New project: Remington 700

[brandonq2]

I just bought myself a Remington 700 Varmint and plan to build it into the most accurate firearm I've ever owned (which isn't saying much.). This is my first bolt action, my first .308, and it already has the nicest trigger I've ever pulled. The goal is to eventually hit a target at 1000 yards with most of my shooting being 300 or less, and I'm taking it out this weekend to see what I'm starting with.

I've already made arrangements with Alan at A&A Optics to pick up a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 scope and rings at the 1500, but I need more. My questions begin with where to buy other equipment and accessories within a fair driving distance of indy? I ordered a Harris bipod already because every place I checked with around here didn't carry the model I was looking for. I'm definitely replacing the cheap stock, plus I'm sure there's a whole mess of other things I'll want that I haven't even considered yet and I would prefer to buy local and/or fondle whatever it may be I'm dropping cash on.

If nothing else, this should be a learning experience and I welcome any suggestions as far as equipment, knowledge, or even places to shoot at greater distances. My goal is to improve my marksmanship and have fun at the same time. This rifle will not be intended for hunting, and I am about the farthest thing around from being a force recon sniper, but I do want to put bullets onto targets a long ways away.

Of course, nothing really happens if there are no pictures:
As it comes out of the box, no name 4-12x scope and all

 

[silentvoice71]

That scope will be pushin it at 1k. Its a very nice scope though. New stock, aluminum bedded hs precision and bell and carlson are good reasonably priced stocks. Get you action trued and squared and bolt lugs lapped. Also a good set of shooting bags

 

[AllenM]

Lots of quality ammo will be one of the best accessories Do you reload? don't expect to squeeze every bit of performance out of any long range rifle with most store bought ammo.

 

[billmyn]

i like Bell and Carlson A3 light weight tactical stock, everything you could want in a stock under $300.00, get a good set of rings for your scope, might consider a better trigger later and a minimum of 200rds of blackhills 168gr (red box) ammo . after barrel break in ( with cheap ammo ) zero your scope for 200 and practice . 20rds/ day running a bore snake thru it after every shot.

 

[brandonq2]

Shooting bags is one of those items I know I should have but haven't thought to get one yet, and I'm reading a lot of good reviews on the B&C stocks. As far as ammo, I already reload .223 and .45 pretty regularly, but I haven't got the .308 dies yet. I'm actually just as excited about the load development as I am about the shooting and plan to try my luck with SMK's and AMAX's.

Who in town carries the Federal GMM or the Black hills?

 

[DocIndy]

Your best bet for that particular ammo is order it online if you can find it. FGGM can be had for @$10 a box cheaper than buying it locally. I don't know of anyone in town that stocks Black Hills. If one place might have both, check Elmore's in Greenwood. Russ had it on the shelf in the past, but I m not sure what he currently carries. Go see Andrew at Profire for a good set of .308 Redding dies and start saving brass. He should also be able to source the rest of the components you will need. My bolt gun likes the Hornady 168 gr. AMAX and Varget. Depending on what stock you choose, you might need to have it bedded. I'm sure Nick at Indy Gun Works can get you fixed up there.

 

[42769vette]

The next think I would tackle is the stock. I know for a fact my next stock will be a XLR or a Mcrees. Ive used Manners, B&C, McM, and I prefer the Manners above the 3, but I have a itch to try a chasis and by the time I added a badger bottom metal to the above stock I could have gotten a XLR that comes with the bottom metal.

 

[SchwartzStock]

Tweaking a 700

Brandonq2,

Although I am a fan of the 700 and have owned and/or worked on several hundred of them I suspect you are not going to have much luck at 1000yds with the factory barrel. That said, you need to try shooting it before replacing the barrel. Before deciding whether to go with a bedded stock or one with a block I would also try shooting rifle with a fully floated barrel and then comparing it to shooting after bedding the first two inches of the barrel. If it shoots good without the barrel bedding go with a block, if not buy the desired stock and properly bed it.

If you are going to put the $$ into lapping and truing the action may as well replace the barrel at the same time.

You will probably also want to install either a new steel triggerguard/floor plate that is hinged or one with a detachable magazine. I like the Badger detachable mag set-up but routinely use a hinged type such as the one from either Dakota Arms or again Badger on customer guns.

