Accurate Action?

[700man]

I have a Remington 700 in a 270 Winchester. I did not know about this site at the time, so I sent it off to a gunsmith I had never heard of, who seemed knowagable about accurate firearms .

He put a Lilja barrel on it, McMillan stock, beded the action. I got it back and the bolt would not close, so I called him and he told me to grind off the front action screw and that should do it.

THIS told me that he never even test fired it. Surprisingly, It will shoot about a 1/2" group, but the next time out I shoot it, it will shoot about a 1/2" group but in a different place, maybe 2" to the right and 1" low.

I want an accurate rifle. Do I need to keep working with this Rem 700 action or get a custom action. Which is better, and how much better in terms of accuracy.

Thanks for any help!

 

[loaders_loft]

yikes. you should find a reputable smith in your area and take it to him for a second opinion.

 

[4bycamper]

What I will try when group moves around from shooting session to next is scope and or scope mounts. Is there another scope you could try? is your scope mount base loose? I always glue my bases down.
What conture / how heavy is your new barrel? I wonder if the stock is hitting the barrel.

Hope this helps.

 

[BountyHunter]

Look at the bedding also. Not stress free, loose action screws etc.

BH

 

[Pdvdh]

It will shoot about a 1/2" group, but the next time out I shoot it, it will shoot about a 1/2" group but in a different place, maybe 2" to the right and 1" low.

If it shoots 1/2" groups then I think the rifle is a keeper, but you'll need to figure out why the groups are shifting so much. Like others have suggested - loose screws, barrel not free floated, unstable bedding to the stock. If this gets too overwhelming then as suggested, another qualified gunsmith might be able to troubleshoot the rifle. I don't think you'd get 1/2" groups if there were simply loose screws though. It may need to be re-bedded, stress-free. Like pillar bedded with the barrel free floated. I don't know what kind of a stock you have. If it's a plastic tupperware style common on factory rifles today, the stock may not be up to the job of providing a solid platform for stable long-term group placement/consistency. The stock is an important part of the equation when it comes to consistency and stability.

 

[edward hogan]

I have a Remington 700 in a 270 Winchester. I did not know about this site at the time, so I sent it off to a gunsmith I had never heard of, who seemed knowagable about accurate firearms .

He put a Lilja barrel on it, McMillan stock, beded the action. I got it back and the bolt would not close, so I called him and he told me to grind off the front action screw and that should do it.

THIS told me that he never even test fired it. Surprisingly, It will shoot about a 1/2" group, but the next time out I shoot it, it will shoot about a 1/2" group but in a different place, maybe 2" to the right and 1" low.

I want an accurate rifle. Do I need to keep working with this Rem 700 action or get a custom action. Which is better, and how much better in terms of accuracy.

Thanks for any help!

I think you need a better story....

You spent $1400 maybe $2000 on transforming your BDL without knowing anything about what you were buying?

Did you stay with the .270win chambering? Get something else?
You say nothing about your scope or scope mount system. Junk scopes and old-timey mounts like the popular STD are NOT conducive to repeat precision.

What more do you expect from the .270? 1/2" groups are excellent unless you are shooting some 15lb varmint rifle off the bags at that range. Even then, if you kept the .277 barrel diameter, there are virtually no match quality bullets produced for that diameter.

A .270 is a Great all-around hunting caliber, but if you had done some research and were expecting to shoot for precision results, you might've chosen a 6.5mm, 7mm, or .30 caliber for your barrel. There are plenty of match bullets in those diameters.

And what exactly is "an accurate action"? In my experience, if you know how to shoot, you can do just fine with a Rem 700 action; even if it hasn't had an "accuracy job" which is mainly a job on your wallet imho.

You are jumping to a lot of conclusions and have little knowledge to base them on.


I suspect your scope mount system and ammunition might be the culprits in your lack of consistent accuracy problem, but you really don't say much of anything about your rifle, your ammunition, or sight systems.

Plenty of guys here who are ready to commiserate and make suggestions, when really you've told us nothing except you spent a lot of money and didn't know what you were buying.

wish you all the best. You likely have good gear. Time to make it shoot as you desire or figure out where you went wrong.

 

[700man]

Not sure that I follow you when you said "I think you need a better story...."

I did not know the gunsmith. I do not know any gunsmiths for that matter; I just went off of a recommendation. I had never had any work done on a rifle, I needed a starting point. The referral for the gunsmith I received came from this site I believe.

You said"I am jumping to conclusions and have little knowledge to base them on."

In the few post that I have put on Long Range Hunting, this is the first response I have ever received that I felt was a put down. Every one else has been very supportive and informative. I have picked up some really good info in the short amount of time that I have been on this site.

How is one to learn if one does not ask?

My base is a Seekins, my rings are Leupold mk4, my scope is a Swarovski 6x18x50 AV with a tds reticle. My Bullets are my own hand loads, Seirra, and Barnes, and Berger. Have been loading for over 35 years.


Thanks for the help and the suggestions.

 

[Coyboy]

I think what Edward was trying to say is that we need every single detail about the gun and the build that was done, if you have a reciept for the work it should be itemized and reflect everything the smith did to your rifle, that would help us eliminate some issues.

What stock did you use. is it bedding block or pillar bedded? epoxy skim coat?
Who mounted the scope? is the front base screw bottomed out on the barrel thread tennon?
Is the barrel making contact anywhere with the stock?
Have the rings been lapped?
Are any of the rear scope base screws touching the bolt body?
Is the mag box bound up?

The more info the better, If your having difficulty with these answers call a smith and have him look at the rifle, or take it back to your smith and have him look at it again.

 

[700man]

Jim, Thanks for the clarification. I had sent the rifle off to Colorado to get it worked on, and hate to send it back ,it has been over 2 years anyway. Thanks, Ron