700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

[amauro1]

I have a 700 LTR currently equipped with a Zeiss 4.5-14x50 conquest scope, leupold mark 4 mount/rings, badger tactical bolt knob, trigger fine tuned down to 2 lbs, gun shoots sub moa at 100 yards with handloaded Sierra 168 grain bullets, lapua brass, and 43 grains of varget powder, I'm actually looking to add a badger FTE muzzle brake but I want to ask opinions on these types of brakes and if a brake is necessary on a .308? I see alot of custom rigs w/ these brakes but I have no experience with them, all help is appreciated! Thanks!

P.s. Any other mods that you guys recommend?

 

[blklabs]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

Tubb brake, Krieger Barrel, action trued and bedded, McMillian, Manners, AICS or several others. Personally I would also upgrade to Seekins base and rings.

That should just about do it, of course it won't look much like an LTR then. There are so many things you can do to a stock remy, just spend a few months reading around here.

Also, if you really want some advice you should tell us what you intended to do with the gun, how far do you want to be able to shoot consistently and if you have a budget.

 

[amauro1]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

Thanks for your response, I actualy intend on shooting various matches with this rifle at all different ranges, hunting as well the stock I actually like, I am sort of on a budget I don't want to go crazy on this rig because I would have just bought one all done up from GA precision, I am interested in having the action trued, and leaning towards a muzzle brake for now just getting opinions on which brake to go with. The leupold mark 4 base and rings havent failed me yet and this rifle has been in some ugly situations, never not held zero.

 

[Sportin Wood]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

What kind of price range are you thinking for a break? I have a Vais break on my 6mm AI, a break from Benchmark barrels on the 6.5-284, and had a muscle break on the 338 edge, and I am looking at an Iron Ridge break (spendy) for the 300 RUM....

 

[rrflyer]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

Have you shot it much? How about 8,000 or so rounds of ammo and membership to a range to shoot them at? A training course?


Your rifles up to the task.....you cant buy personal performance though.

 

[cooper623]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

ya i wouldnt spend the money on the brake. IMO Its really not worth it with a .308. Also, +1 for the stock and gunsmithing. With a 700 you have good bones. In fact the tac ops tango 51 which is a pretty damn impressive rifle is a factory 700 action that they put a kreiger barrel on, fit the chamber to a specific load, true, bed into a mcmillan stock, and give it a trigger job. Granted they clearly are some topnotch gunsmiths based on the results their getting, but the point is putting money into other things can take your rifle a long way, a muzzle brake isnt going to make your gun more accurate and if the .308 is beating you up, the money would be well spent on a class. finally, nomatter who you are or what skill level you are, more ammo never hurts. $140 for the break alone plus the gunsmithing to thread the barrel already adds up to a decent amount of bullets you could have put down range and consequently more skill which is priceless.

 

[amauro1]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

Shot it much? I have over 10000 rounds through this gun and am just looking to spend money I guess, spending some time on this forum makes me just want to upgrade now. Spent 4 years active duty in the Marines as a 0311 (rifleman), 2 tours iraq, 1 tour afghanistan. I belong to several ranges but here in NY, I have yet to find a range with anything over a 200 yard field. I never was technical with any of my weapons (especially in the military) until I got into reloading and joining this forum got me on a new "hype".

 

[rrflyer]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

I mean no disrespect, just noticed your join date. Too many people wish to purchase performance or pretty up a rifle(or most skills) as opposed to obtaining useful skills with it.


With over 10,000 rounds through a 308 tube it may be about time to start considering a re-barrel and at the same time trueing the action.(might as well since its getting done)

I'm planning on ordering a bartlein for my 308 soon and will have a newer Mcmillan stock with a detachable bottom metal setup soon..

I'm a very very very very novice rifle competitor but from what I've gathered most rifles are up to the accuracy needed in competitions. Its the person operating them that requires great improvement.

