Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Ever ruin a rifle ?

I've got a Remington 700 in .257 Roberts.

Its pretty much OEM. I replaced the tubberware stock with a bedded Boyd's laminate and switched out the firing pin & bolt shroud.



The rifle shoots as well as any rifle I've ever owned.



Its super accurate with all loads tried.

Would like to lighten it up a bit, no stock change this year.

Would like to cut the barrel back to 20", have it cerakoted and possibly a smaller more compact scope.


Has anyone ruined there accuracy by doing custom work on a rifle?

Why not buy what you want and leave that one the great shooter it presently is?

If it does that consistently, there's no way I'd touch it.

Then wait until next year for a proper lightweight stock.

Don't touch it...

Good Lord, you can't improve on perfection --

LEAVE

IT

ALONE.

THIS^^^^^^^

I wouldn't touch it other than put a set of Talley lightweight low rings on it. Bring that scope down a bit.

If you do change out the scope for more compact, I've been happy with a Leupold 2-5-8x36 I recently put on a Browning A-Bolt micro.

Ditto, That scope looks awful high. My 2.5-8 on my .06 is great

I'd have no hesitation getting a new (lighter) synthetic stock for it and swapping out the mounts for something that lets the scope ride lower, to fit me better. No way I'd mess with the barrel though.

A Leupold 2-7x Compact in lower rings of your choice would be ideal. If it shoots like that in the Boyd's Laminate stock I'd leave it be, same with the barrel leave it be. Alterations can sometimes turn out to be not the great idea they seemed to be.

The present scope could be mounted lower.

Going to a less than optimum scope to save a couple of ounces while leaving the boat anchor stock in place is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

Ruined two (2) rifles in the same day one time. One Anshutz and
one Sako. Both were .222. Owner wanted them rechambered to
223 because surplus ammo was cheap. Didn't want to do it.
Told me if I did not want to do it he would go to someone
else that would.
So, I did it, and figured that both were ruined.

Changing a gun to suit you is not what I would consider ruining it. I would have absolutely no issue bobbing that barrel to 20" if thats what you want...but I would definitely put it in a lighter stock for sure.

As for the guy who wanted a pair of .222s rechambered to .223...that makes perfect sense to me. I see that as an improvement for sure.

No, but I had some Ammo that did...

Why so many are 'afraid' of rifles is beyond me.

Cut it and lighten it. It will still shot fine unless you cut the barrel at a 45 degree angle.

I agree with Steelhead.

Although the weight you save chopping the barrel will be near unnoticeable. The only way I'd cut it is if I just wanted a shorter, handier rifle. You will give up a bit of speed chopping the barrel off as well.

Get a lightweight stock when you can afford it, that's the quickest way to weight savings from where you are now. Plywood is heavy.

I would definitely shorten it...but I would go to 16", then thread it, but only because I run a suppressor on absolutely everything I can.

Interesting comments about lowering the scope. It looks just about right for the way I shoot. I've tried about every height and highs or extra highs are what I usually end up with.

I'm fixin to ruin three Savage 99's. Restocking one almost complete, 7 IHMSA, chopping 4 inches off and restocking a .375 brushgun to a barrel band carbine, refinishing and refitting the wood on a DL in 308.

Ruined two like this last year, a DL .243 and a 99F 358.