Remington 700 308 (Advice needed please)

[blaize]

Allright gentlemen, new guy here and need your opinions please.

I have a R700 thats been worked over by a local gunsmith. Got it used in a trade and love it! Mcmillan stock timney 510 trigger badger bottom metal and a Shilen 1-10 twist. its been bedded, true'd etc. The issue is whatever reamer he used in the chamber is specifically for a 168gr SMK. If i check the distance to the lands with a 168 SMK, its only .10 off the lands. I cannot chamber a 175 SMK (which i would prefer to shoot) without loading it short to 2.70 OAL.

I plan to use this rifle in some F-T/R matches, and hopefully some PRS style matches if I can find some relatively local.

Do I try to have the chamber reamed for a different bullet?
Shoot it as is with 168's or load some short 175's?
I am able to load some hornady 178 ELD's to 2.80 OAL and they will fit and chamber fine without hitting the lands like the 175 SMK's

There is also a guy selling an FN SPR A5 with a stock a little better suited to what I would be using the rifle for, do I go that route?

So many paths to go down. thanks for any advice!

Ill try to include a few pics so you guys can see, it shoots great with the 175's loaded short.

 

[IowaGeologist]

I would probably just try out the 178 ELDs if I were you, with their nice secant ogive and impressive BC. 175 SMKs are the standard, because, well, they've just been around forever. They shoot well for a lot of people and the tangent ogive is pretty forgiving with jump (obviously not in your case), but try out the 178s and see how they do in your barrel. If after playing around with them for a while you don't like how it's shooting, look to remove/sell the barrel and throw a new one on.

*Edit - didn't see your last sentence near the pictures. If the 175s are shooting well for your standards and you're not showing pressure signs with them loaded that deep, just keep doing what you're doing.

 

[...]

if youve got a gun thats shooting good for you....rule of thumb is "dont fuck with it"

 

[_Raining]

What distance is the F Class match at? How competitive are you trying to be?

IIRC PRS has a limit of 178. F TR shooters usually use 200ish grain projectiles in special stocks with 30" barrels. A PRS rifle will do OK in F Class but a F Class rifle will struggle in PRS, especially if it is a single shot.

What you have is a PRS rifle that will be OK for F Class, depending on the local talent you can still be competitive at club matches but if it is at 1000 yards, you might struggle but you will probably come out being able to read the wind well.

You could always just start with 168's and when the throat erodes switch to 175's.

Keep in mind that muzzle brakes are not allowed in F Class and you will want one for PRS so get used to taking it off and putting it on.

 

[blaize]

I would probably just try out the 178 ELDs if I were you, with their nice secant ogive and impressive BC. 175 SMKs are the standard, because, well, they've just been around forever. They shoot well for a lot of people and the tangent ogive is pretty forgiving with jump (obviously not in your case), but try out the 178s and see how they do in your barrel. If after playing around with them for a while you don't like how it's shooting, look to remove/sell the barrel and throw a new one on.

*Edit - didn't see your last sentence near the pictures. If the 175s are shooting well for your standards and you're not showing pressure signs with them loaded that deep, just keep doing what you're doing.

pretty good advice thanks, yes the 175's shoot well and the rifle seems to like it. Only issue is i wish i could load them to standard OAL to also run in the Armalite Super SASS above it in the pic.

if youve got a gun thats shooting good for you....rule of thumb is "dont fuck with it"

If it Aint broke don't fix it! I understand!

What distance is the F Class match at? How competitive are you trying to be?

IIRC PRS has a limit of 178. F TR shooters usually use 200ish grain projectiles in special stocks with 30" barrels. A PRS rifle will do OK in F Class but a F Class rifle will struggle in PRS, especially if it is a single shot.

What you have is a PRS rifle that will be OK for F Class, depending on the local talent you can still be competitive at club matches but if it is at 1000 yards, you might struggle but you will probably come out being able to read the wind well.

You could always just start with 168's and when the throat erodes switch to 175's.

Keep in mind that muzzle brakes are not allowed in F Class and you will want one for PRS so get used to taking it off and putting it on.

The local F class matches are 600 yds, which i understand the 168's should be fine at. The reason for wanting to use standard length 175's is to be able to use off the shelf ammo if needed, and compatability with other rifles I have. Also, not looking to be ultra competitive in either right now, as I know there is much to learn, and I need some better glass than the Leupold Mk 4 thats on it right now.



Appreciate all the replies guys, I guess in my mind im just thinking I need to be able to run the 175's when maybe I don't. I handload so lots of options are out there. I have not yet experimented with 155 scenars yet, and need to find a source for those also. Now the decision on what glass to buy for it, or stick with this old Leupold Mk 4. At least the turrets and reticle are mil/mil, it has that much going for it!

 

[spife7980]

IIRC PRS has a limit of 178.

Not on topic but just to clarify, prs has a limit of 178 gr for the tactical division, if you are shooting in the open division the only restrictions are not larger than 30 cal and not faster than 3,200 fps.