remington 700 problem. help

[gilmillan1]

I am very frustrated. I sent my gun to a gunsmith. he was supposed to do somework on it. when he returned the gun to me, the gun was shooting to the left and very low. i tried centering the gun but i ran out of windage adjustment to the right. The gun was perfectly zeroed before i sent it to him. I think he messed up my scope. what do you guys think?

and to make things worst, while reinstalling the scope i messed up one of the screws that holds the bases to the action. I messed up the thread of the screw hole. I dont know how to fix this. can anyone help me to fix it?

gil

 

[westcliffe01]

So I take it that the smith removed the scope and base/bases ? to do his work ?

Tell us whether you have a one piece or 2 piece scope base and what rings you have. Did you get it back with the scope and bases separate from the action ?

A picture will help too.

 

[gilmillan1]

I am thinking that this guy worked on the guy without removing the scope and he messed it up because of that. I think i will have to send it back to zeiss to get it repaired. This really sucks. I had been waiting for that gun for weeks now and it turns out I dont have a scope that works.

the bases are two pieces.

they are similar to these ones. But i dont think these are the ones i have

Millett Turn-In Base & Rings Combo 1in Medium Matte Remington 700

 

[westcliffe01]

So how many scopes have you sighted in or fitted to an action ?

If you have a 2 piece base, you know that the front and back section are different, right ? The curvature at the back of a Remington Receiver is not the same as at the front.

Did you bore sight it ? Do you know what bore sighting is ? If you do anything to an optic or mount, it is the first thing you check BEFORE you go to the range. With a bore sighting, you should be on paper at 50 yards, every time.

So, starting at the beginning, it sounds like the scope was mounted when you got it back. If so, what were you doing to it that got the thread to the action stripped ? To get to those screws usually requires that you take the scope out the rings and the rings off the base first ?

So how about telling us the whole story and not leaving out any parts ?

 

[gcollins]

G 1,
When you took your rifle and scope to the gun smith, Why did you take it to a gunsmith for??What was the condition your rig was in when you left it with him, were you shooting it at that time? How did you locate this gunsmith?
We realy need this info, and as plain as it was ask?Was it a shooting rig? If so what was the gun smith to do? I am not trying to be any kind of ***, I would like to help you if I can understand what we have to deal with?
I am not on here very much (wished I was), but I think if you can answer the question's I have ask? I know with out a doubt that you will get your answer.
I have more question to ask you, but my back won't allow that!
Sorry
Greg

 

[roninflag]

using burris zee rings with the plastic inserts are a cheap solution

 

[gilmillan1]

I have mounted numerous scopes in my life and I know how to zero them. I use much care when I mount them. I use levels and a fat wrench to make them level and not to over tighten them.

The rifle was in very good working order before I took it to the smith. It is a remington vls in 243 caliber. the gun was shooting sub moa at 100 yards. I took it to the smith so he could install a jewel trigger and a muzzle brake. The brake was installed and the trigger too. Both seem to be properly installed.

when i got it, the gun seemed to be somewhat unclean. So i cleaned it. I didnt think much about it. but when I went to shoot it, I could not zero the scope. The gun was shooting low and to the left. I was able to correct the elevation but not the windage. I ran out of clicks. Of course, this was not a problem before I sent it to the smith.

I will try another scope to see what happens, and If the gun zeroes, I am thinking I will have to get my scope repaired.

 

[westcliffe01]

The rear scope rail you sent the link for has a windage adjustment. Did you try re-setting the windage turret to the middle of its range and then BORE SIGHTING the scope while adjusting the windage adjustment on the rear base ?

Just so were clear: Remove the bolt from the rifle. Put the gun into a bench rest or gun vice, pointed at a small reconizable target at about 25-50 yards. Center the target in the bore when viewed from the bolt position. Now peek through the scope without touching the gun to see where it is pointing at.

If I were you, I would center both turrets on the scope. If you read the manual, it will tell you how much travel it has in each axis. Then dial each axis until it (gently) reached the limit of travel one way. Now, taking note of the number of minutes per revolution of the turret, rotate it back half of the allowed movement. If you did not re-set your turret you should be close to the "zero" point on the turret.

