Which Pic Rail for a 700?

[Reddish]

I know this subject has been beat to death, but I could not find a thread that specifically address the strongest and most repeatable rail if scopes will be swapped or taken off on occasion. I want to put good bases on my rifles and be able to swap between scopes if needed, musical scopes happens occasionally. Will 7075 aluminum hold up to this or will I need to go with steel? I was looking at Warne Tactical base, as I don't need an extended base.

 

[Reddish]

I have been using Talley Lightweights a lot currently as I can get my scopes low to the barrel with those, but changing scopes out is a pain.

 

[nobody]

Any good pic rail, mounted properly, will work. On a Model 700 or 700 clone, be sure you bed the rail to the action (lots of Youtube videos out there showing how to do that).

Buy any rail from a name brand manufacturer and you should be good. Nightforce, Warne, EGW, flip a coin. If they're actually made to Picatinny spec, you won't see an appreciable difference. Bed it and torque to spec with loctite and go shoot. I've always used Warne rails as they're easy to come by and relatively cost effective. Never thought twice about an aluminum rail.

 

[Reddish]

I did plan on bedding it.

Is a recoil lug necessary if you bed the rail? I don't have any magnum calibers, .308 and 66.5 CM are my most used rifles.

 

[nobody]

I did plan on bedding it.

Is a recoil lug necessary if you bed the rail? I don't have any magnum calibers, .308 and 66.5 CM are my most used rifles.

I wouldn't worry about it if you have one that doesn't have a recoil lug, but if you can find both I would probably pick up the one with a recoil lug just so you never wonder. None of mine have recoil lugs, but I don't own anything Remington 700 based either.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Badger Ordnance
Seekins
Nightforce (not the cheap SDB)

For a factory R700 action, you should have those factory base threads upgraded to 8-40 and centered up on the receiver.

This. Those all have built in recoil lugs too which are very beneficial on a R700 action.

 

[isocyanate]

My 700 has a warne rail. Aluminum and has a lug. Bedded and using the factory screw holes, but it’s just a 308.

Big fan of badger rings, for what it’s worth.

 

[Stud Duck]

PM sent.

 

[Bassman]

I use seekins

 

[ChrisAU]

I like MDT rails with their multitude of cant options. Just put a 50 MOA on my competition rifle. Can't go wrong with Nightforce either. Aluminum vs Aluminum though, the MDT rail is 2 slots longer than the NF rail which I needed, and the MDT has more overhang at the rear (a bit) which aids in putting the rear ring all the way to the rear if you need to. I'll post a pic.

 

[ChrisAU]

MDT left, NF right. MDT rail is 50 MOA and 2.3 oz, NF rail is 20 MOA and 2.0 oz.

 

[4th_point]

I like Seekins.

 

[Reddish]

I picked up a Seekins base and rings for my Ridgeline. I’ll slowly be changing other rifles over as well.