I was given a Remington 700 Long action American Wilderness Rifle chambered in 300WM. It was Free but is now my most expensive rifle and I am considering replacing the last remaining piece of what this gun was which is the action if I include the Zeiss LRP S3 I purchased for it.
I am extremely pleased with the way the gun shoots at it will shoot 0.20 or better over bullet diameter when I am able to do my part. I have shot it out to a mile so far but plan to go further. (I can't even do a transonic Kestrel truing at 1 mile) I have it in a MPA Ultralight Chassis and it has a Bartlein 1:8 twist Heavy Palma barrel finished at 26" + a Little BsTrD break. It is chambered in 7mmX300 Win Mag Wildcat that has an Improved 37 Degree shoulder. (Absolutely love this round). I had been dreaming of a heavy 7 build for a while and I figured once I had the free Rem 700 Long Action Magnum bolt face then the timing could not be better. I shoot 7mm 195 Gr Berger EOL Elite Hunters at 2,945FPS only 70.8 Grains even with no pressure signs 1.2 Grains heavier charge at 72 Grains of Vihtavouri N565. (Still planning to try the N585 even though I am extremely pleased with this load.)
Anyways- The gun shoots great- but it handles incredibly poorly in comparison. The action has been blueprinted and trued. However the bolt lift is abysmal (especially for that last 10 or so degrees before the inevitable click of this action. On the ladder test whether I am a down to 70.2 grain or up to 72.0 Grains there is no real difference in the bolt throw. I would not be able to stay on target and cycle the spent round with 1 hand. I have considered having the bolt timed and maybe a new firing pin kit- But I think in the end I have gone so far with this build that a custom 700 clone action would be the best next step. If someone thinks otherwise please do not hesitate to speak up.
I have ordered 2 more barrels from Bartlein and am strongly considering swathing actions. These will both be chambered in the same 7mmX300WM W/ 37* improved shoulder. I am still going with Bartlein but stepping down from a the Heavy Palma Countour to the Remington Varmint to shave a few ounces. The barrel I have on this rifle right now has around 700 rounds down the tube. No issues with groups opening up yet- But I want to be ready and not cause a delay when it does come time to retire this barrel and it just made since to me to do 2 at the same time.
I am looking for any and all feedback on how to pick the best Rem 700 LA clone/footprint/fit action for me.
The 3 I am currently considering (though I am very early in my research) and again open to all suggestions are...
#1) Defiance Ruckus GA Hunter- I like this because it is ready to ship. I also know Defiance has a proven track record and I prefer to have some sort of coating It also has the 2 piece / Skeletonized 20MOA rail that I prefer. .
Stiller Predator is on the table as my smith has one- However I was very intrigued by the Muley Freak Wombat Stiller Action. I would love feedback on any of the Stiller Wombat actions or really any similarly"skelotonized" actions.
Terminus Kratos Lite- I have been hearing good things about this company and am intrigued by the threaded trigger pins among other things. I like that its DLC Treated and the idea of 60 Degree bolt lift is something that sounds enticing- (any feedback at all positive or negative on shorter than 90 degree bolt lifts would be greatly appreciated.
( ANYONE WHO HAS AN ACTION THEY WOULD WANT TO SELL THAT MEETS THESE PERAMATMETERS PLEASE MESSAGE ME.)
My Parameters in selection my new action are as follows.
-Deal Breakers-
-Must be available in RH Long Action with Magnum .550 or similar boltface. (Brass is/will be Lapua 300 win Mag)
-budget is $2,100.
-Must be a Remington 700 Clone/footprint to work with my existing chassis, trigger etc. Recoil lug is currently bedded in my chassis but I assume my smith can machine my chassis for some of the thicker recoil lugs out there if needed.
-Must be able to handle at least some dirt a grime as this is a long range hunting rifle as well as target. Has to be able to be packed around for at least a few days in a row and then function as needed when/if I locate the animal I am hunting.
-Ideally to be under 30oz 36oz MAX (Heavies action I am considering is the Impact Precision Shooting NBK at 33oz which for a hunting rifle is notable difference to the Stiller Muley Freak Wombat at 23oz)
-I want the best accuracy I can get but do not want to make any compromises on how easy the bolt throw is.
-Must accept AI and AI Type mags (3.825")
I think a 3.5 month lead time would be around as long as I would be willing to consider. That is about when I expect to need to rebarrel based on my current shooting schedule/plans for this rifle- More realistically would be closer to 8-10 weeks unless there was a major benefit to my final selection compared to my runner up. Ready to ship of course would be the best.
--Beneficial but not a must---
I really think I would like to get something factory coated (Nitride or DLC or something similar to help smooth consistent cycling. Stiller's "proprietary coating on the Mark 13 could prove beneficial as that is one of the most expensive actions I am considering so far.
Ideally I would like to be able to have a fluted bolt and either an oversized bolt knob or even better would be interchangeable bolt knobs
In a perfect world my new action would have a 2 piece 20MOA Picatinny rail that does not span over the open portion of the action.
Thank you all for your time and consideration in reading this. Sorry it was so long. Please speak freely (while obeying the forum rules) about the actions I am considering, should be considering, or really any feedback or personal experience that can assist this selection whether it's positive or negative.
Here are a few pics of the rifle as it is now since you were nice enough to read so much about it.
