My Remington 700 - No matter the cost

[*NOVA*]

My son has not given me any grandchildren yet, but if you saw his current girlfriend, you'd figure its only a matter of time!

Meanwhile, without any real grandchildren, I do have something I'm spending money on like a spoiled grandkid - My Remington BDL.

I bought it used, online. Serial number indicates it was made in 1989. It is chambered in 30-06 and came with Leupold 1" scope rings. I love the wood stock and I'm OK shooting a caliber that's been around for a hundred years. I put a Redfield 3x9x40 scope on it with Butler Creek covers and to raise the cheek weld height I added a BlackHawk Butt pad. I installed one of those nifty two-piece bolt knobs - they are really high quality and I was pleased to see many of my friends at the range had the same knob on their rifles. Of course, this being my first bolt action rifle, I had to get the right kind of non-marring solid one piece cleaning rod andd bore guide. And for the range I knew I'd want a boresnake for quick cleanings. The butt stock already had a nice rubber recoil pad I'm happy with. Paid less than $20.00 for a new sling, because honestly, I should have been hunting years ago but never got around to it and now I'm almost too old. Maybe my son will take up deer hunting one day and he can hand my rifle down to his children...

Anyways, within a few days I'll put a BlackHawk 6-9" bipod on the sling mount. I'm waiting for UPS to deliver my Timney Nickel trigger assembly and USPS to to bring me the trigger guard hex screws, aluminum pillars and Hi Score bedding kit. Just picked up a decent Dremel moto-tool kit from Home Depo the other day with a few extra bits for grinding. Oh yeah, that Redfield 3x9? I'm replacing it with a 4x12x40. They are both Revolution models.


Anybody keeping track here? Y'all can imagine I'm spending some money on this but to me it is worth every penny. Hopefully I'm going to wind up with a beautiful hunting rifle that can reach out and touch something (or someone) to 400 yards or more. As you can guess I'd never sell this gun. It don't matter what it cost me, it's mine.

 

[AWCherry]

Looks good! I can't say I'm not jealous. A 30-06 bolt action is next on my list of purchases, with the 700 close to the top! Enjoy your new "grandchild"!

 

[Bio-Chem]

My dads Rem 700 classic in the same caliber really likes 53 grains of IMR 4064 with a 150 grain bullet, and 56 grains of IMR 4350 with a 180 grain bullet. Shooting both loads to close to an inch for 5 shot groups. You've got a great rifle there. The wood is beautiful

 

[slowr1der]

It's a nice looking rifle. My only question is if dumping a bunch of money into it, why not go with a little better parts? I'd personally go with a Harris bipod over the Blackhawk, and I'd definitely go with another scope over the Redfield. You can get one that will perform much better, for around the same amount of money. I feel like this is the time to buy once, cry once. Instead of having to upgrade these parts later on down the road.

 

[adelbridge]

the Redfield Revolution 4-12 is a good scope for the money, the only bad thing I have to say about it is the lack of rubber on the eye piece earned me a nice scar on my nose. The flip up caps will protect you. You can spend more money on a scope but it wont improve your scores or get you a bigger deer. That timney is an incredible trigger, you should be shooting well under an inch when all is done.

 

[*NOVA*]

Good questions - I sorta anticipated that and I have to admit there might be better parts out there - this is all a learning experience to me.

Yeah Harris bipods definitely popular brand - the Blackhawk is half the price and the reviews I read before buying it suggest it might be sturdy enough to suit me. And of course I'd love to have a Swarovsky or Carl Zeis , if not a Leupold scope, but hey maybe one day I will.

Jewel triggers - heard they are great, but my rifle needs go beyond benchrest shooting - the Timney trigger should get the job done.

A better sling - if my boy ever seriously takes up hunting I figure he can get a better sling.

And so it goes.

Occasionaly I do buy top of the line stuff, like that SureFire light mounted on my Mossberg 500 - set me back over $300.00 but it has a good reputation - you count on it to light up the bad guy when you need it to.

