Remington 700 Precision Hunting Rifle

[SandStorm.au]

Ahoy hoy everyone!

As a new member here at shooingaustralia.net, I figured I should at least share about the multipurpose rifle I'm currently building up. This rifle will be multipurpose in that it will be getting some use sitting on a bench with a 'precision rifle' hat on, yet be lightweight and flexible enough to be used for a hunting rifle.
"Madness!" you might say. A rifle to use for everything?! Impossible!.
Me, personally? Well, I beg to differ...



For those watching at home; please note that since this build thread up-to "Official Update #4" has been borrowed from my thread on another forum, some references/conversation points may not make much sense. For that I apologize but admit that whilst I do care, I really can't be bothered re-wording a few thousand words at the moment... I've got other things to do!
Also, please feel free to throw in your two cents or questions along the way, I'm keen to hear everyone's thoughts and experiences and will offer assistance as best I can!
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OFFICIAL BUILD UPDATE #1


At this stage, sussing out the new/used gun market seems to have been fruitful.
Here be my cost breakdown thus far..

For a brand new Remington 700 LTR in .308, I'm looking at:
$1640 for the bare LTR
$150 for a Nightforce 20MOA rail (send ALL the elevation my way!)
$200 for Nightforce matched rings
$120 for a Holland muzzle brake (again, a big maybe).
$120 for the bipod (already got one of those)

This leaves me with about $1000 to play with for my scope (the Bushnell Tactical Elite through to the Vortex PST price point if I'm not mistaken, not sure I can get a Sightron with "tactical turrets" for that much)
Still awaiting a price for the Cerakoting.
According to the Manners website, to "pimp" my MCS-T stock out (and turn it into an MCS-TA) I'm looking at $1283.50 USD.
If I scale things back a bit and avoid all the pimping (and cut down on heavy things like adjustable length of pull/cheek and an additional magazine, it takes things back to about $950.
So, I'ma have a chat to Nightforce (they're the Australian distributor for Manners stocks) and find out if there is any way that they can tell me
a) if any gun shops in Melbourne have an MCS-TA in stock and
b) If they will send out trial stocks or not.

Which brings me to c). Does anyone here know anyone in Victoria (preferable Melbourne) that has an MCS-T/MCS-TA that I can have a look at????


Now, if I opt for a brand new R700 SPS Tactical (20" Heavy Barrel), I'm looking at $1025 bare. Suddenly, a wild $615 difference appeared out of nowhere, given that I will be pulling the stock off it and throwing a different one on there, that $600 will pay for the bottom metal/magazine (a cost of about $360 for the Manners DBM) and leave me with another $240 to add to the optic and/or stock budget.
It would also probably cover the cost of fluting the barrel (no idea how much that will cost or even if it's safe to do so for that particular barrel) but yes, looking at an SPS Tactical now.



In short, as of this far I have
a) narrowed down my model
/>/> looked at some very pretty rifles
c) grabbed lunch
d) found a heap of rifles with the scope/s I'd prefer on UsedGuns, just need to make some phone calls
e) sorted out an approximate budget
f) costed the stock (again, need to make some more phone calls).

Hope your enjoyed my wandering build post, will post the next one as soon as I have something to write home about!

Kindest regards,
SandStorm.au

[SandStorm.au]

Alrighty, time for an update

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OFFICIAL BUILD UPDATE #2


Sooo I have sourced a stock (20 week build time once I throw my order in), am going with the Manners MCS-TA with 90% carbon fiber, the Manners Chassis DBM and some other nice bits (sling studs/QD cups etc). A rear rail for a monopod is also an option that I entertained but I think that should I go down the monopod path, I'll probably just utilize the rear sling swivel stud and save me some weight!


As for the rifle, have heard a few different things from a few different people, some saying that the Rem700 SPS action is made differently to say, a Sendero (e.g. one is forged a certain way or something). Unsure if this is the case, so now I'm going to have to do a little research (and e-mail Remington). I was under the impression that the SPS/Police/LTR/VTR/5R/etc all had the same action, with the only difference being the finish and the barrel style/specs?


Optics wise, whilst I had settled on a Vortex Viper PST 6-24 FFP (with a Sightron III a possibility) BUT when I wondered into a gun shop this afternoon, I saw a Bushnell Tactical Elite 3-12x44 FFP w/illum, a basic MilDot reticle and Mil/Mil turrets which had been sitting on the shelf for a fair while.
Their asking price was $960 dolleros and whilst it didn't have things like Zero Stops, its clarity was pretty damn awesome.
Anyone had a play with this scope? $960 seems fairly reasonable to me and whilst the Vortex was great, the Bushnell just seems to have better clarity at higher magnifications and does have a illuminated reticle in the FFP as well.
Trying to find lots of good quality reviews is not as easy as I was hoping (yes, I Googled for a while) so I'd love to hear opinions on the optic.