If the trigger meets your needs don't touch the screws and don't let someone else touch them unless they can explain to you what each of the three screws does....

Buy good quality military style mounts like those from Leupold/Badger. Don't buy a QD mount like the ARMS unless you are adding iron sights to the gun and I would still recommend the military mounts over any QD.

The Vortex should be more than adequate at 1000yds unless you are shooting at "flys on the front gate". The Army fielded the M24 with a straight 10X and these were routinely shot at 1000 at the sniper schools. BTW, if someone tells you they shot 1000 meters at a sniper school they are BSng, Last I heard there was not a single 1000 m KD range. Same for the Marines.

Anyway, With the Harris, make sure it is mounted with the legs swinging forward overwise the gun will "bounce" from hard surfaces during recoil and string shots vertically. I like the Bench rest height with the swivel feature but prefer to shoot off a small beanbag (filled with craft beads) placed on an improvised tripod. I have several types of bipods ranging in cost from about $40 to over $200 (PH) and am not that impressed with any of them. Always meant to buy a Swiss-made Loga tripod but never got there.

I would also recommend you get a military (or other shooting) type sling and learn to use it.

SS

 

[brandonq2]

All great information guys, I'm just soaking it all in. A coworker and I are headed over to profire tomorrow to see what he has, and the bipod I ordered is the Harris 6-9" rotating model. I'm a lot more tall than wide so I feel that height will work for me.

Docindy, how far have you taken the 168 Amax? I've read that the 168 smk's don't do well past 700, but the 155/175 smk's do, as well as the 168 amax. I've seen the sierra bullets at Plainfield shooting supplies, but I don't recall ever seeing the amax on a shelf anywhere.

This rifle does have the 26" barrel, so I'm hoping for decent results out of it before I start dropping major money. Add to the shopping list good brass, powder, and a shooting chrony, hoping I'm set up by spring weather to start serious testing. Rings will be Warne Maximas, and I'm looking at the matching Warne Maxima 20moa steel base.

Other than Young's long shot, where else can I stretch out to 1k? My go to range is Waveland gun club, but I'm limited to about 340 yards there.

 

[Dave Doehrman]

The 700 SPS Varmint is a great platform to start with. The first mod I made on mine was to add the Accuracy International 1.5 chassis system. Folks either love them or hate them. I sat down behind a lot of stocks and chassis before I bought mine and I love it. There is no bedding to worry about. Just drop the action into the chassis and tighten down the 2 mounting screws to 55 inch pounds. I replaced the factory trigger to a Jewel trigger set to 1 lb pull. I added the Atlas bipod and Accushot monopod.

The factory barrel is fine. I have over 4000 rounds through mine with no indication of wear or erosion. A good scope and bases are probably the most critical choice. I wasn't on a budget and went with the NightForce Direct Mount base. It is a one piece design and the rings don't require any lapping. Just make sure you get a base with at least 20 MOA built in if you plan to shoot out to 1,000 yards. I added the NightForce 8-32 X 56 scope with the MOA reticle. Here's what my project looks like now:

I reload the 168 gr A-Max bullets with Varget powder and use the Federal GMM primers. If you work on your loads, the rifle will do it's job if you can do yours. Here's a 5 shot group at 500 yards that measured 1.496" or 1/3 MO(A at 500 yards.

And here's a 5 shot group at 1,000 yards that measures 5 inches or 1/2 MOA at 1,000 yards.

That group was about 3" until I had the flier on the left.

Take your time breaking in the barrel. Others tell you it is a waste of time, but I'm happy with my results. It doesn't cost you anything except time and labor to do it. I have over 4,000 rounds through mine and it is doing just fine. Get a good bore guide and clean well after each session. Make sure to remove all the copper fouling.

Take your time and enjoy the process. Good reloads are my first suggestion for accurate shooting. Don't let people tell you 168s won't work out at 1,000 yards and you don't need a custom barrel to shoot good groups.

If you ever get up around Ft Wayne, I'd be happy to take you up to Young's Longshot Range where you can ding the steel plates out to 1,000 yards.

