Remington Model 700 accuracy issue
- Thread starter david205
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My hunting rifles set for a year or more between uses. 6 months is nothing if it is in a good environment. I would never use engine oil on my firearms. Just my personal rule. How old is the rifle? Did you remove the scope when you disassembled it. I have 4 older 700's and they are all money as far as accuracy goes. Sub 1" from each. I assume you are shooting factory Ammo. Is it a reputable brand and not old? If it was shooting great before you took it apart then I would suspect your reassembly process. I will assume that you don't have a torque wrench for any of the action screws.
Remington 700s are pretty much inherently accurate and sub moa groups are the rule, not the exception. However, they are like any other rifle in many regards. If the rifle shot well before and now does not there are a few things that you need to check. Before you do anything clean the rifle bore, back down to bare metal, no lead or copper fouling. Then check and make sure the action screws are tight. On the Remington 700 they are torqued to 65 inch pounds both front and rear. Torque the front screw first. (if you don't have a torque wrench that goes down that low take it to a gunsmith, buy a firearms torque wrench, around $60 or if you live near an airport take it out there and nicely ask an A&P mechanic if he can torque them for you. All A&P mechanics have torque wrenches that go between 10 and 100 inch pounds) DO NOT TRUST YOUR CALIBRATED ARM OR HAND.
Before I get real wild about anything else, check your ammunition. Not all ammo, even that made by the same manufacturer, type and bullet weight are all the same. They vary slightly by lot number, as well as the year manufactured. Ammo manufacturers don't always use the same powder or powder blend, and bullets all vary slightly. Just because your rifle liked the ammo before, doesn't mean it likes it now. Try something different.
If the action screws are properly torqued, you have a clean rifle bore and you have eliminated the ammo, the next suspect is the scope. Over the years I have had several scopes, even expensive ones fail. To check a scope, you first need to completely remount it. Remove the scope completely off the rifle, take it out of the rings. Be careful to keep the ring top and bottom halves oriented the same. They are machined together and if not kept oriented the same then they will not clamp down on the scope tube properly. Remove the rail, then reinstall the rail, torque to the manufacturer's recommendations. (this can usually be found online at the manufacturer's web site.)
Keeping the rings oriented, mount the lower half of the rings to the rail making sure that they are pushed as far forward in the slot as possible. Torque the ring mount screws to the manufacturer's specifications, making sure that the rings are gripping the rail properly.
Before remounting the scope check it over for any damage. If the rings have been previously installed improperly, the tube can be damaged. Visually check the tube for any distortion, then run your fingers lightly over the tube. You should be able to feel and ripples in the tubes surface. Place the scope into the mounts. Check to make sure that it sits evenly in the rings. If you note the scope not properly sitting in the rings (ring twisted) loosen the ring mount screws and make sure that the scope sits evenly in the rings, then torque the ring mounting screws again. Once the scope it sitting evenly in the rings noting proper orientation place the top half of the rings onto the bottom half, install the screws and tighten lightly enough than the scope can be moved back and forth as well as rotated so you can set eye relief. Check the eye relief and move the scope in the rings until the eye relief is where you want it. (NOTE: Eye relief varies with the position you are holding the rifle. It is different, standing, shooting off a bench or prone. Adjust accordingly to the position you normally shoot in.) Before tightening the rings level the rifle, then level the scope to the rifle, making sure the vertical reticle is perfectly straight up and down. Torque the ring clamp screws evenly to no more than 18 inch pounds of torque making sure that both sides of the clamps are even. If uneven, they can distort the scope tube. (NOTE: The procedure for mounting a tactical scope with adjustable turrets is much more complex and needs to be completed using special tools and mounting procedures)
Once the scope has been remounted, go to the range to sight the rifle in. Bring along a rubber mallet to check the scope internal integrity during the sighting in process.