Kind Regards,
SandStorm.au

Ok folks, here we go. Grab your popcorn, this post is a long one.

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OFFICIAL BUILD UPDATE #3


So, as of today, I was able to make good on one of a few quotes. Managed to snag the last .308 SPS Tactical sitting in the shop in Tullamarine for the sum of $995.00 (a bargin compared to most gun shops out my way). The rifle had a small, minor tooling mark/nick that I spotted on the lands/edge of the crown - something that will probably need to be get addressed when the rifle is handed into my hot little hands (28 Day's time). I know that some people have the personal policy of having any 'factory new' rifles re-crowned but I'm unsure how much stock I should put into that. Otherwise, it's rifling looked good, the finish looked good and the action worked like it should (lock-up felt positive, etc).
As a side note, it was also suggested to me by a staff member at the gun shop that having my bolt re-faced would be a good idea.
I know very little re: it's benefits (he mentioned that my bolt will shave my brass up a bit), so I will need to research it.
I will admit, it was blatantly obvious that the SPS-T's stock really is horrifically cheap and nasty... when someone is able to make the barrel contact the sides of the stock utilizing just two fingers, it becomes clear where your money goes. That's ok though, because as soon as I can scrape the cash together, the Manners MCS-TA w/chassis will be on order and should arrive in less than 20 weeks.


Now the fun times ensure - optics.

After comparing the Bushnell Elite Tactical 3-12x44 with a similarly priced Swarovski optic (for reference only) and then with a Vortex Viper PST (the latter at Tulla, the previous two at another shop earlier that day), the Elite's straight, simple Mil-Dot reticle shined as one of my favorites to put on a rifle for varied range applications.
However, I did have an issue with its lack of internal adjustment when compared to the Vortex Viper PST's (80MOA vs 100MOA) and whilst Bushnell's' "Rainguard HD" coating is regarded as one of the best in the business, I found that light transmission on the glum Melbourne day noticeably better in the Vortex.
For what it's worth, I think that the glass quality itself on both scopes was fairly similar to my eye, however the 44mm objective on the Bushnell vs the 50mm on the Vortex gave the latter a distinct advantage here.
I also had slight concerns that the PST's EBR-1 reticle would be too busy at maximum magnification but after having a second look at it outside in inclement weather conditions, it has been done quite well - despite having numbers on it - I hate numbers (and christmas trees) on scopes. Ho ho ho.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I have decided on throwing a Vortex Viper PST onto the rifle, a decision made easier by a $100 saving over the Bushnell, some customer feedback from some folks in the shop, plus the fact that the gun shop that is selling me the rifle also stocks these scopes. Having everything set-up at one place just makes life easer, particularly if something breaks.

Currently I am reading up on teh interwebz on peoples experiences with the 6-24x vs the 4-16x scopes for a hunting/target rifle. Since I'm putting a rail on this thing, some QD rings mean that I could possibly run two scopes - money being a factor here.
Since the rifle will be used for "everything", the 4-16x50 seems to be the way to go - particularly given that bambi might be too big to shoot safely at 100m on the minimum 6x of the larger scope. Having said that, the 24x would be great IMHO for some glassing and the longer-range stuff that I'd like to be doing. It does have less internal adjustment than the 4-16x but internet people say that the glass is not as good on the 4-16x.
In short, I'm stuck on the fence.
I think the best solution to that is to grab my air rifle with its Nikko Gold variable and head bush, not taking it below 6x to see if I can tolerate that as a minimum magnification.

Still needing to evaluate what hardware I'm going to throw on this thing. At this stage a Nightforce Picatinny rail is the likely choice (probably a 20MOA one) - either that or a rail made by Badger Ordinance (have heard LaRue make a good product too?). Rings will match my rail, QD would make happy times, especially if I want to swap out scopes later.

Otherwise, the addition of a Badger Ordinance O/S bolt handle is on the cards down the track, there is a small clip-on plastic bolt knob cover thingy that I'll probably run on the rifle until then.
Muzzle break is quickly falling on to the CBF/not necessary/WOFTAM list- will wait until I shoot the rifle in the new stock to decide whether I "need" one or not.
Bipods/Monopods (as per previously discussed) will be going with the Accu-Shot Monopod on the rear for hunting purposes (sandbags for range work) and most likely an Atlas Bipod to match up front. Both of these will be mounted on the swing swivel studs, the Harris is another option (...unless I get a baby picatinny rail mounted under the front of the rifle for an Atlas... decisions, decisions).

