Model 673

[GANDER]

 I am looking at purchasing a Model 673. The renamed/revamped version of the old 600 guide gun. I am looking for a elk rifle and like the light weigh and laminated stock. I am thinking 350 Remington Mag would suite the bill quite nice. I was wanting to see if anyone has this particular gun and what they thought of it. Thanks!!

[charles p]

Don't understand why they put that vent rib on the rifle, even for non-scope use.  Not pretty to me plus it is extra weight that isn't necessary. 

[jvs]

The 673 in .350 mag would do the job.  But you better figure on reloading if you want to keep the price of shooting it down.  The 673 is offered in .350 Mag, 6.5mm Mag, and i think it came out in a .300 SAUM.  All Short Actions, which is basically all the Model 7 receiver can handle.

Since the 6.5 mag and the .350 mag are belted magnum cartridges, they tend to get pricey, even if you reload and need to buy casings.

And since the vented rib is on the barrel of the 673, you are somewhat limited in the size of the scope you can put on it.  I have a 6.5 mag and a .308, and they both will sport a 2x7x32mm scope.  40mm is a little iffy, and may be a real tight fit.  If at all.

I think if it were me, I would be looking into a long action for Elk.  There is no real advantage to having a 22 inch barrel and a short action caliber.   Especially for bigger game like Elk.

 

[deltecs]

I think the .350 Rem mag is a fine elk round.  It is flat shooting, relatively light recoil, and hits hard with plenty of penetration on difficult angle hits.  The 673 is beauty to the eyes of some beholders with the vent rib.  The vent rib draws the shooters eye toward the front open sight and through a peep it is shadow sighting.  Remington would have been much better off to have removed the belt on the case and left it a true bottleneck in my preference.  However, it is a ballistic match with the longer action .35 Whelen and most hunters think not only is it more than adequate, but applaud its virtues.  You will have to reload if using bullets larger than 225 gr though.  And I would, using 250 gr.  There is nothing wrong with short actions compared to long actions if one is using common weight bullets.  It is when using the heavier bullets that the longer action is a bit more desirable, so the bullets need not be seated into the powder column and still fit in the magazine.  If the 673 Rem fits you, you like its balance, handling, and appearance, be assured you'll be happy with the caliber regardless of others opinions.  You are the one doing the hunting and shooting, not the next guy.

[kudzu]

Have one in the 300saum. Very accurate with fac 150 CL ultras(sub1/2at 100) . IMO the 300saum is a very fine round, just a dying breed due to the 300wsm. Have not loaded for this rifle yet, but will soon load up some 150Accubonds and 150swift sciroccos to see which will shoot better. I also have a 3.5x12x44 Atec scope on mine. I did remove the rear sight to mount scope. I also like the differant look of the vent rib.

[jvs]

If you happen to run into any empty brass for either of the belted magnum calibers, I suggest you snap them up while you can.  Since I have one, I know for a fact that the 6.5 mm mag casings are pretty hard to come by.  I would imagine that the casings for the .300 SAUM will be just as hard to find, if not harder, in a few years. 

Just about the same problem with the .350 mag.

Empty brass for those belted mags isn't cheap either, no matter how you find them.

One more thing...  there is a guy in Florida that invented a belted magnum die that he claims allows you to get more than 3 or 4 reloads without casing failure.  His Die resizes all the way down to the belt, not just partially down, like all other dies do.  His Customer Testimonials claim to get upwards to 20 reloads while using his Die.

That's the good news.

The bad news is, the Die costs almost $100 with shipping.  Which in the long run, may be worth the price.

[Oday450]

I have one in .350 Rem Mag and have been very pleased with  it even though my preference is usuallly for a more classic rifle.  I understand that the Rem 7 CDL is also available in 350 Rem Mag if this is a real issue.   The 673 was available locally and on sale for half price when I bought mine so there was no hesitation in picking it up.

With hand loads using 59 gr of IMR 4320 and .225 grain Swift bullets I can shoot 4 and 5 shot groups from a rest of less than 1 inch. Many 3 shot groups are clover leafs.  Recoil is not an issue and muzzle blast is OK using muffs. Others at the range could tell it was a magnum though!

I took a nice black bear with it in Idaho last year using the load above and am trying to decide whether to use it or a 300 Win Mag for elk next year.  Since the hunt will be in timber, I'm leaning toward the 673 for its easier handling and carrying on horseback.  The cartridge is efficient with recommended powders and not much velocity is lost with the 22 inch barrel. 

It is easy to handle, comes up to the shoulder ready to shoot, and fits well in a scabbard with a 2X7 scope. The only negatives I have found are the blade sight is visible in the scope and some longer bullets (Barnes and Nosler spitzers for example) cannot chamber from the magazine - they are too long or the case crimps over the ogive to get a correct COL. That's the main reason I went to the Swifts - they are perfect.

I agree with the previous statements about cost of components and scope size.  They are right on.  My bias is this is a great rifle and cartridge and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

[msorenso]

Ha

[msorenso]

Very satisfied with mine in 350 rem mag.