Feasibility- Remington 700 .300WM to remage barreled 6.5PRC

[Ranger Bob]

I've had a lot of ideas floating around in my head lately. A few years ago I wasted a fair bit of money building a .300WM LR target rifle based on a Remington 700SPS. The whole experience sucked. The rifle looked cool but, it shot like crap (big surprise) and at the end of a day of shooting I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. No factory or handload ammo would produce anything better than 1.25moa.
20160203_160926 by Bob, on Flickr

I am sick of looking at this thing in my safe and seeing a bunch of bad decisions. I have been seriously considering using it as my first blueprinting and rebarreling project. It was mentioned that I could throw a remage barrel on it and that got me to wondering...could I switch it over to 6.5PRC? I know the 6.5PRC is a short action round but, it looks like a lot of guys are running into roadblocks because they want to seat their heavy bullets longer than mags will allow. So my question is, could I run this as a 6.5PRC with a remage barrel swap?

It's okay to tell me this is a stupid idea as long as you explain why.

Bob

 

[spife7980]

Yeah you could do that just fine but Im more curious into why the current configuration isnt working. If its not the barrel then you dumped money into a nonsolution solution.

 

[Ranger Bob]

Yeah you could do that just fine but Im more curious into why the current configuration isnt working. If its not the barrel then you dumped money into a nonsolution solution.

I feel pretty confident it is the factory barrel or a out-of-true receiver. Probably both! I've eliminated everything else. I also found I don't like the recoil of the .300WM, even with the brake. 20 years of humping a ruck has done in my shoulders.

Bob

 

[spife7980]

Id put my money on the barrel being why it doesnt shoot well than the aciton not being true enough. But a remage is an easy process.

Only thing is remage standard offerings dont include the 6.5prc. So it would be a custom smithed remage like from bugholes or somewhere with a lead time, not stacked on a shelf just waiting for you to order from nss. Not trying to deter you, just info.

Edit: Mcgowen includes it in their "standard" chamberings but that will have a lead time just like any other non standard remage.
Xcaliber too, unfortunately their 25% off sale seems to have ended yesterday.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I'd part the gun out or find a buyer for the whole rifle and start over fresh. No way I'd dump money into an SPS action.

 

[Ranger Bob]

I'd part the gun out or find a buyer for the whole rifle and start over fresh. No way I'd dump money into an SPS action.

I've thought about that too. I just got an email that my new Tikka is ready to pick up so, for now, the scope is going to get switched over. I'm sure the XLR Element, Timney trigger and APA Fat Bastard would sell...and the Badger base. However, I have the interest in learning to smith these things. If I totally screwed it up, I could sell off the parts but, I'm a pretty decent machinist; I just might turn it into something useable.

Bob

 

[supercorndogs]

I'd part the gun out or find a buyer for the whole rifle and start over fresh. No way I'd dump money into an SPS action.

Short or long, a jeweled bolt, and the finish would be the only difference between any Remington 700 actions. All those make no difference when building off an action.

A factory barrel can be suspect. Sometimes you also get a remington action that is not straight, they create a lot of stress when bolted into a chassis and wont shoot well unless they are bedded. Tighten the front action screw and see if the tang lifts out of the chassis. I have rebarrled before to find out the action was the problem. Truing as is done, can't address this problem.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Short or long, a jeweled bolt, and the finish would be the only difference between any Remington 700 actions. All those make no difference when building off an action.

A factory barrel can be suspect. Sometimes you also get a remington action that is not straight, they create a lot of stress when bolted into a chassis and wont shoot well unless they are bedded. Tighten the front action screw and see if the tang lifts out of the chassis. I have rebarrled before to find out the action was the problem. Truing as is done, can't address this problem.

All of the SPS actions I've looked at seemed rougher than higher grade 700s (if there is such a thing). I don't know what Remington's QC process is but it seems like they take actions with visual deficiencies and drop them in a park tank. I've had custom rifles built on those actions and I will never do it again. For the price of lower end "custom" actions or brands like Tikka it's kind of pointless to clean up one of those actions.

 

[supercorndogs]

All you have to do to smooth up an SPS action is shoot it. The finish on them is rough. 1000 rounds in and you couldn't tell the difference. Your gun smith should be able to address the primary extraction which is their main QC problem.

Lots of people are still screwing tubes into 700s with fine results. Send the action off to LRI for a TIG and time job, and screw on a Remage barrel. Or have them do the whole deal. Or sell it cut and run.

IMO, If it has primary extraction. After checking to make sure it isn't binding up in chassis when the action screw are tightened. I would screw a Remage barrel on it, and see if it shoots. If you find a bolt with the standard face, you could do 30/06, 280, 25/06, 308, 243.......Sell the mag bolt face bolt to get your money back. I kept my magnum bolt because I have 300wm barrel and a 280 barrel for my long action.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Old posting... Wonder what Ranger Bob did with this one ?