Remington 700 Base for Precision Rifle

[Old Bill Dibble]

If you were building a precision rifle using a Remington 700 as a base which model either in current production or easily available and produced in last ten years would you use?

I am looking for best value so far as being closest to the desired end result of a quality build without being over the top expensive in relation to what you could have done locally.

Other parameters:
- Will see mostly field use and less time bench time
- Consistent sub 1/2" MOA is strongly desired
- Caliber will be .308


Not interested in other platforms or calibers, but open to criticism about the platform thanks.

 

[Reloadron]

My target rifles are both Remington 700 BDL actions about 20 plus years old. One in .308 Winchester and the other in .223 Remington. I started by truing both actions followed by lapping the bolts and bolt lugs. The fixtures came from Brownell's. Today I would consider a bolt from PTG (Pacific Tool & Gauge). Both actions went into aluminum bedded stocks. Really matters not that I used BDL rifles as ADL would have been fine, I didn't need a floor plate for what I wanted. I went with Shilen barrels at the time and Timney triggers.

If you want a field and not a bench target rifle I would not worry much about an aluminum bedded stock or any bedding. Just about any old Remington 700 or Winchester Model 70 should be doable with a good target barrel. My target guns were built more with the bench in mind so the heavy barrels were never an issue. The very best hand load .308 Winchester group I ever managed was a .250" five shot group and I only did that once at the 100 yard line. I can generally get .5" groups with either rifle.

Anyway, if you want Remington I would be looking for an older Remington 700 be it a BDL or ADL depending on what you want. Field sort of implies a light contour pencil barrel. Shillen, Hart or McMillan all are good barrels and there are a few new barrel makers out there. I went with Remington because at the time I had the fixturing and tooling for Remington 700 Actions.

Ron

 

[Old Bill Dibble]

I plan on being mounted most of the time (ATV or some other form of transport) so a heavy barrel is not out of the question. Bouncing around on an ATV for miles is probably not good for bedding so the point is well taken.

 

[50 shooter]

Back in the 90's when Rem. came out with the VSSF line, myself and a friend both bought one in .308. Topped them both with Leopold scopes and went shooting, both held MOA or better with Fed. GMM.

The stocks were built for Rem. by HS precision and had the aluminum bedding blocks built in. My friend swapped his out for one of the Super Sniper stocks by Choate, it shrank his groups to one little ragged hole. We both shot it and had the same results, I couldn't believe that a $150 stock could make such an improvement.

I think they still make a couple models or you can find one on gun broker in .308.

 

[Clark]

Over the past month I have built a couple Rem 700 rifles for my 2016 hunting trip. I used Benchmark and Pac Nor super match barrels, although I usually use Shilen select match or Krieger.

I drill a hole in the receiver face to accept the pin for a Darrell Holland quarter inch thick recoil lug. I have made my own recoil lugs, but I think they are best made with a surface grinder, which I don't have. You can see I have free hand ground a bevel on the front per a post by Chad Dixon [A commercial rifle builder asking why that is not offered]. The bevel makes it marginally lighter and easier to pull out of the bedding.

I used a Whidden V block and Pacific Tool bottom metal and magazine. I milled out the V block for the magazine and for the thicker recoil lug.

I used a Boyds pro varmint stock. I did not have to make pillars, as both the Pacific tool and the Widden provided them. My pillars are better, made with a boring bar for a concave top that fits the receiver with radius with the right amount of interference to just spread the sides when pre compressed during bedding. But the Whidden lugs are made to fit inside the V block, so I used them and milled them shorter to emulate the Pacific Tool height of lugs.

I took the trigger out and installed a hunting level Timney. To get the Timney to fit in the stock, I used an acid brush and Jerrow's inletting black. I paint this on the trigger, try to assemble the gun, and wherever the black stuff shows up inside the gun, attack with the chisel. Repeat until gun assembles.

 

[Clark]

I built a light one, 7 pounds in 6mmBR and a heavy one, 15 pounds in 7mmRM.

In a few minutes of range time over the chrono at 50 yards, the light one is the only one shooting sub moa so far. I think that will change as soon as I drive 900 miles tomorrow and set up out in the sage brush at long range.

 

[MarkCO]

One with a 5R barrel. Only barrel I would leave on a precision rifle.

