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My first "Sniper" and 100% newbie.

B

bigjoe5434

Private
Minuteman
Oct 28, 2013
28
0
Texas
Hi my name is Joe. Im new to the forums and ready to suck up all the knowledge I can. Im into handguns,AR15s and precision rifles. Love the tactical scene and in no way a "mall ninja" lol I just like what I like. Im not Military or Law Enforcement. Im just an overweight shooter with an amazingly fun hobby haha

just recently purchased Remington 700 Police in .308 as my first precision rifle.
placed an order for my optics and unfortunately have to wait for my scope to get back in stock. Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP MRAD. Vortex Precision Matched Low Rings. EGW 0moa steel Base.

I chose 0moa because 700yards will be my max distance. Right now just plan on getting this rig put togther and getting some trigger time at 100yards.

Anyone know a good choice for match ammo to use until I start to reload?
 
good on you mate, great rifles I have one too, topped with a vortex.... Federal Gold Match 168's have an excellent reputation....great way to kick off with factory and keep the brass for when you want to reload...enjoy
 
Great!! Appreciate both replies. Will definitely shop online for some ammo soon.

Yes saving the brass will be my mission to give me a great start into reloading. I cant wait to get out and shoot though.
 
Federal 168's or 175's, Hornady 178's, Southwestern Ammo's Match ammo (155's, 168's or 175's), Black Hills 168's or 175's all sorts of good ammo that will likely shoot well through that thing.
 
Last edited:
Have to get a few boxes of the Federal Gold Match, Black Hills, and Hornady. Give a few options to play with. Plus a barrel breakin period.

And yes a little comedy to my first post, lifes to short.
 
Don't be afraid to run WW whitebox and other ball ammo through it either.

The only thing I can stress, and this will pay dividends, is to make each shot count. No random blasting. Just work on the fundamentals and make every shot "for score"
 
FGMM was in stock at Palmetto State Armory last I checked. 168's should be fine, 175 won't hurt anything. Just get out and have fun practicing the fundamentals. If you're not reloading take some time to find what ammo the rifle works best with.

I'm not associated with Palmetto in any way. Southwest is a forum sponsor and a fine choice if you have time to wait a little.
 
[MENTION=92301]bigjoe5434[/MENTION] love your style man. I use black hills bonded 180 grn for work. But the 165 hornady worked awesome really tight groups. Good luck buddy. Great to see you getting into it.
 
Asperly Aimless said:
Don't be afraid to run WW whitebox and other ball ammo through it either.

The only thing I can stress, and this will pay dividends, is to make each shot count. No random blasting. Just work on the fundamentals and make every shot "for score"
Click to expand...
Most definitely. Each shot will be worth while
 
IndustrialHalo said:
FGMM was in stock at Palmetto State Armory last I checked. 168's should be fine, 175 won't hurt anything. Just get out and have fun practicing the fundamentals. If you're not reloading take some time to find what ammo the rifle works best with.

I'm not associated with Palmetto in any way. Southwest is a forum sponsor and a fine choice if you have time to wait a little.
Click to expand...
Yes sir. I figure practice makes close to perfect. And I will definitely run various ammo through. And as Asperly Aimless stated not to be afraid of cheaper variations of ammo like Winchester White Box, will be really good for practice, brass, and barrel break in ammo.
 
Good scope, good rifle, give southwest ammo a try, it shoots better than any other store bought ammo I ever tried, including the FGMM. If you are in the flat land part of Texas the 0 mil rail will be okay but if you are in hill country or really west with the big hills get the 20 as you might go out far enough to need the extra elevation, if not now maybe later when you get totally addicted to LR shooting.
 
Catfish_Hunter said:
[MENTION=92301]bigjoe5434[/MENTION] love your style man. I use black hills bonded 180 grn for work. But the 165 hornady worked awesome really tight groups. Good luck buddy. Great to see you getting into it.
Click to expand...

Thanks bud I appreciate your info and yes finally had to make the jump to something more precise.
 
