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If you had a Rem 700 rebarreled .....

I've done a number of actions (Rem, Savage, etc) where the barrel was removed and replaced with a quality barrel. All those guns have shot 1/2 MOA easy with reloads. However, with the barrel being removed, it's hard not to clean up the lugs and face of the receiver at a bare minimum. It's the best time to do it and those steps only take a few minutes once dialed in on the lathe. Those steps have the highest cost benift ratio. Doing the bolt body really helps and makes it "feel" better too.
For me, if one is considering "the works" on an existing action, it's better to buy an aftermarket action. The only downside to that is the wait. If you have a donor action in hand and your smith has time, you could get a gun finished quite a bit sooner.
 
I've done a number of actions (Rem, Savage, etc) where the barrel was removed and replaced with a quality barrel. All those guns have shot 1/2 MOA easy with reloads. However, with the barrel being removed, it's hard not to clean up the lugs and face of the receiver at a bare minimum. It's the best time to do it and those steps only take a few minutes once dialed in on the lathe. Those steps have the highest cost benift ratio. Doing the bolt body really helps and makes it "feel" better too.
For me, if one is considering "the works" on an existing action, it's better to buy an aftermarket action. The only downside to that is the wait. If you have a donor action in hand and your smith has time, you could get a gun finished quite a bit sooner.
I agree that if you're looking at doing all of that to a action cost-wise you may be better just to buy a custom action. I just had a buddy of mine do a 700 action and he has as much if not more into it as buying a custom action
 
Brett Graveline has the answer I believe most accurate, if it shot good before it will shoot at least as good after rebarreling and probably better.

I personally won't spend the money on trueing an action unless there is some sentimental reason to want to keep the action forever, if it shoots good it is good, if it doesn't shoot good I will either replace the action or go custom. If there is a sentimental reason to keep the action I might spend the money just to know everything is dialed and right.
 
.... and if you did not have the action trued up, ....... what kind of accuracy did you get (assuming the barrel was good)
I bought, a New Rem 700, SS L-H Action, PRE-Bankruptcy ( about 2 Years ago ) and it was "Perfect" beautifully Straight / square, diamensionally and only did, a Tiny Bit of, Lug Lapping and De-Burring. It was, slightly off, on Primary Extraction ( Cheap Fix ) as so many Remington's,.. ARE.
Put, a Heavy Sporter 24", 6 XC, Criterion Barrel on it, Glass Bedded, in an H-S Precision stock with, free floated Barrel.
Getting Sub 1/2 MOA with, EVERY Bullet tried ( 80's to 108's ) with, minimal "tuning" and am getting, 5 shot, groups the 2's and 3's with, Sierra 107 MK's and Berger, 108 gr. Elite Hunters.
ALL of, the NEWER, Rem 700 actions are, CNC Machined, so hard to go, too wrong with them and I believe that, TRUING, is NOT, necessary.
Inspect for "Straightness",.. FIRST, tho !
 
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Howdy, I know the guys that build full Custom rifles don't like hearing this. I have 6 semi custom that all I had done was spin a new barrel and clean up the bolt and action. And I have ONE FULL CUSTOM BUILT, that cost 3 to 4 times what the Semi built cost. I will never build a Full Custom again. My semi shoot just as good. SPIN A NEW BARREL ON, HAVE YOUR SMITH CLEAN UP THE BOLT AND ACTION, AND ENJOY A GREAT SHOOTING RIFLE.. Use the money you saved on your Optic. 🤓👌
 
I have a Remington 700 blueprinted with the tools (vs. single point cut) with a PT&G bolt and a Kreiger barrel chambered in 6 Dasher and it shoots 1/4" easy. It even weights 5.5 lbs and the whole rifle cost as much as just a nice custom aftermarket action. If you put good time and money into a project, you can certainly do it for less. I won't bring up all the Ruger Americans I hear good things about. Get a good smith and you'll get good results. You can do a lot with a gun that shoots 1/2 MOA.
 
I have many non trued 700's, two trued. Difficult to impossible to tell the accuracy difference between the trued and non trued, as all shoot tiny bug holes with my reamers, Brux, Krieger, Lilja, Hart, Lederer, Shilen. Bug hole groups equal .300 and below measuring outside to outside subtracting the bullet diameter. Of critical importance, my gunsmith indicates the throat in to .0001, which is WAY more important than truing an action.

In 1987, a guy won the Ohio State benchrest match with a Trued 700 action, the race was on for gunsmiths to true actions, an extra $175-$250 for every action that walks in the door which is not bad since some true 5 actions in a morning.

From now on, I will use a precision ground recoil lug and that is all!
 
These are exceptional tools for the reloader. I have checked my brother's against gauge blocks.

Micrometer


Check neck thickness-tube mic

 
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First, having an action blue printed is a nominal cost compared to buying a barrel and having it chambered and fitted. It will be around the cost of a good aftermarket trigger. I have been personally involved with 4 Remington actions made into custom builds. One 60s vintage M721, a 70s vintage BDL M700, a 90s vintage M700 Mountain, and a 2013 vintage bought new Stainless M700 action/trigger combo that was never in a factory rifle. They have all shot very good. They were chambered in 7mm STW in some cases and 7mm LRM in other cases. The barrels have ranged from Shilens (3 - 7mmSTWs), Douglas (1 - 7mm STW), Brux (2 - 7mm LRMs, and a Hart (1 - 7mm LRM). The 3 LRMs are still shooting lights out. The STWs have gone on to barrel heaven. In all cases heavy precision recoil lugs were used and the stocks ranged from a wooden High Gloss BDL to several McMillans. The bolts were all modified with a Sako or M16 extractor. Two of these rifles both Brux based 7mm LRMs, have been used oddly by my grown son to make the longest shots on game I have witnessed.
 
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