Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Remington 700 Sendero accuracy ???

I've got a Remington Sendero SF-II in 300RUM. Bought it new last year in 2008. Accuracy is so-so. In fairness, it probably needs a trigger job to help me deal with my flinch of shooting the 300RUM. Kick isn't terrible but enough to keep me from being as accurate as I need to be.
First, does anyone have a fantastic 300RUM load receipt they'd like to share ... one that is ultra accurate? sorry, pun intended.
Second, does anyone know of an EXCELLENT gunsmith who specializes in Rem 700 "accurizing"?

Oh, and I'm doing most all of the bench rest load techniques ... flash hole uniforming, flash hole drilling to 3/32, flash hole deburring, neck turning, squaring case mouth, weighing cases, adjusting OAL to .020 off lands, using Sierra 190gr and 200gr Match bullets ... etc etc. Just not getting the level of accuracy I'd expect from this gun. Thoughts?

That can turn a 1/2" rifle into a 2" rifle pretty quick. If that's not under control the finest loads and rifle tuning are for naught.

I shot an original Sendero in the 300 UM in the 1000 yd BR stock class.

190 moly plated SMK's hard into the lands, 215's, and a full case (don't ask)of Retumbo at just under 3300. Set the range record of a 4" and change.

You're doing all the other stuff, try into the lands, with a square mark on the bullet. Lighten the trigger. Is it bedded? Free floated? How's the crown? How's your bench technique? Loaded round runout? Big flinch, little flinch? Scope, ring, mount issues? Good bench? Good front rest and rear bag set-up? Consistant hold? Tough to do on the bigger boomers.

There's a bunch of things that add up to small groups.

Sad truth, maybe the gun's not up to the task.....

Get the trigger done and also get a pact recoil pad that you wear on your shoulder. When you go to range only shoot it ten times or so until you get used to the recoil and muzzle blast. Also check everything that aalf mentioned.
My favorite load is 96.0 grains of reloader 25 with a 180 grain partition and 215m primer. This load averages 3347 f.p.s. in my rifle 15 feet infront of the muzzle. I also use this same load with accubond bullet.
Dink

+1

The gun comes bedded, floated and crowned from the factory.
Topped with a Leupold 8.5x25x50mmx30mm tube.
Yes, solid front and rear bag setup.
Flinch, IMO, seems minor but could add half MOA.

Anyone know any good gunsmiths that could lighten the trigger and square the bolt face and whatever else could be done to a factory setup?

My Sendero, 270 winchester, shoots 3 shot groups one hole. I shoot it on prairie dogs, in the wind, at 400+ yds, at times just to give it some work. Any Sendero I have been exposed to is a shooter, although we have always, "checked" the float, and made sure there was no movement on the pillars.

As to the trigger, if it is the style that has 3 screws, you can adjust it yourself, by breaking away the sealing glue Rem. puts on it as "locktite". Just be sure to keep enough sear engagement, so the trigger will not "break", when you hit the butt of the rifle on the floor. Otherwise, any good "Smith" in your area will be able to do it for you, without any difficulty.

Jerry

Jerry, the Sendero SFII will have the xmark pro trigger which is adjusted by pull weight screw only. Different trigger mechanism entirely and the geometry is such that lowering pull weight does not affect sear or or overtravel.

My SFII 7mmRemMg will shoot my handloads around .5 to .75@ 100yd. A couple of noteable things from reading the OP. Most shooters need to establish a new bench technique to shoot the big boomers from the bench to their potential. Also of all the things you've mentioned you do for load development I'd play around with your seating depths. Keep in mind the closer you get to the lands of the rifling the higher the pressure gets so you may want to load a couple down just to test for safety if you move the bullet out. Most of my guns shoot best .005" off the lands.

If you've not yet adjusted the trigger, turning it down to the minimum of 2lbs will help immensely from the bench. Even at 2lbs mine was too much pull for the bench technique I use so I installed a Jewell set at 8oz. IMO the pull weight is actually more critical on magnums because hold and technique are so critical. It's a challenge to hold consistently on a magnum bench gun but hold firm so you don't get rocked.

I wouldn't take the factory work as gospel. YMMV.

WSM fan,
What do you consider so-so accuracy? 1"? 2"?
There are some good gunsmiths on this forum such as Redneck, and there are some excellent smiths who specialize in long range powder burners over at www.longrangehunting.com .
I have a 700 LSS 300 RUM that groups under 1" at 100 with the 200 gr Accubond. I grip the rifle firmly with both hands and bunch up my cheek muscles to allow a firm cheek weld without a bruised cheekbone. My whole body moves with the rifle and takes alot of the sting out of the recoil.

aalf pretty much covered it. I would take the variables you bring to the table and fine tune them first. Next, I would try a few different bullets to see if you can make an immediate change there. If you see some improvement work from there.

If that doesnt get you anywhere, then the gun may be the prob. I would go in the the order of trigger, scope-ring-base, action screws, crown.

If none of the above work you may swap it for another caliber, something more comfortable to shoot. Recoil doesnt bother me a lot, but the 300 UM is not fun to shoot for me.

I have a 7 Rem mag in this same rifle on the way right now. Matter of fact it shoulda been here already. Keep us posted.

Joseph

Zackly,

I've yet to see a bedded Varmint/Sendero from the factory.

Their float is generally good, but I wouldn't trust the crown.

when they did a Sendero SFII in .264 WM, i had to have one.

here are a couple of 500 meter (547 yard) groups on steel. this was the best factory barrel i've ever had. it is toast now...

For me, so-so accuracy is 1.0 - 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards. I'd like to see this rifle shoot somewhere around .75 consistently ... maybe even .625 inch at 100 yards.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I read all the posts under the "reloading" section of this site. I think I will have the rifle "trued" by a bench rest gunsmith and then go at it again. The 2-lb trigger should help.

Bedding? Barrel floated? Bullet-neck alignment? That and lighten the trigger are the FIRST things on the list for accuracy.


Casey

The Remington Sendero SF-II is full length aluminum bedded, and the barrel is fully floated. I am using Redding competition dies for bullet centering when loading. I am also using Redding bushing dies.
Guys, I hear all the advice here, but this gun should shoot sub-moa out-of-the-box especially considering hand loads. I'm going to mess with some different bullet/powder/OAL loads to see if anything changes. This gun should not need "tuning" to get to 1 inch group consistently.

In a perfect world, you're right. Reality sometimes says otherwise.

Do you use a shovel to throw those charges?

I agree with you. Most Rem 700's don't need such toil but sometimes they do. You just hate it when it happens to you. After watching the video of a bore scoped barrel on the Lilja website, www.riflebarrels.com it's a wonder any of them shoot well.