Remington 700 tune up and barrel swap and who can do it?

[teddy12b]

I've got a Remington 700 308 5R 22" barrel. I like the gun and for most folks it's plenty accurate enough to do anything practical with a 308 they'd ever want or need to do. I shoot in competitions and I wouldn't mind squeezing more accuracy out of it. When not in competition, I have used it for deer hunting with great success. The rifle even with handloaded ammo working up loads both using the old style of loading up piles of ammo at .5 grain increments and shooting a 5 round group and the satterlee method never produced consistent results under 3/4". Again, that's not a bad rifle, but I'd like tighter groups.

Ideally, if I were to make a wish list of everything I'd like that 308 to be here it is:
1.) Consistently at or under 1/2" with match ammo.
2.) 20" barrel length as I find it to be more handy for everything I do.
3.) This one I'm iffy on, but if the barrel could cut some weight off the rig I wouldn't mind that either.

Up to this point I've been focusing on the barrel, but I would also consider putting this newly modified rig in a folding chasis. I am becoming a big fan of folding chasis just because of how much easier it is to transport the rifle. I would be interested in this if it saved weight.

I'm basically looking at this two ways. Either I want a highly accurate 308 for competitions or I want to see what it'd take to turn my 700 into something comparable to the Sig Cross.

I'm in Fort Wayne and I'd love to get setup with a local precision rifle gunsmith so if anyone knows of someone in or around my area please let me know.

 

[DocIndy]

Robert Stenski of Ski Rifles can help you out. He is in Pendleton I believe. He is working on a couple of XP-100 projects for me.

 

[natdscott]

If you’re in Fort Wayne, Pierce Engineering (John Pierce) is not that far away in Lansing. That would be my choice, and actually has been several times.

Get a Krieger or Bartlein.

What kind of competitive shooting are you doing?

Do you handload?

 

[ISP 5353]

I second the Krieger or Bartlein barrel! I have a Hart barreled .308 that is amazingly accurate too. I look forward to seeing what you decide!

 

[teddy12b]

If you’re in Fort Wayne, Pierce Engineering (John Pierce) is not that far away in Lansing. That would be my choice, and actually has been several times.

Get a Krieger or Bartlein.

What kind of competitive shooting are you doing?

Do you handload?

To date, I've done 3 competitions. Two were Guardian matches and one Mammoth. Two of the three matches were team matches where one of the two had to run either a 223/5.56 or 308. I missed the sign up for the 2021 Mammoth, but hope to be back in there for 2022. Otherwise, I'm going to focus on Guardian matches, and maybe a couple of odd ball extreme long range types of matches.

 

[243rem700]

I had a custom barrel put on my Remington 700 by Jerry C Johnson in Churubusco. He did a great job with profiling, chambering, threading, and installing my barrel.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

To piggyback this thread, I just sent for a 700 with a 5r barrel. The trigger shows it's adjustable. What can I expect the factory pull to be like, can it adjust down to under 2 lbs, or should I just plan on replacing it? Not trying to hijack thread, just looking for input on a similar firearm.

 

[teddy12b]

To piggyback this thread, I just sent for a 700 with a 5r barrel. The trigger shows it's adjustable. What can I expect the factory pull to be like, can it adjust down to under 2 lbs, or should I just plan on replacing it? Not trying to hijack thread, just looking for input on a similar firearm.

Honestly, I don't think the trigger that came on my rifle originally was a bad one. For all "normal" uses of a 308 outside of competition the rifle I bought would do them all just fine. I'm just an accuracy junkie and want better.

 

[Glocker99]

Are you going to keep the 5r barrel and is it a heavier profile? I have an 700 ADL that I put in a Magpul Hunter stock and that skinny barrel just doesn't look right. If you are interested in selling the old barrel let me know.

 

[bobjones223]

Robert Stenski of Ski Rifles can help you out. He is in Pendleton I believe. He is working on a couple of XP-100 projects for me.

I agree with this post.

Great guy and does great work.

I also believe he has built some nationally ranked bolt guns in the competition world.

 

[teddy12b]

Are you going to keep the 5r barrel and is it a heavier profile? I have an 700 ADL that I put in a Magpul Hunter stock and that skinny barrel just doesn't look right. If you are interested in selling the old barrel let me know.

Honestly, the project just never really took off for me and I will likely just leave it as it is. It's not a bad gun by any measure, it's just not an absolute tack driver.

 

[drm-hp]

I have had Dan Stone (847-546-5085) work on Mausers to Bernards for me. He does good work, quickly, for a fair price. He shoots competitively also, so he understands what matters to make a potentially accurate rifle.

 

[sloughfoot]

You are not good enough rifleman to get better groups with equipment alone. Call me harsh, I don't care... Plenty of top notch gunsmiths in Allen county that can build you a custom rifle
Your rifle should always be better than you. Your current rifle is better than you.

 

[indyjohn]

Calling you harsh.

But your observation is absolutely accurate. If equipment were the difference, I would have made High Master & been in the company of the likes of you and Cheney shooting ATC.

Best to you, my friend.

 

[teddy12b]

You are not good enough rifleman to get better groups with equipment alone. Call me harsh, I don't care... Plenty of top notch gunsmiths in Allen county that can build you a custom rifle
Your rifle should always be better than you. Your current rifle is better than you.

Ordinarily I'd completely agree with this. I say ordinarily because usually the person asking is someone new to shooting wondering why their wolf ammo isn't punching one hole groups at 100 yards.

I've been around this game a while and I can shoot a one hole group if/when the equipment is up to par. Usually, I can get shy of 1/2" and honestly I don't think I can consistently do much better than that.

I don't believe it's a bad gun, I just think it could do better. If all I was doing was hunting deer with it and my standard was hitting a pie plate I'd be ecstatic with the gun. I'm probably going to end up trying a different bullet, but the same combination of brass, powder, & primer.

 

[sloughfoot]

Calling you harsh.

But your observation is absolutely accurate. If equipment were the difference, I would have made High Master & been in the company of the likes of you and Cheney shooting ATC.

Best to you, my friend.

I should not post when wild turkey is on the computer desk. Thanks for being generous.

Teddy 12B, lets build you a great rifle......A no excuse rifle. But i am betting it won't shoot any better than what you have now. Your rifle is truly awesome....You may not remember, but we have shot together at Roanoke a while back.

 

[teddy12b]

I should not post when wild turkey is on the computer desk. Thanks for being generous.

Teddy 12B, lets build you a great rifle......A no excuse rifle. But i am betting it won't shoot any better than what you have now. Your rifle is truly awesome....You may not remember, but we have shot together at Roanoke a while back.

Yeah I remember shooting with you. I don't think I'm going to be building anything any time soon.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

This is a good thread. Honest assessment of the difference in shooters and skill levels and changing priorities. Shooters differ in skill levels and attitude toward competition. Plinker, wannabe, casual competitor, competitor. They all have their place in the shooting sports, usually just a matter of what the individual wants to invest in terms of time, effort and money, for various disciplines.

 

[econnell]

I second the Krieger or Bartlein barrel! I have a Hart barreled .308 that is amazingly accurate too. I look forward to seeing what you decide!

I have two custom hart barrels in .308…love them!
+1 for a second for Bartlein barrel! I hate i found this thread so late…smh

 

[teddy12b]

Where do you guys buy your custom barrels?