Tricks for accuracy on a Rem 700?
 

Anyone have any tricks on tightening up the accuracy on a Reminton 700?

I didn't care for shooting my 700 ADL for years because the accuracy sucked. Then I changed the scope from a cheap Bushnel that I suspected the cross hairs were moving on me when I would shoot to a Nikon Prostaff and I started handloading. Now I am getting groups I only dreamed about before. This is what worked for me. What caliber?

I've been told a few things that I'm going to apply to me 700 when I return to the states.

- Make sure the crown has absolutely no damage. If it has even a slight scratch, it will affect accuracy. Have it re-crowned.
- Make sure the barrel is not contacting the stock. Run a dollar bill between the barrel and the stock to looks for points of contact. There are specific tools for sanding down the barrel channel.
- Ensure the bolt handle isn't touching the stock when it's down. If it is, use a dremel and remove material from the stock until the handle doesn't touch.

Free float the barrel. This may or may not make a more accurate rifle but it will usually make it more consistent.

Bed the action and 1-2 inches of the barrel. I prefer to use Devcon aluminum putty for this.

There are other things you could do but it becomes more extensive and costly.

If you have a pre X-mark trigger get it reworked or install an after market trigger.

I alway like to start with the simplest thing first,
1. Try several different types and weights of bullets.
2. Adjust the trigger, i like mine close to two pounds with as little creep as possible.
3. Try new optics.
4. Try free floating the barrel if it isnt already.
5. Bed the action.

the dollar bill thing isnt enough in most cases. about 2 years ago i was able to watch some testing being conducted on barrel harmonics and some interesting things came up in the slow motion video. to make a long story short, barrels vibrate ALOT more then most think and for thinner contoured barrels 1/16 to 1/8 clearance is needed depending on the caliber. and supporting the barrel does reduce the distance in the nodes of the vibration wave but it will increase the frequency so there is a chance that a load that might have worked in your gun might not be the most accurate anymore

...........Well, once again, after writing a fairly long rely to this thread, I was told I didn't have permission to post. Happens EVERY TIME I write something over a couple paragraphs long.
.......Just really getting sick of this happening. SOOOO disgusting!! Had to go back and re-register (login) just to enter this post. Funny thing is, it recognizes me when I log in initially. I'm just at a loss...............

ive been having the same thing happening to me. ive just assumed something "forgot" that i logged in while i am writting :rolleye0011:

TRIGGERS TRIGGERS AND MORE TRIGGERS.. turn your factory one down as light as it can and still be safe or install an after markey Jewell !! After that then you can start playing around with powders, primers, bullets etc. I'm a little surprized your havin that much trouble with the action. A new barrel with a tight clearance neck cut or maybe a barrel..lots of variables to this question

Trade it in on a Browning..that'll help it the most. J/K..

+1 Duck's comments. Sorry folks, I'm just not a Remmy fan. :devil:

Ive owned 3 700s and they all shot great w/out bedding or floating anything. All Ive ever done is adjust the trigger. I currently have a 700mt rifle w/ a thin barrel ,that will shoot 1'' groups or less, and put 5 shots in a paper plate at 200yds just resting the forend. I did put a rifle basix trigger in it, but the older factory ones can be easily adjusted.
http://www.quarterbore.com/library/a...00trigger.html

There's a great reference on this subject out "there". It's called "Accurizing The Factory Gun".... by M.L. McPherson, published by Precision Shooting, Inc. It deals with the what's, why's, and how's of it all. If you're serious about tinkering, it's worth your time. Lots of real good stuff there. Y'all go git one, y'hear?

I have a Remington 700 BDL-LH in .270 that I have owned since about 1976. Very early I had it glass bedded, barrel free-floated, and trigger adjusted to 2 lb. I handload practically all my ammo, but it shoots practically everything I have ever fed it into 1-1 1/2 in. groups at 100 yards. All I have to do is adjust my scope or allow for different point of impact of various loads. I couldn't ask for a greater degree of accuracy in a gun that I can use for anything from ground hogs to elk. As far as I am concerned, no custom rifle could serve me any better.

