ej why does everyone have to be so confrontational? The ADL wasn't built in .280, 7WSM nor the 7STW and only recently was the ADL/SPS chambered in the 7-08. I am pretty sure that Rutt was asking about the 700ADL in 7RemMag.
Rutt to answer your question, the ADL is one of my sentimental favorites because back in the early 80s when I was but a mere 13 years old there was a long skinny box under the Christmas tree. As I opened it the green box revealed itself to contain a 700ADL in 30/06 (obviously this was before Rem added the synthetic stock too the line). With it I learned to deer hunt and over the years the gun has been through alot. It was parkerized by an English teachers husband who was a gun nut. It got a trigger and safety job by Memphis' best gunsmith (Ed Mason) and another fine smith smoothed everything up and recrowned the barrel. Eventually I broke the stock and replaced it with a Rem syn stock and just last year I put a R3 pad on it.
I have hardly used it much in the last 15 years but after appx 75 deer at every conceivable range and under every conceivable condition, I can say that the gun PASSES with flying colors!
I guess because I grew up knowing no better, having the blind magazine (meaning you gotta jack every shell out of it to empty the gun) never occured to me to be a problem. What's that another 10 seconds at the truck at the end of the day?
Now personally I don't care for the newer ADLs (that are now morphed into the SPS series) but that is simply because of the cheap finish that Remington puts on them. The actions feel like they are full of sand from the gritty texture of the parkerization used by Big Green. But with some rubbing or simply age and use the action will smooth up. The newer SPS stock is something I hate even worse. I prefer the hollow, injection molded stock of the ADL over the "brittle" feeling stock of the SPS. BUT the SPS does offer a hinged floorplate and even a detachable mag if you wish. For that reason alone the majority will take them over the ADL.
Caliber wise, while my ADL isn't a 7Rem I have two of them in other guns and several other 700s as well. They are up for anything (and usually more) than you probably will be. If this is your first or only rifle you would be hard pressed to beat the 7RemMag for an all purpose caliber. It is the best selling mag on the planet and the sky is the limit with loads, be them commercial or reloads.
Good luck and top her off with a decent or better scope and you will have a combo that can be handed down some day!
RA
ps
All the mods I did too the gun were simply "because I wanted to" it wasn't because the gun didn't shoot well or because something was wrong with it. However I can say that just about any load you stick in it now will easily shoot inside a half inch at 100yds. She aint fancy, aint pretty and didn't cost a fortune but it was still my first so for that reason I guess it's my sentimental favorite. LOL kinda like a young boy "learning" from an older woman if you get drift!!!
Anyone here hunt with a 7mm?