ArmyJerry said:
Good scope, good rifle, give southwest ammo a try, it shoots better than any other store bought ammo I ever tried, including the FGMM. If you are in the flat land part of Texas the 0 mil rail will be okay but if you are in hill country or really west with the big hills get the 20 as you might go out far enough to need the extra elevation, if not now maybe later when you get totally addicted to LR shooting.
Click to expand...

Yes sir my thoughts exactly. Figured a 20moa base later on the better I get and when I get an opportunity for past 800yards.
Im in North Central Texas. And have the benefit to shoot on my bosses land. He is heavily into LR shooting and pretty darn good at it.
 
bigjoe - welcome. You picked a great starting rifle. If your rifle has the xmark trigger, ditch it. At least treat yourself to a Timney. If you're really into spending money, say hello to Huber Concepts. Might also consider a bedding job for your rifle. Best of luck.

Prepare your wallet for annihilation!
 
Let me start by saying welcome to the 'Hide and one of the most addicting shooting sports available. Great choice on a first rifle, as well.

I'm going to recommend that you don't waste money on cheap ammo like Winchester WB and the various FMJ and hunting loads available. In .308, you don't really save that much money (FGMM can be had around $22/box, Norma can be had for $25/box or less). You state that you'll use cheaper ammo for practice, harvesting brass, and barrel break in. Practice should be done with a known accurate load. You have to know that every thrown shot was you, not the ammo. Cheap ammo will just frustrate you and expecting inferior performance will only mask errors in your own shooting. Stick to good match factory ammo or quality handloads.

As far as using the ammo for brass, remember that cheap ammo means cheap brass. On top of this, remember that mixing different brands of brass in handloads will result in poor accuracy. For this reason, I recommend trying out a few good brands of ammo (FGMM, Norma, Hornady, etc.) and sticking with the one that works best. This way all your brass is of the same brand.

Don't bother with a break in. For a factory gun, clean well before you shoot it the first time, and very well after your first range trip. Don't bother with the "one shot, clean, two shot, clean" bullshit. Gale McMillan admitted that this invented mainly to get people to buy more barrels.

If it's not too late, switch to a 20MOA base. Once the rifle is zeroed, you don't lose anything by going to a 20MOA, but you have the extra elevation should you ever need it. Just my opinion on the matter....

Most of all practice, practice, practice and have fun doing it. Then you'll be happy, happy, happy. :)
 
I hope you enjoy your new R700P. It should shoot .5moa with good ammo.
If your trigger has an adjustment screw between the bolt release and the mag realease it has a 40X trigger.
The 40X trigger is pretty sweet , no need to change it.
It your going to use a sling on it, unscrew the swivel studs and clean them, then reinstall them with locktite.
 
FALex said:
bigjoe - welcome. You picked a great starting rifle. If your rifle has the xmark trigger, ditch it. At least treat yourself to a Timney. If you're really into spending money, say hello to Huber Concepts. Might also consider a bedding job for your rifle. Best of luck.

Prepare your wallet for annihilation!
Click to expand...

I will have to check my trigger, to see which one I received. the rifle did come bedded factory so didn't think redoing the bedding would make much difference. but if im wrong by all means tell me. thanks
 
Temp9 said:
Let me start by saying welcome to the 'Hide and one of the most addicting shooting sports available. Great choice on a first rifle, as well.

I'm going to recommend that you don't waste money on cheap ammo like Winchester WB and the various FMJ and hunting loads available. In .308, you don't really save that much money (FGMM can be had around $22/box, Norma can be had for $25/box or less). You state that you'll use cheaper ammo for practice, harvesting brass, and barrel break in. Practice should be done with a known accurate load. You have to know that every thrown shot was you, not the ammo. Cheap ammo will just frustrate you and expecting inferior performance will only mask errors in your own shooting. Stick to good match factory ammo or quality handloads.

As far as using the ammo for brass, remember that cheap ammo means cheap brass. On top of this, remember that mixing different brands of brass in handloads will result in poor accuracy. For this reason, I recommend trying out a few good brands of ammo (FGMM, Norma, Hornady, etc.) and sticking with the one that works best. This way all your brass is of the same brand.

Don't bother with a break in. For a factory gun, clean well before you shoot it the first time, and very well after your first range trip. Don't bother with the "one shot, clean, two shot, clean" bullshit. Gale McMillan admitted that this invented mainly to get people to buy more barrels.

