Problem with Remington 700

[drache]

My father has had a Remington 700 chambered in 7mm Rem Mag for many years now and sadly due to his work schedule hasn't taken it out. The last couple times we took it out though we couldn't place three shots in the same place anytime we took it out. No matter who shot the rifle it would place 3 shots randomly around the target at 50-100 yards.

Now it MAY have been the scope, my father will be buying a new scope this year to try it out BUT:

Just for sh*ts and giggles I took the receiver/barrel off the wooden stock and immediately noticed two things.

1) Right infront of the mag well there is an indent/groove in the wood from the barrel.

2) The hole where the front sling mount is has a bump on the inside of the stock and it's worn the blueing off the bottom of the barrel in that spot.

Now I told me dad that he should take the rifle into a gunsmith to get the stock sanded down and maybe bedded.

Was that a good thing to tell him? Could this be the problem?

 

[guntech]

My father has had a Remington 700 chambered in tmm Rem Mag for many years now and sadly due to his work schedule hasn't taken it out. The last couple times we took it out though we couldn't place three shots in the same place anytime we took it out. No matter who shot the rifle it would place 3 shots randomly around the target at 50-100 yards.

Now it MAY have been the scope, my father will be buying a new scope this year to try it out BUT:

Just for sh*ts and giggles I took the receiver/barrel off the wooden stock and immediately noticed two things.

1) Right infront of the mag well there is an indent/groove in the wood from the barrel.

2) The hole where the front sling mount is has a bump on the inside of the stock and it's worn the blueing off the bottom of the barrel in that spot.

Now I told me dad that he should take the rifle into a gunsmith to get the stock sanded down and maybe bedded.

Was that a good thing to tell him? Could this be the problem?

The tmm Rem Mag is a rare chambering. It would be best if a gunsmith had a look at everything... barrel condition, bedding, scope mounts, etc... I would recommend a good cleaning, glass bedding, free floating, the trigger worked a bit and possibly the crown touched up...

 

[drache]

The tmm Rem Mag is a rare chambering. It would be best if a gunsmith had a look at everything... barrel condition, bedding, scope mounts, etc... I would recommend a good cleaning, glass bedding, free floating, the trigger worked a bit and possibly the crown touched up...

Yeah I meant to say 7mm

Now how much would that all cost on average. My father is not a rich man and only bought the gun for $500 about 10 years ago. He was more than willing to just "toss" it back into the gun safe and pick up something else for rather than deal with it but I talked him into maybe just getting it fixed.

He doesn't get out hunting or shooting very much, in fact the rifle hasn't left the safe in about 5 years.

 

[Mount Sweetness]

Try different ammo, two or three different to start off

 

[Pickles]

You could always sell it.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393419

 

[Huntin' Gun]

The last couple of times it wouldn't group, you say. Do you remember a time when it would? Could just need some cleaning. Use some good powder solvent, copper remover, then more powder solvent. Go till the patches come out clean. Could need to be tightened up at the action screws and the screws holding the scope in place. Maybe one time it was out the crown got knocked and needs to be touched up. Maybe the stock has warped over time, and now there's a contact point on the barrel that wasn't there before, so as the barrel heats up the groups string out. You mention contact points. If this is the problem then the groups shouldn't be random. They should string out in a more linear fashion. A bit of sand paper should help that out. Before you spend a bunch of money with a smith, I'd take some sand paper to those high spots [wrap the paper around some dowelling] then see how it shoots.
How much practice shooting do either of you get? Could be [ahem] technique. Are you using good solid rests?
Have either of you shot the gun enough [before] to know it's favorite ammo?
Tell you what, send the gun to me and I'll see if I can get it to shoot. You won't be needing it for another 5 years or so anyway, right?

 

[drache]

The last couple of times it wouldn't group, you say. Do you remember a time when it would?

Actually no, it's never shot decent from what I remember.

Could just need some cleaning. Use some good powder solvent, copper remover, then more powder solvent. Go till the patches come out clean. Could need to be tightened up at the action screws and the screws holding the scope in place.

It's always been properly cleaned before being put away.

Maybe one time it was out the crown got knocked and needs to be touched up.

Not sure what you mean by the crown?

Maybe the stock has warped over time, and now there's a contact point on the barrel that wasn't there before, so as the barrel heats up the groups string out.

Thus my post about there already being a contact point in two locations, right infront of the mag well and the other right where the front sling mount would be which has rubbed the underside of the barrel raw.

You mention contact points. If this is the problem then the groups shouldn't be random.

ok

A bit of sand paper should help that out. Before you spend a bunch of money with a smith, I'd take some sand paper to those high spots [wrap the paper around some dowelling] then see how it shoots.

The bump on the front which rubs against the barrel is MAJOR though, it would require more than just sandpaper. You can actually SEE how big the bump is.

How much practice shooting do either of you get? Could be [ahem] technique. Are you using good solid rests?

Im not a real good shot but I can shoot golf balls at 200 yards with maybe one or two misses for ever three or four golf balls in a pack. My father used to hunt ALLOT in his younger days, my grandfather was a big game guide and hunted to feed his family, and my great uncle is also a game guide and hunts every year for the past 55 years. So yeah there is some shooting experience with the people who've tried to shoot this rifle.

Have either of you shot the gun enough [before] to know it's favorite ammo?

