I've had a factory Rem 700 for a while now. Sent it back and they replaced everything but the plastic stock. Put 250 shots thru the replacement trying to make a silk purse from a sows ear. Best I could get was 2" at 200 yards with Berger 180's. Anything else, 168's, Barnes, Noslers, etc would shoot 6" at 100.
I ended up buying a fluted #5 Brux barrel from Bugholes several months ago and waited to find someone to true the action and machine the barrel. Turns out a friend of my brother worked at Nosler for 30 years building their machines and now does guns among other things. I dropped my stuff off on Monday and pick it up yesterday (saturday). Trued action, thread, chamber, cut, crown, and bead blast barrel. Assembled it all and he even re mounted my scope.
The factory action was pretty true. Bolt was zero on the indicator, he took .001 off the lugs and .002 of the front of the action.
Old barrel head space was .008, new barrel .002
Base of brass to lands; old barrel 3.195, new 3.146
Base to shoulder on once fired brass; old 2.462 new 2.460
Obvious brass stretch ring in front of the "old barrel" brass, none from the new barrel.
I took it out Saturday afternoon for a cpl break in shots and ended up getting 4 thru it before dark with the shoot one/clean routine. Took the wife out today in 10 mph winds to get a 200 mark. I put a cpl foulers thru it today, then shot this 3/4" group at 200. Connie, who hasn't put 10 shots thru a high powered rifle shot the outer two, also from 200.
I'm pretty darn pleased. Less than a week turn, good price, and it shoots.
I ended up buying a fluted #5 Brux barrel from Bugholes several months ago and waited to find someone to true the action and machine the barrel. Turns out a friend of my brother worked at Nosler for 30 years building their machines and now does guns among other things. I dropped my stuff off on Monday and pick it up yesterday (saturday). Trued action, thread, chamber, cut, crown, and bead blast barrel. Assembled it all and he even re mounted my scope.
The factory action was pretty true. Bolt was zero on the indicator, he took .001 off the lugs and .002 of the front of the action.
Old barrel head space was .008, new barrel .002
Base of brass to lands; old barrel 3.195, new 3.146
Base to shoulder on once fired brass; old 2.462 new 2.460
Obvious brass stretch ring in front of the "old barrel" brass, none from the new barrel.
I took it out Saturday afternoon for a cpl break in shots and ended up getting 4 thru it before dark with the shoot one/clean routine. Took the wife out today in 10 mph winds to get a 200 mark. I put a cpl foulers thru it today, then shot this 3/4" group at 200. Connie, who hasn't put 10 shots thru a high powered rifle shot the outer two, also from 200.
I'm pretty darn pleased. Less than a week turn, good price, and it shoots.