.
All-weather, TriNyte Corrosion Control system sets the XCR apart
from other corrosion-resistant rifles. |
The difference—what ultimately gives this
rifle its superior durability—is yet another protective barrier,
one Remington calls its “TriNyte Corrosion Control system.”
As a finishing step the company applies zirconium nitrate, a compound
traditionally used to coat cutting tools like drill bits. It is
hard enough yet ductile enough to withstand serious shock, abrasion
and heat, yet possesses a natural lubricity that facilitates the
work of moving parts. Remington uses a vacuum process called physical
vapor deposition to ensure that a thin, perfectly uniform layer
is bonded over the barreled action’s surface. Though I can’t
explain how zirconium nitrate manages to be so impervious to the
forces that effect other metallic compounds, nothing I’ve
done so far has dinged, scratched or corroded the rifle even slightly.
Not that I haven’t tried, at least to the
extent of subjecting it to the kinds of abuse my favorite hunting
rifles inevitably receive. We have rocked across boulder fields
to the top of the Wyoming Rockies, snaked our way across dusty prairie
and mudded down South. Except for one minor stock blemish, the rifle
looks new. Just to make sure, I pulled the scope mounts and found
none of the almost-universal telltale discoloration one normally
encounters. For the ultimate torture test, NRA’s Dave Campbell
took an M700 XCR on repeated crossings of open ocean during a hunt
for Arctic musk ox and caribou, and he reports that it stoically
withstood saltwater baths and even worse.
This rugged customer comes housed in a well-conceived
Hogue synthetic stock that is admirably strong yet quite lightweight
thanks to a series of cross-ribs in the barrel channel. Handling
is enhanced by the overmolded rubber grip panels in the wrist and
fore-end, and Remington’s signature R3 buttpad makes for relatively
comfortable shooting even with stout magnums.
That includes the .300 Ultra Mag. chambering of
my test rifle, and I found it not unpleasant to shoot from the bench
so long as I didn’t exceed about 25 rounds per session. Accuracy
was good for a factory rifle shooting factory loads, averaging 1.7
inches
for five-shot groups at 100 yards (see table). However, I’m
convinced it could have done better if not for the gun’s substandard
trigger. Although it broke relatively cleanly, at nearly 6 pounds
it required twice the pull weight I prefer in a hunting rifle. It’s
tough to shoot one’s best with such a balky trigger, and Remington
obviously has seen the need to correct cases like mine by making
the new trigger retro-fittable to all M700s. For the record, when
it came time to shoot game I didn’t notice the recoil or trigger
pull at all, and I never needed more than one shot.
The Model 700 XCR is a worthy candidate for hard-working
big-game hunters who can’t baby their go-to rifles and is
proof that America’s oldest gunmaker remains a leader in finding
new technologies that solve real problems.
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