Rifle Building- To upgrade or start over?

Any stock needs to secure the action tightly against the forces of recoil. If the action shifts under recoil, you lose all consistency and the muzzle will be at a different point "in space" when the bullet exits- and there goes accuracy.

Be it wood, wood composite, synthetic composites...all generally need to be epoxy bedded to achieve this, although a composite stock (or metal chassis system) with a precision fit to the action can deliver good accuracy without.
 
I agree that consistent torque is needed but 60 in-lbs is really quite high.

Very few firearms makers recommend more than 45. I think Weatherby recommended 65 on some guns at one point but currently says 35-55 depending on the stock.

Remington says no more than 15 on wood stocks and 45 on synthetics. I do think they allow up to 65 on composites.

In reality, I think there's a safe max but no real "correct" number. There are all kinds of opinions/methods on getting it right for your gun.
 
Forget 750 yards with a .270? Why? 28 and 26 calibers on the same size case behind the neck have done very well at that range. With match bullets, the .270 will shoot 3/4 MOA with only half decent ammo in good rifles.

The (.270)cartridge is not up to it? Well, their bullets in Sierra's test range shot in the 1/4 to 3/8 MOA sized groups at 100 yards.

A (270) 140 grain bullet, for example, drops 97"(8 feet) at 700 and that's not an issue at all as long as it drops the same amount for each shot. Accuracy is not measured by how much a bullet drops at any range.

Regarding stock screw torque......

Win. 70's shot best in competition with all three screws at 60 in/lb with all barrel weights, cartridge as well as barrel length. Those using Rem 7XX based rifles performed well with 40 to 45 in/lb on front and back screws, 25 to 30 on the middle one.
 
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I would build off the ADL. I've got a older ADL with synthetic stock and just bedded the action, free floated the barrel, and installed a Shilen Trigger. With my handloads and modest speeds, I would not hesitate to ethically take game at 400-450yds. Target, I wish I had a 750yd range to shoot at lol. Some people want to bash these rifles because of the setbacks Remington has had over last 10 or so years. Bash all you want, drive the prices down and I'll buy them up and do a little tinkering with them for a lot less than a fully custom built rifle.
 
Thank you all very much! I intend to use the advice you fine gentlemen provided and I guess I'll see where it takes me. :) again, thank you all for the great criticism and advice, I appreciate the feedback.
 
In reality, I think there's a safe max but no real "correct" number. There are all kinds of opinions/methods on getting it right for your gun.
Click to expand...

I just completed a build using an Accuracy International Chassis System- and was surprised that their directive was to tighten the action screws to 53 in./lbs.

Not 51, or 54, but 53...:confused: Can't help but wonder how that was determined.
 
Action screw torque setting have been determined by machine resting the rifle then shooting 20- to 30-shot that's groups at different torques. Whatever makes the smallest groups is the spec. It varies with action types. But for a given action, the amount seems to be the same across all stock materials except steel or aluminum tube guns. I don't know about tube guns.

Most .22 rimfire match rifles do best with 20 to 25 inch pounds.
 
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