You have to love high speed video. I'm sure that it was a thinner than normal barrel, but I saw a video once that actually showed a bulge moving down the barrel with the bullet. To answer the original question, try different ammo. I know that it's said all the time, but a lot of guys are hung up on really wanting to make a certain bullet work. My 700 in 30-06 really likes the plain jane 150grain Core-lokts, it'll group under an inch with them but Winchester 150 grain power points average 3" groups.

Remember fellas that deer arent killed with groups. A bullet better suited to your hunting scenario that shoots a little looser group is better than a poor bullet that shoots great.

Well said Podunk.

I believe in the reloading bench first then the tinkering. But I'll have to agree most problems start with a stiff trigger. If your pulling enough there's no way your gonna have consistant groups. Trigger job first.

One time at Honady camp.... lol

We were told by a hornady ammo tester if any given random box pulled out of a lot shot 3" groups or under that lot was considered good to go. That was years apon years ago. Hopefully standards have changed which I know they have. But sometimes I'm curious of how the tolerances of Rifle and Ammunition manufactors stick to those guidelines. And with today's riflemen expecting the very best they should be coming off the shelf with top notch degree of quality. Savage you have come along ways lil brother Kudo's to you. Step up or go out of business should be the motto. I'd rather pay another 500 bucks for a great rifle than know I'm gonna spend 1000 bucks making it shoot.

I surprised that nobody has blamed the person pulling the trigger, I've handed my benchrifle to my buddy and watched him print a 4" group with a gun that shoot's .100" 5 shot groups.

I've watched guys sight rifles in with nothing but a bi-pod and you could watch the gun jiggle like they were in a earthquake.

Guys sight their rifle offhand....p.s I asked the guy if he was burning up old ammo and gave me the answer of " No, i'm sighting the phucking thing in" and "I don't hunt with a rest, so why would i sight in with one" Then he wondered why it took him a box of shell's to get close, And no he didn't get it sighted in, he just run out of ammo.

People using human silhouette targets to sight in deer rifles.

Guys putting their finger(s) on the barrel.

Man, i could be here all night with this, Point being we would criticize a guy for not practing with a bow but why do rifle shooters not get the same criticism?

Along with working up good loads and bedding/freefloating the barrel I might suggest playing with pressure points in the forend and hand lapping the bolt lugs and bore.

I agree but for a Savage.
I have had 4 Remingtons and every one of them had a problem
A new 30-06 bdl would not shoot anything less than 2" groups
I gave up on it and put a 243 barrel on it that fixed it.
I will never buy another Remington
Only Savage Marlin and Ruger & Winchester for me from now on.
Thats why there is so much after market stuff for Remingtom because you have to fix them to get a good rifle.
and the triger problem they had is no joke my 264 fired when releasing the safty off. I'm lucky I had it pointed up and didn't kill anyone at the range.

My suggestion is sell it, and don't buy remington again.

Definately - trade it in on a Savage, Tikka or Sako.

If new;

1st Hand lap the barrel

2nd Trigger job or replace trigger

3rd Pachmayr decelerator pad

4th Let your gun pick the ammo it likes best

5th We arear plugs & ear muffs (that's for you, not the gun - LOL !).

+1, If your not experienced with Rem700 walker triggers don't touch it, give it to a quality gunsmith, nobody said it so thought i would. As for #4, ++1, i see guys just grab whatever is on sale or what they used in a different rifle and it shot fine so they just buy it without a second thought.

I was given a browning a-bolt stainless stalker and after trying several different handloads out of it i planned on making a tent stake out of it but somebody offered me money for it so it found a different home.

Check the bedding ,scope mounts, and action screws before you start spending a bunch of money.I would try some different ammo in it next and if that doesnt work try a new scope. I have a model 700 in .270 that will shoot under an inch at 85 yards.