Other than that, no noose to report.
And as the judge once said to the acquitted; no noose is good noose!!!


Regards,

SandStorm.au

[SandStorm.au]

Just a short update,

PTA came through today so on my way home I swung past the gun shop and picked her up!

All images were taken by my crappy iPhone camera, so please excuse the quality.

As it came in the box.


Shown to scale with a Kawasaki Ninja 636 (lets be honest, I just wanted a different angle..)



Quick shot of the chamber and magazine well.



Not sure if you can see in this photo, there is a tiiiiny nick on the crown, not sure if it will affect my grouping but a range trip will tell all.



Still trying to source a Seekins rail in a reasonable amount of time, looks to be like a 4-6 week wait for it to arrive. A $50 difference between the Seekins and a Nightforce that I can pick up tomorrow.... will have to do some thinking.

Am also weighing up whether I buy a B&C Medalist Light Tactical as a stop-gap between now and when the Manners arrives (minimum 20 weeks, possibly more). All things to think about, will update this build soon when I get new bits!

Regards,

Look forward to seeing how it looks!

Just a short update,

Am also weighing up whether I buy a B&C Medalist Light Tactical as a stop-gap between now and when the Manners arrives (minimum 20 weeks, possibly more). All things to think about, will update this build soon when I get new bits!

Regards,

Wouldn't bother, Just use the factory stock to begin with, are you going to be reloading or sticking to factory ammunition? Also a quick reminder about the existence of Sightron's... Good old .308... good choice.

Cheers mate keep the updates comin, You made the right choice re. MCS - TA (in my opinion), beautiful hunting/LR stock, if tom inletted/made one for a Sako m75 I'd order one in a heartbeat.

Andy

[8Ball]

G’day Sandstorm, reading through your posts I see you mentioned the Vortex 6-24x50 would be to much magnification at 100 yards even on x6 power.

I have the Vortex 6-24x50 FFP PST mounted on my rifle and have no issues what so ever hunting game 75 meters close.

Nothing wrong with 6-24x50 IMO.

Roger that 8ball, I'm still doing research into this area but as you will see, my build has developed slightly...


UNOFFICIAL BUILD UPDATE #1 (to be finished via my PC tomorrow evening).

Rifle is going great guns (aha!) exceeeeept that trying to get some bits for it has proven to be unsuccessful. For some reason, Seekins Precision have stopped shopping some of their gear to Australia (by stopped I mean 'waiting for two months and still can't get a shipping date out of them'). Also, Nightforce seem to be having some internal issues themselves, even their 20MOA rails for a Rem700SA have disappeared off their lists at my local dealer. Further to that, I've had no replies for my Manners stock order despite a few phone calls saying 'they'll get back to me'. A few of their great staff members (namely Steve) have apparently left.

So in view of that, a few weeks ago I put in the order via DJG Tradikg to bring in an Bell and Carlson Light Varmint/Tactical stock in black (has a great butt hook). Whilst the MCS is still the 'end game' I really can't be bothered trying to strengthen the Hogue POS. It works out cheaper to buy and bed the B&C long term anyway.

I shall attach a pic of the new stock tomorrow (it's currently recieving a bedding job so it's out of my hands), but suffice to say, the point and balance of the rifle has been dramatically improved.

Otherwise the list of mods remains fairly unchanged. Will be going with the KRG bolt lift initially, just to see if I like it or not. I was quoted $100 to thread an aftermarket bolt knob onto the rifle (ha!) so I'll probably just do it myself if I like the KRG.

Regarding optics, I'm waiting for the new design of Vortex PST's to get here from the US (new reticle in the 4-16's and a different turret/focus ring design). Rings will still be Vortex Precision Matched (aka Seekins), the only loose end currently is the rail and the MCS stock. Stay tuned for pics!

[Movealongnothingtoseehere]

I like your build, but I hope it shoots bullets better than you shoot photos. :P

[Super6one]

Nice thread, keep us posted on the accuracy side of things.... I've seen what a decent nick in a crown can do accuracy wise and it wasn't good.... If you are spending all this time and money on the rifle maybe getting it recrowned is a good option, maybe get it done while getting the muzzle break installed (presuming its not a clamp on).....

Alrighty, it's that time of the month - brace yourselves. The pictures are coming.

