First - pardon my inexperience on the topic.
I have a Rem 700 ADL in 223 that I'd like to make into a custom accurate shooter/varmit rig. I'd like to keep the project under $1000.
I would appreciate ideas/opinions on what I could do here given the caliber/action and the $1000 budget.
Thanks in advance
Hollywood

I appreciate your concen and your budget, but I think your assessemt of a "Custom" rifle is a bit lacking. You need to go into a bit more; i.e. wood, barrel , need, etc.

Well I would suggest you send it off to Pacnor or Shilen or Hart and get a new varmint barrel fitted and an accurising job done at the same time.

Then I would check the various classifieds for a HS Precision stock or maybe a used McMillen or the like.
Add a trigger job and a decent scope and there you have it.

Of course you can go a lot further than that but hey that simple and pretty much going to deliver a good shooter.

I AGREE WITH HUX. FOR SOMEWHERE IN THE AREA OF $350 FOR A GOOD QUALITY BARREL, ANOTHER $250 TO TRUE AND CHAMBER, ????? FOR A STOCK, $150 TO BED, AND MAYBE ANOTHER $200 OR SO FOR A BREAK YOU HAVE A NICE RIFLE. THESE ARE APPROXIMATE COSTS BUT GIVE YOU AN IDEA. A LOT OF GOOD GUNSMITHS POST ON THESE BOARDS. TAKE YOUR TIME IN PLANNING...GOOD LUCK....

FRANK D

Hollywood,
I'd install a heavy Lothar Walther, Pacnor, or Lilja barrel and glass bed it, install a target trigger like a canjar set or jewell....Some prefer stainless some don't.

For serious competition you may have to re barrel it several times to win competition...I have some friends who go through a dozen barrels before they are satisfied, there plumb serious.

Hollywood-

Since nobody's mentioned it yet, I'll add that you're also going to need to have your bolt face opened up to switch to either of the caliber's you desire. The .223 bolt face is smaller than the PPC and the BR.

You've already been steered in the right direction, here's a couple of ways I'd consider going to meet your goals...

Send the barreled action to Pac-Nor, have them chamber and install one of their Super Match grade SS barrels for $420 which includes truing of your action. Have someone, if Pac-Nor doesn't do this, open the bolt face and install a Sako extractor (should be about $90 or so). Go to McMillan's web-site and look up their "internet specials". Right now there's an H/V benchrest stock to fit your action for $300 (can be shot as is, bed it yourself or have someone else do it when you can afford it). Send your trigger off to Neil Jones and have it lightened to a pound, I think it's about $50. And there's your budget 6 PPC.

You could also sell your rifle and just buy the cheapest .22-250/.308 ADL you can find and not mess the bolt face at all and build the 6 BR. It has the same size case head these others. The money lost selling your rifle and repurchasing another would be pretty well offset by not spending the money on opening up your current bolt. A thought I'm not too crazy about anyway.

Last but not least, and what I think might be the most fun. Keep the Remington as is and put it aside, or sell it and add the money to the pot for another barrel/caliber. Buy the cheapest Savage you can find ($300 or so). Get a BR stock from Lock/stock & barrel or Sharp Shooter Supply (about $215 primed/$280 painted). Pre threaded, chambered Douglas barrels from SSS are $239 in a wide choice of calibers (incl. PPC & BR). SSS triggers are $85-125 depending on the pull weight you desire. The Savage bolt head is removeable and replaceable meaning several calibers are easily accomodated (bolt heads are $19 ea + $25 to convert a .223 to PPC).

As you can see, you could build a custom Savage within your budget and still keep the Remington as well. If you want to use it for both BR and varminting, I'd recommend an 8-32X scope. The low end will be good for varminting when the mirage is out and the high end will keep you competitive against the BR guns with fixed 36X's and above. The Bushnell Elite 4200 8-32X is a great scope at about $380 at Natchez and E-Bay.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do

-Rick