Now adjust your scope base to get the scope pointed at the same place the barrel is pointed in windage.

I have never heard of someone stripping one of the scope base threads in a receiver. Often times, on cheap chinese made scope bases and rings, the screws themselves will be made of very soft steel and they themselves will strip easily.

If the thread really is stripped, they you have to go back to your smith again (this time take off the scope and bases yourself beforehand) and get the factory holes all drilled and tapped to the next size up. Buy yourself a steel one piece rail (picatinny style) and have him open up the counter sunk holes in the one piece base for the same screw size. If it was me getting this done. I would have him drill and ream and pin the one piece base to the receiver at the same time. That way it will never move on you, no matter what.

Usually, smiths charge about $15/hole so 4 holes should cost you $60 + 2 dowel holes will be $90.

Don't waste your time with micky mouse scope mounts when you put so much money into the optic to begin with.

 

[gilmillan1]

The rear scope rail you sent the link for has a windage adjustment. Did you try re-setting the windage turret to the middle of its range and then BORE SIGHTING the scope while adjusting the windage adjustment on the rear base ?

Just so were clear: Remove the bolt from the rifle. Put the gun into a bench rest or gun vice, pointed at a small reconizable target at about 25-50 yards. Center the target in the bore when viewed from the bolt position. Now peek through the scope without touching the gun to see where it is pointing at.

If I were you, I would center both turrets on the scope. If you read the manual, it will tell you how much travel it has in each axis. Then dial each axis until it (gently) reached the limit of travel one way. Now, taking note of the number of minutes per revolution of the turret, rotate it back half of the allowed movement. If you did not re-set your turret you should be close to the "zero" point on the turret.

Now adjust your scope base to get the scope pointed at the same place the barrel is pointed in windage.

I have never heard of someone stripping one of the scope base threads in a receiver. Often times, on cheap chinese made scope bases and rings, the screws themselves will be made of very soft steel and they themselves will strip easily.

If the thread really is stripped, they you have to go back to your smith again (this time take off the scope and bases yourself beforehand) and get the factory holes all drilled and tapped to the next size up. Buy yourself a steel one piece rail (picatinny style) and have him open up the counter sunk holes in the one piece base for the same screw size. If it was me getting this done. I would have him drill and ream and pin the one piece base to the receiver at the same time. That way it will never move on you, no matter what.

Usually, smiths charge about $15/hole so 4 holes should cost you $60 + 2 dowel holes will be $90.

Don't waste your time with micky mouse scope mounts when you put so much money into the optic to begin with.

you were right on the money!!! pretty much everything you said was true. the bases were misaligned, and the screw had been damaged, not the action. I already installed a picatinny rail, which I also bedded, and I will try the scope again tomorrow. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

That is the beauty of making new friends in these kinds of forums. I was able to overcome my problem thanks to you guys. For once more, thank you!

 

[westcliffe01]

I know that I can come across as harsh or prying, but to solve a problem one needs the facts... Glad to hear that you did not damage the receiver threads. Actions are made out of some pretty tough steel, it is not much fun drilling and tapping into that stuff...

Yes, doing a bore sighting ANY time you do anything to any part of the optical system is the surest and fastest way to get things sorted out and a lot cheaper than sending ammo downrange and then wondering where it hit. If you had seen me trying to sight in my muzzle loader when I got it, shooting 350gr lead bullets backed by 120gr of 777 powder, you would have really laughed. The problem was that the barrel fouled so bad with lead and powder residue, that when I did have it sighted in (first shot from a clean barrel), by the 5th shot I was not even on the paper.... And of course that load kicked like a mule and the powerbelt bullets were over $1 each, not counting the black powder and primers...

Later I switched to shooting 245gr jacketed bullets with a plastic "aero" tip with 110gr of Blackhorn 209, and my shoulder was no longer black and blue, the MV was much higher, the trajectory flatter, I could shoot 7 or 7 shots without cleaning (although accuracy still falls off) so live and learn...