Folks, I have finally thrown in the towel on my older Rem 700 stainless mtn rifle in .280. Tried many handload combos, restocked with and without tip pressure and free floating. Can't get any consistancy in any groups, as compared to my other rifles.

SO, I am thinking of two options: The first is selling it, and a 7 remmag, and purchasing a Sako 75 in 7-08 as a replacement. Just for deer hunting.

The second option is to drop off the rifle at Hart and have them put a new tube on it in .280 or .270. I do love the replacement TI stock and the trigger on the Remmy.

I am looking for dependable, repeatable hunting accuracy. What would you do?

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
Folks, I have finally thrown in the towel on my older Rem 700 stainless mtn rifle in .280. Tried many handload combos, restocked with and without tip pressure and free floating. Can't get any consistancy in any groups, as compared to my other rifles.

SO, I am thinking of two options: The first is selling it, and a 7 remmag, and purchasing a Sako 75 in 7-08 as a replacement. Just for deer hunting.

The second option is to drop off the rifle at Hart and have them put a new tube on it in .280 or .270. I do love the replacement TI stock and the trigger on the Remmy.

I am looking for dependable, repeatable hunting accuracy. What would you do?

I'm surprise that with you living in Mass. that you overlooked the obvious. Sell the two Remingtons and buy a Savage in 7mm-08, I started with one and now I have three, my son and wife absconded with the first two and now I finally have one to myself. Anyway they are tough as nails, reliable and the most accurate out of the box rifles I have ever owned. Not much to look at but they'll take anything you can throw at them and do it a lot cheaper than an overpriced offshore make. So my advice is buy the Savage and buy American.

http://www.savagearms.com/10fm.htm

Sell it, get the 7-08. If you rebarrel, stick with the .280.

That's a tough call and I can see your hesitation on getting a new barrel in the chance that you still have accuracy problems after spending 4-600 on it. Have you tried a recrown? Sometimes that'll help.

That's a tough call and I can see your hesitation on getting a new barrel in the chance that you still have accuracy problems after spending 4-600 on it. Have you tried a recrown? Sometimes that'll help.

Double post sorry

Cobra: I live 5 miles from the Savage Factory. Yes, it is on my very, very short list. Looking at a .223 from them right now.
It is the predominent centerfire at my local range.
Just like the way the Finnlights feel in hand.

Milehigh: The crown looks pretty good to me under the magnifying lense.

While Cobra is suggesting the 7/08 in a Savage, and a 14 Chambered in 7/08 would be a real nice rifle...

I recommend to also look at the Marlin XR 7.. it is chambered in 7/08...

has there version of the accutrigger...

also has a Picatinny Rail for scope mounting from the factory...

is available in Synthetic or Wood Stocks.. even a camo synthetic if that floats your boat..

and if you like Switch barrels, it has the same thread pattern of Savages, so a Savage take off barrel will fit them...

I'd also have a gunsmith look over your current barrel on the Mountain Rifle..

I had a 243 Win that had poor accuracy.. sent it to the factory twice.. they returned it the 2n time and had put some apoxy to put a pressure point on the inside of the stock...

that tightened up groups some.. but still wasn't what I was expecting.. to them, 3 inch groups at 100 yds was acceptable hunting accuracy

A gunsmith buddy of mine took the barrel off..set the chamber back a hair.. and re installed it.. and then the groups went down to 1/2 inch or better...

he said that the chamber was probably one of the last ones drilled before they recalibrated the machine that cut the chamber.. it was JUST SHORT of having "too much" head space...

if you want to see if the barrel is bad, I learned this from cast bullet shooters at our local range..

try a couple of loads with SR 4759 powder.. those shoot well, even in shot out barrels..

If it won't shoot those fairly decently, then you truly have a barrel that is junk..

even in a shot out barrel, SR 4759 will give you another 2500 to 3000 rounds down the tube before their accuracy starts declining..

or in a 280, try 30 grains of IMR 4198 or RL 7 or H 4198 with 140 to 160 grain bullets..those will yield the same results..

Good luck...

Buy the Sako and never look back!!! A rebarreled 280AI would be sweet too. But hey, I'm not a Remington fan.

Only other rifles in my gun safe that are not Sako m75 models are a couple Tikka T3 LS 270WSM's.

Bought the SAKO. Hope it isn't a pig in a poke, time will tell. Anyone wanting a TI replacement stock PM me.