What to do with 280 Rem mountain rifle

[micmac]

Greetings first post in this well informed forum.

I have a Remington 700 mountain rifle in 280 REM. I've owned this rifle since new in 1991. My college grad gift to myself. Needless to say this rifle has always had less than spectacular accuracy and I've never felt comfortable taking shots over 150 yrds.
However, It's served me fine as an east coast whitetail rifle.

It's no longer my primary gun so I was thinking about trying to turn it into something a bit more accurate and useful. I'm nostalgic about the gun so I won't abandon it so looking for some ideas to make it more accurate but still in the vein of a mountain rifle.

All recommendations welcome for manufacturers etc. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to any gun customization so any ideas welcome. The gun is completely stock BTW. Thanks

What about bedding and floating the barrel? I've read these thin barrels don't do well free floating them.

Was thinking barrel swap getting rid of the 22" pencil barrel. Maybe turning it into a 280 AI (what would this entail)?

New stock

New trigger system

Also what about truing the receiver?

Or should I just put it back in the safe and retire it?

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Greetings first post in this well informed forum.

I have a Remington 700 mountain rifle in 280 REM. I've owned this rifle since new in 1991. My college grad gift to myself. Needless to say this rifle has always had less than spectacular accuracy and I've never felt comfortable taking shots over 150 yrds.
However, It's served me fine as an east coast white tail rifle.

It's no longer my primary gun so I was thinking about trying to turn it into something a bit more accurate and useful. I'm nostalgic about the gun so I won't abandon it so looking for some ideas to make it more accurate but still in the vein of a mountain rifle.

All recommendations welcome for manufacturers etc. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to any gun customization so any ideas welcome. The gun is completely stock BTW. Thanks

What about bedding and floating the barrel? I've read these thin barrels don't do well free floating them.

Was thinking barrel swap getting rid of the 22" pencil barrel. Maybe turning it into a 280 AI (what would this entail)?

New stock

New trigger system

Also what about truing the receiver?

Or should I just put it back in the safe and retire it?

Could you send a picture?
What is the accuracy? How does it group?
Have you ever scoped the bore?
Ever Chronograph bullet velocity?
What ammo are you using?
Have you tried different ammo?
What scope do you have on it?
Have you changed scopes/mounts?
Checked the Action properly screwed/bolted to the stock?
You are the only owners so it may have low round count.

Possible issues:
Scope or mounts are loose.
Could have copper build up in the bore.
Loose stock & action
Could have a damaged Crown
Rifle may not like the ammo/bullet weight

 

[cape cove]

It would be wise if you found out what the accuracy problem is before you make any changes. JMO

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

Before I would suggest anything I'm curious what ammo you are using, do you reload, if so what kind of load development did you put the rifle through?

 

[26Reload]

The one I bought had been ai'd....
Like 140gr bullets best.....first 2 rounds touch most every time from a bench at 100yds...then 3rd off.....
Wouldn't get carried away with heavy bullets....well...I never did...
Advised to try 168gr.....wasn't worth the effort....

 

[micmac]

Could you send a picture?

will post

What is the accuracy? How does it group?

doesn't group well at all 3-4" groups

Have you ever scoped the bore?

no

Ever Chronograph bullet velocity?

no

What ammo are you using?

variety of ammo 150 Gr rem core lokt, 165 gr rem core lok, choice ammo hand load 162 gr ELDX. The choice ammo shot the best 2" groups.

Have you tried different ammo?

yes

What scope do you have on it?

new scope this year used to have and older B&L 3x9. Now Vortex 6x24 crossfire II.

Have you changed scopes/mounts?

yes all changed this year

Checked the Action properly screwed/bolted to the stock?

checked that today. Torque was around 30 in-lbs on the screws. I have disassembled the receiver from stock years ago. Today torqued to 45 in-lbs.

You are the only owners so it may have low round count.

fairly low. I'm guessing maybe 15-20 boxes in 30 years

Possible issues:
Scope or mounts are loose.
Could have copper build up in the bore.
Loose stock & action
Could have a damaged Crown
Rifle may not like the ammo/bullet weight

 

[micmac]

Before I would suggest anything I'm curious what ammo you are using, do you reload, if so what kind of load development did you put the rifle through?

