if you decide to shoot it, to see what kind of accuracy the gun is capable of, there are a few things to consider. first and foremost, is some sort of rest, or "sandbags" to keep the rifle dead still. your looking at how accurate THE RIFLE IS, not the shooter. secondly, you should try several different brands of ammunition. my mid 1980s Remington 700 shoots factory federal blue box (the cheap stuff) much better than the $50.00+ factory Winchester Supreme ammo, factory green(& yello) box Remington ammo, and even Federal Premium ammo. every gun likes something different. of course, what i am shooting is hunting ammo, not match ammo, because accuracy is important to me on critters.
Keep Remington 700 that is 50 years old or sell it and buy a brand new rifle
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wolverine_173
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wolverine_173
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WardenWolf
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She looks really clean. Hang on to it. And as I said before, if you want to upgrade it, it's cheaper than buying a new gun and you'll get a tackdriver out of it.
wolverine_173
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wolverine_173
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Rifling doesn't look as good as crisp as my Marlin XL7. And when the bolt is closed it doesn't lock up as tight either.
But im no expert on bores so what do you guys think? Rifling look good?
But im no expert on bores so what do you guys think? Rifling look good?
RetiredUSNChief
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A good, focused pic of just the muzzle, head on, would be nice.
But the internal rifling looks good.
Shoot that baby and see how she does! She's very likely a keeper!
And don't forget...if you decide to sell anyway because you really want something else, let me know!
But the internal rifling looks good.
Shoot that baby and see how she does! She's very likely a keeper!
And don't forget...if you decide to sell anyway because you really want something else, let me know!
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Seems like a nice rifle. If it shoots well enough for you, just keep on shooting it! You aren't going to wear it out or break it. You won't worry about dings or wear, but you'll be able to pass that rifle on to your grandkids and it will still have lots of life in it.
wolverine_173
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As far as stocks go, what synthetic stocks will fit it?
is a M700 stock the same as an ADL 700? and I read someone saying the sps stock will also work on an ADL 700. Anybody know anything about it?
is a M700 stock the same as an ADL 700? and I read someone saying the sps stock will also work on an ADL 700. Anybody know anything about it?
wolverine_173
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A good, focused pic of just the muzzle, head on, would be nice.
But the internal rifling looks good.
Shoot that baby and see how she does! She's very likely a keeper!
And don't forget...if you decide to sell anyway because you really want something else, let me know!
RetiredUSNChief
Member
What you'd be looking for is damage to the rifling at the crown of the muzzle. I can't see such details in the picture you showed to tell you.
Take a close look at the crown (the edge of the inner circle of the bore on the muzzle). The rifling and the edge of this inner circle should look "clean" and "crisp". There should be no obvious signs of damage, such as denting, wear, or corrosion. If the rifling comes up to the crown and it looks neatly machined and in good condition, then you're good to go.
The ultimate test...shoot that baby!
Take a close look at the crown (the edge of the inner circle of the bore on the muzzle). The rifling and the edge of this inner circle should look "clean" and "crisp". There should be no obvious signs of damage, such as denting, wear, or corrosion. If the rifling comes up to the crown and it looks neatly machined and in good condition, then you're good to go.
The ultimate test...shoot that baby!
WardenWolf
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As I said before, it'd be cheaper and better to rebarrel it than replace it, even if you're not entirely happy with it now. You'll get something a step better than a mass-produced factory barrel. You'll get to pick all sorts of things, including caliber, twist rate, and length, and you'll get a rifle that's truly yours.
Sam1911
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And if there IS any damage, having that barrel re-crowned (even shortened, and re-crowned) is a very easy job for a gunsmith. Could give a whole new life to that rifle, for very little money.
The 700 was made in ADL, which is the budget version with a blind magazine and what you have. The BDL was the high end version that has a floorplate to unload the magazine. If you want to replace the stock you have to either buy one designed for a blind magazine, or purchase the floor plate, trigger guard and other magazine parts to convert it to BDL.
The SPS is simply a different version of a BDL in that it has a floor plate. The SPS stock would work, if you also convert it to BDL.
