I bought a new to me (used) Remington 700 Stainless Steel in .223 with a black HS Precision stock it has a fluted barrel and one of those darn bolt key locks.

Anyone know what version/model it is?

It came with a Leopold VX3 6.5 x 20 x 40mm scope. I tried to buy just the scope but he wouldn’t sell it separate. He insisted the scope was $800.00 new and the rifle was another $800.00 new. I bought it for $795.00 plus tax he wouldn’t budge on the price.

Also what load would you recommend for P-Dogs & other small varmints?
Bullet, Powder charge & primers.

Thanks for your help

It's not a $1600 dollar gun, but it's sure as the devil a lot more than a $795 gun. You done good.

Almost any load that fits in a .223 chamber is a good prairie dog load. I use a 50 grain Speer TNT or a 55 grain Sierra in most of my .22 centerfire shooting, but virtually every bullet in that weight range makes good prairie dog medicine. H335 is a great powder in a .223, but there are at least a dozen others that also provide outstanding performance like 4895, BLC-2, WW-748, AA 2230, N-133 & N135, RL-10, and many, many more.

Every rifle is a rule unto itself. Try a few different loads with your Remington and you'll soon find one that both you and it favor.

Yeah,I'd say you come out smelling like a rose on that deal...

should be an accurate rifle...

if it isn't, the action and the scope sold separately should bring more than you paid for the entire rig..

as I have said in the past...it is harder to find a load that won't work in a 223, than it is to find one that will...

finicky they aren't, especially in a bolt rifle..

Mine likes
40g plastic tips(pick your brand) on top of 28g H335 w/ cci br primers. chronod 350fps AND
55g-pick your brand--on top of 26.4g H335 w/ cci br primers. 3150 fps
Good luck, fun & easy to shoot!

Sounds like you picked up a model 700 VSSF II.

Does it look like this?

http://www.remington.com/produ...0_VS_SF_II_specs.asp

quote:

Originally posted by mgoodrich:
Sounds like you picked up a model 700 VSSF II.

Does it look like this?

http://www.remington.com/produ...0_VS_SF_II_specs.asp

Yes it looks exactly like that except it doesn't have 2 front studs for a sling & bipod.

Don't let the nay sayers get you too excited about the bolt lock. If it's just too, too mcuh of an afront to your estetics, it's an easy fix. If, like me, you don't give a shit and have found it doesn't affect accuracy, just lock it open and forget about it.

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
Don't let the nay sayers get you too excited about the bolt lock. If it's just too, too mcuh of an afront to your estetics, it's an easy fix. If, like me, you don't give a shit and have found it doesn't affect accuracy, just lock it open and forget about it.

I had one of those stupid bolt locks on a 22-250 it didnt bother me much as long as it was locked open. Another way to try to make a Lawyer safe gun. I am going to check with Brownells for a replacement part.

Well, I have several rifles with them. And several without. If I were to think of a random rifle, I would know if I owned one but I couldn't tell you without looking if it had a bolt lock or not. I try not to sweat the petty shit.

+ 1 on the J locks. I have one that shoots in the low 2's(22/250AI) J lock and all.
It's been squared up and has a Shilen match barrel.

Stepchild

quote:

Originally posted by Swede44mag:

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
Don't let the nay sayers get you too excited about the bolt lock. If it's just too, too mcuh of an afront to your estetics, it's an easy fix. If, like me, you don't give a shit and have found it doesn't affect accuracy, just lock it open and forget about it.

I had one of those stupid bolt locks on a 22-250 it didnt bother me much as long as it was locked open. Another way to try to make a Lawyer safe gun. I am going to check with Brownells for a replacement part.

I bought a Gre-Tan unit from Brownell's to get rid of the J-Lock shroud. It also has a spring that looks like it belongs, as opposed to being all bent out of shape like the factory spring.

My .204 with a bolt lock just got accidentally locked while on a pd trip 1100 miles from home and i couldn't find the key. Didn't ever plan on locking it so i had left the key at home. Good thing I had a spare rifle. Anyway I relaced the bolt shroud, firing pin and spring. That won't happen to me again. Plus 1 on H-335 in the .223, for accuracy at least.

Amen on the H-335 in a 223!!
GOOD stuff.

I have taken the rifle out to the range 3 times now and can not get it to group. It will shoot 2 bullets together then move over an inch and group another 2 then it will put one where ever it decides to. Got me puzzled I have found that the throat is to long I haven’t been able to find a bullet that I can seat where it will just touch the rifling.

We are shooting off a Hart front rest and rear bag.

Any solutions for this grouping problem. It isn’t just me my friend is a great shot and it don’t work any better for him. I can live with a 5 shot 5/8" group or less but this 1 1/2 or better has got to go. Not good for P-Dogs at this rate.

I am beginning to believe the previous owner did something to screw it up.
Any one got a solution for this.

Swede,

Ugh!

Remote rifle diagnostics are difficult at best.

Appears the previous owner sold it for a reason but all's not lost. You got a good deal on a nice rifle that perhaps can be brought back on track with a little bit of doctering.

Two different groups are not usually an issue with burned-out longish throats (although that in itself is usually an indication of sustained firing sessions).

Rifles shooting two different groups are normally an inidcation of instability in the component parts; either Scope issue (loose recticle or interior part malfunction) Scope Mount issues (Base(s) or Rings) or a Bedding issue. An alternative, but easy & a quick-check is a glance at the barrel crown.

I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axle on attempting to kiss the lands with a specific bullet for maximum accuracy potential as that's a fine-tuning step and pretty much any good reload or factory ammo ought to produce respectable groups in a rifle of this quality and cartridge chambering.