Otherwise, buy an action and put a Bartlein on it.

 

[brasscollector]

Bought a 2012? production 700 SPS 'Varmint' (26" heavy barrel, 12" twist) in 308, used a couple years ago. Originally had a nylon stock, original owner had installed a B&C. I adjusted the Xmark trigger down to 3-1/2lbs and mounted a vx3. It is in unmolested factory condition otherwise. Using plain-ol 150gr hornady fmjbt bullets I can make one-ragged-hole groups with the rifle at 200 yrds. 100yd groups are in the .1-.25 range. I've shot this 'plinking' load out to 350yds and could still cover the group, IIRC 5-6 shots, with a half-dollar.

 

[Austend95]

+1 on the sps varmint in 308. Adjust the trigger or throw in an aftermarket, handload and shoot. If you aren't satisfied, upgrade to a free float stock with good bedding block.
Mine is factory except a timney trigger. Developed a good handload for it and I am more than happy. Under .5 moa if I do my part.
Best of all its a cheap place to start

 

[tobnpr]

If you were building a precision rifle using a Remington 700 as a base which model either in current production or easily available and produced in last ten years would you use?

I'm not clear on what you're asking here...

Sounds as though you're really asking whichfactory model would be most accurate?
For target, you're talking about a heavy contour barrel- the Sendero would be my choice.

The word "build" is a bit confusing (and overused). I don't consider anything a "build" unless it's starting from an unbarreled receiver. If your intent is to build a precision rifle, then it matters not...Find a donor action, have it trued- or just start with a precision factory "clone" like Stiller or Defiance.

 

[Old Bill Dibble]

The point being that if there are already good enough quality parts on board then they don't need to be swapped out. It is gaming in a way.

 

[tobnpr]

Well...
Then that all depends on exactly what level of accuracy qualifies as a "precision rifle" by your definition- and know that there are NO guarantees with any factory rifle. Some, will shoot better than others. You might get a "good one"- and you might not. And a minute-of-angle guarantee sure isn't a "precision rifle" by anyone's standard.

If you're looking for 3/4 minute or better accuracy, don't risk your money on a
factory "precision rifle". Get a donor action, or a precision action as I stated above- and build off it.

Buy once, cry once.

 

[Txhillbilly]

I wouldn't waste the time/money getting a factory Remington action and then getting it trued when for a couple hundred dollars more you could buy a custom action ready to go.
You can buy a Shilen action for $950

 

[old roper]

One problem buy Shilen or clone like Stiller actions, the base price doesn't include trigger/bottom metal.

http://www.shilen.com/pricesActions.html

 

[SJCbklyn]

Rem 700 5r mil-spec .308.
Its a legit tack driver.
It's a grand but the build will probably run you that.

 

[Old Bill Dibble]

Do you think it will perform better than the 700P?

 

[tobnpr]

Nothing against the 700...
But if you're looking for an out-of-the-box target stick, have you considered the RPR? I'd go that route, or a Savage 12 or 10FCP over the 700 in a heartbeat..

 

[Clark]

OK, I sighted the 6mmBR in to 200, 300, 400, and 500Y.

I killed two animals at 158 and 250 yards the first day of hunting.
It was bang flop with 95 gr Nos Bal tip 2800 muzzle.

 

[alex0535]

Feel like the average Savage with a match grade barrel swapped onto it would probably give 1/2 moa with competent shooter. Plenty accurate for field use.

With a 700, I'm looking at upwards of $200 in getting the action trued and $300 for barrel chambering and installation from top of the line gunsmiths that build rifles that can make 1/2 moa look way less precise in the right hands. So if I had to buy a 700 just for the action, I could probably get a better action that will require less work on their part and pay about as much money for it all said and done unless I had a 700 with a shot out barrel just sitting around that needs gunsmith love and a new barrel.

 

[Old Bill Dibble]

Well I have combed a over a dozen gun shops around North Alabama in the last few weeks looking for an older Remington 700 in .308.

I have found zero. That is none in any version of the model 700 rifle. The owners have the same answer every time "People don't get rid of that rifle". Plenty of other makes out there.

In fact I only found even one new 700 in 308, a brand new Tactical with a 16" threaded barrel at a tempting price. I did not go to any big box stores.