New Long Range Build

[Jud96]

As some may know, I have a Remington 700 Long Range in .300 Win Mag. Well I have been having a lot of inconsistent results and have tried all sort of different loads, different scopes, different shooters, messed with the bedding, and I pretty much looked it over a dozen times and could never fix it. All of this led me to decide to rebarrel it and start fresh. I have everthing in hand and I will be reusing everything except the barrel and a few other parts.

I originally was going to do the .300 WIN again, but have decided on the .308 Norma Mag. Seems like an odd decision, but I already have a classic custom in this chambering and the dies and reamer. The Norma also has Bertram Brass available for it which is very high quality and better than anything currently available for the .300 Win other than RWS which is $2.50 a piece and hard to get. The Norma can also equal or come dang close to the .300WM with a couple grains less powders. Load data with modern slower powders such as H1000, IMR 7828, and IMR 7977 is pretty much nonexistent so I am going to work up and find a good load with one of them and the 208GR. ELD Match.

So far this is the parts list:

ACTION: Remington 700 that will have the lugs lapped and squared up
BARREL: Bartlein Sendero .30cal 1:9 twist finished at 28"
MUZZLE BRAKE: McDonald Precision custom baffle brake
STOCK: Bell & Carlson M40, bedded and floated
TRIGGER: Currently has tuned X-MARK but will be ordering a TriggerTech
SCOPE: Vortex HS-T 4-16x44 MOA

 

[AZShooter]

Tag to follow thread

 

[FEENIX]

As some may know, I have a Remington 700 Long Range in .300 Win Mag. Well I have been having a lot of inconsistent results and have tried all sort of different loads, different scopes, different shooters, messed with the bedding, and I pretty much looked it over a dozen times and could never fix it. All of this led me to decide to rebarrel it and start fresh. I have everthing in hand and I will be reusing everything except the barrel and a few other parts.

I originally was going to do the .300 WIN again, but have decided on the .308 Norma Mag. Seems like an odd decision, but I already have a classic custom in this chambering and the dies and reamer. The Norma also has Bertram Brass available for it which is very high quality and better than anything currently available for the .300 Win other than RWS which is $2.50 a piece and hard to get. The Norma can also equal or come dang close to the .300WM with a couple grains less powders. Load data with modern slower powders such as H1000, IMR 7828, and IMR 7977 is pretty much nonexistent so I am going to work up and find a good load with one of them and the 208GR. ELD Match.

So far this is the parts list:

ACTION: Remington 700 that will have the (lugs lapped and squared up) ?
BARREL: Bartlein Sendero .30cal 1:9 twist finished at 28"
MUZZLE BRAKE: McDonald Precision custom baffle brake
STOCK: Bell & Carlson M40, bedded and floated
TRIGGER: Currently has tuned X-MARK but will be ordering a TriggerTech
SCOPE: Vortex HS-T 4-16x44 MOA

Sorry the rifle did not work out for you.

Don't want to misconstrue your post and just making sure ... are you going to have the action blueprinted/trued? Below video is courtesy of one of the site sponsors ...

[ame]https://youtu.be/pGn9qWJIM9M?t=25[/ame]

[ame]https://youtu.be/UmMSeBAGV0M?t=18[/ame]

Don't want to assume anything but most end-users do this when re-barreling the 1st time around.

I like your choice of barrel, I have a 27 SS Lilja with 1:9" 3G and sendero varmint contour on my latest custom build.

I'm sure she'll be a shooter. Looking forward to your project.

Good luck!

 

[Jud96]

Sorry the rifle did not work out for you.

Don't want to misconstrue your post and just making sure ... are you going to have the action blueprinted/trued? Below video is courtesy of one of the site sponsors ...

https://youtu.be/pGn9qWJIM9M?t=25

https://youtu.be/UmMSeBAGV0M?t=18

Don't want to assume anything but most end-users do this when re-barreling the 1st time around.

I like your choice of barrel, I have a 27 SS Lilja with 1:9" 3G and sendero varmint contour on my latest custom build.

I'm sure she'll be a shooter. Looking forward to your project.

Good luck!

This will be the first custom barrel that I have put on this action and hopefully the last! I am not going through the entire blue printing process, I am just going to lap my lugs so both of them are making full contact and making sure that my receiver face is trued up. I do not have all of the appropriate tools to blue print a 700 action. We have built quite a few other rifles and we have just trued up the receiver face and lapped the lugs in them and they shoot outstanding. Taking out every little variable sure helps, but I think I will be much better off this go around than with the factory setup!

 

[FEENIX]

This will be the first custom barrel that I have put on this action and hopefully the last! I am not going through the entire blue printing process, I am just going to lap my lugs so both of them are making full contact and making sure that my receiver face is trued up. I do not have all of the appropriate tools to blue print a 700 action. We have built quite a few other rifles and we have just trued up the receiver face and lapped the lugs in them and they shoot outstanding. Taking out every little variable sure helps, but I think I will be much better off this go around than with the factory setup!

Hopefully, it works out for you this time. Good luck!

 

[MudRunner2005]

This will be the first custom barrel that I have put on this action and hopefully the last! I am not going through the entire blue printing process, I am just going to lap my lugs so both of them are making full contact and making sure that my receiver face is trued up. I do not have all of the appropriate tools to blue print a 700 action. We have built quite a few other rifles and we have just trued up the receiver face and lapped the lugs in them and they shoot outstanding. Taking out every little variable sure helps, but I think I will be much better off this go around than with the factory setup!