I do not reload.

 

[micmac]

It would be wise if you found out what the accuracy problem is before you make any changes. JMO

I guess I just assumed it was a thin barrel thing. How would I go about ID'ng the accuracy issue?

also I usually won't shoot more than 3 rounds any one time as the barrel heats up and accuracy gets much worse

 

[jessej]

doesn't group well at all 3-4" groups

There's a challenge I couldn't pass up. I'd wager there something easily fixed that would turn it into a 1" gun.

 

[Koda_]

also I usually won't shoot more than 3 rounds any one time as the barrel heats up and accuracy gets much worse

this is correct, keep doing this... (Zero on a cold barrel). All I get out of my thin Rem barrel is about 2-3 shots before the zero starts moving...

I have an older Rem 700 bought in early 90s, same thing. What I learned is back then Remingtons were not bedded or floated. To make matters worse they used to mill a bump in the forearm to intentionally touch the barrel on the end to reduce harmonics (a cheap way to get around bedding and floating iirc).

The first step to revive this old workhorse is check the barrel crown for dings and have a smith turn anything down. Then have a smith bed and float the barrel. When I did this mine went from 3in groups to under 2moa, with factory ammo. Then, with certain factory ammo I found a brand that shot 1.5" moa and called it good for hunting out to 300yds.
After bedding and floating if you want to go further then inspect your chamber for a carbon ring and have a smith remove that. After that inspect the barrel throat for firecracking, and pitting in the lands... that may or may not affect the accuracy your after but if after all this your still not happy the only thing you can do is have a smith replace the barrel with a new one and it will be a tack driver.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

will post

doesn't group well at all 3-4" groups

no

no

variety of ammo 150 Gr rem core lokt, 165 gr rem core lok, choice ammo hand load 162 gr ELDX. The choice ammo shot the best 2" groups.

yes

new scope this year used to have and older B&L 3x9. Now Cortes 6x24 crossfire II.

yes all changed this year

checked that today. Torque was around 30 in-lbs on the screws. I have disassembled the receiver from stock years ago. Today torqued to 45 in-lbs.

fairly low. I'm guessing maybe 15-20 boxes in 30 years

Beautiful RIFLE!!!!
3-400 rounds is low rounds.
Did it shoot 3-4" (2" best) groups from NEW?
Should shoot <1" MOA.

 

[micmac]

this is correct, keep doing this... (Zero on a cold barrel). All I get out of my thin Rem barrel is about 2-3 shots before the zero starts moving...

I have an older Rem 700 bought in early 90s, same thing. What I learned is back then Remingtons were not bedded or floated. To make matters worse they used to mill a bump in the forearm to intentionally touch the barrel on the end to reduce harmonics (a cheap way to get around bedding and floating iirc).

The first step to revive this old workhorse is check the barrel crown for dings and have a smith turn anything down. Then have a smith bed and float the barrel. When I did this mine went from 3in groups to under 2moa, with factory ammo. Then, with certain factory ammo I found a brand that shot 1.5" moa and called it good for hunting out to 300yds.
After bedding and floating if you want to go further then inspect your chamber for a carbon ring and have a smith remove that. After that inspect the barrel throat for firecracking, and pitting in the lands... that may or may not affect the accuracy your after but if after all this your still not happy the only thing you can do is have a smith replace the barrel with a new one and it will be a tack driver.

Correct there is the typical milled bump in the stock down a couple inches from the For-end as checked by slipping a dollar bill under the barrel.

 

[micmac]

Beautiful RIFLE!!!!
3-400 rounds is low rounds.
Did it shoot 3-4" (2" best) groups from NEW?
Should shoot <1" MOA.

Yes I just assumed back then I was a 20 yr old with no shooting skills. Now I'm older / wiser shoot better…..with exception of this gun

 

[micmac]

Was thinking of maybe making it into a AI. For western hunting. I was recently invited on a CO elk hunt last minute and found myself needing more cow bell.