Taming a bad Model Seven Remington.

[Gtscotty]

Wow, my hat's off to you, you really wrung the potential out of that little rifle. It looks like it is shooting phenomenally well, and with factory ammo no less.

How do you like that B&C stock? I'm planning on getting one pretty much identical to it for my SS M70. I guess I'll take a crack at bedding it too, did you skim bed it, or did you use pillars? Any tips for someone looking to get one of those B&Cs and bed it themselves?

 

[Float Pilot]

The B&C stock is FAR better than the plastic stock that came with my M7. It is the same stock that Rem used on the M-700 titanium mountain rifles.

The stock comes with pillars installed and is set up for a free floated barrel. On both my M-700 titanium and this M7 rifle I had to bed the action around the recoil lug to make it snug and both wanted a pressure point due to the skinny barrels.

For some reason I get in a hurry and type that the Target ammo was 168 grain. It WAS NOT... It is a Federal factory load using a 175 grain Sierra Match King bullet.

Federal 175 grain Sierra HPBT match ammo in different stock configurations
100 yards from the bench. Burris 2x7 scope

Remington Factory plastic stock..................... = 2.00 inch group
B&C stock with free float barrel..................... = 1.600 inches
B&C Stock paper shimmed barrel channel........ = 1.177 inches
B&C stock bedded lug and glass pressure point. = 0.364 inches

 

[rswartsell]

Jeez,

Ain't Remlin a wonder? So In the end you only had to spend a few hundred more (at least? maybe double? counting time?) than I did for my (gently used) Tikka T3 Lite 7mm 08 to get your budget lightweight? I'll wager dollars to dimes it still out-shoots you (maybe I'm wrong and you really now have a 1/3 MOA rifle, that would be pretty damn rare).

I think I'll stay with Tikka.

 

[Float Pilot]

Rifle =$600
Stock =$249

I looked for a Tikka. After much driving up the highway I could never find one in 308. Nor could I find a Kimber Montana in that chambering.
Tikka's have a couple things about them that I do not like. The plastic detachable magazine and the way the safety locks the bolt. But I could have put up with it, had I been able to find what I wanted.

 

[rswartsell]

2 years ago I spent $ 500.00 (including shipping on GB) for the Tikka with Tikka rings and a trash scope. I kept the rings and bought a Leupold VX-2 (Yes it was an exceptional deal I shopped hard for).

I am a bit humbled that I am p**sing on a parade.

But I do not lie that this is all in and I have a 1 MOA rifle. I applaud your skill and knowledge to salvage the rifle and any disrespect is unintentional and hardly acceptable.

My only small defense is for those observers that are shopping.

Mea-culpa.

P.S. I understand about the magazine, but with use I have no complaints (and bought a 5 round spare even if they are too expensive). A more reasonable bitch IMHO is that they are all built on a long action, with the silky smoothness of the Tikka action I do not at all mind, but IMHO that is where your complaint should fall.

 

[Float Pilot]

Make no mistake, I was not looking for a Remington. Anything but.....
I just happened onto it and hoped, unsuccessfully in seems, that it would work as-is out of the box. Nor would I suggest a Remington these days. I am simply explaining how I got it to work. Making the 500 mile round trip drive to Anchorage gets to be a drag more than a few times a year, so after a couple business trips I grabbed what I could lay hands upon.

Up here in Alaska Tkkas are fairly popular and the prices jumped accordingly. A couple years ago they had a better price and they sold a boat load of them. Now a T3 Lite up here goes from $675 to $799 depending on the chambering.
I had cash in hand and would have paid for one in 308 if I could have found one.

I would have paid even more if I could have found one in 338 Federal. I had fantasies about finding a Styer Scout, but that was a fruitless search.

 

[rswartsell]

As I have previously missed the charms of this thread, I should be the first to salute the independence, savvy and skill of our last frontier brothers. I'm afraid my Remlin disapproval has gotten the better of me.

Hats off and soldier on. Given my new appreciation, chances are that the spirit evidenced in sportsmen of the "Great White North" would probably wring more out of my equipment than I can. Wanna borrow a Tikka and return it "improved"? LOL

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Impressive results to be sure but a shame a BN gun required so much gunsmithing to be useable.

 

[Float Pilot]

Yes indeed. It reminds me of all the troubles I had with the M-700 titanium a few years back. I finally got that rifle shooting decent groups. Although I must say that the M-700 XCR tactical in 300 win mag was a good rifle right out of the box.