New 700 243 is a shooter

[remingtonman_25_06]

Went against my better thinking and purchased a new Rem 700 ADL stainless/synthetic in 243 win. Actually, this is why I"m still a Rem guy...

Got it home and slapped my vx3 LR 6.5-20 on top.

Loaded up 6 test loads with AA4350 and 70g NBT's, in Win cases and lit by Fed 210s, OAL @ 2.710". Borrowed a few shells from my moms 243 which are loaded with 47g IMR4350 and 70g NBT to get it on paper and what not so I woudln't have to waste my test loads.

Well I was impatient and just wanted to get out and shoot the rifle, get it on paper, just pretty much get outta the house since it had been raining all week, however the wind was blowing 20-25 mph. I wasn't expecting much really...

I got to the range set up my cardboard target, drew a big black circle for my reference point to bore sight it. Sat the 243 down on the leadsled, took the bolt out and put the hole in the barrel in the black circle at 100 yards, crosshairs were way low and right, even after boresighting with a leupold boresighter, yah those boresighters are crap...So I adjust my crosshairs to the black and shoot my first shot, its just a few inches away from the black circle, tad low and right. Make a few adjustment and shoot 3 shells that I stole from my moms 243, load was 47g IMR4350/70g NBT. These 3 made a .377" group! Thought it must be a fluke since the wind was ripping, very hard to keep a dead hold even on a bench in 20-25 mph winds...

I had no intention from the get go to break this barrel in. This is unusual for me as I have broke in barrels on new factory rifles for the last few years. However, I've also had some used rifles that I have no idea if they were broke in, cleaned or whatever, and they still shot lights out. This barrel wont last long anyways, probly be shot out in a couple years.

So I put up 6 little target dot stickers and proceed to shoot my 6 loads with AA4350 (powder I had laying around that needed used up) and 70g NBT's (bullet I plan to put a lot of dogs to rest with.) I started at 44.5g and went to 47g in .5g increments, 3 shots each group.

I was a bit surprised at the results myself. Considering the 20mph wind first off, trying to break your shot off when your crosshairs were on that dot in that wind was no easy task, the xmark trigger isn't bad from the factory, I haven't messed with it, but I guess it to be about 3-3.5# as is, which isn't bad. I prefer 2, but like I said, just wanted to get it out and get it on paper and see if it would even shoot MOA really in the conditions and first time out. All my Rems have shot great over the years, cant say I've ever had one that wouldn't shoot MOA or under at 100 yards with reloads from a bench, most would do much better with its preferred loads.

Didn't cronograph, but from the 24" bbl, I should see around 3450-3500fps in the acuracy node range, which is fairly wide.

Anyways, Out of the 7 loads fired in 20 MPH winds, all 7 went under 1 MOA, while 4 of the 7 were under .5".

AA4350/70g NBT/win case/Fed 210/2.710"

47g .97"
46.5g .97"
46g .48"
45.5g .58"
45g .22"
44.5g .49"

IMR4350/70g NBT/Rem case/Fed 210/.2.710"

47g .37"

Think I'll stick with the 45g load that gave a 1/4" group. If its shooting like this in 20-25 mph winds, cant imagine it shooting to much worse on a nice calm day, what say you guys??

Not to bad for a box stock 700 ADL first trip out?

And everyone says Rems are junk...Please...

 

[DrMike]

That one is a keeper, for sure. Good job, Remmy.

 

[BK]

This barrel wont last long anyways, probly be shot out in a couple years.

A couple of years? You are so totally my hero...

I keep intending to pick up a rifle just like that, for a .260 donor, but other things keep popping up.

 

[JD338]

Remmy,

Nice, you have a shooter for sure.
Try IMR 4895 39.0-39.5 grs with the 70 gr BT. Its one of those golden loads that shoots well under MOA for everyone.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

Good shooting - don't forget to give the guy driving the rifle some credit for those good groups!

"This barrel wont last long anyways, probly be shot out in a couple years."

A lot of guys never shoot out a barrel, some don't believe it can be done. They don't pump your volume of ammo downrange obviously! :grin:

 

[SJB358]

Remmy, glad you got a good one! My boys M700 243 Youth is a great shooter also. I don't think most folks question the ability of Rem's to shoot, it is just the way they are put together. The SPS's are decent rifles, but if you really start to look them over, I think you will see what we are complainin about! Without a doubt though, once you find the load it wants, they will shoot well. That X-Mark trigger is decent, easily adjustable. Probably good enough for a hunting trigger, but still not an Accu-Trigger! Scotty

 

[BK]

"This barrel wont last long anyways, probly be shot out in a couple years."

A lot of guys never shoot out a barrel, some don't believe it can be done. They don't pump your volume of ammo downrange obviously! :grin:

I don't doubt it can be done, I just have too many guns and not enough time at home. I am going to buy a .22-250 or .243 and try to fry the barrel, just so I can justify a new, custom tube.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Thanks guys, its not to bad of a rifle for a cheap ADL. I love 700s, but honestly am not a big fan of the ADL/SPS rifles. They just seem to be the lower end of 700s IMO. However, the ones I've had or played with still shot easily under MOA with my loads so it'll work out ok for a calling/truck rifle for coyotes. It will also see some LR use with the 105 amax in the future I'm sure.

243s are just a kick in the pants to shoot. Its no problem to go through 100 rounds in a month and thats being conservative on my end. I wished I could shoot more, I just dont have the money to feed my rifles as much as I would like, money is my limiting factor, not time as I have 3 days off a week.

I've already put 50 rounds through this rifle in a week or 2 outings. I"m sure it'll see about 1000 rds a year, and I dont expect it to shoot 1/2 MOA much past 2000 rounds, so thats why I say about 2 years or couple years and it'll be time to rebarrel.

