laelkhunter's advice is spot on. Start close, make sure accuracy is consistent, then move out. Starting too far out will only frustrate you. imho
setting my sons 30/06 for his 1st Elk hunt
- Thread starter milkie62
- Start date
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Sometimes I guess I just get confused! I have a gun.... I don't like the way it groups... I buy a new stock, thinking about perhaps another stock, thinking about a new trigger, and maybe a new barrel....how about sell the gun and buy a new one that is what you want and probably save a good deal of money...and all the aggravation
ofbandg
Well-Known Member
I'm with Just Country in adjusting the Rem trigger before spending money on a new one. And I like the idea of going back to the wood stock because it is easier to fit for size, and to bed around the lug. Floating the barrel is also easier with wood. Sometimes with wood however if the stock screws have been left torqued over a period of years the wood becomes compressed and when you go back to it, as you re-tighten them they "hump" the action. Remington aren't as prone to this as some others, (like the "thumb cut" Mausers), but it's a good reason to re-bed both ends of the action. I like the feel of wood and a few times I have hogged out most of the wood around the action and down the barrel channel and filled it with epoxy just to maintain that feel while getting a near synthetic stability. If you already have a replacement stock you can't really go wrong playing with the wooden one.
greenejc
Well-Known Member
Did you keep the original stock? If so, go back to it first, glass bed it and put in a timney trigger. Then set the action screws to proper torque and set the Timney trigger to no less than 3.5 to 4 lbs. Its a hunting rifle, and less than that will make it too sensitive. You don't want it going off because your son caught the trigger on a bush or accidentally hit it while moving. Leave the open sights on the rifle, and zero them for dead on at 200 yards. That way if the scope is damaged, you have them as a backup. I have the ADL in 300 Win Mag, and I adjusted the original trigger to about 4.5 lbs. It will put 5 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips into around 0.7 inches at 100 yards. If you want to stay with the factory black stock, glass bed that and again torque to factory specs. Torque the front action screw first. Try several different types of ammunition, and don't forget Hornady Superperformance or Federal Highenergy. Try Remington Corelokt ammunition, too. Stay with the 180 grain offerings for down-range energy retention. Shoot what is most accurate.
J Doss
Active Member
The trigger on the 700 can be adjusted. Check to make sure the barrel is floated (not touching the stock). Do a little crown polishing.
Get your son to dry fire and shoot the rifle from a standing position and also sitting propped on his knees. Let him get used to shooting, not on a bench or in a locked down position which will create more recoil.
My son shoots the same gun, 700-06, which I bought for him 20 years ago. We worked loads up for it, 150gr or 162gr Accubond using IMR 4831 and CCI primers, with a mid range load that are extremely accurate without heavy recoil.
Good Luck on the hunt!!!!!
greenejc
Well-Known Member
J Doss has some good advice, but before you do anything other than adjusting the trigger, shoot it first. If its capable of accuracy within what you desire, take it hunting. Only fix it if its broke. Also, you or another experienced and good shot should bench it first, to set a benchmark accuracy. That way you'll know what to expect from the rifle. As an aside, I have three Remington 700s. One CDL in .35 Whelen, two 300 Winmags in their ADL Synthetic (blind magazine) stock. All of them are capable of less that 1 inch groups at 100 yards, and I've adjusted the Remington trigger down to about 4 to 4.5 lbs on each of them. The only other thing I've had to do is torque the action screws to specs. I don't want lighter triggers than about 3.5 lbs because I'm hunting with them, and I don't want an accidental discharge, which I've seen very experienced hunters have due to light triggers. If you've got the money, get a trigger gage so you can adjust your trigger to the pull weight you feel safe with, too.
Battering Ram
Well-Known Member
Milkie62,
All of the suggestions on here are good, and they come from experienced shooters/hunters. It sounds like your son will be shooting at 300 yards max since that's his practice range. I would shoot the gun first, working my way out to 300 yards, and if he can consistently hit an 8 inch target with all his rounds then I wouldn't change anything. All those rounds in an 8 inch circle will kill an elk. Just my 2 pennies. Good luck and share some pictures!
All of the suggestions on here are good, and they come from experienced shooters/hunters. It sounds like your son will be shooting at 300 yards max since that's his practice range. I would shoot the gun first, working my way out to 300 yards, and if he can consistently hit an 8 inch target with all his rounds then I wouldn't change anything. All those rounds in an 8 inch circle will kill an elk. Just my 2 pennies. Good luck and share some pictures!
greenejc
Well-Known Member
yep, Battering Ram, you have the right idea, but I'd say that's good for Antelope, deer and elk. Anything inside 8 inches at 300 yards will put meat in the freezer.
