I have been reluctant to post the results of my range excursion lest it devolve into a nasty melee over the merits of rifles and calibers but I also said I would post the results so here goes.

This particular Model 7 may be the most inaccurate rifle I have ever pulled a trigger on. Dad and I spent the better part of the whole day at the range trying to figure out the Gremlins. We tried just about everything you can do to a rifle short of rebarreling it to get the .260 to shoot.

But, for all the work and effort the end result was a bunch of 5.5-6.0 inch three shot groups at 100 yards.

All that we could conclude was that the barrel is just plain junk.

In closing, I want it understood that I am not condemning the Model Seven or the .260 as a whole just this particular rifle.

Bummer - sorry to hear that, but every once and a while someone gets a crap rifle.

Call remington, they are nice folks and might actually do something with it if it's that bad.

That is why Model Sevens don't get my time anymore -

I had three in a row that did that...

Send it down the road is my advice...

I traded it off yesterday to a fellow who was wanting an action.

i'm still waiting for my first bad M7, but i only have/had a dozen.

the factory stock is the M7s weak link. McMillan has the fix.

Sounds like a twin to my Model Seven .260 that I mentioned in your other post.

My wife has a M7 in 7mm-08 that shoots tiny groups with just about anything that you put through it. My daughters 7mm-08 is somewhere in between.

I've always felt that the .260 Remington would have been better served if the barrel twist was the same as the 6.5x55. Problems with the .260 seem to be relatively common, but you seldom hear of any with the 6.5.

Perfect -

I have heard rumors that some of the Remington .260 barrels were made with a 10 or 11 twist in them.

I don't think a twist like that would stabilize any 6.5 bullet.

You were lucky to get rid of it that fast.

I had a 7mm08 in one and it shot great.

Nothing for nothing, same deal with my 260 walnut 18.5" old model. First range session, horrible. I noticed the action to stock had a wiggle with litle presure and everythng tied down. I bedded the action, floated barrel, not much better. Then bedded the entire barrel channel, (nothing to lose at this point) Blacken bottom of the barrel and eventually got even light presure down (1/8")the channel. Last range trip it was shooting dime 5 shot groups with VLD 140s. using Hybird. I think the pencil thin short barrel can really wip and "Toad" nailed it with stock fit. I plan to make this my walking deer rifle this year.

I had one for a short time I had the same problem with. Tried handloading but no matter what I did, I couldn't get the bullets anywhere near the throat even with the longest bullets I could find. Best groups it ever shot were around 2 1/2".
Finally just gave up and sent it down the road.

Bob

I'm disappointed to read all of this bc I'd like to have one in .243.

I will be pulling a 338 Fed barrel off a Model 7 in a week or so and installing a Lilja in 260 Remington. That will give me a 338 Fed (I got the second one in a trade with the idea of a conversion.) and a 260 Remington. I love a Model 7 and would buy another if I found one at a good price with the idea of making a 35 Reington.

I'll buy that barrel from the guy you traded with.

I've had about a dozen or so Mod 7's. Holding 4 right now. Latest is a SS/SYN .260 which shot sub 1" groups right out of the gate with factory premium ammo. Also have a SS/SYN .243 which shoots lights out.
Most of my 7's have been reasonable shooters (at least until the barrels heat up) with little modifications, but I second toad's observations about the stocks. The 2 really bad shooters I had were both 7mm08's (just to be different than everyone else I guess). Both had issues with the cartridge "box" being too large & pressing against the action. I considered it a stock fit error.
I've had other issues with the 7's, unrelated to accuracy. Quality control issues I'd say.
I still like'm anyway........

I have had three Model 7 SS/SYN .260s and two shot fine the third was as you described......the cause of mine was a visibly poor crown, rerowned it and it shot fine. By fine three shot groups at 100yds less than 1.25"

PennDog

Mountain Rifle in 260 is good ju-ju...

Dibs on yours when you sell it. Would go good with my Mtn guide 7-08...

I have 8 model sevens and have sold another half dozen, have never had one that shot more than an 11/2 inch group and most have been sub moa shooters.....guess I am just lucky because other than my 350 in a bell and Carlson all have been in factory stocks. Right now I have 2 7mm08s, 2 260s, 2 243, a a7mm saum, and a 350 rem mag.

Have run three of the Sevens in 260. All shoot close to an inch, one shoots much less, but none will run without a little stock fitting work. The barrels on Sevens like to be bedded at least at the tip but preferably the whole length with the factory stocks. All have shot more accurately with lighter bullets than with 140s.

