[MP Sniper]

well Iam getting my new M-700 7mm mag really soon and i was wondering what kind of things can i get done to it to increase its accuracy/performance?

(this gun is going to be mainly a target rifle with the exception of taking it out 5 days a year for going up to pennsylvania for some whitetails, target shooting is with my friend who has the same rifle except chambered in .308, and at my private ranges' 600 yard range)

also iam looking for a scope really powerfull so i can see my target as clear as day at around 200, 300 hundred yards (not looking for looks but for ability)

whats every bodys preference on mil-dot scopes vs. plain cross hairs

thanks for the help
mike

[Karbon]

Try running a thread search.

There's been a bunch of talk about what you can do from bedding the action, floating the barrel to trigger work. I'm sure a good search hear will help.

[Freelance Tax Collector]

Don't go for power in your optics, go for clarity. Anything more than 16x (variable) on your scope will be pretty useless for hunting. If you are going to get a variable, I suggest someting in the 3-12 or 4-12 range, or if you are going fixed go for a 6x or 8x.

[~z]

shoot it ALOT before you invest any $ to making it shoot better. Gives you a nice frame of reference as to what a 1/8 inch will actually cost.
~z

[MP Sniper]

this is going to be more of a target rifle than any thing else,

what do you guys have to say about barska scopes i want something that is mil-dot and let me be able to see pretty far like the Barska 10-40x50 IR SWAT Extreme Tactical Riflescope

Description: 10-40x50 IR

Magnification: 10-40x

Objective Lens Dia.(mm): 50

Reticle: Mil Dot IR (Illuminated Reticle)

Field of View (ft @ 100yds / m @ 100m): 9.4 / 3.1 @ 10x
2.6 / 0.9 @ 40x

Exit Pupil (mm): 5.0-1.3

Eye Relief (inch): 3.6

Click Value (inch): 1/8

Tube Diameter: 30mm

Finish: Black Matte

Weight (oz): 31.4

Length (inch): 15.7

Features of Barska 10-40 x 50mm SWAT Tactical Rifle Scope:

Waterproof, Fogproof and Shockproof
Multi Coated Optics
Glass-Etched Mil-Dot IR Reticle of 11 Brightness Settings Illumination
30mm Monotube Construction for maximum Light Gathering
Side Turret Mounted adjustments for Parallax Correction
Easy Grip Target-style Windage and Elevation Adjustments
1/8 MOA Click Adjustments
Fast Focus Eyebell
Precise and easy-to-use for Tactical Environments
Limited Lifetime Warranty

[Jim Watson]

In the first place you would do better with a .308 like your bud's.
A 7mm Magnum will just kick more and wear out the barrel faster for no gain on deer or 600 yard range.
Do you handload? Lots more choice in .308 ammo, especially for target shooting. (Don't figure on a lot of help from cheapo foreign surplus, though.)

Scope, you need a GOOD variable you can turn down to find a deer and turn up for a target shot. Maybe a 4.5-14X; Leupold is good.

Edit to add: Barska scopes are made by our friends who used to be our enemies and "features" do not equal quality. 10X is too much for deer hunting as I know it anyhow. High magnification just emphasizes your wobbles on targets. Most target shooters of my acquaintance run about 20X from prone or F-class bipod.

[bogie]

Barska? What's a Barska?

Buy a .308. You'll get more use out of it.

I like Weavers and Leupolds for scopes. I really like the old Weaver K4 scopes. If you need more than 4x for deer hunting, you're either a long-range guy (and qualified to be) like Kenny or Dave, or you're into the whole tactikool thing way too much.

Get good cleaning equipment. Handload.

Shoot the barrel out. Then send it off to Billy Stevens, and have him true the action and put a match grade barrel on it.

[Lebben-B]

I agree with the above posters comments about glass. I've had a Barska scope and found it usable, nothing more. Barska uses phrases like "SWAT Extreme Tactical" to suck consumers into buying their product. When I see marketing phrases like that, I'm reminded of another phrase: Caveat Emptor. Good optics cost good money. As far as strength goes, for target shooting out to 600m I would go no stronger that 12x.

