Rookie looking for advice

[Rookie25]

I would like to get into long range shooting and was looking for some advice on the best way to go about it. I have a Remington 700 in 300 win mag that I would possible like to turn into a longer range gun. It is basically a stock Rem 700 that I won several years ago. I have hunted with it a few times but just don't love the feel of the gun. I have read that a Rem 700 can be modified fairly easily as compared to other makes and I guess my question is, for a first long range gun, am I better off modifying (changing the stock, accurizing it, maybe rebarreling) my current gun? Or, starting from scratch? When I say modify, I mean having a gunsmith do the work. And when I say better off, I guess I am asking both price wise and quality of gun wise. I know prices vary from gunsmith to gunsmith, but typically speaking.

Sorry for the long winded questions, and thanks in advance.

 

[Moman]

Lots of ways to go about it, I'll tell you what I did. I also had a stock 700 LSS in 300 WM. I sent it off and had it restocked in a McMillan Edge sporter stock (this choice was to maintain a lightweight pack rifle), glass and pillar bedded, muzzle recrowned, bolt lugs lapped, & trigger tuned. Basically just an accurizing along with the new stock. When it came back, I was amazed what the gun would do. Had a lot of fun stretching it out past 1,000 and shot it a lot. So much so that the barrel was toast within a year and a half. I just now had it rebarreled in the same caliber. Aboslutely no regrets with this. When the barrel started to go I picked up a good 308 to do most of my long range practice with so I wouldn't ware out the new barrel on the 300 so quickly.

Here is a link to just one of the many sponsoring gunsmiths so you can see what their accurizing packages consist of. The prices aren't too bad either.

Montour County Rifles

 

[royinidaho]

I highly recommend upgrading what you have piece at a time doing as much of the work as you can yourself.

If it were me I'd start with the stock. And by 'the stock' I mean that stock. With Bondo, JB Weld and tons of other stuff you can change the feel to whatever you like.

Its more fun and mess than a barrel of monkeys but worth it.

Then comes the bedding which is easily DIY. A little frightening but rewarding.

While all of this is going on you'll be leaning about optics and LR shooting. Then by the time you get the 300 Winny barrel shot out you'll have a pretty focused idea of what you really want. Then truing the action and fitting that dream barrel will be a smaller next step.

Give it a go.....

 

[winmag]

Youve got great advise so far, but I have a question for you. What size groups will it consistantly shoot at 100 yds? part B to this question, do you hand load? and Im on a roll so Ill ask another how far have you practiced with your current set up?

Reason Im curious is this. If itll hold say 1''- 1 1/4'' groups with factory ammo at 100, and you start handloading(Im assuming you dont yet?) youll most likely shrink your groups. Hand loading will tell you alot more about your rifle than you ever wanted to know, but need to know. Put that togather with a good triger, and a decent stock, or like Roy said fix/modify yours, and you may have a shooter that does quite well. Well enough to get you by untill you want to re barrel it anyway.
Either way youll want to be handloading for a L/R rifle anyway, so why not start there and see what she'll do?
Just my 2cents. Good luck

 

[Chas1]

+1 with winmag. How does it currently shoot?

 

[liltank]

I'm in agreement with all that has been said. By changing stocks you should see a decrease in recoil depending on what model you buy. I know the Choate Super Sniper decreases recoil considerably from stock rifle stocks. properly fitted stocks can do wonders for accuracy and recoil. Get the action trued and have the barrel properly fitted to the trued action. Have the smith check the muzzle crown and see if any changes need to be made. The factory trigger can be tuned nicely, but if you want go ahead and get an after market trigger.

Tank

 

[FEENIX]

What are you considering long range? How much longer are you trying to stretch it?

 

[Rookie25]

Sorry for taking so long to answer your questions. I have tried a couple different times to do so, but apparently I take to long and get kicked out of the system or something because each time I hit submit reply, my post doesn't show up. So I will answer each person in a seperate post. Hopefully it works.

So in reverse order;

Feenix, I would like to push it out to 800 - 900 yards possibly.

 

[roninflag]

a 300 is a very good long range cartridge. a rem 700 is a good action. you don't say what scope you don't say if you load your own ammo. you can get a good stock from stockysgunstocks.

 

[FEENIX]

a 300 is a very good long range cartridge. a rem 700 is a good action. you don't say what scope you don't say if you load your own ammo. you can get a good stock from stockysgunstocks.

+1. Too many other unknowns and hate to assume anything.

 

[Rookie25]

Thanks for all the advice. To answer a few more of the questions;

Winmag, its been a while since I have shot the gun, but from what I can recall, seems like it shots 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" groups with factory ammo.

Royinidaho, I agree that based on my budget, I will have to upgrade a piece at a time. It seems that with the couple of gunsmiths that I have checked with locally though, offer a accurizing package that includes all the modifications that have been mentioned with the exception of the stock, as on overall package and that may be out of the budget right now.
Also, I liek the possibility of doing it myself, could you maybe go into more detail as to how to go about it.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Rookie25]

Roninflag, currently I don't load my own ammo, trying to take it a step at a time.
The current scope on the gun is a Leupold 3-9x. Pretty basic setup overall. I am looking at upgrading it also. Any suggestions on a scope would be appreciated, too.

Thanks again.

 

[ProfessorM]

Rookie 25, I was and still am to a point where you are right now. I have a 300 RUM that shot factory ammo about like yours does. After getting several great replies to my very first post I have had the trigger adjusted to 3 lbs, put an HS Precision Stock on it, and started reloading. My groups have shrunk and I am getting close to being happy. When and if you start to reload, you will find out that it is true that you don't save money because you shoot so much more!

 

[Elkmen]

I just recieved my HS stock for my 700 in 7mm STW. Finally replaced the original tupperware stock. The HS is very high quality and the rifle bolted right in without any modifications. I am using 3.5 X 10 x 40 with a BDC reticle and have no problems shooting at small targets out to 600. Farthest elk so far is 310 with it.