I am currently debating to put a action sleeve on my 300 WM Remington 700. I have read up on the Speedy Gonzalez's (SG&Y Rifles), but I have not found any info on the Davidson's or any others. Has anyone here had experience with sleeving remingtons?

I have done a lot of accuracy work, using both M700's and custom single shot actions. I think it is a waste of time and money to sleeve a Remington, recut the threads in the action, ream the receiver and bush the bolt, etc.

What is the purpose of the rifle? Long range hunting, varminting, or target???

If you are building up a extreme range precision rifle, then go with a BAT action, Nesika, etc.

If you are trying to improve the performance of a long range hunting rifle, then invest in a good stock, pillar bedding, and a good barrel, properly installed, with the proper chamber dimensions.

However, if you must sleeve the M700, go to http://www.benchrest.com/ and select Gunsmiths, then inquire. Or go to the forums and post.

John Ricks,
You read my mind. What a waste of time.

Glenn Harrison of Nesika Bay told me a story last summer when I visited his plant that fits this topic real well. Seems Kelby was putting the badmouth on Nesika's action, telling readers of Precision Shooter I believe, that all steel or stainless actions without being sleeved acted like a tuning fork. So, Glenn decides to get his benchrest stock painted with a tuning fork on the buttstock. He of course showed it off to Kelby at the next match. From what I hear Kelby didn't find it as humurous as Glenn. The paint job was excellent, and so is there action, without a damn sleeve.

Back when I started gunsmithing and was doing a lot of BR shooting and building it was in the late 70's. We didn't have the plethora of custom actions available now and the ones we did have were not always all that great. So, sleeved Remingtons were commonly built and used. If you are doing your own work then the sleeved 700 or 600 is still a viable action and can be absolutely competitive. I wouldn't use one for anything other than a varmint class rifle however. I also wouldn't bother sleeving a 40x.
I have used sleeves by Davidson and sleeves I built myself. Both worked fine. I'm sure the ones from SG&Y are very good as well.
Sandblast and degrease the hell out of both the action and sleeve. Devcon EK-10 is a good adhesive and there are no doubt others just as good or better.
When making my own sleeves I make them a little small (about .010") to allow me to turn the action between centers so the thing sits true when it is glued in place. I've seen some that weren't straight at all. In fact the best shooting heavy bench rifle I saw back then had the barrel coming out of the sleeve decidedly offset!
I don't like working on rifles that have been sleeved just because it is difficult to judge the quality of the action work. The sleeve can get in the way of measurements etc..
One of my projects for this winter (after customers' stuff of course!)is to sleeve a 600 in steel for another long range rifle. This sleeve will be soldered on (flashback to the 60s!).
In most cases it does make sense to simply buy one of todays superb custom actions and go but you can still compete with a sleeved Remington if that's what you want to do. Regards, Bill.

Ahh, but Bill, think Weber Umlimited!! Got a Unlimited and 4 intermediates in the vault. Plus one of the Shilen original 10 unlimiteds. Nice jewels of the 60's, especially the Webers, such supurb machining!! In my mind the only competitor today to the Weber is the BAT. I have had all of the currently produced SS actions in my hands, BAT is definately a nice piece of work.

I just picked up the rifle cheap and decided to have fun with it. I don't have the money to buy the Nesika action I want, so I am going the next best route. This rig is gonna be for simply hitting paper very far away. I know there are many other choices out there, but while still paying for college I have to keep my fun budget on the tight side.

More info, what ranges? 500 yards is very far to some, but 1000 yards is close for a few.

Tell us more about the rifle as is: What barrel is on it now? What stock? How is it bedded? What Scope? What type mounts?

Don't mean to be prying, but I have put together a few 1000 yarders and can make good constructive comments about your equipment and just what it is suited for.

I am using the action to build a 1000 yard rig, I spent top dollar ordering everything else, so I had to cut back a bit and just use the Remington action.
Just ordered a 32 inch 1.2" cylinder barrel from Krieger, and a McMillan HBR. I just took the barrel off the 700 and trued it and installed a Sako extractor. Also ordered a SpeedLock firing pin and spring. As for bedding, I guess I will figure that out when and if I order a sleeve. I guess I could just go the barrel block route, but I haven't really done any research on them.
I would like to get a Leupold 45x, but I will have to save up a bit more before I can mount that puppy.
I should add that I already have a 6.5-284 highpower rifle built on a trued 700SA and pillar'd a McMillan prone, so I guess I am just looking for something different.

I totally agree with John Ricks on his comments on bolt sleeves, action sleeves, and all. I will add, however that if you are using a 32" barrel and a Remington action, you should think about using a barrel sleeve and not an action sleeve. Some of the 1000 yd benchrest guys have had good success with this method.

John Lewis beat me to it. I would rather hang the action off the barrel than the other way around with something that heavy.

Good luck with it, hope it works well for you!

Bill

I would also be inclined to use blocks for a long heavy barreled 700. Having said that though, the last heavy rifle I built was on a sleeved 600 and it worked well.
John,
We poor gunsmiths couldn't afford Webers! We did have one competitor who owned one. The actions by Vic Swindlehurst were also very good. The best I could do was the Shilen DGA (sucked)and the Wichita (v good)and of course, Remingtons!
Todays custom actions though are more what could be called "production customs". They are available in quantities which the Webers and original Shilen/Deweys were not. The Hart actions were decent but not in the class of the othersIMO.
I looked at a BAT last weekend and it is a nice action. If I were to buy a new action it would be in the running for sure. I have worked a bit with the RPA actions and they are technically superb. These are straight and square any way you check them.
Still, Dan, you won't necessarily be handicapping yourself with your 700. Regards, Bill.

I guess I will go with the barrel block. Hopefully I can get a call into Kreiger and add a few more inches to my barrel, might as well use it if I can.
As for blocks, anyone know any good ones or should I just machine my own? The problem with doing it myself is I don't have access the proper equipment to bore out the block as perfectly as I would like.

The blocks can be bored nicely on a lathe or in a milling machine.
Alternatively, you can drill and tap your blocks and bolt them together. Then take them to a machine shop (hopefully with competent machinists!), explain what you want, and have them bored. Then mill about .010 off the top block and there you have it. Blocks about 8 inches long would suit me fine. Enjoy your project. Regards, Bill.