The bad news is that there are very few options for aftermarket ADL stocks, and the cost to convert it to BDL is not worth the expense. At least not to me. The only real options are one of the Boyds laminated stocks, a factory ADL stock, or one of the high end custom stocks from McMillan, Brown Precision or others. Not any real mid level options for an ADL.
You can often find used take off ADL factory synthetic stocks for $30-$50. If you want to replace it now and not spend much.
I'd shoot it, and use it for at least a year as is before deciding. If you really like it then you can make a decision. If it is a true gem I'd consider spending the money for a McMillan and having the gun gone over by a custom smith and having the metal refinished.
For about 1/2 the cost of a quality synthetic stock you could keep the ADL as is and also add another rifle such as the Ruger American.
browningguy
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???
wolverine_173
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RetiredUSNChief
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Looks good to me!
Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it! And then tell us how it shoots!
Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it! And then tell us how it shoots!
wolverine_173
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I cant just shoot it in the backyard. I have to find some time to go to the range, ill take pics when i do, maybe a vidLooks good to me!
Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it! And then tell us how it shoots!
wolverine_173
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Now, the Nikon Buckmaster scope is 3-9x40 nikoplex reticle. I took the caps of the elevation adjustment and it has a bunch of numbers on it. Is it so i can sight it in at 100 and then if im shooting 300 yards I can just turn the knob in the field and aim dead on?
I certainly wouldn't trade a 50 yr old Model 700 for a Ruger American or Marlin bolt gun. Guns are (or at least used to be, before the advent of "throwaway rifles" like the Rem 783, Savage Axis, Ruger American, etc came around) made to last a lifetime, often several lifetimes, with proper care and maintenance.
Johnny_B_Goode
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Nothing you can buy off the shelf for $350 is going to shoot better than your current gun. The Ruger American might shoot as well as you old gun. If you decide you want an Axis or a Marlin XL7 I would make sure Boyds has a stock ready to ship. I have a Marlin XT 22MR. It has the same pillar stock as the XL7. I ended up shimming the action with gasket material to make it shoot right. If you want to a new gun the Ruger American is the least that would make me happy. I would likely save up for a Weatherby Vanguard.
Our sporting clays club is divided into two camps when it comes to rifles. We have the practical shooters. The group that shoots self healing balls, shotgun hulls or golf balls but they do not care about grouping. They just want to hit the target. The other camp wants to shoot a dime sized group. But they spend so much time trying to work up a better load their scope is several inches off the point of impact. They don't bother adjusting their scope to the point of impact because they are going to work up another load before they shoot the rifle again.
Looking at the photo of your current gun I would just have a gunsmith lap the muzzle crown and get set for another 50 years of shooting.
Both camps are knowledgeable but they have different objectives when they are shooting.
Our sporting clays club is divided into two camps when it comes to rifles. We have the practical shooters. The group that shoots self healing balls, shotgun hulls or golf balls but they do not care about grouping. They just want to hit the target. The other camp wants to shoot a dime sized group. But they spend so much time trying to work up a better load their scope is several inches off the point of impact. They don't bother adjusting their scope to the point of impact because they are going to work up another load before they shoot the rifle again.
Looking at the photo of your current gun I would just have a gunsmith lap the muzzle crown and get set for another 50 years of shooting.
Both camps are knowledgeable but they have different objectives when they are shooting.
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AKElroy
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I have a Savage Axis, and the answer is NO. it shoots great, and was cheap. It also has flex in the cheap plastic stock, the barrel is coated in what appears to be black spray paint rather than an actual metal finish, the safety lever, mag well/latch is plastic along with most everything else. This gun is a tool for hunting, nothing more. Zero pride of ownership compared to my 50 year-old guns.
The Axis and the American are accurate "beater" guns that will do the job, but they are not something a grandchild is going to pine after once I'm gone.
Additionally, with all the plastic future "failure" points, I seriously doubt that Axis will be in ANYONES safe 50 years from now. We have entered the age of "cheaper to replace than repair".
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AKElroy
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It's a hunting scope, I would not make elevation adjustments in the field. Sight it in 1.5" high at 100, and hold dead on out to 250 - 300 without worry.
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