OT To bed, or not to bed?

[TedH]

I picked up a Remington 700 Varmint in 308 for a Christmas present to myself. Had been wanting one for a while, and was turned on to a deal too good to pass up. It's got the 26" heavy barrel and el-cheapo synthetic stock. The stock has no bedding, no pillars, no nothing. It is set up with a little pad at the tip of the forend that applies a little pressure on the barrel. I was planning on replacing the stock, or trying to free-float the barrel and pillar bedding the stock that came on it.

I decided to first work up some handloads using the 155 gr. Nosler Match bullet and some Varget. I've shot 8 loads so far. The average of ALL the different loads so far has been 0.90" for 5 shot groups at 100 yards. The best load, I've shot twice now, is right at 0.5" for 5 shots!

I don't think there is any reason to mess with the cheapo stock after all? I don't see how a high quality stock with proper bedding will improve on this rifle's accuracy enough to justify the expense to me. I think I should save my pennies instead for a more suitable scope for it.

[kimwcook]

Sounds like the stocks just fine. I'd be looking at some good glass as stated. It'll do anything you want it to. But, if'n you want to change the stock out I do have a factory Remington HSS PSS stock sitting around somewhere. Brand new from Remington, never been used. Someday I need to go looking for it.

[TedH]

I might be interested in that if the price is right. Let me know if you can dig it up.

[kimwcook]

I'm sure I can find it, given time. I have no personal use for it as my Rem. 700 PSS in 308 is shooting sub-moa as is. Especially after Remington took a look at it and I then did so too. I honestly don't think there's much more that can be done. Someday I'll post my shots here showing what it'll do, or what I used to be able to do with it.

[TedH]

What kind of glass do you have on yours?

I just have a Leupold VX1 3-9x40 on mine now. It works, but I'd like something more fitting for that type of rifle.

[kimwcook]

Mine carries a Leupold 4.5X14 mildot. I used it for 10 years with the department for countersniper. They didn't have anything more powerful at the time. They now have a higher power, but right now I don't recall what it is. Something around 20X. For the kind of use I was using it for I prefer the highest power I can get. Using my PSS I've actually shot two rounds through a 223 brass standing on end at 100 yds. without breaking through the outside walls. Outstanding rifle.

[claybob86]

The average of ALL the different loads so far has been 0.90" for 5 shot groups at 100 yards. The best load, I've shot twice now, is right at 0.5" for 5 shots!

I don't think there is any reason to mess with the cheapo stock after all?

I wouldn't.

[.45]

I bought a Ruger M77 in 6mm Rem about 20 years ago that i thought needed some stock work and a trigger job. Stuck a cheap 4x tasco on it and it shot 1" groups at 100 yards. Put a Sightron 4-14x42AO a couple years ago and still haven't messed with the trigger. It shoots under an inch now. Coyotes in my area do not like this rifle at all!

If it shoots leave it alone.

[piller]

With the groups you are getting, why mess with a good thing? I did glass bed one of my Remington 700s, but only because it was a wood stock and I got caught in the rain. The stock swelled and was throwing shots into an 8 inch circle at 50 yards. After bedding, it settled down to about .75 to .9 inches for 100 yard 3 shot groups, depending on whether I did my part or not. That is right back to where it was prior to the stock swelling, so I don't feel that I gained anything above factory original. With you getting a .5 inch group with one of your loads, I seriously doubt that pillers or bedding or free floating will improve on it enough to notice. Better optics and, maybe, a better trigger would be a good starting point.

[TedH]

Better optics is going to be the next move for sure. Here's what I'm looking at for it.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/de ... ber=697896

I"m actually very pleased with the trigger. I adjusted it down to about 3 lbs and it has no creep or overtravel.

[kimwcook]

Lots of snipers use fixed 10x scopes, both military and LE. But, I always preferred higher magnification for that role because without a spotter, which we were almost always without, you're providing a dual role as observer. As I said I'd of gone for higher than 14, but that was all Leupold had at the time. And at the time I bought that scope it was almost a thousand bucks.

[JB]

If you can average .5" with the group you intend to shoot on a regular basis, I wouldn't mess with the stock. If it's one of the super cheapo stocks, you may find the amount of pressure on barrel varies depending upon how you have the rifle resting on the backs. If that happens and it affects you point of impact or group size, I'd try bedding the action and free floating the stock.

[Pete44ru]

[The average of ALL the different loads so far has been 0.90" for 5 shot groups at 100 yards. The best load, I've shot twice now, is right at 0.5" for 5 shots!


The only counsel I can give you, Ted, is: "If it isn't broke, don't fix it".

.

[JReed]

You should take a look at the Mueller scopes. I know a few people that have them great scopes at a good price.
http://www.eabco.com/Muellerreddot.htm

[TedH]

I looked at them on Midway, but was leery because I don't know anyone with first hand experience, and the reviews weren't the best. That's a possibility though.

[jkbrea]

As far as scopes, I would recommend a Leupold. Like Kimcook, I was a sniper for about 9 years with my department. I used a Mark 4 10x. Leupold has outstanding customer service. That scope was in heavy use for twenty years and started having problems. I sent it in with another personal scope. Both returned in "as new" condition, free of charge. Depending on what you get, prices vary but it's a one time purchase with their warranty.
We just bought a new rifle with a Nightforce scope that has higher magnification. Very nice but $$$.

[Nath]

Thats good shooting Ted, my cheapy 700 with a Hogue piller bedded stock would not do much less than 2" with what ever I stuffed the case with !

After a couple hundred rounds the groups shrank! Some Speer 170grn flat nose go down the same hole and the 110grn V-max can do the same. The barrel needed running in maybe but I think it had more to do with the bolt handle clashing with the stock wwhen shut, you see it was around a 200 hundred rounds I put the dremmel to it

How is the trigger, mine was unbearable but a 1lb and 9oz glass rod now

Nath.

[TedH]

Nath, the trigger was pretty heavy out of the box, around 6 pounds. I adjusted it down to 2.5-3.0 pounds, as best as I can measure it. But it has no perceptible creep and breaks very nicely.

[Sixgun]

[The average of ALL the different loads so far has been 0.90" for 5 shot groups at 100 yards. The best load, I've shot twice now, is right at 0.5" for 5 shots!


The only counsel I can give you, Ted, is: "If it isn't broke, don't fix it".

.

Thats a big 10-4 on that--'ya beat me to it Pete ------------Sixgun

[Streetstar]

Nice shooting rifle with a heavy barrel ? -- bye bye stock Rem stock, hello McMillan and Nightforce !

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-stock ... ist.php#a2

http://www.opticsplanet.net/riflescopes-1.html

[kimwcook]

I'd of loved to put a McMillan stock on, but as this is my personal rifle, not the departments and the performance I was getting with the factory HSS stock I couldn't justify the cost. Probably will never put a McMillan on it. Again I can't justify the cost v performance I'm already getting. Nightforce wasn't really well known at the time I put my rifle together. And, again, I couldn't justify the cost v performance I was already getting. Nice scopes.