Will a new stock help

[HavasuMike]

I am new to long range hunting so I need some help. I have a Remington 700BDL in 300 win mag. It shoots pretty well to 300+ yds. Will it help if I put a new stock on it? I have seen the stocks with the aluminum bed built in. This sounds like a good idea to me, but I don't know anything about them. I want to keep this rifle as a hunting gun which I can carry. I would like to be able to get out to 600 yds. If this is a good idea are there any suggestions for brand. My next step would be to change the scope, but I will wait on that.

 

[roninflag]

what scope do you have? what are you shooting at? do you reload? have you adjusted the trigger on it?

 

[squirrelduster]

I tried that.
Want to buy a stock?
Didn't make a bit of difference in my application. I have the same thing, Remington 700 300 win mag.
You will get more benefit with a high quality scope and rings than the stock. Jewell trigger makes a huge difference also. The stock would be my last choice.

 

[angus-5024]

stocks are good. but they arent as good as a good peice of glass, a brake (if your recoil sensitive, a new trigger (huge help), good rings/bases, bi-pod, and handloads. In MHO the best thing out there is good handloads. I have been able to make several rifles from Rem. SPS to Wby Mark V's shoot very well with carfull handloads. I would however also strongly suggest a pillar/epoxy bedding job.

 

[LRSickle]

In a lot of instances a good stock will help you out. I bought a Rem700 SPS with a plastic tupperware stock on it. In hot weather my groups would change because the forend became so flexible that it would bend up and touch the barrel when I laid it on sand bags.

 

[trueblue]

Find yourself a used HS Precision stock for about $225.00 and get rid of the cheap plastic factory stock. It will help your accuracy. Torque the action screws to 60-65# and go shoot.
And yes, handloading is a must for accuracy beyond 500 yards IMO.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I'll put it as a "definite maybe."

If you currently have a plastic factory stock, then it will help. If you have an older BDL with a wood stock then bedding it may be enough to get you where you want to go - with regard to a stock.

However, as said above, you first need to address the trigger, mounts and optics. Those are first, and the stock is after that. You might be surprised what your rifle can do if those 3 are optimized. 2 to 2 1/2 pounds on the trigger plus the right optic setup plus some practice can get you a long way.

 

[roninflag]

Find yourself a used HS Precision stock for about $225.00 and get rid of the cheap plastic factory stock. It will help your accuracy. Torque the action screws to 60-65# and go shoot.
And yes, handloading is a must for accuracy beyond 500 yards IMO.

TRUEBLUE- the poster says he has a bdl. they come with a wood stock .

 

[roninflag]

HavAsu- the 300 wm is one of the most forgiving rounds to load for after the .222 and .308. it is excellent for target and hunting. last time i shot my wood stocked rifle it shot .29, .33 and .27. my synthetic- both my son and son in law shot 15 shot groups at 1k you could cover with sheet of notebook paper. good scope , good trigger, muzzle break, good ammo.

 

[HavasuMike]

First, thanks for replying. Now for some more detail. This rifle has a wood stock. It has a bump in the front to put pressure on the barrel. I use it mainly for hunting elk, but sometimes for deer. The trigger has been worked on by a gunsmith and is set at 3 lbs. I do reload and have been using Nosler partitions and ballistic tips(180gr). I recently bought some Swift sirocco II (180)and Berger VLD(210) that I am going to try. With the magazine in this gun, I am able to load them long. I currently have a Leupold vari-x3 3 1/2-10 x 40. I am definitely going to replace it, but everything I have been looking at is over $1k so I'm taking my time with that. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm wasting my time trying to do this. Should I just save up some dough and buy a new rifle?

 

[roninflag]

HAVASU- it was 7 degrees at my house this morning. i shot a lot of stuff including a bc antelope with a 3.5 -10 X40 . it is clear, light weight.. you can do it with your bdl . i would need a higher power scope. my adl 7mm last time at the range shot a .112 @ 100. it has a bush 6-24. also, i know you can get two pounds on that trigger. google remington crisp. IF 600 YARDS is as far as you want to shoot; i would use 165,167,168 and 175 bullets . a 168 cbt and around 71-72 of 4350. i shoot 210's ( 72.5 re-22) out of my 300 for 1000 yard matches. i would have to have a muzzle break. i found in chrono my long range loads that 215s gave me higher velocity, higher es and higher pressure. hope this hepls. roninflag

 

[Dr. Vette]

With your new details, I'd first consider bedding it into the current stock and adjusting the trigger down. Or, just replace the trigger with a Timney or Jewell (depending on your preference and pocketbook). I had my 700 adjusted to 2# by a nationally known 'smith and it's a joy to behold.

When you bed, most of the people here will tell you to not use the pads in the front of the stock, i.e. eliminate them. I just did a 700 and found that to make the ejection port "even" with the stock I had to wrap tape around the barrel which then lifted it away from the pads. So, I didn't even have to sand them off.

Boatloads of excellent tips on bedding in this thread:
Bedding Project - Sniper's Hide Forums

Your scope can easily shoot 600 yards if you want it to - especially at deer or elk sized targets. If you're bored, Leupold will retrofit adjustable turrets on it for $100-125.

If none of that works, then swap out the stock.

 

[HavasuMike]

I forgot about the muzzle brake. I had wanted to put one on anyway. I have a friend that might bed it for me.

Roninflag, I don't care how cold it is, Flag is still a great place. I have been looking for some property around there, but it is pretty pricey. Do you have a 1000 yd range there?

 

[roninflag]

we have a lot of national forest. the place out east of town where the matches were held is not useable . the forest service said no more; even though the rifle assoc put up signs to close the two tracks that we fire over.