Hey Jud...Buy once, cry once... Might want to just go ahead and blueprint. One and done...Never has to be done again, if you do it right the first time. Especially if you're going through all the trouble of putting on a nice Bartlein barrel. I'd want everything square if it were mine. That's why every rifle that goes to my gunsmith the first time, gets blueprinted. Go ahead and get it out of the way, and a rebarrel is half as much next go-round. I'd also go with a PTG .250" tapered recoil lug. I have one on my .25-06 AI build. It feels amazingly solid in that bedded walnut stock...Zero flex. Thicker recoil lug will help with that heavier recoiling cartridge.

PTG Recoil Lug Remington 700 Tapered Shank .250 Thick SS

 

[bigngreen]

Most of the newer Rems are running an average of .003 out of square with the bore of the action on the face and a little less on the lug abutments, what really needs checked and serious consideration is the primary extraction, these new Rem actions SUCK for primary extraction cam and timing and everyone I work on has had to be fixed! Some of the newer Rems have decent recoil lugs, look it over may be OK.
I've seen poo barrels on every kind of Rem they make, it's just the way it is, even the famed 5R or Sendero are not impervious to becoming a tomato stake, the nice thing about the LR is your not buried in it and it really just needs a little love and a good tube and it'll blow your skirt up!

 

[Jud96]

Barrel is chambered, headspaced, and fit to the action. Lugs are lapped and action face trued. The recoil lug is flat and not warped or bent so I'm good there. I proof tested it today and everything is good. This Bertram brass is going to be good stuff! It weighs a lot more than Norma brass and it reached pressure much faster than expected. I'm glad because that means it will be tough stuff and I will be able to reach pressure with slower powders that I previously didn't think I could fit enough of in the case. Threading the muzzle tomorrow and timing the brake. Should be all buttoned up and ready to go before the weekend!

 

[Jud96]

Just finished up rebedding the rifle. The bed job I did before wasn't bad but I had to remove all of the bedding infront of the lug to match the new Varmint contour. I added about 1.5" in front of the lug to help support the weight of the barrel and I went ahead and rebedded the recoil lug and action. Here's a picture of the finished build. I am really happy with it!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Looks good! About the only thing left would be to jewel the bolt. Besides being "shiny and pretty" it does serve a legit purpose, like holding oil in the microscopic grooves for smoother operation.

 

[Jud96]

Looks good! About the only thing left would be to jewel the bolt. Besides being "shiny and pretty" it does serve a legit purpose, like holding oil in the microscopic grooves for smoother operation.

Yeah I was thinking of either jeweling it or having it spiral fluted. Not sure yet. I am hoping to get some chrono and group results soon!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Yeah I was thinking of either jeweling it or having it spiral fluted. Not sure yet. I am hoping to get some chrono and group results soon!

Why not both... Jewel it, then spiral-flute the bolt...

 

[Jud96]

I haven't updated this thread in awhile. I have been busy flintlock muzzleloader hunting in Western, Pennsylvania for the last week. I did get a TriggerTech trigger with the flat shoe. I wasn't sure how I would like the flat shoe for use all the time, but I had previously shot a buddy's NRA Match Rifle with a flat trigger shoe and it was really nice. The trigger is user adjustable from 1.5-4lbs and the allen screw can be accessed with the trigger in the rifle with the bottom metal installed, this is really nice. The adjustments are roughly 1 oz per click and when you back the screw in or out it makes an audible clicking noise, much like a scope, for every 1 oz you move it. I have it set at about 1.5-1.75 lbs, I have not measured it but I am very close to the bottom of the adjustment range. The trigger uses a roller between the sear and trigger itself creating an extremely smooth and consistent pull. I have shot rifles with tuned Remingtons, Timneys, AccuTriggers, and Jewels and being honest with an unbiased opinion, the TriggerTech breaks crisper and has the least amount of creep I have ever experienced. They offer another trigger that is adjustable from 1-3.5lbs but it was like $50 more and 1.5lb is plenty light enough for me. My impressions so far is that this is an amazing trigger for $130 and I prefer it over a Timney or anything else. Jewels are definitely nice, but cost more and are not as durable of a design and can fail in dust or harsh environments. I encourage everyone to check out TriggerTech!

On a different note, I got to test one round the other day loaded with a 208gr ELD and 67gr of IMR 7828. Our local range has closed so it is difficult for me to test loads and shoot during hunting season because rifle season is not in and I don't want to take any chances by shooting a high power on private or public land. Anyways, I pretty much made up my own loads for the .308 Norma because data with modern slow powders and heavy bullets is close to non-existent! So I reduced .300 Win Mag starting data by a few grains and went from there. The Bertram brass is A LOT heavier than standard Norma brass and that is apparent from the 67gr load I fired that reached pressure. I am glad I did not fire anything with a heavier charge because 67gr flattened the primer but left the edges round, no cratering, and no ejector mark or hard bolt lift. I did not have a chance to chrono this load but I am hoping to reach 2900 without excessive pressure. I will further test IMR 7828 and then RL23 and IMR 7977 when I get the time and place to do so.

I am seating .020 off the lands and my COAL is 3.475" which is shorter than I originally thought. I had previously tried a new method of finding my max OAL with a cleaning rod but it is not precise enough. So I went back to the sharpie method that I do not like all that much but seems to work. I have thought about renting a throating reamer and cutting the throat so I touch the lands at about 3.6" but since my powder charges are lower than expected, none of my loads are compressed so there's no need to seat longer.

 

[TOM H]

Jud96. Berger manual has loading data for 308 Norma mag, 210/230gr bullets. Nolser manual #8 also has loading data 308 Norma but max bullet is 200grs.