Stock Changes and POI

[Pathfinder]

I was swapped stocks on my Rem 700 varmint and soon noticed that I was now shooting a foot low (horizontal adj. is fine) at 100 yards instead of dead on with the old stock, the groups were as good or better so I was surprised at the change...wondering if the scope got messed up during the whole ordeal . How much POI change is normal when swapping a stock ?

thoughts ?

 

[sir_springer]

A foot at 100 yds is considerable, no doubt.

Much depends on how the action/barrel sat in the old stock compared to the new one.

I, too, have a Rem. 700 Varmint in 25.06. One thing to note is that the original Remington stock almost certainly has a pressure point built in at the tip of the forearm, the idea being to control barrel vibrations. (Sometimes this works, and sometimes it's a major source of grief, particularly on wood stocks that are affected by temperature and humidity. When in doubt, float the barrel!)

If the stock you switched to provides for free floating the barrel, this almost certainly accounts for the significant vertical change in point of impact. With the original stock, it should take no more than about 10 lbs of pressure, max, to separate the forearm from touching the barrel. That you get a foot of vertical drop leads me to suggest that there's far too much pressure against the barrel...especially considering that it's a heavy varmint barrel!

That aside, here's something to pay particularly close attention to when reassembling any Remington 700 action back into a stock, something that's all too easy to miss, believe me!

The magazine, made of spring steel and split at one end, can be a tad tricky to seat between the bottom metal and the action properly. If not properly done, it can bind between the two, and thus create fairly substantial pressure against the action. You might even see the bottom metal...being the cheap piece of junk that it is...actually bow at the center from this pressure!

To determine that the magazine is properly installed, you should be able to generate a tad bit of vertical play in the magazine...maybe 1/32" give or take...between the action and bottom metal. IOW, the magazine should, and must, float freely!

I replaced the bottom metal on mine with a Williams made of steel, which is about a kabillion times better quality. The cutout for the magazine is much deeper, and pretty much eliminates this potential problem. The inset on the original is shallow, and thus the magazine tends to not stay in place when reassembling the stock to the action. One has to be particularly careful with this.

 

[Pathfinder]

I went from the factory laminate stock to a factory hogue.......I will have take another look the barrel sits in the stock, Im pretty sure its floated...the magazine probably sits a little tight too but the inlet seemed pretty good as I shouldnt' have to mess too much with factory stocks.

 

[sir_springer]

I went from the factory laminate stock to a factory hogue.......I will have take another look the barrel sits in the stock, Im pretty sure its floated...the magazine probably sits a little tight too but the inlet seemed pretty good as I shouldnt' have to mess too much with factory stocks.

The original factory stock likely has the pressure point, which is quite visible, about an inch or so worth right at the tip.

Free floating the barrel in the Hogue, removing this upward pressure on the barrel, is bound to drop your shots accordingly.

Once assembled, stick your index finger down the action and see if you can get any vertical play in the magazine. If not, then it's almost definitely not seated properly in the bottom metal, and binding, which puts unwanted pressure on the action/barrel. Not good!!!

 

[Huntin' Gun]

I was under the undstanding that even if you take your barreled action out of your stock and put it back in, then you could potentially change POI. Maybe I'm out to lunch on that, but that's what I thought. Like, if you were to be out hunting in the rain or wet snow, and you needed to do a thorough cleaning and rub-down with oil such that you took the barreled action out of the stock, you'd better shoot a target to be sure you're still on zero. Am I crazy here or what?
So it is no surprise to me that your POI is a foot out when putting the barreled action in an entirely new stock. There will be different minor pressure points here and there, and that can definately alter the POI.

 

[sir_springer]

Every year after season is over, I take my rifles apart and clean 'em up. (Doesn't everyone???) I pay special attention to metal work behind the stock, where moisture and dirt can collect...and cause rust pitting.

I then pay careful attention to the process of reassembling the stock to the action. Everything fits proper before tightening the action screws. And then I tighten the screws appropriately. A couple rifles even have "witness" or "timing" marks on the screws to insure replication.

The next summer when I finally get out to the range, I generally find nothing has changed in POI...or if it has, maybe as much as an inch one way or the other, and I adjust accordingly.

Keep in mind, all my rifles, where possible, have free floating barrels. And the actions are either glass bedded, or rest on aluminum blocks (that probably should be glass bedded, too, I know!)

Yes, any rifle that has been taken down for any reason definitely should be rechecked at the range before heading out hunting!