Choosing the right scope base for your Remington 700

The Remington 700 has earned its place as one of the most adaptable bolt-action rifles ever produced. In Australia, the action has found a devoted following among recreational target shooters, professional feral pest controllers working the paddocks of Queensland and New South Wales, and hunters chasing sambar deer in the high country of Gippsland. Wherever it goes, the rifle tends to be paired with a scope, and that pairing starts with a component most owners give little thought to until something goes wrong: the scope base.

A scope base is the intermediate steel platform that clamps or screws onto the receiver and provides the dovetail or rail onto which your rings or mount attaches. It determines how securely your optic sits, how high it sits above the bore, and how repeatable the whole arrangement remains after repeated recoil, long four-wheel-drive trips across corrugated station tracks, and the inevitable bumps of bush use. Choosing the right one is rarely a matter of grabbing whatever sits in the parts bin.

The Australian climate adds its own wrinkles. Inland conditions swing from freezing mornings at a Brindabella range shoot to forty-degree afternoons on the western plains, which sees bases and rings expand and contract through the day. Many local shooters have watched imported bases lose their finish or, worse, their torque values after a season or two in harsh conditions. It pays to think about the base before you fall in love with a particular ring or scope.

There is also the practical reality that Australians often build rifles for specific jobs rather than general use. A .308 set up for goat control along the Snowy Mountains will not need the same base as a .223 rimfire trainer used on the range at Cecil Hills. Matching the base to the intended role, the recoil profile, and the action variant is the foundation of a setup you can rely on.

Understanding scope base designs

The two broad categories you will encounter are two-piece bases and one-piece bases. Two-piece bases are the traditional choice for the Remington 700 and consist of a separate front and rear base that clamp or screw to the receiver. They allow the scope to be installed or removed without disturbing zero, a feature that appeals to anyone who has ever tried to ship a rifle by commercial freight or carry it through an airport as checked baggage.

One-piece bases, sometimes called monolithic or rail bases, run the full length of the action and provide a single uninterrupted Picatinny or Weaver rail. These are favoured for long-range and tactical applications where absolute rigidity and consistent eye relief matter. They are also a strong choice if you intend to run a night vision device, an add-on red dot, or a thermal clip-on in front of your day scope, something increasingly common for feral pig and deer work in the mulga country.

Within those broad families there are again choices: integral bases that are part of the receiver, Talley-style bases that integrate the ring and base into one unit, and traditional bases meant to be paired with separate rings. Each has its place, and Australian shooters tend to lean towards whichever system has proven itself through long-term field use rather than chasing the latest North American trend.

Action variants and hole patterns

The Remington 700 family is broader than many realise, and the right scope base depends on which model you own. The original 700 long action and short action share the same screw spacing pattern, but newer variants such as the 700 SPS, the 700 AAC-SD, and the 700 Chassis systems can differ. Some use a four-screw pattern, others a two-screw arrangement, and modern ones may even use an M-LOK-compatible base that bolts directly to a chassis.

It is essential to confirm the exact model and the screw pattern before you order. Many a shooter in regional Western Australia has had a base arrive only to find it does not line up with the action holes. Measure the spacing between screws, check whether the action is round or has the later Remington shape, and verify whether the recoil lug is the standard profile before clicking purchase.

If your rifle has been modified with an aftermarket stock, a heavier barrel, or a muzzle brake, the base choice may also shift. Adding a muzzle device increases felt vibration and changes how stress travels back through the action, so a heavier base becomes more important. The same logic applies to anyone running a .300 Win Mag or a .338 Lapua for tough Australian game, calibres that punish lightweight components.

Material, finish, and long-term durability

The materials used in scope bases range from investment-cast steel to machined aluminium and even polymer in some budget options. For serious field rifles, steel remains the default. Properly hardened steel bases resist deformation under repeated recoil cycles and shrug off the kind of knocks that come from being carried in a scabbard on the back seat of a ute travelling between Broken Hill and Tibooburra.

Finish matters as much in the harsh Australian sun as it does in the lab. Matte black oxide, satin stainless, and modern coated finishes each have their merits. For rifles that live in a leather roll in coastal conditions, whether in a duck blind or a boat on the Gippsland Lakes, stainless or coated finishes offer better corrosion resistance over years of use.

