I have some questions about Rem 700 actions and their dimensions. I would like to build a .338 Lapua rifle on a "budget" using the Accuracy International AX chassis, but I dont know if I can use a Rem 700 long action. I have heard of a Rem 700 magnum action but never see stocks or one piece scope bases for it and I am confused on if it is a bigger action or just one with a larger bolt face.

Does anyone have dimensioned drawings of Rem 700 actions?

Between my father, brother, and I we have the following guns.
Rem 700 P - .300 win mag
Rem 700 Sendaro SF - .338 RUM
Rem 700 Classic - .375 H&H
Rem 700 - .375 H&H - the new one that is a 100th anniversary this year.

I have one piece scope bases on all of these guns and I know for a fact that the H&S precision stocks on the P and Sendaro SF are the same because I leaded one and occasionally flip them. So it leads me to believe that these are all standard long action rifles.

The .375 H&H case length is longer (.126) than the .338 Lapua but the OAL is slightly shorter (.081). The AI AX chassis is magazine fed and according to euro optics when I order a long action stock I can pick if I want a .300 Win or .338 Lapua magazine for it. I think that case length on extraction would be more important because the shell might not flip out properly and just sit in the action. As opposed to the OAL when feeding because of the magazine and the profile of the bullet compared to the .375 H&H would improve the feeding and eliminate the need to load the standard box mag. Any input on this thought process?

It's been done but is not reccomended, alot of smiths won't do it, there are better actions like a surgeon 1851 XL, or a Defiance, or any custom with a .590 bolt face!

Will they drop into a long action stock?

I think you will have to order a stock that is inletted for the actions, Rem 700 only makes one long action and the only difference is the bolt face for standard and mag cartridges!

I don't think I'd try a Lapua on a Remington, but a .338 RUM or Edge would fit just perfectly. You don't have the uber-high quality brass, but your velocities should be pretty close, if not higher.

Remington made one in 338Lapua with Accuracy detachable five rounds mag and 26inch barrel with a stock that looks like HS Precision, a friend of me has one Rem 700 action in 338Lap with Christensen carbon/steel barrel. Used it in Alaska to take sheep, caribou and grizzly so it can be done.

Dom

You will be dollars ahead to buy a custom action. By the time you modify the feed rails open the bolt face and install an extractor you are normally better off to sell the donor you have on hand and buy a Stiller, or just buy one of the 700s in 338Lapua. I have built a few of the 700s into 338 lapua based wildcats and it is not worth the trouble. If your heart is set on it, I would not go with a stainless action. The larger bolt face translates to increased bolt thrust and makes the rem 700 minimally adequate for the job, or so the theory goes.

Right with you! It's why i use Sako TRG-S and TRG42..TRG-S a bit on light side compared to the power of ammo. Tiring on the bench.

Dom

Just because it's been done...doesn't make it a wise choice!

you do realize that the .338 Lapua runs lower pressure than the Ultras, don't you? 60915 psi vs. 63817 psi...

You could ream the boltway and go ptg bolt.....but then you are in the custom neck of the woods.

Pretty much splittin hairs ,there's just not much metal left once you open up the bolt face...If I was going Lapua a .750" bolt would offer a better safety margin...feel free to run what you like!

so have you found a real life example where this has been an issue?

Thanks for the input. Looks like I need to do some researching on the aftermarket actions.

But if anyone has a .pdf or cad of the three Rem 700 actions I would appreciate having one for reference just to have.

If a load error was made, there is only ten thou of bolt to slow the case down...plus the sako hole....it leaves zero room for error on load work up. Most guy shooting lapua's are looking to hit a velocity and if they had a slow barrel and tried to push it.....a possible serious case rupture is a lot closer to a possibility.

Imo.

you don't think the extractor on the custom actions will blow just as easily?

the bolt nose on the M700 action is supported by the barrel.

i have not heard of any problems with the M700 Lapuas out there, but i don't have one either.