Sight in the rifle using your usual procedure until you have the shots hitting the target where you want them to be. On another target take one careful shot. Then, using the rubber mallet, tap the scope both bertically and horizontally (NOTE: Tap smartly, but don't beat on the scope. Hitting too hard can damage the scope tube or bell and make it useless) After doing the tap shoot another round at the same spot you fired the previous shot at. The point of impact (allowing for ammo and shooter variance) should not have radically moved. If it has moved,then you can suspect that the scope is the issue. At this point, it's a decision to return the scope to the manufacturer for repair or warranty or simply buy a new scope. Unless it is a very expensive scope or under warranty you are usually better off to buy a new scope.
The last thing is a barrel issue. For someone who uses the rifle strictly for hunting, the chances of shooting out a barrel are relatively remote. Most OEM rifle barrels can shoot 1000 to 1500 rounds without noticeable degrading of accuracy. Take the rifle to a reputable and qualified gunsmith and having them inspect the rifle bore will tell you if the barrel needs to be replaced.
In summary, when in doubt, always take the rifle to a reputable and qualified gunsmith and have them check the rifle out.
They make gun oil for a reason. Motor oil has additives and sometimes detergents, and most today are not so much a petroleum product but a synthetic.That mobile oil statement has me concerned, I always leave the bore dry after cleaning.
woodnut
Well-Known Member
A 10X power at 100 yds may be ok; but out there it may not be able to give you the accuracy you want. I think a 270 should shoot MOA at least. I swear by NF ! There have different reticles; so look them up to see which one you like the best. Also, you can buy a "used" one on this web site that just a bout new at a fraction of new price. Yes, once you made sure the stock and scope mountings are tight to correct pressure; and it still ain't doing what you expect, it has to be the scope. Put it in good rings, level. It should shoot MOA at least.
Torque screwdriver from Harbor Freight $79. a tool well worth having. https://www.harborfreight.com/10-50-in-lb-precision-torque-screwdriver-set-22-piece-58950.html
Crockett12
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2011
- Messages
- 170
Teri Anne's post was very detailed and absolutely excellent!
I recently had DPMS AR in 5.56 NATO that I had trouble getting any kind of accuracy with it. Three inch groups at 100 yards was common even after adding a Timney aftermarket trigger and trying a number of different handloads and bullets. I'd gotten a Teslong borescope for the prior Christmas & found the bore to have a lot of copper fouling in it! I finally scrubbed the bore with JB paste & Kroil down to bare metal and put a lot of effort and sweat into it! The first trip to the range gave me 3/4 inch groups with several loads!
I'm a hunter and also a handloader but I often put my deer rifle away for 9 or 10 months between shooting it! I once had a deer hunting rifle that had previously given me 1 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards with it's favorite loads! I cleaned it as best I knew at the time after hunting season, put it in the safe and after about 10 monrths, took it to the range to make sure it was still sighted in! I couldn't get groups under about 2 or 2 1/2 inches!
It was a Featherweight M-70 Winchester in 270 Win. and really liked the rifle but I eventually sold it because of the accuracy issues! Now I wonder if that barrel simply needed scrubbed down to bare metal?
I recently had DPMS AR in 5.56 NATO that I had trouble getting any kind of accuracy with it. Three inch groups at 100 yards was common even after adding a Timney aftermarket trigger and trying a number of different handloads and bullets. I'd gotten a Teslong borescope for the prior Christmas & found the bore to have a lot of copper fouling in it! I finally scrubbed the bore with JB paste & Kroil down to bare metal and put a lot of effort and sweat into it! The first trip to the range gave me 3/4 inch groups with several loads!
I'm a hunter and also a handloader but I often put my deer rifle away for 9 or 10 months between shooting it! I once had a deer hunting rifle that had previously given me 1 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards with it's favorite loads! I cleaned it as best I knew at the time after hunting season, put it in the safe and after about 10 monrths, took it to the range to make sure it was still sighted in! I couldn't get groups under about 2 or 2 1/2 inches!
It was a Featherweight M-70 Winchester in 270 Win. and really liked the rifle but I eventually sold it because of the accuracy issues! Now I wonder if that barrel simply needed scrubbed down to bare metal?
Less expensive at Midway.
