Remington 700 Magpul Enhanced Review

A cheap synthetic stock that flexes like a spaghetti noodle can wreak havoc on accuracy and a shooter’s confidence. Fortunately, Remington understands the importance of a good stock and has partnered with several quality stock makers over the years. One of latest aftermarket stocks to make it onto a Remington production rifle is the Magpul Hunter 700, and it’s the stock found on the Model 700 Magpul Enhanced—an upgraded version of the Model 700 Magpul rifle that costs $74 more and is well worth considering.

The major differences between the original 700 Magpul and the new 700 Magpul Enhanced are that the Enhanced’s short-action rifles have a 20-inch barrel instead of 22 inches (except on the .300 Win. Mag. version, which has a 24-inch barrel). The carbon steel barrel is fluted, and the stock is flat dark earth instead of black.

It includes a 20-m.o.a. Picatinny rail on the receiver, a Magpul 10-round AICS short-action magazine and a bipod. Also new in the Enhanced is the 6mm Creedmoor chambering, which is the caliber I tested. The 6mm Creedmoor is fast becoming a darling of the long-range crowd due not only to its excellent exterior ballistics but also to its light recoil, which allows shooters to spot their own shots.

The Remington 700 Magpul Enhanced uses the fluted 20-inch barrel with 5R rifling from its Light Tactical rifle. This barrel can be found on the company’s law enforcement rifles, and it features the same washer-like lug nut sandwiched between the action and receiver you’ll find on all Model 700s. It’s treated to a black Cerakote finish, and it’s threaded. A thread cap is supplied.

The trigger is an X-Mark Pro adjustable trigger that’s adjustable via an exposed 1/6-inch screw located on the trigger. In other words, you won’t have to remove the barreled action to adjust. The trigger is adjustable from three to five pounds, and my test rifle came from the factory at four pounds, six ounces.

The action is the familiar Model 700 round action with the typical bolt with two opposing lugs, an inset extractor, and two-position safety that when rocked to Safe position allows you to operate the bolt. The bolt has a 90-degree throw and an oversize handle.

Let’s dig into the Magpul Hunter stock since this what makes this unique among Remington’s offerings. The stock was launched in 2015, and it was Magpul’s first effort along these lines. Priced at $260, it was originally designed for short-action rifles and was packed with features Magpul hoped would make it a serious competitor to custom stocks costing $800 to $1,500. The Hunter’s advantage was that it was a drop-in solution, requiring no gunsmithing or special knowledge for the user to install.

The stock features an anodized cast A380 aluminum bedding V-block. The bedding block is approximately 16 inches long. It starts mid fore-end, follows the grip’s contour and ends roughly two inches into the stock. This provides rigid support not only for the barreled action but also minimizes any flex in the stock during recoil. Rigidity is what improves a rifle’s accuracy and consistency, and Magpul’s design overcomes what is a weakness inherent in some synthetic stocks.

Precision shooters will appreciate the M-Lok slots on the fore-end, as well as the adjustable length of pull and adjustable cheekpiece. Removing one bolt allows you to add or remove butt stock spacers and swap out cheek risers. Four half-inch spacers are included to allow the length of pull to be adjusted from 13 to 15 inches. The three cheek risers come in flat, half-inch and three-quarter-inch sizes.

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To get the right length of pull, I added two stock spacers. The flat cheek riser, which came installed on the rifle, was perfect for the SIG Sauer Tango 4 scope and low Seekins rings.

There are several options for installing a sling. The stock includes pre-molded holes on each side of the stock to insert Magpul’s QD cups. There’s a slot molded into the rear of the stock for attaching a sling, and there are indents in the fore-end to drill holes for swivel studs. The package includes a Magpul M-Lok bipod mount and a no-name bipod.

Shooting the Magpul Enhanced went as expected. It’s a good-shooting rifle, and with the right ammo, it’s a consistent sub-m.o.a. performer. In my test it preferred the heavier 105-grain bullets, and the best group came from Hornady’s Black boattail hollowpoint: 0.65 inch.

The thick rubber recoil pad tamed recoil nicely, but now I wish I’d taken the time to lighten the X-Mark Pro trigger to a pull closer to three pounds.

Overall, the Remington Model 700 Magpul Enhanced is a feature-packed rifle whose stock seeks to wring out every little bit of the barrel’s accuracy potential without dinging the wallet too harshly.

Remington Model 700 Magpul Enhanced Specs

Type: Bolt-action centerfire
Caliber: 6mm Creedmoor (tested), 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .300 Win. Mag.
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel: 20 in. (as tested); 5R rifling, 1:7.5 twist
Overall Length: 39.5 in.
Weight: 8.5 lb.
Stock: Flat dark earth Magpul Hunter
Finish: Black Cerakote
Trigger: X-Mark Pro adjustable; 4 lb. 6 oz. (measured, as received)
Sights: None; Picatinny rail attached
Safety: Two-position rocker
Price: $1,249
Manufacturer: Remington, remington.com