Since there's apparently not an indication of a group yet don't go directly to the fine-tuning stage but Back-to-Basics.

Even a barrel that is toast can often be brought back to life by removing, shortening by a coupla threads and and re-chambering to cut out the burned out throat since if it's been subject to long, hot firing spells the toasty area is usually the throat.

Before going that route I'd look at the inconsistancies mentioned above.

Good Luck.

I know it might sound stupid, but the first thing I would do is to take it out of the stock and then put it back in. It sounds like a bedding issue and it may be too tight in the stock, or the screws were tightened improperly. Try that first.

that sounds more to me like a scope issue, like it is drifting and staying a bit and then drifting again. if rings and bases are on tight then maybe put the scope on a rifle you trust?

i know it's a Loopy but they can be damaged too.

anytime i buy a rifle from someone, i pull the mounts and rngs off and put em on MY way, so i KNOW it's done well and its on tight. then i can blame myself for the groups.

Thanks I will pull the scope off and check the base screws. The previous owner had put some kind of clear thread locker on the scope rings. They were a PITA to get loose. I didn’t take the base off so it is possible it may have one or more loose screws. He also had the scope twisted. I used my Level Level Level & Fat Wrench to align it properly. I have pulled it out of the stock to look and see it had the HP Precision aluminum insert it does. If I still can't get it to shoot I will put the scope on my XR100 and see if it might me messed up. I am currently loading Benchmark powder but I also have several pounds of H335 to try.

Looks like another session at the shooting range only if it will quit raining every day.

There are several gunsmiths who specialize in tuning hunting rifles, I would suggest that you consider utilizing one of these services. Any attempt at long range analyzing of this rifles problems is just a wild assed guess. I think you should probably use the current hammer forged barrel for a tomato stake and replace it with a quality barrel. But that also is a wild assed guess.

the clear thread locker i use is fingernail polish. works like a charm, is cheap and readily available, and i have had zero problems with it.

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
There are several gunsmiths who specialize in tuning hunting rifles, I would suggest that you consider utilizing one of these services. Any attempt at long range analyzing of this rifles problems is just a wild assed guess. I think you should probably use the current hammer forged barrel for a tomato stake and replace it with a quality barrel. But that also is a wild assed guess.

I haven't been able to find any one who could re-barrel it for me near where I live. The only one that i knew was Guns & Stuff and he has been out of the business for many years.

I may have to send it to HART to have it re-barreled if so they can use the original for a tomato stake.

quote:

Originally posted by mjbgalt:
the clear thread locker i use is fingernail polish. works like a charm, is cheap and readily available, and i have had zero problems with it.

I have some clear fingernail polish that I bought to lock the threads on my Winchester trigger after I readjusted it. I never thought about using it for the base screws.

Before doing anything costly to the rifle, like having a new barrel installed, I do everything possible to get it to shoot:
Like, free floating the barrel.
Bedding the action in the stock.
Scrubbing the barrel bore good with JB Bore Paste.
Doing a trigger fix.
And, I'd pay close attention to my reloads to try finding the right combination of ingredients that will shoot.
I'm not turning you away from a new Hart barrel, but trying to work the problem completely before getting a new tube. I'm a Hart Barrel guy too, buying my first one in 1968. They are the only Stainless Steel barrel I use for Stainless rifles.
A new barrel would be my court of last resort.

powder weight and type, and seating depth. should be able to make about any bullet shoot decent.

i still think the mounts are loose or the rings or the scope is messing up.

quote:

I had one of those stupid bolt locks on a 22-250 it didnt bother me much as long as it was locked open.

I have one on a 243..

Locked it open...put the key away... to never touch the lock again...

I hate keys to anything..

The problem is that the lock can get turned without the key. It happened to me 1100 miles from home.

Swede, Simmons in Olathe, KS. did it as of 5 years ago.

Use Blue Loctite #242 for rings and scope base screws.

Finger nail polish..... is for your girlfriend's fingers!

the fluted barrel makes it a VSSF-II

a Single front sling swivel makes it a 2003-04 VSSF-II

The Double sling swivel stud and the "palm swell" on the pistol grip part of the stock were introduced for 2005.

MSRP on that rifle was ~$1025 when introduced.
Retail they went for mid-high $800's depending on how
greedy the retailer was.


I've had issues with vertical stringing when using H335
in cold temps unless I use a magnum primer and load to max.

I've had better luck in cold temps with RL-7

But what I'm really happy with is Benchmark

As for crown condition... the easy way to tell is NOT to "look" at the crown.

But to wipe the crown clean and fire a shot.

then look not at the champfer of the crown, where any defect is hard to see, but rather at the "Star" of powder fouling on the conical crown of the barrel

If the fouling "star" is "even" then so is the crown.

Because any defect in the crown distorts the fouling.

MY 2004 VSSF-II is a sub .25" rifle on anything I've fed it that it's supposed to shoot. and tighter than that with the loads it likes.

BTW, that rifle has a 1:12" twist, what bullets are you shooting in it?

Mine is happiest with lighter bullets


AD

I took the rifle base off to check the screws one of the screws on the back of the receiver was to short and had been stripped. I went to the gun show and found a dealer with some new longer replacement screws. I checked the receiver luckily I did not have any stripped holes. I put the new screws in and torque them with my Snap-on torque wrench to 30 inch pounds and went out the shooting range.
I got some nice groups about an inch apart. They also string vertical I am beginning to believe it is the shooter (me). After Muzzleloader season is over I am going to torque the action screws and see if that helps.

Anyone know what the action should be torque to?