OK, I will be the one outside the norm on this a bit. I have had really good success getting newbies to shoot with "high" power rifles by starting them at 25 yards off the bench. You want to eliminate as many outside variables as possible to school the shooter on all the right steps before, during and after pulling the trigger. If the shooter can't shoot well at 25 it won't get better at 100 or farther and causes frustration to the newbie. You can walk them thru on really good shooting postures and technique at the 25 that translate well out to 200 since an 30-06 with most factory will be on at 25 and pretty close to on at 200. Getting a newbie success builds confidence and focus along with belief you know WTH you are talking about. I'd even throw in some paper animals to give some additional practice of kill zones etc. getting them use to finding the "spot" before pulling the trigger is many ways half the battle to groom a newbie. The rifle will be easier for them to handle at 25, see instant success (or failure) which goes to coaching and the target is really clear for them to see. I also use impact targets since newbies seem to really like seeing color splats and they are easy to see at 25. The other advantage of using 25 is getting some ballistics thrown into the training since you are explaining line of sight crossings at 25 and 200 which helps a lot in their visualization of how a bullet flies downrange.
Once you have built the confidence and success you then move out to 200 re-enforcing the ballistic portion of the training of the 2 line of sight crossings that a bullet undergoes in flight. The shooter now has reasonable confidence on how to hold etc for a 200 yd shot.
Can't overlook you can set way more targets at 25 than 200 since you have a very short walk....us old folks need to take that into consideration as well.
Once you have built the confidence and success you then move out to 200 re-enforcing the ballistic portion of the training of the 2 line of sight crossings that a bullet undergoes in flight. The shooter now has reasonable confidence on how to hold etc for a 200 yd shot.
Can't overlook you can set way more targets at 25 than 200 since you have a very short walk....us old folks need to take that into consideration as well.
greenejc
Well-Known Member
OK, I will be the one outside the norm on this a bit. I have had really good success getting newbies to shoot with "high" power rifles by starting them at 25 yards off the bench. You want to eliminate as many outside variables as possible to school the shooter on all the right steps before, during and after pulling the trigger. If the shooter can't shoot well at 25 it won't get better at 100 or farther and causes frustration to the newbie. You can walk them thru on really good shooting postures and technique at the 25 that translate well out to 200 since an 30-06 with most factory will be on at 25 and pretty close to on at 200. Getting a newbie success builds confidence and focus along with belief you know WTH you are talking about. I'd even throw in some paper animals to give some additional practice of kill zones etc. getting them use to finding the "spot" before pulling the trigger is many ways half the battle to groom a newbie. The rifle will be easier for them to handle at 25, see instant success (or failure) which goes to coaching and the target is really clear for them to see. I also use impact targets since newbies seem to really like seeing color splats and they are easy to see at 25. The other advantage of using 25 is getting some ballistics thrown into the training since you are explaining line of sight crossings at 25 and 200 which helps a lot in their visualization of how a bullet flies downrange.
Once you have built the confidence and success you then move out to 200 re-enforcing the ballistic portion of the training of the 2 line of sight crossings that a bullet undergoes in flight. The shooter now has reasonable confidence on how to hold etc for a 200 yd shot.
Can't overlook you can set way more targets at 25 than 200 since you have a very short walk....us old folks need to take that into consideration as well.
greenejc
Well-Known Member
That's good advice. All of it is good advice. Just confirm at distance after sighting in at 25 yards and you should be good. You'll be about 2" high at 100 yards, and about dead on at 200 yards. That puts you inside the kill zone with a center hold out to about 275 yards on deer and a little further on elk.
I've owned a bunch of Rem 700's and here is what I would recommend:
1. Adjust the trigger to his comfort. Have him dry fire at least 8 to 10 times after every adjustment where he can actually see where he is on the target as he pulls the trigger until you find the perfect setting for him. Practice follow through.
2. If you don't reload try several factory loads, about 6, 7 or 8 of them until you find the ones that group best, by best I mean at least MOA accuracy for a good 300 yd shot. Make sure these loads are tested at 100yds before you go further and use a good sand bag rest, front and back.
3. Make sure the Barrel is free floated, dont jump to buy another new stock yet. My Rem 700 ADL 7mm Rem Mag still wears the original synthetic stock and I get Sub MOA accuracy with some loads also Sub Half MOA with others. I also have 2 Rem 700's SPS Buckmasters in 7mm-08 that have the original synthetic stocks on them and also get Sub Half MOA accuracy on both of them.
4. The Vortex scope will be pefect for the distance you are going for and more.
5. I dont know how familiar he is with the 06 but practice practice practice, it's a must so he can be proficient.
6. Happy Hunting!
