Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles When You Get a Lemon........

I have yet to see a 700 new or used that I couldn't make shoot.

I've been told I was just lucky, but my track record with lotto tickets is proof otherwise.

Never shoot the donor......................(grin)

That's the truth!

Ha, maybe I can get him to sell it to me cheap then!

A test I use to look for a stressed barreled action is to mount a bore sighter and be careful to not affect any further movement. Note the crosshair coordinates and then loosen ones action screws to completely relax the action. Recheck the coordinates, if they have changed, the action is being stressed by ones stock.

I had a Weatherby MkV with a stock that did a lot of moving in our dry environment. Even though the barrel was floated, that test revealed the action was stressed. Bedded the action fore and aft and one sees no movement between a free standing barreled action and one torqued tightly into the stock. Shoots a whole lot better too.

Dan maybe you can have him sell it and buy a Winchester FW

Ha, maybe I can get him to sell it to me cheap then!

Dan:
I've never owned a Remington but have and use .270 Wins. Everybody can get an occasional lemon, even me. From what I've seen over the years is that Rems. are generally reliable and accurate. Having written that, I'd definitely tell your friend to not even think of chasing the problem by sinking lottsa bucks into it. Eat it and be honest when/if he sells it. I've been that route before & it ain't fun. Search the boards here & other places about the "fun" I had with my Kimber Montana.
Anyway, in an effort to help, I doubt I can add much to what's been written already. I would be sure the action screws are torqued to specs - use a torque wrench here and in proper sequence. Check the crown and bedding. I assume the barrel doesn't touch where it shouldn't. As suggested above, place some shim material under the forearm and gradually move it rearwards. Be certain the bore is clean - ie., no copper fouling and wait between shots for the barrel to cool down.
In my current .270 WSM, a Win. Extreme Weather, I tried a box of Federal Vital-Shok 150 gr. ammo just to get a baseline to work from. Accuracy was disapointing as was velocity. I think I'd try a Sierra bullet in your favorite weight along with the recommended, ACCURATE powder listed in the Sierra book. Usually, I begin work on a new rifle that way and my attitude is that if it won't shoot a Sierra, at least fairly well, then I've got a problem. This is what I did with my .270 WSM and after some minor work, it looks as if the rifle is a keeper. I shoulda sold the Kimber long ago - I'd have a lot more hair now.
Bench technique - don't know what you or your friend use for rests but I'd recommend a bunny ears rear bag and a good, solid front rest and don't move/remove the rifle between shots.
The bootom line however, IMHO, is don't go chasing it - dump it & take your losses. Good luck!!
Bear in Fairbanks

+1 on Bear's post (above).

You can only do /tolerate so much!!

7mm

I didn't know what his bench technique was like until we went to my range. We set fore-end on a Caldwell front-rest. We are careful to use the same position each time. We used a bunny bag on the back end of the stock. The gun was steady. We shot other rifles and they shot fine.

I'm thinking we're going ot have it bedded. If that doesn't work, he'll probably sell it.

Listen to Stick...His fix is the easiest one posted so far and it's the one that will work. I've fixed rifles that "won't shoot" this way a few times myself. Bed the lug, make sure everything's tight, pick one good bullet and stick with it, kiss the lands, find your powder charge, then go shoot the [bleep] out of it.

I ain't guessin'.................

I've had very little luck making a real booger into a gem, and every time I've tried, I have regretted the effort. My personal rule is shoot them, and if I can't make 'em at least "decent" with handload, cut 'em up or sell 'em.

Cite the 700's,so plagued..................(grin)

I'm a subscriber.

You're learnin'.................(grin)

Yeah, well...I gotta make most mistakes on my on, but seldom make them twice.

Just before the season started ,I bought a 270 MTN rifle and a 280 Mtn Rifle. I had to tweak both of them. My technique is simple -----free float, Open the action screw holes through the stock up to be sure its not riding the screws, adjust the trigger to 2.5 to 3.0 lbs, and recrown with a manson crowning tool that uses the mandrel inside the barrel to center the crown with the bore. Reseal the wood and make sure the recoil lug is against the stock well. I didn't have to glass bed either one to get 1.5 t0 2.0 inch groups at 300 yards ---------3 shots spaced out to allow the barrel to cool. Reloads with Sierra game kings !!!

Admit it, the .280 leaves the .270 in the dust. Huh?

Beyond the simple stuff, I'll go a bedding job, recrown and trigger work on one, but if that don't fix it or it's picky about what it shoots, I ain't [bleep]' with it anymore.

IMO, Life is too short to chase a [bleep] up gun when it gets beyond a certain point. Luckily, I've yet to be forced to I abandon one. Most times they can be fixed relatively easy.

JM

I've yet to cuss a 700...though I'm still tryin'..............(grin)