Help with Rem 700 Action Screw Torque Values. (Wood Stock)

[MOJO67]

Gent's,

Recently acquired a Remington 700 Classic in .222 Rem. After a few range sessions and coming up with a nice consistent sub moa load, I decided to install a Timney Trigger. Unfortunately, after putting the action back into the stock and torquing the action screws down to 40 in lbs front and back, the gun won't seem to group worth a darn. My previous pet load, along with everything else I've tried, now shoots 1"-2" groups(5 shots). Before is would shoot pretty consistent .75 or less , 5 shot groups. I've tried several different bullets and powders since installing the trigger, but nothing is smiling at me.

When I reassembled the gun after the trigger install, I torqued the action screws, front and back, to 40 in lbs. I've done lots of googling and it seems opinions are all over the the place. Any thoughts? Is 40 too much, not enough? The stock is wood with no modifications at all. Just like it came from the factory.

Thanks all.

 

[C170B]

I Had the same problem with a Rem 722 in .222
I bedded the action & 1in of the barrel free floated the rest of barrel.... epoxy brass pillars for the action screws...
and torqued them down to 65 inch pounds

works good now..

 

[shortgrass]

Gent's,

Recently acquired a Remington 700 Classic in .222 Rem. After a few range sessions and coming up with a nice consistent sub moa load, I decided to install a Timney Trigger. Unfortunately, after putting the action back into the stock and torquing the action screws down to 40 in lbs front and back, the gun won't seem to group worth a darn. My previous pet load, along with everything else I've tried, now shoots 1"-2" groups(5 shots). Before is would shoot pretty consistent .75 or less , 5 shot groups. I've tried several different bullets and powders since installing the trigger, but nothing is smiling at me.

When I reassembled the gun after the trigger install, I torqued the action screws, front and back, to 40 in lbs. I've done lots of googling and it seems opinions are all over the the place. Any thoughts? Is 40 too much, not enough? The stock is wood with no modifications at all. Just like it came from the factory.

Thanks all.

Your action needs to be bedded in a "stress free" manner. Pillars are best to prevent compression. I recently had the same problem with a wood stocked Wby Vanguard.

 

[MagnumManiac]

All of my wood stocked rifles are free floated as soon as I get them and then I install aluminium pillars and bed the action.
Most wood stocked rifles have a pressure point near the end of the fore end that requires removal. A broom handle wrapped with emery cloth works well at removal.
Brownell's sell pillar kits for Rem 700 actions, follow the instructions and you should be good to go if you're mechanically minded.
I found on wood stocks that 45in/lbs was about max without pilars, with pillars, 55-65in/lbs is max, really depends on the rest of the bed that's been done.
As Shortgrass said, the pillars must be done first in a stress free way, I use surgical rubber to wrap the action while the Devcon sets up. Then 24hrs after this I finish bedding the action in 2 steps, front of action and recoil lug, let it set-up again and then tang area.
My specialty has been doing Ruger actions, I have that down and my own custom Ruger in 25-05 is an absolute tack driver giving me 1/4-3/8MoA on a regular basis with many different bullets.
I just picked up a 257Bee, hoping it shoots just as good….fingers crossed.

Cheers.

 

[Jerry M]

My experience with wood stocks is that the rear screw is not as tight as the front screw on Remington actions.

 

[jrock]

I use a low torque on wood and plastic stocks. I use 25 in*lbs. If the screws work loose, I put a drop of thread locker on them. Check for that pressure point at the front of the stock.
If you want to never worry about it again, I echo the above that pillars should be installed and barrel free floated. Its an easy DIY project.

 

[rem.xp100]

Check that the Timney is completely clear of the trigger guard. It "may" be pinched there. I would definitely add pillars, the wood will always be moving and compressing. Stress free bedding would certainly be in order as well but first see if the trigger is completely free from pinching anywhere.

As for torque - having built hundreds of custom rifle in chassis, wood (but always stress free pillar bedded), and synthetic - all of them get torqued to 50. No exceptions, that's what I have always used. I also always bring the screws finger tight then torge the one near the lug first then the rear screw by the trigger second.

