Hunting setup help

[MTMeatEater]

Hello all,
I am looking to get some insight and help about my new hunting rig. I have hunted with a Ruger 25-06 since I started hunting in the mid 2000s, mostly mule deer. I have loved this, but wanted a little more for elk, and maybe some day bear and or moose. I recently got a great deal on a Rem 700 25-06, that I thought I could re-barrel. It was used in good shape, and appears to have some work done. The gun does not shoot well though, and I'm hoping it is a barrel issue, that can be fixed with a swap. I did find some areas on the forend that were touching the barrel, I sanded them down and it helped, but still, two shots close, one flyer on every group. My question mostly is what are some things that can cause this. All I know is that it seams to have a different coating on the action (ceracote?), the bolt is fluted and handle skeletonized, sitting in a HS precision stock, has an aftermarket trigger, and supposedly the action was blueprinted(though I have no way of knowing?). I have a Vortex HSLR 4-16x50 in Talley rings.
Thank you,
MTME

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Bedding and screw torque would be a good cheap start to fixing the flyer issue. Gotta have a good foundation or the floorboards will always creak.

 

[MTMeatEater]

Bedding and screw torque would be a good cheap start to fixing the flyer issue. Gotta have a good foundation or the floorboards will always creak.

Thanks for the reply,
I was thinking the same earlier but I haven't ever bedded, and I'm still not 100% that I want to keep this stock, as it has a monte carlo and I would like to have a riser. But my main question is there anything that could be potentially wrong with the action? Maybe it is a dumb question and I apologize. But I wanted to move to another caliber. I have many questions yet lol.
MTME

 

[Plinker147]

I can be a bedding issue/ barrel heating/ factory barrel/barrel getting shot out.

It also can be variation in loads if its factory ammo. Or the same if you reload and are not in a node.

If your going to re-barrel why waste time worrying about, go get it re-barrel- i recommend 280AI.

 

[MTMeatEater]

I can be a bedding issue/ barrel heating/ factory barrel/barrel getting shot out.

It also can be variation in loads if its factory ammo. Or the same if you reload and are not in a node.

If your going to re-barrel why waste time worrying about, go get it re-barrel- i recommend 280AI.

Plinker thanks for the reply,
I was wondering if it was a barrel heating issue, as it was always the third shot. Thought I tried to let it cool with the same issue. It is a factory Remington sportster barrel. I tried half a dozen different brands and loads with some better than others but always a flyer.

Yes I see your point, I just did not know if the action was messed with, if it could possibly have a problem. I have went back and forth with what caliber to re-barrel to. The top of my list was 280AI, but I do not reload and am a little paranoid about the old "if I lose ammo, can I get it in a store" question. And from the little I understand 280AI really shines with handloads, correct? So I thought about trusty 30-06 but I got a little spoiled with my 25 shooting flat. This will be my main hunting gun for 0-500yds, mule deer and elk. I find myself using less guns for the same purpose, just practicing more with one gun for that purpose.

Would it be possible to go to a magnum? Is there any changes besides bolt face? And does anyone recommend a 7mm Rem Mag for a 8ish pound hunting rifle without a break?

Thanks,
MTME

 

[djfriesen]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you can always shoot 280 Remington out of a 280AI in a pinch.

But I'm also just kind of enamored with the 280AI right now, so I'm biased.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Plinker thanks for the reply,
I was wondering if it was a barrel heating issue, as it was always the third shot. Thought I tried to let it cool with the same issue. It is a factory Remington sportster barrel. I tried half a dozen different brands and loads with some better than others but always a flyer.

Yes I see your point, I just did not know if the action was messed with, if it could possibly have a problem. I have went back and forth with what caliber to re-barrel to. The top of my list was 280AI, but I do not reload and am a little paranoid about the old "if I lose ammo, can I get it in a store" question. And from the little I understand 280AI really shines with handloads, correct? So I thought about trusty 30-06 but I got a little spoiled with my 25 shooting flat. This will be my main hunting gun for 0-500yds, mule deer and elk. I find myself using less guns for the same purpose, just practicing more with one gun for that purpose.

Would it be possible to go to a magnum? Is there any changes besides bolt face? And does anyone recommend a 7mm Rem Mag for a 8ish pound hunting rifle without a break?

Thanks,
MTME

Could be barrel heat but at only 3 shots... ehhhhh.
A 7RM has exactly the same recoil profile as a .30-06. FYI. I'm recoil shy and have used such a combination for decades, even a half a box of ammo from a bench isn't bad.
.280 can be fired in a .280AI. When you start reloading you'll make the AI version of 280 sing.

 

[MTMeatEater]

Could be barrel heat but at only 3 shots... ehhhhh.
A 7RM has exactly the same recoil profile as a .30-06. FYI. I'm recoil shy and have used such a combination for decades, even a half a box of ammo from a bench isn't bad.
.280 can be fired in a .280AI. When you start reloading you'll make the AI version of 280 sing.

BallisticsGuy thank you for your reply.

That is very much what I have been wondering about 7RM. Ive shot plenty of 30-06 in a 8ish pound hunting rifle and it is not bad to me. I like the ballistics, energy, and ammo availability of the 7RM. But I do not like hard recoiling guns, as I like to shoot my setup often and learn it as well as I can. This is why I liked my 25-06, lots of rounds shot, and confidence built with it. I used to have multiple guns I would take for different hunts, but I would like to boil that down to one trusty gun. I think 7RM fits that bill from what I have seen.

And I like the 280AI but I don't see reloading in the near future, and where I live, there is only a very small selection of 280 in stores, if any.

What do you think of federals new Edge TLR's? Would this be a good load for both Elk and Mule deer out to 500? I've always had excellent luck with federal, and it seems to be a good bonded bullet, but wont pencil through a deer. Have ran into that problem with Barnes in a 30-06. Multiple shots through the vitals, all hits, no expansion.

Thanks,
MTME

 

[Mram10us]

I'd Stick with a standard bolt face caliber like 6.5-284 or 280ai rather than opening up boltface. If you want a mag, trade or sell the action and get a mag action.
Also, skinny barrels string and often have an issue with 2 good, 1 flier.

 

[MTMeatEater]

I'd Stick with a standard bolt face caliber like 6.5-284 or 280ai rather than opening up boltface. If you want a mag, trade or sell the action and get a mag action.
Also, skinny barrels string and often have an issue with 2 good, 1 flier.

Thanks for the reply,
I would go with one of the above mentioned calibers if I reloaded, but I do not, and where I live it is difficult to get those calibers. Why do you say to rather trade the action vs open the bolt face? How much is the cost difference and would it be worth it as the action already had work done?

And with the skinny barrel, I was thinking of going to a heavier fluted barrel, to try to combat that without gaining to much weight, as this will be a hunting rifle first.

Thanks,
MTME

 

[MTMeatEater]

I'd Stick with a standard bolt face caliber like 6.5-284 or 280ai rather than opening up boltface. If you want a mag, trade or sell the action and get a mag action.
Also, skinny barrels string and often have an issue with 2 good, 1 flier.

Also, I very much wamted the 6.5x284 and 280AI, but then reality hit that I don't reload.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Wouldn't need to open the bolt face, just buy a new bolt from PTG if you want to go 7RM. The new TLR is what I wanted the ELD-X to be. The bias toward mass in copper vs. mass in lead means a tough bullet that will penetrate deep. The rapid expansion and bonding prevent excessive fragmentation while giving reliable expansion across a wide velocity range. The TLR looks basically like a tipped version of the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw which I always liked as a game bullet.