I think we all sometimes fall into that trap where we pay too much or too little - - the trick is to learn from our mistakes and try to have some fun along the way, right?
I'm spending money but also finding ways to save. For instance, in a pinch a portable stargazing telescope used by astrologers can work almost as good as a spotting scope (except the image is reversed)

 

[HOOfan_1]

My dads Rem 700 classic in the same caliber really likes 53 grains of IMR 4064 with a 150 grain bullet, and 56 grains of IMR 4350 with a 180 grain bullet. Shooting both loads to close to an inch for 5 shot groups. You've got a great rifle there. The wood is beautiful

I use 52 grains of IMR 4064 and a 150 grain Sierra Game King in my 700 BDL. Best I could do was 2.5"@ 100yd until I used some Wipe-out bore cleaner and shrunk the group down to less than an inch @ 100yd.

 

[Reloadron]

I figure it this way. When we build up a rifle or better customize a rifle we do it to our taste. We may seek assistance with some modifications but in the end it will be to our taste, what we want it to be.

What you have sounds good to me. Yeah, I might think Harris for the bipod but that is just me. I also have a fondness for the older Remington 700 bolt guns and like building them up and modifying them. No shortage of triggers and accessories out there. Best of luck with the build and enjoy your what will be a new rifle.

Ron

 

[adelbridge]

And of course I'd love to have a Swarovsky or Carl Zeis , if not a Leupold scope, but hey maybe one day I will.

the redfield revolution is a leupold VX-1 made in leupold factory

Timney is as good as it gets, trust me you dont need to spend more money to get a better trigger

 

[peacemaker45]

That's a nice rifle you've got there. I just recently acquired its older, left handed brother:



Barrel codes show it to be a 1975 model.

I'm about to start down a similar road to the one you're walking. Mine's got a solid butt plate, so a pad will be in order. The recoil's not bad standing, kneeling or sitting, but the bruise from shooting prone was ugly. I'm also going for the Timney trigger, as well as upgrading the sling. I'm going for a Ching Sling, though, which makes for both a carry method, as well as a shooting aid. I must admit, the thought of a bipod on a BDL makes me slightly nauseous.

I'm somewhat torn when it comes to optics. The classic Redfield Widefield must go, but I'm undecided on its replacement. Either a Weaver K4, if I decide to stay fixed, or either a Leupold VX3 or Zeiss Conquest 3-9x, for a variable.

Good shooting to you and yours, however you decide to equip it.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Abel]

I would have done it a little differently.

1. Send the two piece knob to the nearest trash can.
2. Cerakote the metal graphite black
3. Loose the Redfield and grab a VX-2 3-9X40mm
4. Get a set of Talley Lightweight One-Piece Lows
5. Add a Montana Leather adjustable sling and cancel the bipod order.
6. Just bed the lug, the tang, and the first two inches of the barrel channel with acra-glass gel...forget pillars for now.
7. Jewell trigger instead of Timney
8. Add a red Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad





...

 

[Rem700CDLSF3006]

nice rifle I have one of the CDL SF in 30-06 and love it I have a Trijicon accupoint on mine and really like it

 

[HOOfan_1]

Why would you ruin a high gloss bluing with cerakote??

If glossy wood and high gloss bluing aren't your thing, you might as well go for an SPS instead of the BDL

 

[Abel]

The SPS has crap for "bluing".

 

[HOOfan_1]

The SPS has crap for "bluing".

What does that matter if you plan to cerakote over it?

 

[Abel]

Exactly.

 

[ThomasT]

Nice gun. I like what you are doing except for that big honkin' bolt knob. Those never did do much for me. But heck, its YOUR gun.

A few years ago I picked up an older 700ADL in 30-06 that was pretty rough. The glossy finish was flaking off and the blue is pretty worn. It had a GS installed packmeyer recoil pad. The factory sights were still on it too. The fact that it had almost 100% bolt lug contact and was $200 OTD made the sale. It is enough of a beater gun that if it gets dinged while in use its no big deal.


I refinished the stock with a satin polyeurathane and glass bedded and floated the action. The trigger was adjusted to where it has no creep and is a little lighter than factory, not too much. I like safe. Its a shooter from the word go. I added a Leupold 3x9 Rifleman scope and couldn't be happier. I also have a Williams WGRS peep for it. I like shooting it with open sights sometimes.

Have fun with your gun. I have lots of rifles and sorta wish I just had one or two so I could focus more on them. That one rifle should serve you for a long time. Now you need to start reloading.