 

[Muledeerhuntingfreak]

You're 20" pounds over should be 15 to 18 Go on the Remington website and Google it tells you exactly what you should be At

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Gent's,

Recently acquired a Remington 700 Classic in .222 Rem. After a few range sessions and coming up with a nice consistent sub moa load, I decided to install a Timney Trigger. Unfortunately, after putting the action back into the stock and torquing the action screws down to 40 in lbs front and back, the gun won't seem to group worth a darn. My previous pet load, along with everything else I've tried, now shoots 1"-2" groups(5 shots). Before is would shoot pretty consistent .75 or less , 5 shot groups. I've tried several different bullets and powders since installing the trigger, but nothing is smiling at me.

When I reassembled the gun after the trigger install, I torqued the action screws, front and back, to 40 in lbs. I've done lots of googling and it seems opinions are all over the the place. Any thoughts? Is 40 too much, not enough? The stock is wood with no modifications at all. Just like it came from the factory.

Thanks all.

Gent's,

Recently acquired a Remington 700 Classic in .222 Rem. After a few range sessions and coming up with a nice consistent sub moa load, I decided to install a Timney Trigger. Unfortunately, after putting the action back into the stock and torquing the action screws down to 40 in lbs front and back, the gun won't seem to group worth a darn. My previous pet load, along with everything else I've tried, now shoots 1"-2" groups(5 shots). Before is would shoot pretty consistent .75 or less , 5 shot groups. I've tried several different bullets and powders since installing the trigger, but nothing is smiling at me.

When I reassembled the gun after the trigger install, I torqued the action screws, front and back, to 40 in lbs. I've done lots of googling and it seems opinions are all over the the place. Any thoughts? Is 40 too much, not enough? The stock is wood with no modifications at all. Just like it came from the factory.

Thanks all.

Is the action pillar & glass bedded? or is it just setting in wood.
That would change the torque specs.
If it's wood, 35inch lbs front lug screw and 30in lbs rear/tang screw
If it has Pillars 45 front & 35 rear
This is how I run most of my Rifles. Some of them you have to tinker with.

 

[jdyoung]

Pillar Bed !!!!! Do it yourself, or have it done. If you do it yourself, make sure the action is centered in the stock by :

1. ( As MagnumManiac wrote) Removing the barrel touch pad at the front tip of the barrel inletting.

2. Wrapping tape around the barrel just inside the tip of the barrel inletting. Use only enough tape to center the barrel/action , 2 – 3 wraps starting at the 12 o'clock position.

 

[Greyfox]

These torque settings have worked well for me.
Straight wood/bedding screws 20-25 torque. Epoxy bedding:45. Metal pillars: 45-50. Bedding blocks/chassis: 60-65. "Blue" Loctite on bedding screws with all.

Savage Accustock actions: Recoil lug screw/35-40, tang/15-20

Blue Loctite used on bedding screws.

 

[DWier]

A good friend has an old Rem 700 in 30-06. We played around with his when we pulled the stock for cleaning and found 21 to be the magic number for his gun. It is a factory wood stock w/o modification.
Agree with muledeer. You are over torqued.

 

[Glenn Tullius]

Gent's,

Recently acquired a Remington 700 Classic in .222 Rem. After a few range sessions and coming up with a nice consistent sub moa load, I decided to install a Timney Trigger. Unfortunately, after putting the action back into the stock and torquing the action screws down to 40 in lbs front and back, the gun won't seem to group worth a darn. My previous pet load, along with everything else I've tried, now shoots 1"-2" groups(5 shots). Before is would shoot pretty consistent .75 or less , 5 shot groups. I've tried several different bullets and powders since installing the trigger, but nothing is smiling at me.

When I reassembled the gun after the trigger install, I torqued the action screws, front and back, to 40 in lbs. I've done lots of googling and it seems opinions are all over the the place. Any thoughts? Is 40 too much, not enough? The stock is wood with no modifications at all. Just like it came from the factory.

Thanks all.

My 2 cents...without pillars in its two high. I recently bought a CZ527 in 6.5 Grendel. I was struggling with accuracy and called CZ. The gun is factory wood, with pillars and bedded, and they said absolutely do not exceed 35 in-lbs. I backed down to 35 and it does shoot about 25% better.

 

[Philward]

I Had the same problem with a Rem 722 in .222
I bedded the action & 1in of the barrel free floated the rest of barrel....

Interesting, gunsmith told me yesterday that there should be no bedding in front of the recoil lug with the barrel free floated.