Have had this gun for a few years and has never really shot good groups. Put a new Bell and Carlson stock on it recently. It's grouping about 3" - 4" with factory loads. Does anyone have a .308 Model 7 and what are you shooting in it ?

I have one that I fought with for a long time. First off, the crown was terrible - not just tool chatter, but tool gouges and off square - so I had it recrowned, and it shot somewhat better.

Then I floated the barrel, which involved some doing. The barrel channel kept coming up to meet me!...but it shot a little better again.

I finally ended up shimming the forend tip with a small leather pad, giving it a bit of pressure, while the rest of the barrel clears - and now it shoots not bad. It went from a 4" rifle to a 1 1/2" rifle, and I think that's about as good as it's going to get.

Makes you wonder about the quality control, though. I've even seen a couple where the bore was visibly off center, and I'm damned if I know how they could even manage that.

I yanked the 18 1/2" bbl off and put on a M700 22" bbl. I replaced the stock with a HS Precision stock. I now shoot 5-shot, 100-yd groups going 1" to 1 1/2" using a 4X scope. That meets my standard of expectations for the purposes I use this rifle for.

Model Seven 7mm SAUM.



Plastic surgery could not get the smile off my face.

I had a S/S 308 that shot about 1.5 MOA with iron sights. When the action screws got loose, groups strung out horizontally and opened up to about 4 MOA. If your screws are tight, adjust rear screw tension. You might also see if the screws are too long, which would keep you from tightening them enough to work properly.

Hope this helps, Okie John.

I've got the wood stocked Model 7 with the 18 1/2 inch barrel. I had it bedded with a free floating barrel and had a trigger job that lets off at 3lbs. This gun will shoot Barnes XLC's, Nosler Ballistic Tips, Nosler Partitions, and Hornady Interlocks in weights from 125gr to 165 grains, all into groups from 1/2 inch to 1 inch at 100 yards. These are all full power hunting loads also, I'm not a paper puncher at all. This rifle is the most consistantly accurate rifle that I own or at least used to own, I gave it to my son.

I had a bug to take a Model 7 and make it a 'small' version of the 700 LTR.
Went so far as to contact Shilen, Gentry and Z-Hat about doing it, then I ran out of steam on the idea.
It was and is entirely feasible to hog out the stock and put on a hvy.bbl.
Maybe someday...

Good Luck with getting yours to group better.
Some good ideas were posted.

Ben fighting the same problem for two monts with a model 7 SS. I blamed the scope, it was off and needed reberfirshing, still wouldn't shoot, the discovered the bbl really wasn't free floated enought, still would't shoot, looked at again last night, discovered the action screws had worked loos, ,1st group 3/4 inch, next group 3-4 " Tightened screws, next group 3/4 inch. Screws stayed tight. then shot 5 coke cans at 200 yds without a miss. Problem I. the shooter, I could see the cross hairs move with eqch heart beat. II Action screws not tight III not completely free floated IV scope not working right Load 48.5/758/150 sierra sptbt.

I've got his grand-daddy, a model 600 in 308 and it is an absolute tack driver, will consistently shoot 3 shot groups under an inch, 4th and 5th shots will open it up to a 2 inch vertical string, but this is a hunting rifle not a bench gun. I'm scoped with a burris 2x7 mini and the clear picture that it give helps tremendously.

regards,
Graycg