Gents.

I have a Model Seven that doesnt want to get down below 2moa. Its a .223rem in a wooden stock with a Timney trigger. Im looking for the 'magic' load that will shoot in this otherwise neat and sweet rifle. I tend towards RL7 and H4895.

Please - you smiths - any ideas on how to set up this rifle so it stands the best chance of shooting? Any loads that pretty much always give an acceptable starting group?

Looking forward to your help on this one.

Rgds Ian

[ 10-22-2003, 02:35: Message edited by: IanF ]

Have you checked the bedding? Is it free-floated?

Holy Jeezuz!!... a topic close to my heart.... My son has a Model 7 Youth chambered .260 Rem that is a joy for him to carry and shoot BUT IT WILL NOT HIT THE SIDE OF A BARN TWICE. Barrel is nothing more than a 18.5 inch pencil barrel but it shoots patterns. Tried floating the barrel, tightening anything that will tighten over and over, several different factory loads, scope works fine on another rifle, yada, yada till I'm blue in the face. I'd kiss the ground for 2MOA accuracy. I want that rifle to work but I'm fresh out of tricks.

If your budgets will allow, putting a new barrel on the m-7 should help out. Bedding and free floating afterwards. When rebarreling, you might want to have the action trued. I have seen the front of m-7s with the cuttoff wheel marks still on it. That cant help the barrels alignment with the bolt and action. If you cant afford the new barrel, try taking it to a good well tooled smith and have the barrel hand lapped,(I am not crazy about fire lapping). Then have the throat re-cut with a good 1 1/2 degree throat reamer of matching diameter. Have the throater properly fit to the bore with a removable pilot. This can be done by hand without taking the barrel off the action. Should save some $. Dave Kiff at PTG, 541-826-5808, has a throat reamer and jig for $99 that looks good for something like this.

the crown perhaps? i had mine recrowned and "full length" bedded the barrel channel. it now shoots great with many bullets. i tried a pressure point and free floating but didn't do squat. i would however reccomend bedding the action and the barrel channel....
woofer

The quality control on the Model 7's seems to leave a little to be desired....several of my friends have had excellent luck with them right out of the box while several others have not been able to get them to shoot worth a damn no matter what they tried....rebedding, new crowns, lapping the lugs, etc. Those that went the extra mile and had the actions worked over and rebarreled were more than pleased with the results.

The youth model I got for my kids shoots 2 inches at 200 yards in 7mm08. Varget seemed to be the magic ingredient.

I have 2 Model 7s (.243 & .308) and both shoot sub MOA @ 100. The 243 avgs 1.4 @ 200 & the 308 1.8 @ 200.

I reload and the load I use on both is the accuracy load listed in the sierra manuel for the bullet weight I want.

They are rather light barrels though so you have to watch heat during shooting. Also is the barrel / rifle broken in. Howmany round do you have through it?

Guys - the Rifle has about 500 rounds through it and the bore is clean. I have had it recrowned to 11 degrees, the barrel freefloated and a timney trigger unit fitted.

It still does not want to shoot!

Could go with the suggestion of full length bedding - thanks - but Im keen to work on other less permanent options first of all.

Any good .223 loads you folks have and use as a 'benchmark' do it all load? Something that is likely to work reasonably in this calibre/rifle combo?

Thanks for the imput so far - keep it coming please!

Ian

I used to use 27.5 gr. of W748 with any 55 gr. bullet in the .223 Rem. Worked in AR-15s, Contenders (short and long), and a bolt gun (a friend's gun) to shoot very small groups even with bulk, FMJ boattails! OH yes, with Small Rifle Magnum primers.

Did you try a piece of cardboard under the barrel/forend juncture? Helped mine.

Rob

IanF,

Check the headspace. Remington .223's are notorious for excess headspace. Check the scope and mounts. Check the scope for paralax. Make sure the scopes cross hairs are square and level each time you touch the trigger. A slight canting of the rifle from shot to shot will produce open groups. Likewise having the cross hairs dance across the target as you shift your head does little for accuracy.

If you are floating the barrel, you need to float it enough so that it "cannot" make contact with the stock when it is fired. Being able to pass a dollar bill down the barrel channel is not nearly enough clearance. Make it pass $10 worth. Look the crown over again, this time real good. Just because you had it recrowned, doesn't mean that the job was done correctly.

Make sure that your bolt handle "does not" contact the stock when the bolt is closed. Make sure that the action isn't binding (do a search on this site). Make sure the guard screws are tight. The check list is a lengthy one where accuracy is concerned. It may be that you have a garbage factory barrel... If so, you are in good company.

Good luck,

Malm

I just recently built a 7mm08 improved on a model 7 action. I seriously doubt the rifle I started with would ever be capable of shooting anything approaching 1 moa. The right hand locking lug(the one at the 6 o clock positition with bolt closed)had at least .0015 clearance. That is it was not making any contact with the action whatsoever when it was closed. The action had other quality control problems as well. It did respond well to a complete truing of the action and the addition of one of H-S Precision's cut rifled barrels. It routinely shoots 1/2 to 3/4 inch now. The guy I built it for is very pleased. I guess the point of all this is to say there seems to be a real quality control issue on some of these actions and barrels and all the reloading and bedding in the world will probably not help.

I have had a few 223's and they all shot,like Hobie's, 27.5 grs of WW748, but mine with a 50 gr VMax bullet.Shot it out of a BDL Sporter,a VSSF,a VLS and a Sako A1(kept that one).All shot sub-moa.I had a Model Seven walnut blued 18-1/2" 308 that shot like your 223.The chamber was way out of line with the bore.On the order of .010 to .015"(TIR),you could see it by looking into the chamber.Have a gunsmith look at your chamber,you may need a new barrel.