I've shot 2 barrels out of rifles I bought, my first 2506 I put 3000-3500 rounds through it in 3 years before it wouldn't shoot MOA anymore, and my 300 RUM I put 1200 through it in 2 years before it to wouldnt shoot under MOA anymore.

 

[SJB358]

That is a GREAT goal. I haven't shot a barrel out, ever! I think I rotate between my rifles too much to ever have it happen! Scotty

 

[FOTIS]

Score another hit for remmy! I will let you pick out my next 700!

 

[SJB358]

Mine too! He has the golden touch with them. It seems as the ones I touch are not so good. That rifle looks very consistent right outta the gates with no barrel break in and really no load work. Doesn't get too much better than that! Scotty

 

[jmad_81]

Ok fellas this is driving me nuts. Why don't you tell them about the first one you bought bud :twisted:, the one that wouldn't feed and you took back for this one. None the less, Nice shooting indeed! Must of got the one good shooting one the second time around. Some guys get all the luck I tell you.

 

[JD338]

Ok fellas this is driving me nuts. Why don't you tell them about the first one you bought bud :twisted:, the one that wouldn't feed and you took back for this one. None the less, Nice shooting indeed! Must of got the one good shooting one the second time around. Some guys get all the luck I tell you.

OK Remmy,

Lay it on us, we want to know "The Rest of the Story". :lol:

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Remmy, you really need to lay this on us! I have got to hear this story. Glad you got a great shooter this time though. Scotty

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Well the first one was the same exact model rifle, it just didn't feed right. The bolt rode over the top of the shells in the mag, therefor it was pretty much worthless. Something was messed up with the follower. I tinkered with it a bit, but it would never work right. You dont know these kind of problems untill you take them home. I never shot it, this way I could take it back to the place where I bought it. Good thing they know me other wise it woulda went back to Remington and came back saying we couldn't find a problem with it lol...Anyways, the gal took care of me, said no problem we'll just have one shipped to us from another store, you should see it in a week. When she called me a week later I made sure I had some 243 rounds in the truck and I informed her as soon as I was to get the rifle outside, I was gonna see if it did the same thing. If it did, she said I was gonna get my money back, if it didn't, well I was gonna keep it. So I did the paperwork, got it outside, put 4 in the mag and 1 in the barrel, worked the bolt and they all worked fine. Did it 2 more times just to make sure and zero problems.

So ya, I guess I finally got a dud remington afterall lol.

Went out and shot it today with the 45g AA4350/70g NBT load to verify its consistency. It printed a nice .5" triangle at 200 yards, and shot a 4" group at 625. Velocity is at a slow 3300fps however. I figured itd be around there since it took 14 MOA to get on the 625 yard gong from a 200y zero, instead of 10.1 MOA that was calculated at 3500fps.

Shot 3 loads with H4350 at 46.5, 47, 47.5 as this is the powder Id like to stick with. Good powder for velocity, accuracy, and not effected by temp, good lot to lot consistency. It showed real promise at 47 and 47.5. Hornady max says 48g and I bet if I woulda loaded up 3 at 48 they would have shot around .5" at 3650fps. As it was the 46.5g load shot 1.1" at 3500fps, 47g shot .8" at 3550, and 47.5 shot .8" at 3600. Both 47 and 47.5 loads had 2 touching and the flyer which opened em to .8" Was using Win cases and WLR primers, OAL of 2.710" Will try 48 and maybe even 48.5 as to settle on powder charge, depending on what those groups look like I'll then see about messing with seating depth. Everything I've shot at 2.710" seems to be doing OK, have no idea where the lands are with this bullet or if I can even reach them and still fit in the mag anyways, I doubt it. Last resort is to try a CCI 200 primer. Would really love to see 1/2 MOA going at least 3500fps with the 70 NBT/H4350 combo, but it looks like it might shoot that well at 3600-3650fps at the upper end, which is always a bonus and what I'm looking for.

But for now, l have a chart made out to 800 with the 70 NBTs at 3300 with the AA4350 load, then when those 2 boxes are shot up, I got some more H4350 and it will be time to get a little more serious with load development and hopefully settle on something, for a while anyways...

 

[SJB358]

Glad you were taken care of buddy. Stinks you have to pay so much money and gamble on getting a rifle that just feeds cartridges though. I know it could happen with any of them, but Remington has had a lot of little "whoops" in the past 1-2 years I think. Scotty

 

[JD338]

Remmy,

I am glad you got a good one. I am happy to hear that you were not detained by LE for loading the rifle in the parking lot. :lol:

JD338

 

[DrMike]

In any case, we're pleased that you got a shooter. Wonder who the lucky soul is that got the one that went back? Maybe he (or she) will be on this forum!

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Mike

No I made sure and informed them this was definately a manufacturer defect and needed to be sent back to Remington. I just didn't wanna wait 6 months for my rifle to get back, if they even fixed it!! All these horror stories you read on customer service from Remington kinda had me scared, so Im letting the store deal with it. She said they would be sending the rifle back to Remington, so no one will get that dud again...Hopefully anyways.

 

[DrMike]

Unfortunately, Remington quality has been hit or miss for me. In fairness to Remington, usually I've been able to make the rifle shoot with some TLC. I have a CDL in 260 that is waiting to be tapped for a larger base screw (Talley included the wrong screws and I didn't catch it when I was putting the rings on) and a new Remington 280 Anniversary model which is awaiting a scope (Leupold 4.5 x 14 VX3 which I'll put on in June). I can't say how either of these shoot, yet. However, my 257 Bob CDL SF needs some attention to shoot acceptably, much as my 673 in 350 RM did. I don't mind some work, but it is rather constant for me. OTOH, recently I've shot a couple of Senderos that were tack drivers. There is still some quality in these, I believe.