 

[42769vette]

The 700 SPS Varmint is a great platform to start with. The first mod I made on mine was to add the Accuracy International 1.5 chassis system. Folks either love them or hate them. I sat down behind a lot of stocks and chassis before I bought mine and I love it. There is no bedding to worry about. Just drop the action into the chassis and tighten down the 2 mounting screws to 55 inch pounds. I replaced the factory trigger to a Jewel trigger set to 1 lb pull. I added the Atlas bipod and Accushot monopod.

The factory barrel is fine. I have over 4000 rounds through mine with no indication of wear or erosion. A good scope and bases are probably the most critical choice. I wasn't on a budget and went with the NightForce Direct Mount base. It is a one piece design and the rings don't require any lapping. Just make sure you get a base with at least 20 MOA built in if you plan to shoot out to 1,000 yards. I added the NightForce 8-32 X 56 scope with the MOA reticle. Here's what my project looks like now:

I reload the 168 gr A-Max bullets with Varget powder and use the Federal GMM primers. If you work on your loads, the rifle will do it's job if you can do yours. Here's a 5 shot group at 500 yards that measured 1.496" or 1/3 MO(A at 500 yards.

And here's a 5 shot group at 1,000 yards that measures 5 inches or 1/2 MOA at 1,000 yards.

That group was about 3" until I had the flier on the left.

Take your time breaking in the barrel. Others tell you it is a waste of time, but I'm happy with my results. It doesn't cost you anything except time and labor to do it. I have over 4,000 rounds through mine and it is doing just fine. Get a good bore guide and clean well after each session. Make sure to remove all the copper fouling.

Take your time and enjoy the process. Good reloads are my first suggestion for accurate shooting. Don't let people tell you 168s won't work out at 1,000 yards and you don't need a custom barrel to shoot good groups.

If you ever get up around Ft Wayne, I'd be happy to take you up to Young's Longshot Range where you can ding the steel plates out to 1,000 yards.

I dont have much I can add to this, except its proof that a factory barrel can do the job.

 

[brandonq2]

Wow, Dave that is a helluva rifle and some damn good shooting. I may take you up on the offer to shoot at Young's after I've dialed in at the shorter range. Are they a membership club or can the public show up, pay, and shoot?

 

[Dave Doehrman]

Wow, Dave that is a helluva rifle and some damn good shooting. I may take you up on the offer to shoot at Young's after I've dialed in at the shorter range. Are they a membership club or can the public show up, pay, and shoot?

Membership, but members can bring a guest. I love the atmosphere there; everyone tries to help the others and the place is very safety conscious. They have the range flags and red flashing lights to indicate a cease fire, but there is no range officer telling you what to do, or when to do it.

Membership is $300 the first year and then $200 a year after that. A lot of folks come from Chicago, Detroit and even Evansville. You can pitch a tent or park a camper and spend the weekend. There's a lake with a public beach about 2 miles away, campgrounds and fishing are close by, and the womenfolk like to go to the flea market and hit the shops at Shipshewanna.

Good luck with your build. You can make changes as you have funds available. Go to the ranges and see what the others are doing. Most folks will be happy to let you sit down behind their rifles and check things out. Except for my trigger, that 700 is pure stock - with just cosmetic changes and accessories added.

 

[SchwartzStock]

I shoot pretty much 175 and 180 SMKs exclusively with N140 regardless of range.

Dave,

That is really phenominal for a production barrel, you seem to have gotten very lucky. I have seen some impressive groups from Remington's 5R barrels like less than 1/3MOA at 1800m with a prototype SR8 in 338 Lapua at Aberdeen in 1998 but not from a plain chrome-moly production version.

How much does that AICS weigh? I had one of the first folders they made and it was terribly heavy. Not only that the block was improperly machined and torqued the action when both screws were tightened.


SS

 

[Dave Doehrman]

How much does that AICS weigh? I had one of the first folders they made and it was terribly heavy. Not only that the block was improperly machined and torqued the action when both screws were tightened.

The 1.5 short action weighs 5.55 lbs and the folding model, 2.0 weighs in at 5.95 lbs. I wanted the strength and stability of a non-folding chassis and didn't really need to fold it for any reason anyway. My pillar block was a perfect drop in. I took the screws in evenly and torqued them in steps.

