For a sporter type of rifle I don't see doing any more on a good action than putting it on a mandrel and squaring the front of the action and then lapping the lugs. I'd consider this a "must" for commercial actions. Anything more gets you diminishing returns for accuracy. For benchrest the additional steps are necessary but as far as sporting rifles it really doesn't matter much whether the rifle shoots 1/8 minute or 1/4 minute. The deer should be dead! You could spend some time smoothing up the bolt in the raceway to give it a more custom feel or maybe using the money you saved in accurizing to buy a better trigger or ammo. Also don't take it for granted that the aftermarket actions are always perfectly square and the recoil lugs bear evenly.

The gunsmith left the choice up to me. He said that the finished rifle would probably shoot well just installing the barrel.

I figured that this is the only one of these actions that I'm going to own. I see the prices of them as complete rifles on gunbroker. Mostly they are factory setups for sniper type rifles, with the heavy barrels and McMillan stocks.

I already have a varmint weight 308 for use in a deer stand.

The cost of truing isn't much compared to the rest of the project, and squaring the face of the receiver and lapping would cost over half the amount of complete truing anyway.

I figured it would haunt me to not go all the way with this action, which I consider special, even if it's a sporter.

As I recall, I've owned at least three factory 7mm-08s, and none of them shot as accurately as I wanted. So I sold them all. I'm tired of messing around. I figure this one ought to be a keeper.

Besides, he wanted to do a straight-forward bolt action project with pictures, and I wanted pictures too. Hopefully it's fun for both of us. I know that I like it and seeing the progress adds a lot.

As the project progresses, I hope it turns out as straight-forward as predicted, nothing real fancy, just good gunsmithing.

quote:

Originally posted by clowdis:
You could spend some time smoothing up the bolt in the raceway to give it a more custom feel or maybe using the money you saved in accurizing to buy a better trigger or ammo.

The bolt and raceway is already smooth, and I'll smooth it more at the range and using it for hunting.

I plan on using the factory trigger, tweeked. If it's good enough for the sniper rifles, surely it's a good hunting trigger, honed and adjusted.

Ammo is no big deal. I'll most likely use handloads. It's already a committed cost.

The real cost - extra that I didn't think about - is the scope and base and rings. I was planning on using those that I already have, but now I'm thinking of upgrading to match the potential and quality of the rifle.

KB

Kabluewy,
I understand completely. My theory is that the accuracy is in the barrel and all the rest of the stuff we do is just to keep from screwing it up

quote:

Originally posted by clowdis:
For a sporter type of rifle I don't see doing any more on a good action than putting it on a mandrel and squaring the front of the action and then lapping the lugs. I'd consider this a "must" for commercial actions. Anything more gets you diminishing returns for accuracy.

Anything more than squaring the receivers face and lapping the lugs gets you "diminishing" returns for accuracy? Serious? What's the down side with regards to accuracy in truing the threads, lug seats and bolt face? I'm not saying it is necessary with every rebarrel job, I just want to know what you think the down side is to accuracy, to doing the complete job to a hunting rifle.

For the record, it takes very little extra time and effort to perform a complete truing operation of a 700 receiver than it does to set up and do only part of it. And that includes recutting the receivers threads, which, anyone who has ever trued an action knows, needs recutting.

There is no downside other than spending a bit more time or money. It might be worth it to spend another $200 on a competition receiver to get a group .1 smaller or whatever number, but it's not a necessary expense on a hunting rifle, generally speaking. But if a customer wants to spend the money I'm willing to do the work. Will he see any kind of accuracy difference for truing the threads, squaring the bolt face, and sleeving the bolt? On a hunting rifle with a #2 or #3 barrel, I doubt it. But if it's a warm fuzzy feeling he wants and $200 will give it to him, then fine, go with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:
it takes very little extra time and effort to perform a complete truing operation of a 700 receiver than it does to set up and do only part of it. And that includes recutting the receivers threads, which, anyone who has ever trued an action knows, needs recutting.

Westpac,
Those are very close to the same words my gunsmith said, which helped me make the decision to not cut the job short to save a few dollars. 1/2 the job just seemed like wasting money.

clowdis,
This is surely about fuzzies. It's given me a new perspective too, one sorely needed. It is about quality vs quantity. I've decided to put several other projects up for sale.

KB

Those tiny parts of a thousandth are a waste of time on a hunting rifle.

I didn't figure they would be that small.

Oh well, I'll ask the gunsmith to put it back the way it was!!

KB

That receiver truing fixture looks like one of Greg Tannels tools. Is he doing the work?

Other actions to think of would be Defiance Machine and Kirby Allen. While not clones they'll fit the 700 footprint.

I've gone through at least 15 of those FN actions in the last two years...generally the tolerances were extremely good. Locking lug contact was always just about 100% and didn't need much if any attention. The one thing that did crop up on close to 30% of them was the action face was not perpendicular to the threads, and is was no small amount. I ended up picking up a .010" over truing tap/mandrel from PTG and recutting the action threads and then facing the receiver using the mandrel installed as the guide with a live center and dialing in the rear of the mandrel. Barrel shoulder lockup was 100% after those two operations and I made it a standard practice on all of those actions I got. They make great hunting rifles, I've built a few for myself and more for others. If you replace the magazine box with a WSM box, follower, spring, and rework the bolt stop and ejector you lengthen the OAL of the magazine .2" (from 2.850 to 3.050") and the WSM box and follower feed the 284 Win based cartridges very well. I built a 25-284 on a featherweight Rock barrel and a straight 284 Win with a fluted sporter contour Rock. Both shoot extremely, well with the 25-284 shooting 1/2 MOA with a few good loads (that didn't take a whole lot of searching). Also built a 30" barreled 243 Win varminter with an HS Varminter stock and the DBM bottom metal. That one killed a groundhog at 673 yards two years ago. I've only got one action left and now am debating what to build on it...Oh, I also did a 6X47 lapua heavy barrel on another...havne't shot that one yet...decisions decisions.... maybe a short lightweight 358 or 338 Federal?

Anyway, as to your original quandry (which is moot as you had it blueprinted), I'd just make sure the action face was square with the threads as everything else on those has been great!