1st Elk hunt ='s "need" to build new rifle project...

[Indyfishyak]

So we applied for elk tags in Colorado. My dad has been going to Colorado hunting with our extended family since he was about my age. I figure I better start going before I miss the opportunity to have this experience with him. I have a more than capable 7mm mag Sako that I hunted with in S. Africa but never really got comfortable with before I went. It hunted well but I missed plenty of first shots with it. At the time I was new to bolt guns and it was a hand me down. Pretty sure I jerked half of the shots. The Sako was topped with a 3-9 redfield scope.

Since that hat trip I have really grown into my adventure of learning about rifles, accuracy and hand loading. 2 years ago I bought my first Remington 700 on gun broker. It was a 308 in a Bell and Carlson medalist stock. The company I bought it from said they tune up the fire control group (whatever that means) lap the lugs (which you can see was done), they added a timney trigger, a 20 MOA scope rail.

I love the Remington 700 action for a reason i don't know... The timney has a great 2 lb pull and the stock with the adjustable comb and length of pull is awesome. With a still "stock" receiver and barrel get easily 1/2 MOA groups at 100 yards with a fixed SWFA scope. I know the 308 is plenty to take an Elk but the rifle is heavy and you say well what about just getting better with the Sako 7mm? Well like the rest of you that are reading this why not take this situation and turn it into a reason to buy a project gun.

So after laboring over whether to but a 300 and buy new dies or another 7mm, I decided to go 7mm mag. I also labored over a Remington 700 long range or sendero. I chose not to spend the extra $600 on a gun I new I wanted to tune and make a project out of.

So so I now have a 7mm Mag 700 LR. It has already received a aluminum 20MOA rail. Weaver rings and a vortex 6-24. so would love to get thoughts on what you would do if this was your rifle but things I think I want to do are:

1. Bed the scope rail.
2. Flat timney trigger (on way from midway)
3. Get the barrel threaded and add a Vais break
4. Bed the recoil lug. Don't know if it is worth full bedding

would like to hear your thoughts on what you would do and will update drone time to time as things happen and loads are developed.

 

[dtkw]

There would be a lot of hiking, normally miles and miles of hiking. But it's fun at least for me in the 80's. My friend was a guide and he took me to Elk hunt in CO. I brought my Remmy 700 BDL 30-06 along, I shot an elk at 600 something yards. It bucked and then dropped. I used a 180 gr. Barnes bullet. Elk meat is yummy and if cooked right on the BBQ it's the best meat I ever ate. Have fun.

 

[phylodog]

So so I now have a 7mm Mag 700 LR. It has already received a aluminum 20MOA rail. Weaver rings and a vortex 6-24. so would love to get thoughts on what you would do if this was your rifle but things I think I want to do are:

1. Bed the scope rail.
2. Flat timney trigger (on way from midway)
3. Get the barrel threaded and add a Vais break
4. Bed the recoil lug. Don't know if it is worth full bedding

would like to hear your thoughts on what you would do and will update drone time to time as things happen and loads are developed.

I would let the rifle tell you what it needs. If its a factory Rem barrel (not sure if that's what you bought) I'd look to get at least 100 but preferably 200 rounds through it to let it settle in before making any decisions. I've seen and owned factory tubes which yielded excellent accuracy and I've owned a couple that were mediocre. If the stock is a typical plastic Rem or a Hogue I'd be looking to have a pillar bedded McMillan or Manners mated up to it. If its got nice wood I would probably look to have it properly bedded as well.

 

[Yeah]

1. Put the SWFA back on.
2. Bed the lug and tang.
3. Buy as many boxes of 162 AMax as the mailman could carry, and shoot almost all of them under the widest variety of environmental conditions I could expose myself to, from field positions.

 

[Indyfishyak]

There would be a lot of hiking, normally miles and miles of hiking. But it's fun at least for me in the 80's. My friend was a guide and he took me to Elk hunt in CO. I brought my Remmy 700 BDL 30-06 along, I shot an elk at 600 something yards. It bucked and then dropped. I used a 180 gr. Barnes bullet. Elk meat is yummy and if cooked right on the BBQ it's the best meat I ever ate. Have fun.

I have been considering either Barnes ttsx or a Berger hunter vld. I have heard good things about the Barnes.

 

[Indyfishyak]

It is the long range version in the bell and Carlson with aluminum bed. Makes good sense to wait and see. If it ain't broke don't fix it. That is great perspective as my stock 308 is great with out the glass bedding. I do think I will go ahead with the muzzle break.

 

[Indyfishyak]

Looking for suggestions on a gunsmith the the ability to thread the barrel and blend a buzzle break. Have reached to to bell precision. But looking for other qualified smiths.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Check with Jerry Johnson, in Churubusco. Jerry C Johnson - Riflesmith

 

[phylodog]

Looking for suggestions on a gunsmith the the ability to thread the barrel and blend a buzzle break. Have reached to to bell precision. But looking for other qualified smiths.

Ray Saltzman in Tipton isn't too far and does excellent work.

 

[Indyfishyak]

I may try Ray. I have trusted the guys at Elmore's for years and I think that he may have rebarreled a couple of rifles for my dad. Thanks for the name.

 

[Indyfishyak]

I Have completed the install of the 7mm's Flat Timney trigger. If you have not done one and think you could mess it up it is super simple unless you are frozen by the thought of using tools. There are plenty of step by step videos on you tube. I have to make 2 adjustments to the trigger.

First it it came set from the factory at 3.5 pounds. I adjusted the set screw to 2 pounds and tested with a pull scale.

The second adjustment was not normal but I had to adjust the angle of the offset of the safety. It was rubbing the rear tang of the action. It is now 100% smooth and clear. After all of the steps I checked the functionality of the safety.

About the trigger.... Smooth and crisp just like other timneys. The is not their higher end 700 trigger. Think I spent $110 at midway. As far as the flat versus curved trigger the jury is still out. It is nice an wide. Feel a bit odd as I have not shot a flat trigger before. One thing I do like is that I can keep my finger low on it.

Looking forward to to shooting it.

 

[Indyfishyak]

So in the process of installing the trigger I had a couple of notices. First was the size of the recoil lug recess in the stock. Second notice was when the screws were in and not full tightened there was front and rear play in sliding the action and a good amont of slop on rotating the action around the bore axis.

I Am sure it could have been a solid shooter with out doing this but I did bed the lug. It is now setting up. I will post a picture once it sets. Assuming I didn't mess it up and it doesn't release. There is no reason that it shouldn't but I have not done this before.

 

[Indyfishyak]

So i just pulled the action out of the bedding and it appears to have filled in really well. What was about a 5/8" to 3/4" opening is now the exact thickness of the lug. The interesting part is that you can see there is about a 1/16" infill of material between the bedding block and the back of the recoil lug. I would assume I would have had some shifting during shots (potentially).

I used devcon and I think it did okay with the release agent I used but I will see how it fully cures by tomorrow. Or if I am an idiot for using what I had around.

 

[Indyfishyak]

So Not a complete idiot for using unique case lube as a release agent. Had one area that had a bit of residue of the devcon on the action. I pulled the action last night out of the bedding at 5 hours (6 hour set time) gave me a good spot to clean up excess before completing cue of the devcon.

I I also have now added a vortex bubble level. I will say I like my swfa level better as it is a smaller profile and feel like the level is well more protected from getting smashed.

Cant wait a it to shoot tomorrow for initial barrel break in and initial sight in.