Every ammo we tried before the gun was put away had the same results. Like I said before I don't remember a time when the gun shot nicely.

Tell you what, send the gun to me and I'll see if I can get it to shoot. You won't be needing it for another 5 years or so anyway, right?

Thanks for the offer but since my dad is retiring soon he sort of wants the rifle to start hunting again.

Try different ammo, two or three different to start off

We tried many different types of brands when my father first purchased the rifle and it didn't help.

You could always sell it.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393419

It's left handed

 

[guntech]

Yeah I meant to say 7mm

Now how much would that all cost on average. My father is not a rich man and only bought the gun for $500 about 10 years ago. He was more than willing to just "toss" it back into the gun safe and pick up something else for rather than deal with it but I talked him into maybe just getting it fixed.

He doesn't get out hunting or shooting very much, in fact the rifle hasn't left the safe in about 5 years.

First thing would be have the barrel cleaned and inspected... if it looks good then do the rest... probably about $120 maximum for everything plus return mail. Click on my member name for all contact info.

 

[dan belisle]

For the front "bump", just take the front sling swivel that's rubbing out of the stock and try again. Sand down the others, tighten up the stock and try again. - dan

 

[Huntin' Gun]

The crown is the very end of the barrel, opposite end from the action. It is where the rifling comes out and touches the air. It is a very important spot because that is where the bullet is last in contact with the gun. If it is chipped, burred or messed up in some way then the bullet will be given a bit of wobble or inconsistancy when it last leaves the barrel, so the flight will be less than perfect.
I once had a Ruger in 7 mag. When I bought it [used] I could make it shoot groups a little under 2 inches. That would be okay for hunting, but certainly not great groups. I tried all sorts of things to make it better. Tried many different handload recipes, any factory ammo I could get my hands on. I glass bedded it. I free-floated it, I then put in more fore-end pressure. I bought new scopes. By then end of all this time, effort and money, the best I could make it do was about 4 inch groups. At the same time I had 2 other rifles that I could shoot well under 1 inch, so I figured it wasn't me, but rather the gun. I thought I could take this to a smith and pay a bunch more money on it, or just sell the thing and put the money towards a better gun. That's what I did. I sold it [but made the buyer fully aware I was having accuracy difficulties] and bought a new gun. I'm much happier. But when I think of all the money I sent down the toilet on that stupid piece of $&*! I still cringe. Oh, and I'll never have a Ruger in my safe again!

 

[just having some fun]

what I would do
take stock off
clean it

Grab a pop can and a pair of scissors and cut a shim to go under receiver so that the barrel will free float
( slip a pc of paper or a dollar bill under barrel) when assembled paper should slip under and not grab

you might need to put more shim in front than the back

you can use the old style of liquid paper and put a dab on scope mounting points ( if it cracks after shooting you know scope moved)

take it to the range and try it (check for free float after shooting)

if it does nothing, every thing can be undone

 

[wade]

take it to someone that knows guns, you sure can pi!! away a good gun and a lot of money if you dont have some experience and if you dont know dont go sanding any bumps out , remington puts a pressure bump in the stock and most will shoot o.k. with it in , i have two remington 700 lefthand rifles that work fine ,, wade

 

[drache]

For the front "bump", just take the front sling swivel that's rubbing out of the stock and try again. Sand down the others, tighten up the stock and try again. - dan

It's not the front swivel, it's a bump in the wood AROUND the hole for the swivel and it's rubbed the bottom of the barrel so there is almost no blueing left in that spot.

I won't touch it myself because I don't want to make matters worse. My dad has already agreed to take it to a gunsmith for them to check it out. First thing though is buying him a new scope and seeing if the scope was the problem. Then if it's not the scope then will come the gunsmith to check the barrel itself then the stock.

Like I told my dad, a Remington 700 should never be shooting that badly.

He inclined to agree with me after witnessing me shooting my golf balls at 200 yards with mine.

 

[sunray]

"...never shot decent..." Bedding. 1. is ok. 2. is not.

 

[wade]

it should have iron sights, take the scope off and try a few for a group with out the scope,you will not get as good of group as with a good scope but should tell you if its your scope if you shoot without it,if its old it may be copper fouled in the barrel, remington 700s have a factory pressure bump near where you describe the bluing wear,better to take it to a guy who knows, wade

 

[drache]

it should have iron sights, take the scope off and try a few for a group with out the scope,you will not get as good of group as with a good scope but should tell you if its your scope if you shoot without it,if its old it may be copper fouled in the barrel, remington 700s have a factory pressure bump near where you describe the bluing wear,better to take it to a guy who knows, wade

Never had iron sights

 

[blargon]

There is more to cleaning than running an oily patch through it and wiping it down. Try some foaming bore scrubber/copper remover, then bed & float, re-cut the crown.

Best advice here yet, is to send it to Guntech and have it done properly. The money will be better spent addressing the problems, rather than flinging ammo all over the board trying to see if its fixed.

 

[drache]

Best advice here yet, is to send it to Guntech and have it done properly. The money will be better spent addressing the problems, rather than flinging ammo all over the board trying to see if its fixed.

That sounds like the best course of action. Like I said I'll try throwing a new scope onto it and see if the scope was the problem. If not I'll talk to me dad about sending it to Guntech and see what he thinks. Currently though my dad's at work for a month straight and will miss this hunting season.