 

[okiefired]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

Inter a couple matches and see how it(and you) work. You say you like the stock and the optics are mounted well, thats a big plus. See how it groups and how reliable it is and use it and then decide where improvements are needed. You can "read" here a while and figure out the best parts to get but experience will tell you what you "need" to get or do. My LTR was and still is easily sub moa from factory and I dont say that about many. There's a lot of talent here but like most websites the vast majority are read and repeaters. Like Lowlite once said, "for fucks sake, get out and shoot". Good luck.

okie

ps. Thanks for your service.


.

 

[Drifter]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

I have a 700 LTR that I love, that is one home run for Remington in my book. My rifle is bone stock, trigger tuned to a crisp 2 ish lbs and camo paint on the stock. The rifle shoots so well I don't want to screw with it. I have the mark 4 base and rings as well.
As stated above I would shoot the heck out of that rifle as is and use the cash for powder and bullets. they are great shooters, I have not herd of one that wasn't right out of the box.

Mine was the best firearms deal I have ever come across. I bought mine about seven years ago off an old guy on a classified board. He put 250 rounds through the gun, had every target dated with load data. When it arrived it had all the info and targets including a recipe for the hand load he settled on, with targets showing several sub 1" groups at 300yds. when it arrived I loaded up 20 off his data and have never changed a thing. I paid $600, and mounted a Leupold vari x III 4.5x14 with TD from premier.
In his data he had listed "168gsmk, 45.2g varget, BR2, and 2.897 OAL" I shortened the oal just enough to get them to fit in the mag. That is the only load I have shot in the rifle, except for hunting season the SMK, is swapped for 165g SGK which shoot just as good.

I thought about having the rifle customized, but have resisted the urge. i may have a bolt handle installed but will change nothing else until that barrel goes. It will wear a SWFA 10XHDMQ very soon though.

I just purchased a GAP Rock so I could leave it alone, and to see what a custom rifle is capable of.

 

[amauro1]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

No disrespect taken, By all means you are giving excellent advice for someone who is new to shooting. As I mentioned earlier where I am currently located I dont have any local ranges with 500+ yard ranges, they are all limited to 200 yards. Matches are not held too often and when they are, they are "simple". Thanks to my DI's at Parris Island, and Marine Combat Instructor's, I have acquired skills to engage a target with a rifle with confidence. Like I said, I might have got carried away with all this technical stuff and mods, I just was bored with my set up. Gun shoots real well considering it's age and usage. I've hunted in quite a few states with it and have made a clean quick kill on a pronghorn at 502 meters.

 

[amauro1]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

I am getting into "real" bench rest shooting now, and I guess I am going to have to start traveling and shooting longer distances and see how the gun really groups at long range before I start getting carried away with mods. I am really tired of punching holes in paper @100-200 yards, and would like to get into those steel plate shoots at 500-600+ yards.

 

[amauro1]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

I prob. am going to look into purchasing a rifle from GAP, abd leave this LTR as is and just use it as my hunting rig. I tried shooting those SGK's and couldnt get them to group like my SMK's, So I just hunted with my SMK's and they haven't let me down yet, only one deer ran about 35 yards then fell, other than that most have dropped instantly.

 

[blklabs]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

I think you are right on with looking into a custom rig. I started out just like you with an LTR and realized after I had bought a new trigger and stock that it wasn't worth upgrading what I had. It was cheaper to just buy a custom rig. Of course, if you don't have the funds immediately to do it in one step, then upgrading piece by piece makes sense.

Good luck and I second RRFlyer statement of finding good training. You wouldn't be the first person to fly down from NY to train with NTRP.

 

[tylerw02]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

Chalk me into the "not spending the money for a .308 brake" crowd.


Lots of better ways to use the dough.

 

[Mendocino]

Re: 700 LTR Future mods? What to do next?

I was in a similar situation a few years ago and decided that instead of further LTR upgrades I would just by an AI AW. I did this, added an S&B PMII 5x25 and TBAC 30P-1 can and have not looked back. I did go to 260 from 308 this year and have been shooting lots of matches. This was an expensive route, but I am really happy.