If it's not too late, switch to a 20MOA base. Once the rifle is zeroed, you don't lose anything by going to a 20MOA, but you have the extra elevation should you ever need it. Just my opinion on the matter....

Most of all practice, practice, practice and have fun doing it. Then you'll be happy, happy, happy. :)
Click to expand...

Well I understand that. makes perfect sense about sticking with better ammunition to keep more consistant brass. I was going to use a 20moa base initially anyway just in case, but I didn't think the Viper PST would have enough adjustments (19mil) for a 100yard zero with the 20moa base, so figured I would stay safe for now, and learn then maybe upgrade down the line.

thanks for the info
 
dfitzgerald said:
I hope you enjoy your new R700P. It should shoot .5moa with good ammo.
If your trigger has an adjustment screw between the bolt release and the mag realease it has a 40X trigger.
The 40X trigger is pretty sweet , no need to change it.
It your going to use a sling on it, unscrew the swivel studs and clean them, then reinstall them with locktite.
Click to expand...

probably wont put a sling on it, nut will check my trigger when I get home this evening to see which trigger I did get. thanks for letting me know how to check which trigger I have, that was going to be my next question :D
 
You're off to a good start and sounds like your boss can give you plenty of useful tips. Agree that you should start with the 20 MOA base (use Blue Loctite on mount and rings and be sure to torque to proper settings), as well as Harris bipod and good rear bag as minimum. Would learn prone rather than bench rest firing position, as much more stable and useful, if you're planning on doing any hunting. If you have a smartphone, get one of the Ballistic APPs. Most LR shooters dial for distance and hold for wind. Good luck and you came to to right place for good advice. Great bunch of guys here. When you're ready for a new rifle or scope, don't forget the For Sale sections here on the Hide. Truly great deals pop up from time to time and I've never had a bad transaction here as long as you check the Good Guys list or Feedback Scores!
 
bigjoe5434 said:
I will have to check my trigger, to see which one I received. the rifle did come bedded factory so didn't think redoing the bedding would make much difference. but if im wrong by all means tell me. thanks
Click to expand...

Doubtful, dude. Your stock has an aluminum bedding block running through the length of it, but I bet your action is not bedded. Unless Remington really decided to step up customer service.
 
sib1948 said:
You're off to a good start and sounds like your boss can give you plenty of useful tips. Agree that you should start with the 20 MOA base (use Blue Loctite on mount and rings and be sure to torque to proper settings), as well as Harris bipod and good rear bag as minimum. Would learn prone rather than bench rest firing position, as much more stable and useful, if you're planning on doing any hunting. If you have a smartphone, get one of the Ballistic APPs. Most LR shooters dial for distance and hold for wind. Good luck and you came to to right place for good advice. Great bunch of guys here. When you're ready for a new rifle or scope, don't forget the For Sale sections here on the Hide. Truly great deals pop up from time to time and I've never had a bad transaction here as long as you check the Good Guys list or Feedback Scores!
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. Im very pleased with people on this site. Seems like a great group of people and I have no problem with good people. People here have been very helpful and im very thankful.

Any chance you know the torque I would need?
 
FALex said:
Doubtful, dude. Your stock has an aluminum bedding block running through the length of it, but I bet your action is not bedded. Unless Remington really decided to step up customer service.
Click to expand...

I should have never doubted you haha. Your 100% right. So since I have til mid November before Opticsplanet gets new shipment of my scope (already paid for) I can get or bed my action myself.

Any tips or suggestions for bedding my action maybe even a how to? Be much appreciated.

On another note could not wait to check my trigger til this afternoon. But there is a screw between the Bolt release button and the mag release. So guess I got the good 40x trigger awesome.
 
With your scope make sure you get rings or mount that do not clamp from the side. I have recently seen complications with parallax adjustment on scopes using these style of rings and mounts. 20 MOA rail is what you want also.

My son and I started off with the AAC-SD from Remington in .308 with a SWFA SS fixed 10x Scope, JP brake and a Blackhawk bipod. Since then we have added AICS Chassis and Timney 517 trigger. We have found best success with FGMM in 175 grain for over the counter ammo. We are also developing hand loads for it.

