Which Action - Suggestions??

[rexallen]

I have recently purchased a Rem. 700 ADL LA in 300 win mag. I'm looking into turning it into an accurate shooter without breaking the bank (for now). I want to go for a more tactical look and purchased a HS stock some one was selling off of a 700 Police (PSS).

My question regards the action and barrel. Is the blued chromoly action good for a semi-custom now (more work to be done later)? Or should I try and get a stainless long action for starters?

I'm looking to just add a krieger heavy contour barrel to the action, place it in the HS stock and call it good for now. What are your thoughts/suggestions?

I could just sell my setup I've got now and get a 700 Police for about the same money. What would be the best for the long run?

Thanks for the help,

rexallen

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Have the action trued and re barreled.

Steve

 

[D.ID]

Have the action trued and re barreled.

Steve

+1 Krieger barrel will run circles around the new rem barrel and to such a extreme degree as to make stainless action benefits a mute point.

 

[rscott5028]

+1

Build on what you have.

You should get it trued the first time you rebarrel it.

Otherwise, save up for a custom action.

-- richard

 

[rexallen]

Any suggestions on who can true the action? What is the approx cost for that?

 

[rscott5028]

There are several reputable smiths who are sponsors and active participants to this forum. The great thing about these guys is that their work/reputation is all out in the open and they are reachable through this community.

Do a little searching here and you'll find lots of good info and testimonials.

I do my own hobby work. But, I wouldn't hesitate to use most any of the commercial smiths/sponsors here.

-- richard

 

[rexallen]

Ok, just so we're comparing apples to apples...

NOTE: I plan on getting the action trued when I get a new barrel installed.

Q1: I am wondering what the benefits (if any) there are when comparing a stainless vs. chromoly action (Rem. 700 in 300 win mag).

Q2: How much benefit is there in a custom action? Stiller vs. Surgeon vs. others...?

 

[D.ID]

If you get your action trued it will be almost as good as a custom.......just kidding, it should drive tacks with the best of them. If you were starting from scratch a custom would be the way to go. ..... only benefits I know of for Stainless over chromoly are corrosion resistance and ease of machining.

 

[rlr]

Don't assume a custom action will not need any work. They are all very good, but they still need to be checked by your 'smith'.

The CM receiver you have will work for anything you want it to do, once it's all trued. If you're looking for a polished finish, obviously, SS is the way to go. If you're going to coat it, CM will be just fine.

 

[Gene]

Six years ago, I decided to build a very accurate BR gun using a Rem 700 action. To make a long story short, I had it completely tricked out - trued, firing pin bushed, bedded properly in a BR stock, special bolt handle, and the list goes on. Spent around $2,300 and the darn thing shoots good, but is not competitive. Shoulda bought a custom action at the gitgo and saved me self much frustration.

 

[Bart B]

From what I see in the records' sections of on long range benchrest sites, those custom heavy, single-shot high-dollar actions don't perform any better in the accuracy department than those old Winchester 70 box magazine actions did in long range match rifles. As those M70 receivers are several ounces heavier and over 2X stiffer than Rem. 700 box magazine ones, why not get one of them?

 

[IdahoCTD]

Six years ago, I decided to build a very accurate BR gun using a Rem 700 action. To make a long story short, I had it completely tricked out - trued, firing pin bushed, bedded properly in a BR stock, special bolt handle, and the list goes on. Spent around $2,300 and the darn thing shoots good, but is not competitive. Shoulda bought a custom action at the gitgo and saved me self much frustration.

That would probably be the fault of the barrel or the gunsmith and not the action. I've had untrued Remington actions shoot amazingly small groups.

 

[rscott5028]

Ok, just so we're comparing apples to apples...

NOTE: I plan on getting the action trued when I get a new barrel installed.

Q1: I am wondering what the benefits (if any) there are when comparing a stainless vs. chromoly action (Rem. 700 in 300 win mag).

Q2: How much benefit is there in a custom action? Stiller vs. Surgeon vs. others...?

SS is easier to maintain than CM which requires protection from the elements. Otherwise, I'm unaware of any significant competitive advantage.

I personally don't see much difference in Stiller vs Surgeon. But, some might place a lot of value in the feel for one bolt handle vs the other. Perhaps there are other features that separate them which just haven't caught my eye?

I've owned a few duds. But, many actions will deliver the goods when setup right.

I love my 6br built on a Stiller TAC-30. It'll put 10 rounds from the AICS magazine into a 2 inch group at 500yds about as fast as you can cycle the bolt.

I also love my Win M70, 6.5x284 that's extrememly reliable to 1000 yds. And, I prefer the M70 3 position bolt safety for hunting rifles.

Then again, I have a nearly stock Sendero 300 WM. My son put 5 rounds on a sub-moa piece of steel at 968 yds just yesterday starting from a cold clean bore.

The great thing about shooting sports is that there are many games to enjoy and many strategies to be successful.

The general thinking when comparing trued factory vs custom actions is that there may be little difference in the cost of the final shooting system. But, the latter may hold it's value better.

Nonetheless, factory actions offer a lower cost of entry. And, for some stringent applications, a custom may be the only practical decision.

Otherwise, many decisions are purely subjective. Hence, it's best to consider your final product and choose an avenue that gets you there faster, cheaper, or better depending on your goals and resources.

-- richard

 

[elkaholic]

I've had a few Rem action builds and they shoot very well. I recently did a custom from the ground up using a BAT action and sendero contour Krieger barrel chambered in 30/375 S.I. This thing shoots like nothing I've ever owned but it did set me back a bit! I have shot some sub .1 moa groups at 100 yards. I just got the barrel back from the melonite treatment and am anxious to get started on some long range shooting. I would consider having the barreled action melonite treated. If you do that, you can use the chrome moly if you want as the treatment takes care of the need for stainless and chrome moly is a little lighter. Check out the thread "new 30/375 wildcat" on this forum.....Rich