Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

[MOOSEKNUCKLE]

I have a 700 LTR in .223 and a 40x in .220 swift. I have shot these rifles very little (lack of time) but I have a lot of .308 ammo and no rifle. I love my LTR and it is all factory other than a Badger bolt knob. It will shoot sub MOA all day. Ive been looking at .308 rifles on the hide for a long time and some of the rigs are too pricey for a beginner that doesnt understand what half of the mods are. There are so many different models out there (sps vtr 5r pss ltr ect) that its hard to narrow down to one rifle. I dont hunt much but would like to start reaching out more than 500 yards on paper or steel. Can you build any of the 700s into a nice rifle or is there a certain base model that is better than the others. Any certain barrel length or twist rate?
Thank for the help

 

[garandman]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

I chose teh PSS as my precision rifle platform.

Here's what its capable of at 175 yards, prone, in a field.....

In full disclosure, when I figgered out my DPMS LR-308 was capable of 1/2 MoA, I sold the bolt gun to buy a can for the DPMS.

 

[MOOSEKNUCKLE]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

Very nice LR-308. Ive been wanting a AR10 for a while two but I only have one case of Hirt ammo and a lot more hand loaded stuff.
How long was the bbl and what twist on the PSS?

 

[razor100]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

is your 40x a repeater? reguardless, the 220 Swift shares the same bolt face as the 308WCF and all that would be needed is a 308 caliber barrel. Im sure you could find a take off remington barrel in 308 and have a smith set the headspace for cheap or if you want to go all out get a Bartlein tight bore (.299") 30 caliber barrel unchambered for $295 and have a smith like GA Precision true the action and chamber the barrel for you for another $350. Just a thought

 

[Kells81]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

Sell the 220 swift and get a nice Rem 700 police model. you should come out with enough spare change to even get a decent MK4 to boot.

 

[Chris2152]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

I am starting out with a Remington 700p/ sps-varmint barreled action with a 26" heavy barrel. I am looking for a nice stock to put it in, but for right now I will try and find a nice used one.

I am looking for somthing like a take off police stock to get the rifle done and get me started with. I am also looking for H-S stock if I can find one before I find the police stock.

I am looking now and trying to narrow down which scope to go with. I am looking at some SS's and some Leupold's.I have narrowed it down to a MIL DOT retical and I am trying decide between MIL/MIL or MOA/MOA adjustments.

 

[MOOSEKNUCKLE]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

The .220 is a single shot. Heres pics of both

 

[BobinNC]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

Mooseknuckle,

I like both the Rem 700 LTR and the Rem 700 XCR Compact, as starter rifles. Both have fluted 20" 1-12 twist barrels. I like the LTR & XCR Compact because they are short and handy, and are around 7 1/2 lbs out of the box, which means they are not too much to haul around. But they are both accurate enough, to get the most jobs done.

The difference between the two is about $200. The more expensive XCR Compact has a coated Stainless Steel action and a 40x trigger. Which together is worth the extra $200.

However, being cheap myself, I bought the LTR, and built from that as funds allowed.

Here's mine:

My changes and additions:

Sold the H-S Precision stock suppiled, and bought another H-S Precision with a longer fore-end (Model PSV097), that was for my comfort.

Sold the Mark X supplied trigger and bought and installed a Timney trigger.

Sold the stock BDL bottom metal, and installed an H-S Precision DBM Sytem that I had from another project.

Seekins 20 MOA Bases
TPS 35mm Rings
IOR Sniperhide Edition 3-18x42MM FFP Mil/MIL
Eagle Large Stock Pack
Harris Bipod
Badger Bolt Knob by Hooper

Best of luck,

Bob

 

[garandman]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MOOSEKNUCKLE</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How long was the bbl and what twist on the PSS? </div></div>


24" I think, and twist was whatever Remington specs for it. I bought it about 7 yers ago, brand new.


Sorry can't be more helpful.

 

[Armed Ferret]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

nothing wrong with using a 700 for a basis for a build, whatsoever. only receiver differences between models is action length and bolt face size. an ADL .308 has the same action as a CDL .243, although finishes may be different. if you're doing a ground-up build, though, finish is unimportant.

After a goodly bit of shooting, my 5r's throat got too long to use the magazine for 168 TSX's, so off came the barrel, and eventually I got a big box of awesome from Controlled Chaos Arms:

 

[Bluejazz]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

Armedferret,
I like the color scheme on that stock. What is the color mix percentages>

 

[Armed Ferret]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

33/33/33 od/tan/black, with 1% magic mcmillan mojo.

 

[MOOSEKNUCKLE]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Armed Ferret</div><div class="ubbcode-body">nothing wrong with using a 700 for a basis for a build, whatsoever. only receiver differences between models is action length and bolt face size. an ADL .308 has the same action as a CDL .243, although finishes may be different. if you're doing a ground-up build, though, finish is unimportant.

After a goodly bit of shooting, my 5r's throat got too long to use the magazine for 168 TSX's, so off came the barrel, and eventually I got a big box of awesome from Controlled Chaos Arms:

</div></div>
That is a sharp rifle. If you dont mind, how much do you have invested?

 

[dontstrokeme]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Armed Ferret</div><div class="ubbcode-body">nothing wrong with using a 700 for a basis for a build, whatsoever. only receiver differences between models is action length and bolt face size. an ADL .308 has the same action as a CDL .243, although finishes may be different. if you're doing a ground-up build, though, finish is unimportant.

After a goodly bit of shooting, my 5r's throat got too long to use the magazine for 168 TSX's, so off came the barrel, and eventually I got a big box of awesome from Controlled Chaos Arms:

</div></div>

Is that a DD Ross knob?

 

[Armed Ferret]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

yes, it's a DD ross knob, and while i'll discuss my salary online (i'm an e-5, it ain't too hard to figure out lol) what i spend on the toys is between me and mrs. ferret.

i will say that michael (CCA) gave me a fantastic deal and is an incredible machinist. hoping next sunday's range trip goes as planned; i'll be able to get to 300.

 

[Chris2152]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Armed Ferret</div><div class="ubbcode-body">yes, it's a DD ross knob, and while i'll discuss my salary online (i'm an e-5, it ain't too hard to figure out lol) what i spend on the toys is between me and mrs. ferret.

i will say that michael (CCA) gave me a fantastic deal and is an incredible machinist. hoping next sunday's range trip goes as planned; i'll be able to get to 300. </div></div>

Hey I have not seen you around in a while on the other forum, I see you are back from the sandbox over here I am still here and will be heading home in April. How is everything going? That is a nice looking rifle you go there if you can shoot me an email or PM and let me know how you did it.

 

[81Z4ME]

Re: Anything wrong with using a 700 for a starter?

Don't know how the present Model 700's compare to the old ones. A few years back the M700's were said to hold most of the records in the silhouette shooting competitions.

I got a M700 varmint special in .223 Rem. It still has a Bushnell 10X scope on it. I came to realize that if I missed, I missed. That rifle didn't miss unless I screwed up the shot. Took a lot of groundhogs out of the fields of some farms back home (all headshots but one)and all sneak/crawl around prone shots with only a couple rested on piece of split rail fence (use it if you got it).