I am considering taking my custom Win 70 rifle apart so that it will fit in a 36" gun case. The case would then fit in a duffel bag for traveling. Anyone have experience taking their rifles apart and re-assembling them once you arrive at your destination? Good, bad or a big mistake?

Although I've never done it, I wouldn't hesitate doing it with any rifle that's properly bedded.

Once at your destination, reassemble, a couple shots to confirm zero, and go kill stuff.

Al

I have several rifles that return within 1moa after reassembly. Several times they go back together and no adjustments are necessary. All of the rifles are bedded with a "skin fit", no clearance on any part of the recoil lug. I would still plan on a shot or two to confirm zero after reassembly.

I have taken just the stock off and put it back on, so I could fit a rifle in my hard shell rolling Samsonite suitcase. I packed it in a slim, locking shotgun case, inside the suitcase with my clothes, in order to protect the scope and trigger assembly. It was a Remington 700 BDL SS. Upon reassembly, a hand tightening of the screws put it within 1/2 inch of center. A torque wrench might have done better. Kenny Jarrett says he does the same, must hand tightening, and rifles go back to zero.

Something with pillar bedding or glass bedding might do better than just plastic or wood, but who knows? You should take yours apart, reassemble, shoot it, a couple of times.

I now have a full-length rolling hard case, a take down Sig Sauer 970, a takedown Mauser, and am looking at rolling duffels that take a short hard shell case in the bottom.

Something like a Blaser or Sauer 202 is about the same effort, just removing the barrel, instead.

I've done it quite abit when traveling on both domestic flights and international.

I always sight my rifle in upon arrival, but so far all of the rifles I've disassembled have come back very close to their original zero.

One thing: if it's a wood stock for your rifle, make sure you put the stock into some sort of stiff case to prevent flex. Even wrapped in padding the wood can split/break.

It's the only way to travel!

Garrett

I have done it dozens of times with CZ 550's, 98 Mausers, Remington 700's, Winchester 70's and probably a couple I've forgotten. It works great. Sometimes it takes a shot to settle rifle back to zero, even when using a torque wrench to reassemble a pillar-bedded rifle, but so far never more than one shot, and the first is never far out.

I suspect taking-down rifles helps prevent stock breakage, because of less leverage, but can't prove it.

After you reassemble the rifle, don't shoot just one round and start adjusting the sights. Shoot several rounds and check the screws, to make sure everthing is settled in place. Once you get a good group, then make sight adjustments.

All good advice. I take my rifles apart routinely to travel and have had same results MD and Garrett noted. I started doing it to pack in a duffle too but found it a problem to go through TSA inspection, repack, etc. so I stopped using the duffle. Still take them apart though because an aluminum take down case seems to draw less attention than an obvious rifle case does. FWIW haven't lost a short case yet, so I think it may work.

What torque are you using when re-assembling? What device are you using to measure that torque?

Depends on the rifle. I started out worrying about the torque and took along an inch-lbs torque wrench for re-assembly. More recently I just tighten the action screws by feel and it seems to work well. BTW, I noted in the last Rifle mag that Brian Pearce recommended tightening the front and rear action screws on the M70 Wins to 95 in-lbs. I must confess that the tightest I have ever used is 55 in-lbs - even in pillar-bedded rifles - and the actions have not come loose and the rifles have shot both accurately and reproducibly.