This is both fun and addictive. I just ordered my own rifle over the weekend. Now the wait begins.
 
bigjoe5434 said:
Thank you very much. Im very pleased with people on this site. Seems like a great group of people and I have no problem with good people. People here have been very helpful and im very thankful.

Any chance you know the torque I would need?
Click to expand...
The torque settings depend on the mount usually about 50" lbs. for the rail and the rings 15-25" lbs. Too tight and the scope won't function properly and too loose and your shots will be very inaccurate.
 
Krazyjohnny said:
With your scope make sure you get rings or mount that do not clamp from the side. I have recently seen complications with parallax adjustment on scopes using these style of rings and mounts. 20 MOA rail is what you want also.

My son and I started off with the AAC-SD from Remington in .308 with a SWFA SS fixed 10x Scope, JP brake and a Blackhawk bipod. Since then we have added AICS Chassis and Timney 517 trigger. We have found best success with FGMM in 175 grain for over the counter ammo. We are also developing hand loads for it.

This is both fun and addictive. I just ordered my own rifle over the weekend. Now the wait begins.
Click to expand...

That sounds like it will be fun. Father and son competitions. Winner buys a coke or a beer haha depending on age of course.
 
sib1948 said:
The torque settings depend on the mount usually about 50" lbs. for the rail and the rings 15-25" lbs. Too tight and the scope won't function properly and too loose and your shots will be very inaccurate.
Click to expand...

Great. Will have to grab me an adjustable torque screw driver. Buy now benefit me later.
 
bigjoe5434 said:
I was going to use a 20moa base initially anyway just in case, but I didn't think the Viper PST would have enough adjustments (19mil) for a 100yard zero with the 20moa base, so figured I would stay safe for now, and learn then maybe upgrade down the line.

thanks for the info
Click to expand...

One mil = 3.438moa, so a 20moa base = around 5.8mil. (20 divided by 3.438) So if you start with reticle centered and dial down elevation turet 5.8mil, you should be able to pull out the bolt and sight down bore, centering target and then look through scope and be very close. Another perk to a 20moa base, happens when you are shooting out at 700 or 800 yards and needing 5.8mils of comeup, you are right back using the very center of the scope. Better part of the glass, as irregularities often show up near the outer edges of the lense. (probably a bit off on the distance guess?) Two and a half to three seconds seems like a loooong time to hear "the ring", but is well worth the wait.
 
Well its a bit too late to order the 20moa base. So ill have to stick with the 0moa for now.

as for the low rings for the 50mm. I really hope there is a bit of clearance between the objective end and the barrel
 
Sounds like a nice set up.
I too am just starting out.
Went 700 aac-sd, swfa 10x and tps 20moa mount.
Ordered a bunch of hornady amax and hpbt match ammo to try and see what the rig likes.
 
surffly said:
Sounds like a nice set up.
I too am just starting out.
Went 700 aac-sd, swfa 10x and tps 20moa mount.
Ordered a bunch of hornady amax and hpbt match ammo to try and see what the rig likes.
Click to expand...

Right on man. Have you had a chance to shoot yet?
 
Swfa has the base on back order...for the last few weeks..
 
How easy is it to adjust to 40x trigger?
Whats the stock trigger pull weight?
Whats a safe adjustment to lower to?

Thanks
 
bigjoe5434 said:
How easy is it to adjust to 40x trigger?
Whats the stock trigger pull weight?
Whats a safe adjustment to lower to?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Use a little flat head on the bottom screw on the front side of the trigger. Adjust. Then bolt the hell out it. If its too loose it'll go off. Then do the bump test. Beat the gun sideways , up and down, ect... If it doesn't dryfire, loktite it and your done
 
There is a wicking grade Loctite. You put a tiny drop at the threads and it wicks into the joint and locks it.

Not really needed, but you can.
 
Pinecone said:
There is a wicking grade Loctite. You put a tiny drop at the threads and it wicks into the joint and locks it.

Not really needed, but you can.
Click to expand...

you know after reading your post I felt stupid for asking that question....I knew that:cool:
 
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