• Cold Bore Ritual Contest - Only a Few Hours Left To Enter!

    What’s your cold bore ritual, that one thing you always do before your first shot to set yourself up for success? Winner gets new limited edition Hide merch. Remember, subscribers have a better chance of winning!

    Join contest Subscribe

Gunsmithing Truing box stock action/bbl

MookNW

Private
Minuteman
Mar 11, 2011
4
0
47
I'm new to LR shooting. So new that I don't have a gun yet. If I buy a nib 700 sps, should I budget for a truing, or is this something that should be done only when assembling a barreled action from parts.
If it's a maybe, how can I check to see if my action may need truing?
If this has been beat to death, please leave a link if you know one.
Thanks
 
Re: Truing box stock action/bbl

I think you should practice with an SPS (or even better, a 5R milspec) until the gun is the limiting factor. Reload or shoot good ammo

when youre ready for better accuracy, change the barrel and true the action at the same time. A good barrel will give you the biggest improvement here, and truing the action will be a secondary improvement.

If you can afford it, skip step one and go directly to step 2

Re-reading your post, save your budgeted truing money and get a Milspec 5R, they often shoot 1/2" out of the box. I have one and am impressed with it; for a factory rifle, they shoot good.
 
Re: Truing box stock action/bbl

If you are buying a sps or something like that don't worry about truing until you rebarrel it. If you plan to get it just to rebarrel it I would look into a stiller, surgeon rsr, or other custom action.

Bugholes (Greg) on this site is selling already trued Remingtons for somewhere around $650 and $700 depending depending on metal.

HTH!
 
Re: Truing box stock action/bbl

I learn the hard way, just buy a r700 5R mil-spec. I thought about spending a ton of money customizing my r700. Then I found a 5R for $1k and bought it. My groupings are .1"-.2" with custom made ammo. I am so glad I didn't drop a ton of money on a custom gun.
 
Re: Truing box stock action/bbl

One of my favorite rifles started as a SPS youth lefty, bought for the action. Turned out the little 20" factory barrel shot very well. Lapped the lugs, had it punched AI, and bedded it into a McM. Been running sub MOA ever since. When that barrel is gone I'll replace it with a 22" premium tube....