Remmy 700 Wont shoot!! GRRRR

hunter-4-life

hunter-4-life

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I cannot, for the life of me, get my remmy 700 LSS in 7mm rem mag to print half decent groups at all! It does have a 23" barrel which could be some of the problem. I have tried 3 types of powder (IMR 4350, H1000 and retumbo) 5 different bullet types/grains (162 SST, 150 Nosler Partition, 175gr speer grand slam, 120gr horandy SP and 162gr hornady SP), ive also tried factory ammo of all sorts. The barrel isnt free floated but I have sanded the stock down a bit to take some pressure off the barrel which helped. All the bullet/powder combos shoot 2-2.5" groups consistently, the smallest ive ever got with it was 1.75" that was with the 175gr Speer GS and H1000. I have tried different lengths of loads (bullet depth) and even different primers and didnt really notice a difference. The scope rings/bases are all tight and the scope itself is a good scope (leupold Vari-X 2). the trigger is light, no creep or anything. And last but not least all groups were shot out of a lead sled to help eliminate shooter error as best as I could.

Im at a dead end. Besides maybe slappin a new barrel on the ol girl what else could a guy do??
 
Bed IT. Clean barrel, use some wipeout to remove copper fouling,try 65 gr imr 4350 and some 140 gr Balistic tips or accubonds
 
Barrel length will have nothing to do with it. A proper free float and a bedding to start. Grab some Wipeout Patch and run soppy patches down the barrel until the come out white. Then clean the whole barrel and chamber with brake clean. Foul the barrel up and try again.

Who cut and crowned the barrel? That COULD be the problem.
 
x3 on the wipeout. If it ain't new it could very well be copper fouled.

Is there any pattern to the groups? Like (12 o'clock, 4 oclock, 8 oclock). A pattern to a group can give some insight as to if it's barrel harmonics.
 
A proper free float may or may not make any difference. Floating a barrel is not a magic bullet for fixing anything. You do have to try it though. Mind you, if you quit calling it a remmy, it might quit sulking. snicker.
You also need to remember that it's not a target rifle. 2 to 2.5" might be as good as it gets. That's perfectly acceptable accuracy for a short barreled, magnum, hunting rifle anyway.
 
Not wanting to come off as a ####, but are you able to shoot sub minute of angle groups with other high power rifles? What size groups are you getting with factory ammo? Not to say your rifle isn't a 2 MOA rifle at best, it does happen.

Edit to add....
Tell us about your loading technique. Do you weigh every charge? Throw them with a powder measure +/- 2.0 gr? 2 big scoops and one little scoop of powder? Mixed batch of brass?
 
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I'm not sure who cut and crowned it as I bought it from Jo brook in Brandon. And yes I am able to shoot sub MOA groups with other high power rifles, I can do it with 243, 270, 308 and a 300 RUM. I have cleaned it extensively, however have not ran anything special down the barrel for copper. And as far as groups, it used to shoot a straight line up and down till I relieved some barrel pressure and that took care of that. This morning when I shot it, I had one hole at 12 o'clock, one at 9 o'clock and then one bang on dead Center. The 2 flyers were each 3" from center
 
How old is this rifle and how many rounds does it have down the pipe? A 7mm Mag will not last forever. If it is an older rifle I'd suspect it has seen a fair bit of use and may have a burned throat.

The only way to know for sure is to measure the distance to the lands or get it borescoped.
 
The rifle was pre recal I know that, however when I bought it I was told not many rounds have gone down the tube. I have put approximately 80-90 trying to find a load/brand that works in it
 
You relaxed some of the barrel pressure, and it started grouping tighter.

Free float it, see what happens. I suspect it will cure the problem. My experience is that it usually does.

FWIW.
 
sir_springer said:
You relaxed some of the barrel pressure, and it started grouping tighter.

Free float it, see what happens. I suspect it will cure the problem. My experience is that it usually does.

FWIW.
Click to expand...
Thing is i was told by a very wise man who happened to be a gun smith for 40 years that hes free floated a lot of remingtons and it only made them shoot better 50% of the time. Worse comes to worse Ill keep it for the action/stock/scope etc and use it for a custom build in a couple years
 
The comments about free floating the barrel and cleaning might also include bedding the action.
Since your choice of bullets and powder is a little over the moon . . . 120 to 175 and various powders with varying burn rates.
From the Sierra Manual, your powders may have been in the ranges offered or most accurate target load and/or most accurate hunting load.
Similarly, the Nosler book does not suggest one best powder for any of their bullets ranging from 120 - 175 grain.
Once you have established a course of action and a bullet choice I would be happy to offer suitable loads from my two favourite loading manuals.
 
The cut down barrel might be the culprit. Not trying to sound like a #### but why would someone want a 7 RM with a 23inch barrel in the first place?
 
I'd be very surprised to find a Remington 700 that had much, if any, fore end pressure on the barrel from factory. Sounds like your rifle may have spent time at the hands of a hacksmith or spent some time in the water.

Are you sure your gunsmith friend meant Remington 700 and not Ruger M77? I've heard of many M77's that shot worse after a free float barrel job. Can't say I've heard the same for a 700 unless there were other causes.
 
Bed the action. You can do it; it's easy.

I've had about a dozen 700's, and while all were decent to very good as I got them, every one was improved in accuracy and consistency by a simple bedding job.

If that doesn't help, start looking for zebras.
 
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