Can't beat a Model Seven, if going Remington, IMO.

Mine shoots, ok..

Had one of those M7 260's as well.
A Shilen barrel and Mcmillan stock fixed it,LOL.

I had a couple that I wasn't impressed with....USPS fixed 'em.....

Shot my 260 Mod 7 again this weekend. 130 VLDs with H4350, Hybird and w748. Since I bedded the action and barrel channel it is a one holer with all powders tried.
Wood to metal fit not good on 7s. , most require some work. I just like the weight and overall feel of the little rifle. I'd buy a 223 if one shows up at a good price.

Tacksmacker

my older 260( 18") shoots like a house of fire

loves the 130 gr ABs with h414/w760


bedded mine in the factory synthetic free floated the barrel..easy 1/2"

As mentioned, some of the original Model 7's in .260 had too slow of a twist rate, and wouldn't stabilize bullets in the 130-140gr class. This was back in the mid to late 90s, and Remington was having a terrible time with accuracy. The twist rate was changed to accommodate the longer bullets (1 /9.5??), and accuracy improved.

I have owned quite a few Model 7s over the years, including a couple 7mm-08s, a .243, and at least two in .260. The 7mm-08s have been the most accurate, and the .260 rifles have consistently been the worst shooters of the bunch. Accuracy generally ranges 2" for 3-shots at 100 yards for both guns I have owned, and handloading didn't help. I haven't done much with the current M7 .260 I own to try and help accuracy, though, but I do believe a bedding job and handloads would make it a more respectable rifle.

I believe what I will end up doing with the rifle is rebarreling it with a 20" Shilen, but haven't completely decided yet.

My 260 shoots ~0.75" for the first 3 shots then gets a little wonky when the barrel gets warm. Fine for a hunting rifle but frustrating when you just want to shoot a lot.

My 223 Seven shoots ~0.5 hot or cold.

Up until about two years ago, the smallest group I'd ever shot (0.13") was with an 18" wood stocked M7. It's my wife's deer rifle. It's also the least accurate rifle we own. Almost everything I've shot out of it has been 2+". Even a blind hog, as they say....

Once we tried the federal premium 140 SGK load it became a decent hunting rifle that regularly puts 3 shots into 1"-1.25". She smoked her first buck with it. Made a textbook perfect shot at 142 yards. I still remember that tiny little group, though. That's the only time it ever sent three flyers into a GOOD group.

I recently bought a Model 7 260 SS and I was really disappointed in the groups (about 3") with Remington factory 140's. It has a cheap scope on it, I'll switch it out and see if the accuracy improves. How can you tell how old your rifle is? Thanks.

My 7 in 260 is about a 3 incher with factory loads, even after stiffening the synthetic forend and full length neutral bedding the action/barrel. Handloads with 120 grain Sierras fixed that and turned it into about a 3/4 inch grouper.

My nephews 7 in 308 is about a 3 - 4 inch grouper with factory loads. He ended up giving it to his dad who will never shoot more than 100 yards and he loves it. Ignorance is bliss.

Both rifles are stainless synthetic with 20" tubes.

Dave.

Sounds like his Dad is more interested in killing stuff than shooting three shot groups

..bought a stainless/synthetic .308 a few months ago...could not be happier...



Federal AE 150 ball...



Federal 150 SP...shot #3 was a called pull so another shot was fired...




Bob

Never owned a fussy 7. Not to say they ain't one out there. Light rifles are a different critter to shoot than a sporter weight with a 14x scope. Sent several Rugers on a one way trip...

Oh I sure had one, an 18.5" barreled Walnut stocked 7-08, eventually I found a 150 gr Ballistic Tip load it shot well. It was over 20 years ago and quite likely the problem was me, my scope or load development and not rifle.

I prefer 22" barrels now but I could fondle a 20" barreled SS 7 in 260 or 308.

I have had more than a few m7's and the ONLY bad one was a 260. No matter what I tried, it wouldn't shoot.

I wouldn't mind a Model 7 in 260....

using 85 to 100 grain bullets, bet it would make a very handy coyote rig...

free float the barrel.... and bed the action...

..not rifle..

My Model 7 , 7-08 was an average shooter out of the box. ( 1.5 or so )
I sanded down the pressure points at the forend tip so they just missed contact with the barrel and glued felt pads on the pressure points so there was just the slightest pressure on the barrel at both points. It shoots MOA or less all day long now.
Stainless / synthetic, 20 inch barrel.