Accurizing My Old Remington 700

T

Theron

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Prince George, BC
Hello all,

I was at the range today, and decided to bring out my old Remington 700 in 30-06 from the back of the safe to see how it shoots. It was my first rifle, and I haven't shot it for a long time now.

It's a much older model, an ADL, with an internal hidden magazine and a 20" barrel. I believe it was manufactured in the 70's sometime... The wood is a little banged up, but the bore is still shiny and the action is still smooth.

I was shooting out to 100 yards, and the groups were APPALLING! Grouping averaged almost 3". I allowed the barrel to cool after every 3 shots, but it did not seem to help much. I know I may not be the best shot out there, but I own 2 Tikkas, one in 22-250 and one 300 WSM, and can put them both easily inside an inch at the same distance. It has a Bushnell 6500 currently mounted, so I know it shouldn't be the scope. The bases were solid.

So having narrowed it down to the rifle, what should be the first thing to happen if I want to accurize this thing? I'm thinking perhaps freefloat the barrel? Get a new stock? Re-barrel? I don't want to throw too much money at it, as it is an older rifle. I won't expect it to be on par with my Tikkas, but I would like to see a better group than 3"!!

Thank you in advance,

-Josh
 
Check the torque on the action screws, free float the barrel, bed the action. More or less in order of how easy and cheap they are to do.

Were you using factory ammo? If so, did you try more than one kind?
 
First thing is to clean the barrel, get all the copper out.

Then glass bed the action with the action screws loose and the barrel resting on the pressure point. Make sure the bottom, front and sides of the recoil lug have clearance. After bedding drill the action screw holes so the screws have clearance.

Then free float the barrel and seal the stock with finish.

Re crown the barrel.

Re work the trigger or adjust it to a safe 2.5 pounds.

Re mount the scope making sure the bases are tight and the rings aligned and tight.

Go back to the range and test, if the scope is good there is nothing left to do to the rifle.
 
I think Gun Tech's advice is very sound, with his first line being the easiest and cheapest thing to do first. My buddy has a beautiful Browning B 78 single shot in 25-06, usually a very accurate rifle. The other day he complained that his pet hand loads were no longer shooting sub MOA, I took one look down the bore and suggested a thorough cleaning. After soaking with copper solvent over night and cleaned up the next morning he is back to shooting little clover leafs for groups.

All the other suggestions will do nothing but improve the rifle's ability to shoot better groups, but generally cost more than a good cleaning. Good luck.
 
I'm also going to suggest ammo. I've got a 700 SPS in 30-06 that would shoot most into 2 or 3 inches until I found a load it liked and shot a five shot group at .65" center to center.
 
I never recommend lapping lugs... if the fit is that bad, have the recoil lug recess machined and the bolt lugs machined. Lapping lugs usually just laps a taper to the surfaces... does not 'fix' anything. If they actually don't mate up perfectly they are not the cause of your inaccuracy anyway.
 
what are you using for a rifle rest? what do you normally shoot? sounds like a barrel floating issue, dirty barrel and bedding.
 
I had the same problems with a 700 adl this spring in 270 win....ended up the sling stud was contacting the barrel, free floated the barrel and sealed the wood, glass bedded the action, adjusted the trigger to a little less than 3 lbs, worked up a handload and now it will easily shoot 1" groups at 100 yards.
 
It is a hunting rifle, not a target rifle. 3" at 100 is good enough for deer sized game. Just changing ammo can improve on that though. If you're not reloading(best least expensive, sort of, way to improve accuracy), you'll have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ones that rifle likes. I'd suggest sticking with 165 grain bullets. The .30-06 loves 'em and they'll kill any game you care to hunt.
"...want to accurize this thing..." Start by deciding how much and/or if you want to spend money on it. After doing what the other have said, there are some free things you can do. 2.5 pounds is too light for a hunting rifle though.
Look at the bedding. Loosen all the screws and see if the barreled action rocks in the stock. If it does, there's a high spot that needs sanding out. And it's sandpaper, not a rotary tool.
"...free float the barrel..." That doesn't guaranttee anything. Some rifles like it, some do not. Remington tend to like it, but not all of 'em. The only way to find out is to try it. It may already be floated too. Run a $5 bill(Inflation. Used to be done with a one.) under the barrel to the chamber area. If the bill goes all the way to the chamber with no snags, it's floated. ANY snag on the sides is bad. Means the stock has warped. More sanding.
 
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