Remington 700 SPS Stainless - Need Advice for MOA Shooting

147 Grain

Beginner
May 17, 2005
90
0
Well.......:

After doing a lot of research and shopping around, we decided to purchase a new Remington 700 SPS Stainless 30-06 as a gift for my son's earning the Eagle Scout Award. :mrgreen:

700sps_ss.jpg


Rifle was $469.00 from Sportsman's Warehouse in Riverdale, Utah and included a 24" stainless / parkerized barrel and Limbsaver Recoil Pad. FYI: The blued version was discounted to $398.00, but we like the stainless at $469. (Note: The 2005 Stainless version retails for $613 and has replaced the 2004 BDL's Stainless and the SPS in blue ($520 retail) has replaced the 2004 ADL line that which was dropped.)

We plan on Piller Bedding the action / Free Floating the Barrel, and Adjusting the Trigger to 2 1/2 lbs.

http://www.remington.com/firearms/cente ... sps_ss.htm

Your expertise is welcome and needed in order to obtain MOA shooting, with Nosler Bullets of course! :p

Steve

P.S. Will be shooting this rifle at the range twice a month and hunting 8 - 10 times per year. Don't reload, but have plenty of factory premium and target ammo in stock.
 
To get the best results, you need to start loading. Taylor the load to the rifle. I can't remember the last deer I shot with factory ammo.Rick.
 
Congratulations to your boy. The Eagle rank is a real accomplishment.
You might want to shoot the rifle before you start changing things except for the trigger, which is a given to be 10# overweight in all of todays guns. The old adage don`t fix it if it ain`t broke fits guns as well as other situations, your rifle will tell you if it needs work.
Good ammo tailored to the rifle and lots of practice can often make as big a difference in what accuracy you get.
 
I have to echo the sentiments of both Rick and Ol' Joe. Consider taking up handloading if you are truly serious about getting all you can out of your rifles. In over 25 years of shooting, I can't recall a single rifle that favored a factory load over a tuned handload. Also good advice about not fixing what may not be broken. My Winchester Super Shadow (yes, from Walmart) came with the barrel touching the stock, maybe all the way along the barrel channel, and about an 8 lb. trigger! Yet, off the bench, with handloads I was able to shoot a number of 3 shot groups that measured less than half an inch at 100 yards. I finally did adjust the trigger, as it was just too heavy. But I am not about to mess with the rifle's bedding, not as long as it consistently shoots sub MOA, with several different bullets in carefully constructed handloads. Good luck with the new 30-06 and congratulations to your son. That is quite an achievement that requires discipline and fortitude to stay with it.
 
I bought a 700 ss last fall. I set the trigger down to 2 1/2 lbs.It shot great until the barrel heated up. The stock was touching the whole barrel lenght on the left side. I sanded it out very carefully. Problem solved. But I have to agree, if it aint broke don't fix it.
 
Question:

For range work, a 2 1/2 pound trigger pull if fine, but is it safe for hunting in the field?
 
I have Jewell triggers on my primary hunting rifles and have them set 1.5-2 lbs. Way too light for many hunters but I have used them like that for years without a problem. I don't wear heavy gloves while hunting. Generally speaking, 2.5-3 lbs is recommended for hunting triggers. I shoot just about every weekend and sometimes during the week so I am quite use to light triggers.Rick.
 
After all of the muzzleloader shooting I do with a set trigger, sometimes 2 1/2 lbs. seems heavy. With gloves on in hunting season you have to watch sometimes. I don't think I would go below that for hunting.
 
I see it this way....If a crisp 2-2.5" trigger will most certainly make you a much more accurate shooter...why keep it at the range? :roll:

I learned that long ago and have made some rewarding game shots because of it....don't handicap yourself...a good trigger job only costs 30-40$ in my neck of the woods. :wink:
 
I own sveral M700's, all have the triggers set at a crisp 2.5 lbs, and all shoot sub MOA with hand loads.

Regards,

JD338
 
The gunsmith who works on my rifles told me recently that Remington apparently has made some changes to their triggers on the model 700. He couldn't get me most recent one down below 3 lbs. He used to get them down to around 1.5lbs. which is where I prefer them seeing as how most of my shooting is from the bench. Anyone else experience this? Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
 
I worked on my first trigger and it was a model 700 ADL in .222 Rem. I got it down safely to where it was the lightest possible pull, with no creep or overtravel. I got the directions off snipersparadise or soemthing. Detailed instructions with pictures. I was about 16 at the time. It took some trial and error, but after about 2 hours I had a nice 2lb trigger pull and saved $30 to boot! I tested it by slamming the bolt, and slamming the buttstock on the ground. It never went off. I took it to my gunsmith and he confirmed that he could not have done a better job. I asked him to test the weight and he confirmed it at 2 lbs. My only other Remington is my LSS in 300 RUM. I got this one down to 2.5 lbs. It would not really go down much farther. With a trained finger, a 2 oz trigger wont go off untill you want it to. Simple as that. Most people say for hunting, no less than 3 lbs, but usually the lighter the trigger pull, you usually get a little smaller groups. With the jewell triggers, there safetys work down to ounces. I never could shoot with gloves on anyways, so that did not bother me.
 
147 Grain":2prkzsqy said:
Well.......:

After doing a lot of research and shopping around, we decided to purchase a new Remington 700 SPS Stainless 30-06 as a gift for my son's earning the Eagle Scout Award. :mrgreen:

P.S. Will be shooting this rifle at the range twice a month and hunting 8 - 10 times per year. Don't reload, but have plenty of factory premium and target ammo in stock.

I've yet to find a rifle yet that didn't shoot the Federal Premium loadings of ballistic tips well. The 165 grain ballistic tip load is probably the surest bet on the planet for a new Rem 700 in 30-06.

Michael Courtney
 
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