 

[CApighunter]

I have a similarly set up 700. Mine was a mid 90s stainless/synthetic ADL with Leupold rings and a Weaver 4x scope when I bought it. First I ditched the scope for a Redfield 3-9x40, then added a cheap sling and a Harris bipod, and shot it a bunch. A few months ago I decided to lose the synthetic tupperware stock and ordered a walnut take off from eBay. I have thought about upgrading the scope, but it works just fine and I don't need to spend more money. My next step is to glass bed the recoil lug and first few inches of the barrel. I love the look of the stainless/walnut combo.
CApighunter

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Good guns...I have a BDL .30-06 I bought new in 1992.

 

[*NOVA*]

That's a nice rifle you've got there. I just recently acquired its older, left handed brother:



"... I must admit, the thought of a bipod on a BDL makes me slightly nauseous. ..."
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

Bipod on a BDL?
Yes, I figured I won't really like the looks of it, BUT I also figure I can take it off any time. If it ever goes hunting here in Virginia the bipod definitely comes off! My short term goal is to see how well a 52 year old man with poor eyesight can shoot the gun on the range. I am working towards 400 yards but am taking my time. So far I've got sub MOA at 100 yards. My next visit to the range I will concentrate on using one grain, either 150 or 165 and get the scope centered on a 200 yard target. 300 and 4000 yard targets will be for future range visists and I'll try to incorporate Bullet Drop Calculations with the scope zeroed for 200. Yes, I have a Chrony. And yes, I have two bricks of Federal Gold Medal Match 165 grain I'm saving for that 1,200 foot target!

Reloading - I have the RCBS Master Starter kit on layaway at a nearby gun shop. Still in process acquiring dies, tumblers and meduium etc. Will start by reloading 10 mm and 30-06. I'm sure I'll get into 45 ACP and .308 later.

 

[captmoto]

Should have had a pic of your sons GF holding the rifle. the old 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[Sniper66]

Hey Nova,

You have picked a fine rifle to experiment with, but be careful, it is very habit forming. Won't be long before you decide you would like to try a different rifle, scope, trigger, etc., etc. You don't necessarily need to spend lots of money for really good stuff. I bought a handmade rifle sling made with high-grade leather trimmed with rattlesnake hide for $25 at the gun show in Tulsa. It is as much fun putting it all together as it is having it all assembled. I always have a dozen things I am looking for to improve this rifle or that pistol. Just ordered a new set of cocobolo grips for my wife's new pistol. It never stops and thank God for it.

 

[*NOVA*]

Hey Nova,
You have picked a fine rifle to experiment with, but be careful, it is very habit forming...It never stops and thank God for it.

Habit Forming? More like an obsession! Always wanting to improve things - was looking at my CZ75 BD Police last night and realized I cannot see the dim little white dots on the front and rear sights - what good is a gun if you cannot see the sights in dim light situations? I'm thinking either Novak or True-Glo....

BTW I asked my son and his GF and they said they would take a picture of her - so, not making any promises, but maybe in a day or so we can get that '2 for 1' deal going.

 

[rondog]

I have my dad's Rem 700 BDL in .30-06, I think it's a 1980 by the "AA" on the barrel, at least that's what I've found in research. Also the right time frame for when he would have bought it. Looks just like yours. Anyway, it's in wonderful condition, but its accuracy is lacking. Doesn't shoot like I think it should.

I recently opened up the stock inletting to float the barrel, it was gripping the barrel like a bun on a hotdog and I really think that was affecting it. I can just slide a dollar bill between the barrel and stock now, all the way to the recoil lug. Haven't tried it yet, I'm hoping it helped. Really thinking about a Harris bipod too. It's just going to be a bench rifle, not likely I'll ever hunt with it.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I have my dad's Rem 700 BDL in .30-06, I think it's a 1980 by the "AA" on the barrel, at least that's what I've found in research. Also the right time frame for when he would have bought it. Looks just like yours. Anyway, it's in wonderful condition, but its accuracy is lacking. Doesn't shoot like I think it should.

I recently opened up the stock inletting to float the barrel, it was gripping the barrel like a bun on a hotdog and I really think that was affecting it. I can just slide a dollar bill between the barrel and stock now, all the way to the recoil lug. Haven't tried it yet, I'm hoping it helped. Really thinking about a Harris bipod too. It's just going to be a bench rifle, not likely I'll ever hunt with it.

Mine was from around that time period...best I could get with it in the last few years were 2.5" groups at 100 yards. I used Wipeout Bore Cleaner and got all the copper fouling out, the groups shrunk to about 1" at 100 yards.