WHY would anyone trade in a POOR shooting rifle for a piece of JAPANESE steel.

It takes decent optics, decent shooting skills, decent rifle, a good rest and consistent ammo. Take any one part out and you will still be wondering.

If a Remmy's junk without aftermarket parts then, why is there as many aftermarket parts for a savage then? Are they junk too?

it is true that in some cases floating the barrel does help... how ever some times pressure point is also the answer

it could be as simple as different ammo

Well one thing you can do that greatlyhelps is getting them "Blueprinted". This is a process in which the bolt face, BBL, and receiver are all squared up and then you lap you bolt in. Tento finish it off put a tac knob on the bolt handle. hope this helps :)

Float the barrel, pillerbed the action, along with glass bedding.
Add a Timney trigger, and a thumbhole stock.

Others have offered some very good tips here for obtaining accuracy. I will offer two more. #1 is alot of trigger time. I've found that the more one shoots using good techniques, the more accurate shooter one becomes. #2, recently a friend brought his 25-06 model 70 Winchester to me. He'd had for the better part of thirty years and always took very good care of it and faithfully maintained the barrel using Hoppes #9. The last couple of years though, its accuracy was getting very bad, akin to a shotgun patterern. So he thought maybe it was time for a new barrel. I looked at it and decided I'd try a good cleaning first. I Spent two days on it removing carbon and copper fouling. We took it to the range to try it out. His first hundred yard test resulted in a half inch group. The second group was also a half inch. I offered him $50 buck for that terrible shooting rifle. He only laughed. Bottom line, good barrel maintenance will also go along ways towards good accuracy. Goodluck with your Remy.:)

If in fact you want to spend a fair amount of money accurizing your rifle, send it to Hill Country.

http://www.hillcountryrifles.com/pages/accurizing


Otherwise, I listed earlier in this thread the least expensive way to get the "most" for your money.

If new;

1st Hand lap the barrel

2nd Trigger job or replace trigger

3rd Pachmayr decelerator pad

4th Let your gun pick the ammo it likes best

5th We arear plugs & ear muffs (that's for you, not the gun - LOL !).



BTW - You'll notice this one is still the best thing anyone can do (part of finding the "right" ammo for your gun)

"#1 is alot of trigger time......." KT29

Nothing can replace PRACTICE !!!

Looks like some chinese spam crept in.

I bought a new SPS Buckmasters .270 Win last summer. Adjusted the X-Mark Pro trigger down to 3 lbs. and it's an absolute tackhammer (3/4" at 100 yards) with nothing else done to it. The camo synthetic stock is NOT free floated but has a pressure point near the end. It works just fine this way.

I'm not saying it couldn't shoot even tighter groups by putting in a Timney (or Jewel etc) trigger, free floating the barrel etc etc but for a hunting rifle it's more then good enough.

Mine was pretty cheap to get accurate...a GA gun collector directed me to start shooting those 35.00 a box Winchester Silver Tips...extremely tight groups. I also use a 4200 Bushnell Elite Scope...clear as a bell.

This is the Remington 700 270

Bed it first. Never worry about anything else until it's bedded.

Can't identify with this problem. I have had a Remington 700 BDL-LH in .270 since about 1976. It shot well when I got it (about 1.5 in at 100 yd), a few years later, I just decided to get it glass-bedded, lightened the trigger to 2 lb, and added a Pachmayr recoil pad (just for my comfort). Since then, it shoots almost every load I feed it in 1 in or less at 100 yd. I just have to adjust my point of impact up or down depending on the load I am feeding it. I hand load almost all my ammo and weigh every charge.

We must have ran into the same people!!!!! I am a Firearms Instructor and Sniper for my agency and have been involved with weapons in various agencies and departments I have worked for over 20yrs and it never fails to amaze me at the antics I see and hear of how people conceive on how to properly sight in a weapon. And to think that I work with some of these brainyacks!!!!
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