Advice on technique and order or upgrades

Travis_m

Travis_m

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I'm working on building my first precision rifle (on a budget) and I want some input on technique and how to prioritize my future investments. I have a general idea of which direction I want to go but I am looking for some advice. I have a remington 700 sps varmint chambered in 308 (I'm a lefty). Originally I bought the rifle to be an all around hunting/shooting as it is my only rifle but I caught the precision bug and now that rifle is dedicated to target shooting.

I have a pretty tight budget so all improvements are incremental.

So far I have made no modifications to the rifle. I have a budget scope on for now and a champion 6-9" bipod. I know these components are cheap for a reason but at least they get me shooting. I've been shooting factory ammo so far and it seems that 180 grain Winchester super x seems to be the best match I have found so far. I typically shoot prone off bags and I have only shot at 100 yards because I want to get MOA or better before moving to longer distances. I've been shooting 3 shot groups and my first groupings of each session are always my best (yesterday 1.14"). Later in the session I typically get vertical spread (2.5") but almost no horizontal spread (1/4"). I'm guessing this is a case of get more practice but I have also read about how the factory stock can contribute to erratic groupings. Any thoughts?

I decided to invest in reloading equipment and I have finally got everything I need to start reloading. The plan for this winter is to learn how to use my setup.

My plan for the rifle is below but my question is what to do in what order:

1 - stock modification/inexpensive replacement.
2 - trigger
3 - scope
4 - better stock

Stock: from everything I have read it seems 50-50 on whether or not to try it is worthwhile to improve the current "Tupperware" stock or ditch it for and aftermarket stock. Eventually I am going to get a high end composite stock (have not decided on brand yet) but again it is a matter of building up the funds. In the mean time i think my choices will be to try and improve the factory stock like this guy

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JdUhYz0q30o&feature=youtu.be

Or get a Boyd's laminate stock because they are fairly affordable.

Thoughts?

Trigger: timney either 510 or Calvin elite.

Scope: I am probably going to keep what I have until I save up for a high end scope unless I see an incredible deal on EE.

Any input is appreciated.
 
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Looks like you have it figured out!
But the biggest weak link (IMO) is the scope - i would change that first, then either bed or change the stock (bed it), and go from there.
Why I say that, is the gains you may see in using handrolled/store bought match ammo may be masked by the scope/stock.
A good smith can tune the existing trigger real good for a good savings over buying a new trigger, use saved money to bed action!
Keep an eye on the EE for what you need - they do show up now and then for good buys.
Good luck!
 
If your on a tight buget the EE could be your freind. Look for a HS take off stock from like an 5R milspec then bed the action into that stock. Also keep a look out for a decent scope maybe something like a Vortex Viper, HS or PST or if you can find a good used SightronIII for a decent price. You will alos need a steel pic rail and a good set of rings. Next would be a trigger upgrade maybe a Timney or a Rifle Basix. Most of this stuff comes up on the ee on a regular basis and alot of the time for very good prices ( although there are some guys who want retail +20% for there used crap).
The stock will cost you $250 to $300
The scope anywheres from $400 to $900
The rings and rail $100 to $150
The trigger $100 to $150
 
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In my experience the scope is the biggest part and ammunition selection is your next step. The remington 700 should serve you well and with a minimal investment ($10-15) you can make the tupperware stock can be made to work for now.

First thing is that I doubt the ncstar scope tracks true or holds zero well. There are a lot of reasonably priced optics out there. The Bushnell fixed 10x is a well proven choice (I had one and it tracked perfectly and the glass was great for the price) and the AR optics 4.5-18 seems to be a decent setup with good reviews so far. Both are under $300 and you should factor in $100 for a reliable base and rings if you don't already have them.

Next thing to deal with is ammo. You said your best results are with winchester super x which is not designed to be 1moa ammo. It is built to be budget ammo which has to hit a deer size target at hunting distances which is much larger than a 1moa target. With that ammo you are unlikely to get to your goal in any rifle. Get some decent match ammo and even if you can't shoot as much as with cheap ammo you will gain more than you would have shooting lots of inaccurate ammo. Lots of dry fire practice and time behind a 22 will more than make up for less shooting with the 308.