Weight isn't a problem either way. I shoot of a bench or prone platform.

I'm also sold on breaking in a factory barrel. I know there are a lot of opinions on this, but it works for me. It doesn't cost anything more than just shooting it without break in. I do use some patches and a little solvent and it will take about 4-5 hours, but that is very little time to invest in the life and accuracy of a new weapon.

 

[brandonq2]

Can you explain your break in procedure, Dave? My rifle is still unfired, and I've heard so many different opinions and methods, but you have posted some exceptional results from your barrel and I can't help thinking I want to follow the same procedures for hopefully similar results.

 

[Loc n load]

Rem 700

That's a great post Dave....and those sub MOA groups give all of us long range shooters that warm, fuzzy feeling....I concur with Dave, I would not fiddle too much with your new 700....put good mounts, optics on it, break in the barrel, work up some good loads, learn to shoot the rifle. During my career I had the opportunity to be on the line with hundreds of Rem 700's in 308, 99% of them bone stock, with Leo optics on them.....shooting 168's or 175's BTHP's and they are great platforms....and the majority of them will shoot much tighter groups, than the shooter driving the gun can. Enjoy ur 700.

 

[Dave Doehrman]

Can you explain your break in procedure, Dave? My rifle is still unfired, and I've heard so many different opinions and methods, but you have posted some exceptional results from your barrel and I can't help thinking I want to follow the same procedures for hopefully similar results.

With a new rifle or barrel, I fire one round and then using a bore guide and bronze brush I run some Hoppes through the bore. I use a jag and then push a couple patches through the barrel. I repeat this every shot for the first 10 rounds. After that I fire about 10 more rounds, cleaning as above every other round. I'll fire 5-10 more rounds making sure to clean all the copper fouling out after that 10 round string. Just getting the black carbon out of the barrel doesn't remove the copper fouling. After each shooting session I use a brush and soak the barrel with Hoppes. I wait 15 minutes and then push patches through looking for any greenish or blue color on the patches. I use the Hoppes and brush again, soaking the barrel and wait 15 minutes again and I repeat this process until the patches come out completely clean. The chemicals in the solvent take time to soften or dissolve the copper fouling.

I did find that mixing Hoppes and Kroil 50/50 does a fantastic job of preventing future copper fouling. Using Hoppes alone will clean the barrel, but the addition of Kroil seems to prevent future copper build up.

About every 200 rounds I use Sweet's 7.62 copper solvent and then follow that up using JB Bore paste, which is a mild abrasive to polish the bore. I always soak a patch with light gun oil and swab the bore down and leave it wet until the next shooting session. I just push a couple dry patches through before shooting.

My theory is that any dirt, residue or copper fouling that is left in the barrel will be imbedded or pushed out of the barrel by the next round being fired. Every one has their own opinion on cleaning or not cleaning the bore. This is my procedure and others can do whatever they want. If you watch the bench shooters and the folks shooting good groups at 500 - 1,000 yards, you'll see them spending about as much time cleaning as shooting.

 

[hfdcowboy]

Well as Brandon knows I'm doing a simular build starting with the same rifle. I would like any input on a chassis and optic. The options are literally endless. My goal is the same 1000 yards. Thanks

 

[Dave Doehrman]

Well as Brandon knows I'm doing a simular build starting with the same rifle. I would like any input on a chassis and optic. The options are literally endless. My goal is the same 1000 yards. Thanks

There are vendors here on INGO who can help you with optics and mounts. PM 42769vette and he can assist you with options and optics. If you seriously plan on shooting 1,000 yards, I would make sure your bases have at least 20 MOA built in. I would recommend at least 25 power on the magnification.

A scope that has good tracking (the ability to return to Zero settings after dialing elevation up and down) is critical. You should plan for and budget at least as much money for the optics as you spend on the rifle. The old saying is "Buy once - cry once". A cheap scope will lead to another cheap scope and after wasting a bunch of money on scopes and ammo, you will finally realize it would have been cheaper to do it right the first time.

My suggestion is to visit ranges where folks are shooting out to 500 and 1,000 yards. Look at their equipment and talk to them. Most will be more than happy to talk with you and let you look at their setup.