Remington’s 700-CDL-SF Limited Edition B
Jon R. Sundra
ack in 1981 the folks at Remington initiated a special series based on their fl agship Model 700 rifl e. Desig-
nated as the Classic Limited Edition, it was to be an ongoing series wherein every year a classic cartridge would be chosen, then a limited production run of guns so-chambered would be manufactured and sold through Remington dealers on a fi rst come, fi rst served basis. Once that production run was fi nished, that was it; no more were produced. Distinguishing the CLE from regular production Model
The only embellishment that sets the Limited Edition apart from its production counterpart is the fl oorplate.
700s — aside from the fact that it was available only in a selected chambering each year — was a high, straight-comb classic stock that had just been introduced into the Model 700 lineup three years before. It was an elegant stock of simple lines, done in a low gloss oil fi nish, and embellished with a classic point checkering pattern; as such it was quite a contrast from the high gloss Monte Carlo stocks of the 700 ADL and BDL. With the stock being the only thing that set the CLE apart cosmetically, the Classic was dropped from the regular Model 700 lineup that year and was thereafter available only in the CLE series. To kick off the series Remington chose to honor the
7x57 Mauser, a true classic cartridge if ever there was one. Over the next 24 years many great cartridges were celebrated with the CLE series — like the .257 Roberts in 1982, .300 H&H Magnum in 1983, .375 H&H Magnum in 1986, and the .220 Swift in 1992. The original CLE series ended its 25-year run in 2005 with the .308 Win. I think Remington was wise to not embellish the CLE
guns with inlays or engraving that would discourage their use in the fi eld; they were plain guns meant to be used, not sit in a display cabinet, yet they still had collector appeal because of their exclusivity and 25-year series continuity. The CLE’s quarter-century run was successful enough
Shown here is the current crop of commercial 6mm’s (l. to r.): .243 WSSM, which is essentially obsolete; the .243 Win., 6mm Rem., and Weatherby’s .240 Magnum. The caliber itself is not as popular as it once was.
that in 2006, Remington started another series, this time based on the current Model 700-CDL, which is a gussied-up version of what has long been the hinged fl oorplate BDL model. Of- fi cially designated as the Model 700-CDL-SF Limited Edition, this series is distinguished by its all-stainless, fl uted barreled action; a hinged fl oorplate that’s roll-engraved with the caliber being celebrated with the words “Limited Edition” and the outline of the cartridge. For 2011, the 6mm Rem. was chosen, a cartridge with which I have a long history. I’m sure most of you know the story. In 1955 Winchester
The smallest three-shot group fi red was with Remington’s 100-grain Core Lokt, but its nine-shot average was just a tad larger than the 0.85" groups turned in by Hornady’s 100-grain BTSP and Federal’s 85-grain Triple Shock.
Page 28 July — September 2011
introduced its .243, and Remington its .244. Winchester en- visioned its .243 as a dual-purpose varmint/deer cartridge and offered ammo in 80- and 100-grain weights. Remington’s .244, on the other hand, was seen by hunters to be more of a long-range varmint/predator cartridge for no reason other than Remington chose to offer factory loads in 75- and 90-grain weights. To make a long story short, the .243 Win. was an imme-
diate success, while the .244 Rem. languished. Unfortunately, the gun writers of the day did little to dispel the notion that a 100-grain bullet made a fi ne deer load, but a 90-grain did
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