223 rebuild

[Paul762]

After a few years of prairie dog shooting I have worn out my Remington 700 in 223. it's gone from 1/2" groups to 1" Going to rebuild it. Getting ready to send it to Krieger for the barrel work and truing. Plan is to install a 1 in 8 SS barrel in Remington varmit taper, flute the barrel and install it on a new Manners MCS-T4A stock. Question I have is barrel length,
gun is now a 24" but thinking 26" but others have questioned it and suggest a 20"

Looking for the experts input here.

 

[Gray]

Re: 223 rebuild

Definetly go with a 20" barrel. You will get all the velocity you need and have a handy rifle to boot.

 

[nugentr]

Re: 223 rebuild

+1 on the 20-22", not much velocity loss and much more portable

 

[FCS]

Re: 223 rebuild

Where are you located? Profile isn't filled out.

If you are in Western state where the wind blows all the time I'd be looking at 26" barrel set up for 75 A-max. Dedicated S.E.R.T. rifle, I'd go for the extra velocity as this isn't going to be carried all that much.

Carry rifle a lot, in brush/trees a lot then I could see going 20" barrel.

Don't know where you shoot S.E.R.T.s but where I went in CO, was not uncommon to shoot better part of 1K rds in a weekend (7AM to 8PM, Sat & Sun). Several rifles (couple 223s, couple 22-250s, and a 243 or 25-06 was normal) to rotate through were required to prevent shooting out a barrel (moreso the 22-250, 243, or 25-06 then 223) over a single weekend.

Again, if you are not carrying rifle that much I'd go with a heavier contour and not flute barrel.

 

[Paul762]

Re: 223 rebuild

Sorry about that most of my shooting is done out west SD, ND KS.
Last trip went with only 4 rifles 223, 22-250, 6mm and 308.
Left town with 5000 rounds came back with 2000 rounds, dog towns got hit hard with the plague. Reason for the 1-8 twist is to shoot heavier bullets, it gets windy a bit and 55 grain bullets don't do well, looking at heavy bullets to dial in a bit less windage.

 

[ratton]

Re: 223 rebuild

My Tikka Tactical has a 20" barrel and 1/8 twist. I shoots awesome with 75 and 77 grain bullets. I took it to 1000yrds on a calm day and it took 52 MOA to reach out that distance. If you go with 1/7 twist you could shoot 80 grain and above.

 

[FCS]

Re: 223 rebuild

Most of those states you are setting up, shooting for couple hours, drive up couple hundred yards and shoot for another couple hours.

If that is the case, I'd go heavier on the contour and go 26". 6" when pushing the 75 A-max is another 120 fps or so, just that much less wind drift. Heavier is bigger heat sink and that much easier to spot your own hits/misses.

Unless you are carrying rifle a lot, I suggest you go heavy and go long.

 

[Belisarius]

Re: 223 rebuild

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: FCS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Most of those states you are setting up, shooting for couple hours, drive up couple hundred yards and shoot for another couple hours.

If that is the case, I'd go heavier on the contour and go 26". 6" when pushing the 75 A-max is another 120 fps or so, just that much less wind drift. Heavier is bigger heat sink and that much easier to spot your own hits/misses.

Unless you are carrying rifle a lot, I suggest you go heavy and go long. </div></div> +1
No doubt!