Pay attention to the screws and threads as well. Torx screws have largely replaced slotted and hex types in quality bases because they hold their driver better and apply torque more consistently. Combined with a thread-locking compound, they keep the base where it belongs through thousands of rounds.

Mounting height and cheek weld

One factor Australians sometimes overlook in their pursuit of a low-profile setup is mounting height. The lower the scope sits, the closer the objective bell will be to the barrel, which can be a problem on rifles with thicker profiles or muzzle devices that sit proud of the bore. A low mount can also make it harder to get a consistent cheek weld, especially when the rifle is paired with a compact stock designed for field carry rather than benchrest use.

Medium and high rings or a slightly elevated base become worthwhile the moment you start using a stock with a straight comb or add a recoil pad — for many shooters, that means turning to a guide on how to choose the right recoil pad for your Remington shotgun when they upgrade other models in their collection. The same comfort principles apply across the platform family.

For those using adjustable stocks, aftermarket cheek pieces, or a chassis system, the base height becomes a single variable inside a broader ergonomics puzzle. Spend a few minutes dry-firing with the chosen base and rings before you tighten everything down. It saves hours of head-bashing later.

Installation tips and common pitfalls

Installing a scope base is not difficult, but it benefits from care. The receiver must be clean and free of oil where the base seats, the screws should be started by hand to avoid cross-threading, and the torque should be applied in a criss-cross pattern to the specification recommended by the manufacturer. Most quality bases call for between 20 and 35 inch-pounds, depending on the screw size.

In Australian workshops, a habit worth adopting is using a torque screwdriver rather than guessing by feel. Many shooters who learned their craft at SSAA ranges in regional towns have come to appreciate the repeatability a torque driver brings, particularly when the same rifle is set up and broken down between range days.

Avoid the temptation to over-tighten. The old rule about stripping receiver threads with brute force applies here, and ruined threads on a Remington 700 action are not a cheap fix. If you are not confident, a competent gunsmith in most major centres — Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, or Hobart — can handle the work for a modest fee, and many will install the scope and rings as part of the service.

Matching the base to your shooting discipline

Different shooting styles place very different demands on a base. A field target competitor at a club in Cairns wants a lightweight two-piece base that is easy to remove for transport. A long-range benchrest shooter at a wind-swept range in Ballarat wants a one-piece rail base that holds zero through hundreds of rounds and repeated changes of magnification.

Hunters chasing pigs or goats in the Western Australian wheat belt often favour ruggedness over absolute precision, since shots tend to be inside 200 metres with a .223 or .22-250 and the priority is a reliable hold. By contrast, the growing number of Australian shooters engaging in long-range hunting for camels or donkeys in the Northern Territory benefits from a base and ring system engineered for sub-MOA consistency at 800 metres and beyond.

The right base is, therefore, the one that fits the job, the recoil level, and the climate. There is no universal answer, only a careful match between component and intended use.

Practical recommendations

Putting all of this together, the base you choose should be a deliberate match to your rifle, your optic, and the way you use it. A small upfront investment in the right base pays back over years of consistent performance, fewer trips back to the gunsmith, and the confidence that your zero will still be there when you need it.

• For a traditional field rifle in a standard short-action 700: a quality two-piece steel base paired with medium rings is hard to beat.
• For long-range or tactical builds: a one-piece Picatinny rail base machined from a single billet offers unmatched rigidity and accessory flexibility.
• For heavy-recoil magnum chamberings: insist on a base with four receiver screws and a steel construction rated for the calibre.
• For rifles that travel frequently or are stored broken-down: an integrated base and ring system simplifies setup and reduces the chance of lost parts.
• For shooters running a chassis or custom stock: confirm the base pattern matches the chassis inlet, or you may need a dedicated base designed for that specific chassis.

A few final notes to remember: always check that the base comes with the correct screws and pins for your specific receiver variant, apply thread-locker, and re-torque after the first session of firing. These small habits separate the rifles that hold up over decades from those that loosen after a season or two.

If you are ready to upgrade or rebuild your Remington platform with parts you can trust, explore the full catalogue at Remington Firearms Store. From bases and rings to complete stocks and accessories, including the how to upgrade the stock on your Remington 1100 for better fit resource, the site covers the parts Australian shooters actually use, ships straight to your nominated FFL dealer, and offers round-the-clock support to answer your questions before you commit. Build a rifle that fits the way you shoot.