RE: need advice on accurizing a 700
A lot of good information above... and here's my take on it...
first of all... you have to be able to perform as well as what the gun is capable of.
I own 3 700 remingtons and i am building my 4th at the moment. 2 of the 3 i currently have will shoot sub MOA as is, no modifications... one is a 70's vintage BDL varmit in 222 rem... the second is a 1990 classic in 25-06 rem. i have not touched em, not even trigger adjustment... they impress the heck out of me.
the third though was a PITA... 3 inches @ 100 was all i could get handloading, very inconsistant and all over the place.. not even a consistant horizontal or vertical stringing... this was a 700 mountain rifle in 25-06. here is what i did.. i have done all of the work except replacing the barrel myself.
First, have the trigger cleaned up with a lighter pull and elimination of any creep... you can get them adjusted to break like glass at 2 1/2 lbs.
Second, most every factory rem 700 has a pressure point on the barrel in the stock, some guns respond well to this some don't. Mine didn't. by free floating it improved things but ultimately it was my barrel that was to blame. By adjusting preload on the barrel you can also effect harmonics and the way things shoot... experiment with pressures.
Third, if there is any movement what so ever between stock and action replace stock or bed the action. bedding also helps evenly distribute pressure on the action.
Fourth, locking lugs... most don't make very good contact on one let alone on both... lapping them can be of benefit. It was on my Mtn Rifle. i had 1/4 of the left lug contacting only. but as you do this you are also increaseing headspace.
Fifth. with the bolt removed... look at the muzzle carefully. i've found this on numerous 700s i've looked at. the bore is not concentric with the muzzle and crown. we all know if the crown is not true or is damaged accuracy is compromised. If the bore is not concentric with the barrel it is in essence doing the same thing. as well as generating uneven stresses and harmonics within the barrel due to uneven cross section.
Sixth. constrictions in the bore or rough rifling... fire lap the bore... some say it doesn't work some swear by it. I've done it to a handgun and 2 rifles... in every instance i have AT LEAST cut the grouping in half. no bull, not making up stories, just what has happened from me from personal experience.
I did not lap my Mtn Rifle... i rebarrelled and trued the action... Shilen #2 contour chambered in 280 rem now. i can shoot sub MOA if i do my part... accuracy in the gun now is mre dependent upon which load and bullet i shoot... some it likes some it doesn;t. small screaming varmit rounds will group 1/2 inch @ 100 or less... generally a big ragged hole... my hunting rounds, 175 partitions, are more in the 3/4 inch range... i can't expect much more than that...
from my experience with the 700 and the work i've done to them i've found factory set triggers, bore conditions and locking lugs to be the major improvement areas.. bedding sometimes helps and sometimes doesn't... it is a case by case situation on whether to do it or not.
Jim