OFFICIAL BUILD UPDATE #5

Amazing how fast time travels when you're having fun (and have no money, amirite??).

Ladies and gentlefolks, I present to you the half-completed Remmy 700!




Yes, I intend to get HD pictures tomorrow in daylight. The rifle was picked up from the shop on my way home from work today so I really didn't have the opportunity to catch it in some natural light.




The above picture goes to show just how meticulous my gun smith was in ensuring a great stock-action weld when bedding the rifle. There was no bedding bubbling over the top, fit looks great IMHO and shows great workmanship.




Barrel now has a nice, even channel all the way to the action. Some call this "free floating". I call it "a dramatic improvement on the previous stock". The rifle is shown with a couple o' Snap Caps' to add some scale to it.




The above image is a tight (albeit poor quality) view of the action - again it is obvious to see just how meticulous my smith is - not a smidge of bedding compount in sight. I was planning on taking the rifle out of the stock to inspect it fully but as I don't have a torque wrench handy, that will have to wait. The shadow you see below the ejection port, 'tis merely a shadow.




And last - but certainly not least - the crown!!! It's been fixeded!

My smith (organised via the kind folks at Gun Emporium in Tullamarine) is a legend. He has an absolute passion for firearms with the Remington 700's being a pet favorite of his. As a result, whilst I only sent the rifle away for a simple bedding job (around $180ish), he wanted to tidy this rifle up to help it reach it's full potential - he was kind enough to work the trigger A LOT as well as recrown the rifle. All for only $225 clams including bedding! That small nick in the crown is no longer an issue as the crown's cut is perfect and was kindly blued for me while I browsed the gear at Gun Emporium by one of the staff, whom I might add is an Oracle on anything related to precision shooting.
The trigger is now sitting at around 1.5-2 pounds (at a guess, I don't have a trigger pull gauge handy either!) suffice to say, the X-Mark Pro is now enlightened and crisp. With the new stock fitted, the balance is a dream compared to the previous nose-diving tendencies that the Hogue stock had and not only that, it shoulders faster and because of the balance, points with more confidence than previously. In short, handling improvements = A+++ from previous.

I promise I will follow up with some HD shots later on but at this stage, this is where the build is sitting at;

- B&C Stock fitted and bedded
- Work the trigger to make it work
- Recrown barrel

The Manners MCS-TA stock is going to be a few more months down the track. Not only is the order time prohibitive, but I don't currently have $1500 to drop on it. I need other things (like a scope).
Speaking of scope, did I say scope! Scope!!!

Yes, I need one. And I'm still definitely stuck with the choice of two. After having yet another look at the Bushnell and still loving the scope, I just can't go without the features that the Viper PST has. Zero stop being the game changer here. Because of the applications of this rifle, I need a zero stop. Sure, back in the day we all just counted clicks but at the varying ranges that my targets present themselves, I can't count -and dial- that fast. Which brings me back to my choice of two. 6-24x50 or 4-16x50 Viper PST's. The 4-16x is a bit cheaper but until I have a chance to head out to the range/bush again I don't think I can make the call - the biggest argument I'm having with myself here is that I think the m will 6x be too powerful for me to take deer at 50m as is often the case in thick scrub. An option that I have briefly entertained is mounting a very short Picatinny rail on top of my scope rings/tube and throwing a very small, lightweight, red dot sight for things that jump out at me. Needs more thought and research here and whilst I'm at risk of looking Tacti-cool, if it works - it works.

Bringing me to rings. Vortex Precision Matched Rings. No questions here. As posted previously, they are made by Seekins Precision and are simply awesome bang for buck, as well as an awesome product. Their aluminium construction will help me save every gram possible here too.

Recieved a quote for a billet bolt lift knob to be fitted, was told the TacOps bolt knob was worth $55 and would cost me $100 to have it fitted by the supplier.......... on that note, I think the KRG bolt lift is going to be the way to go until I decide if I like it or not.
Otherwise, Atlas Bipod and a Monopod are still on my todo list, looking at a TIS Quick-Cuff and a TAB sling for future investments. one thing's for certain - I need to get her scoped' up so I can start to throw some lead down-range before I start throwing any more blingy mods at it!


That's it for now folks, stay tuned for another gripping episode in the next few weeks, as I anxiously await my tax return to return (it's still coming)!!!

Regarrrds,
SandStorm.au

[Movealongnothingtoseehere]

That thing's coming along nicely! Good stuff Sandstorm. THanks for sharing with us all. It's always cool to see other Remmies and the mods their owners do to them.
Cheers,

[SandStorm.au]

Guess what time it is.