For the stock I had a 700 varmint that went straight I to a chassis. I ended up selling the chassis but wanted to continue shooting until my new rig arrived so I put it back in the cheap remington stock. I got myself a tube of the permatex version of jb weld and then filled in some space in the webbing of the stock with playdoh until a reasonable depth was left for a bedding job. I did this because I had the playdoh already and didn't want to spend days and multiple tubes of bedding material to fill the stock in layers so it actually cured properly. I won't go into a full in depth of hoe to bed a rifle but a quick YouTube search will answer any questions you have. Just take your time and it is pretty simple.

The last stock upgrade was cutting up a bargain store &$2 pair of foam sandals and some hockey tape to make a cheek riser so I could get comfortable behind the gun and my eye was lined up properly with the scope.

It was very bubba but it shot really well (consistently a 3/4 moa gun, verified by a few people) and should get you started until you figure out what you like. I shot this gun in the ORA matches and it didn't seem to be holding me back.

Have fun, you have a good platform with many options to make it your own.
 
I agree fully with Chris you are definitely travelling in the right direction getting into the reloading but I would make your next investment in optics as much as budget will warrant. Definitely watch EE I have seen some good deals on some decent scopes come up.
 
Great start and a very solid plan.. consider:

Bedding the action properly and open the forend ALOT. If the barrel cannot hit the forend when squeezed with your hand, that stock will work nicely for now. Better recoil pad if needed and an adjustable comb (TACPRO comes to mind). As long as you get consistent and comfy eye position through the scope, a good start.

Ditch that bipod. Better off stacking a pile of sandbags vs a bipod that wiggles and bounces all over the place. I compete in FTR and the bipods used here trump any folding bipod for precision LR work. MPOD is the simplest and least expensive option. Works great. A proper rear bag will go a long ways to help you control the recoil and improve tracking.

Steel or quality alum base. Quality rings. Doesn't need to cost alot but should be well made and of material that will survive the recoil levels you will put through it. Make sure the base is properly installed. Bed if necessary.

Optics... Bushnell Elite 10X is a good starter but you will upgrade for sure. A quality variable is a joy to use and will help improve your groups... you can't hit what you can't see. I am very partial to Sightron SIII, STAC and SVSS scopes. Incredible value in optics and mechanicals.

Once the rifle is sorted out, you can start reloading. Lots of info on my website in the tech section. Work up your loads using know loads and components. You likely need to shoot a bullet like the 178gr Amax to account for the long throat in most Rems. Don't bother trying for high velocity and pressures. There is a wonderful mid range load that will shoot bugholes at 100yds. Easier on your shoulder and components/brass.

Varget, match LR primer, properly prepped brass... seat bullet ogive just off the lands and single feed for now. It will likely shoot sub MOA.. watch barrel heat.

From here, the rabbit hole gets real deep and there is no shortage of ways to go.

But if the factory barrel is decent, you will get alot of shooting and practise without huge costs.

As you say, work towards consistency. Know that the bullet will hit a certain point when you break the trigger. Do that and you are well on your way to superb results at LR... don't forget you may need to adjust your loads as the barrel wears and as you shoot longer.

Good luck and let me know if I can help with stuff.

Enjoy.

Jerry
 
Ok well I think the plan going forward will be:

1 - Put my Bushnell 3-9x back on until I get a better scope
2 - Improve the current stock (bed action etc)
3 - work on load development
4 - Save for better scope
5 - Save for trigger
6 - Save for stock

1 and 2 will be done ASAP. I am anxious to see if there will be any difference. The rest will be an ongoing project. Thanks for the input.
 
Is your rem my a lefty? If so trigger and stock might be trickier than you might think be careful with the trigger some require mods to the bolt stop or removal of safety not a big deal if its going to spend its life as a range gun but does it in for hunting if the ncstar is working OK shoot it and save your bugit for some 168gr match bullets
 
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