You might want to PM jwp475.
He has one and uses it alot.
Mike Rock from Rock Creek Barrels has blessed it as being strong enough.
And I usually dot argue with PEs.


dave

I have a 700P MLR and it has been a wonderful rifle. Rem outfits it w an M16 style extractor btw.

While I'm not a Remmy fan in general, I trust they have created the thing understanding that it is a safe and reasonably effective combination.

Mine manages well under 1 MOA out to 1K w Berger 300s and 250s.

The bolt nose is supported, but there is clearance, how far does the remaining bit of metal have to go before it gets ugly? Dunno. How hot does one have to load a lapua to stretch a case enoungh to cause a failure? Dunno. I do know that there is not much left on the bolt, there is clearance between the bolt and barrel. The barrel tennon is thinner than other chamberings....to me there is a bunch of possible bad results stemming from little gain.

Read what still has to say....jerry is also an engineer.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2092179#Post2092179

Toad, I know of no such failures, and am looking at it as the margin of safety being too small for my comfort!

I realise it's been done but there are quite a few smith's that won't build either, you can chamber a barrel by hand, but a lathe just does the job better, that's where a .750" bolt shines with this round!

Dan Lilja's comments...


I feel this way for several reasons. First the Remington uses a 1-1/16" diameter thread shank with 16 threads per inch. In my opinion this leaves a marginal wall thickness between the root of the barrel thread and the chamber wall. The .378 Weatherby belt diameter is .610" and the largest diameter of the big Rigby case is about .590". With a thread root diameter of about .992" or so (normal for 83% contact) that leaves a wall thickness of .191" over the Weatherby belt. With the Rigby case the thickness is a little better at .201" but still marginal in my opinion.

I think all of the custom actions designed for the big cases have a 1-1/8" diameter thread shank. Much better from my viewpoint. But someone wanting to use a Remington could argue that the Weatherby MK 5 action has the same barrel thread size as the Remington. That's true but it doesn't change the fact that it is still marginal.

The Remington's thread size isn't its only shortcoming though. To make case extraction work well a Sako extractor should be installed. Opening the bolt face diameter to .600" or bigger inside a .700" diameter bolt leaves just .050" wall thickness per side. Again, marginal in my opinion. But to make the Sako extractor work the outside needs to be machined away near the business end or it won't snap over the case rim. The problem is that the extractor pivots too far beyond the .700" diameter of the bolt nose and contacts the inside of the counterbore in the Remington-type barrel. Without removing some of the end of the extractor or opening the inside diameter of the counterbore, it won't work. Marginal again.

Several years ago I wrote an article for Precision Shooting that determined bolt lug strength for a given bolt size and material strength. There was included in the article a computer code that also calculated bolt thrust developed from various cartridges. If we run the numbers through the program for our example here, the 378 Weatherby case and a standard Remington 700 action, we find that the bolt thrust value is about 12,760 pounds for a stiff handload (and whose aren't?) of 65,000 PSI. The lug strength value is greater (thankfully) at about 37,770. But that isn't near as great a margin as some lesser cartridges have in the Remington action. And with the standard repeater model the lug abuttments in the receiver are probably weaker, at least on the bottom side, than the bolt lug. The reason for this is because of the substaintial machining required for the feed ramp.

The program I used to calculate these numbers also crunches a value for lug flex at peak chamber pressure. For this example it was .0026". This means that the cases are going to stretch this much each time they're fired and explains why it becomes necessary to full-length rezise cases. This stretching isn't as much of a problem with new cases because the brass retains some elasticity and returns close to its original size for a few firings.

Oh yes, one other problem with these cases in a Remington. It is a single shot only proposition. While this won't matter to many users it might to some. My advice, when asked, is to leave the Remington 700 for smaller cases.

Best regards,

Dan Lilja

I would kinda expect jerry to say that.
He sells actions.
dave

If you want to build on a piece of tube steel that was finished on a belt sander and has a sweated together bolt, go for it. I'll be using something better.

At equal pressures the LM has 18% more bolt thrust than the RUM.