That's right, it's tax time!!!!

Oh, that also means it's time for....

OFFICIAL BUILD UPDATE #6


Woop woop! I'm excited! Are you excited? You should be excited! Why should you be excited!!??
Beeeeecause after months of shenanigans with *insert company name here* who manages my paperwork for me, my hard earned dollero's have arrived and as such, this project can edge towards completion. As with everything in life though, I had to make some ...adjustments?


My previous build list called for a lightweight Picatinny rail by Seekins, along with the aluminium Vortex Precision Matched rings.
However, trying to get a Seekins rail out of the US and in to Australia has been an absolute nightmare - I tried with a number of companies to try to acquire one for a reasonable price and unfortunately, I was unsuccessful.

Not being one to compromise on things as important as a mounting rail for my optic, I ended up going with a steel Nightforce 20MOA rail. It does weigh a few extra grams than the Seekins aluminium rail but it does come with an integrated recoil lug - none of the other rails I evaluated had one and whilst the recoil lug it is probably something not needed for a .308, I have peace of mind that I won't ever have to replace it. And it won't ever move. Ever.

Rings. The Vortex Precision Matched aluminium rings is what I was hoping for. They were all about the grams.
Again, trying to get them when I wanted to purchase them was quite difficult. Fortunatly, I ended up having a little bit more moolah to play with than I expected and as such, I splashed out on some 30mm Low Nightforce Ultralight rings. These are made of titanium and again, a bit more cash but I don't expect to have any issues with them for the life of the rifle. Did I mention they were made of titanium? They weigh bugger all!!

Scope.
I finally did it. Despite all my musings, ramblings, googlings and general shenanigans, I pulled the trigger on a Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50 in Mil/Mil. After re-evaluating all of the scopes in my to-view list a second time, it slotted into my application and budget nicely. I can't wait to shoot with it!

Bipod & MonoPod is a to-do item. I'm borrowing a Harris from one of my other rifles as a stop-gap until I either fork out for a much lighter Atlas, or throw my hands in the air and yell "I need that $400!!!" and settle for a cheaper Harris - which for the record is a fine bipod in itself. Just not light, however.

The most important factor on this project besides cost is weight. How did my "Precision Hunting Rifle" stack up on the scales? Well...

Total weight (unloaded) with bipod fitted is 4.9kg - about 10.8lbs which for a weapon that will throw a round out to 1000m is not too shabby at all. The 20 inch barrel will help me retain some velocity and whilst it is no substitute for a 26 inch barrel in the long range shooting category, I can still take it out for a good hunt in the sticks and throw it on the bench at a range with the same balanced and maneuverable package. The argument of the hunter being fit enough to carry the rifle rings true here and whilst 4.9kg is not nearly close to a featherweight mountain rifle, it is bearable. It is workable and it IS (hopefully) deadly accurate.

What is a story without a few pictures? In my case, about 3000 words shorter!
You know, because a picture is worth 1000 words? Why do I hear crickets? Where did everyone go???


A quick artistic shot-with-iPhone picture.


And another. Tell you what, I reckon she's reaalllly pruudy.


In summary, thus far:

- Remington 700 SPS-Tactical w/ 20in non-threaded barrel
- Bell & Carlson Light Tactical Stock
- Nightforce 20MOA Picatinny Rail
- Nightforce 30mm Ultralight rings
- Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50mm


What's left to go?
- Butler Creek scope covers (out of stock when I was shopping)
- AccuShot Mono-Pod
- AccuShot Atlas Bi-Pod (we shall see)
- KRG Bolt Lift
- Sling swivels with a sling of some description. Prolly a TAB. Needs research.
- A new paint job. By paint, I mean Cerakote. By job, I mean I'll need to sort out a way to do it (DIY vs PAP - Pay A Professional).

After I've taken this rifle out and had a good play with it, practiced some firing solutions and taken some shots, I'll be evaluating if its worth investing in things like bubble-levels and cosine indicators as well as investing in ballistic calculators (as opposed to using my old fashioned, but never out of power, paper-based solution). But in summary;

I'm almost finished. But not quite finished. And I haven't named it yet. Not sure that's kosher given it's current build status and final application. Plus people would start asking questions. Like who this mystery woman is and why I haven't invited her out to dinner and drinks yet.

I leave you with this image - I have to go find someplace I can shoot it now. I'm expecting big things! Except for my groups! Which I'm expecting to be very small!!!





Regards,
SandStorm.au

[sniperj]

Looking good