7mm Rem Mag is a fabulous hunting cartridge and I recommend it whole heartedly for that purpose. However, for target/precision shooting .308 is the better choice by dint of the wide variety of target-specific loadings available for it.

Mike

[MP Sniper]

^what kind of mm should it be, 50mm?

[Lebben-B]

A larger objective lens means that the target will appear brighter and sharper when veiwed thru the scope (A larger lens means more light is transmitted through the scope to your eye.) A larger objective lens also means the scope will have to be mounted higher over the bore to allow room for the larger "bell" of the scope. This means you would have to have taller rings and may make a cheek to stock weld problematic, depending on your body composition. The exception to this is "Eclipse" scope line from Leupold, which has a scalloped objective lens allowing the use larger bells with shorter rings.

YMMV, but my rifles carry scopes with objectives between 40-44mm.

Mike

[MP Sniper]

yeah i seen those scopes, whats every bodys preference on mil-dot scopes vs. others

[adobewalls]

I love these threads...

WECSOGS a M700:

Free float the barrel if it isn't (you should be able to slip two dollar bills between the barrel and the forearm all the way up to the recoil lug.)

Bed the Recoil lug and around the action - lots of information on the web about how to do this right.

Get a trigger pull guage and check the trigger, set to 3# if you know how. If not see a gunsmith.

Add-ons and Products:

If the floor plate is a an ADL type, then get a BDL floor plate (preferrably steel, not aluminum or pot metal or plastic)

Get a torque wrench to torque the action screws (its more important to be consistent than the actual weight of torque, or you will have to resight in everytime you remove the stock.) Lots if info on the net about proper torque.

Scope:

You can't go wrong with a Leupold, get the varmint or tactical series if you can afford. Stay with 30mm tubes, 40mm to 50mm Objectives (good lenses have good coatings that are more efficient at transmiting light better than increasing objective size to absurd proportions. There are other great scopes out there, again lots of information on the net. But! don't skimp on the scope! A rule of thumb, be willing to spend as much on the scope as you spent on the gun. It will pay off in the long run.

Minimum zoom 3 x 9, 3.5 x 10 better, 4 x 12 nice, 4.5 x 14 nicer, 6 x 20 maximum.

Buy GOOD bases and rings for your scope - preferrably a one piece base, but a two piece will suffice in the short term if you have budget concerns.

Reload:

If you want the best out of your rifle get into reloading. Lots of info on the net.

Next:

Shoot, shoot and shoot some more. There ain't nuthin' like trigger time to improve markmanship, and reading wind (the real secret to long range shooting and can only be learned by doing.)

After you have shot the barrel out:

Time to upgrade to a match barrel and have all the good stuff done that quality gunsmith's can do to the rifle (pillars, lugs, triggers, crowns, etc. again lots of stuff on the net on this subject.)

Random thoughts:

The 7mm Rem Mag is a wonderful round (fast moving, flat shooting, hard hitting as a 30-06 but in 28 caliber), I have been shooting one for over 20 years. The .308 is also a wonderful round (inherently accurate) and I got one of them too. Both will fill your freezer.

[Lebben-B]

As far as reticles go, I grew up on plain 30-30 and -plex styles. Then got introduced to range finding scopes with BDCs and mil-dot scopes after I had joined the army. Since your intended use is primarily target shooting with some hunting, I would give serious consideration to a mil-dot scope.

[Jim Watson]

I don't see much use in the mil dot for conventional target shooting. The range is known so you don't need anything for range estimation or holdover. I think a mil - almost 4 MOA - is kind of coarse for wind allowance. Of course if you can get in sniper competition...

I am not confident enough of a good shot on game to try one farther than the point blank zero anyhow.

[Balddragn]

here's a great read for info on scopes
http://demigod.org/~zak/firearms/lr_optics.php