The 700 by virtue of having been around a long time in large numbers has become the Chevy small block of actions. It was cheaper/faster/easier to manufacture a round action than a flat bottom action (Mauser, Winchester 70 etc.).
Remington has been known to be a little iffy with their fit, finish and dimensional tolerances. Doesn't mean they won't shoot in factory original form (especially with load development) but generally they will not have consistent match winning accuracy. The biggest gain in accuracy from "blueprinting" is the installation of a match grade barrel with a good match chamber. Gains also come from the bedding job that typically comes with blueprinting. Some 700s are sloppy enough that it's not worth the effort/money. Trick is to have a good enough smith to determine if it's worth doing before you sink money into it. For instance a really sloppy bolt fit would require opening up the action to sleeve the bolt. Yeah that works but at that point just get a better action.
So it boils down to just what you expect out of a build. For a varminter or better hunting rifle blueprinting is fine and a little cheaper to build. If you're building a serious accuracy rifle bite the bullet and get an aftermarket 700 clone, or other aftermarket action.
