Remington Model 700 Special in 300 Weatherby - what should I do to improve it?

[ELKhunter60]

Hey guys,

I'm going to date myself a bit but I'm ok with it. I purchased my Remington model 700 in 300 Weatherby new back around 1988?? I bought it with the intent of having one rifle that I could use for about anything. Truth is I recently thought about getting something different with all of the new stuff on the market - but I love this gun and it has earned some sentimental value over the years. I've shot moose in Alaska to pigs in Mississippi with this gun. I'm going on a mule deer/antelope hunt with it in November and want to be able to shoot out to 500 yards without hesitation. I know the gun can do it - but I'll need to put some time in on the range. I have a decent scope (Leupold 4 x 14) and i put a muzzle break on the gun back in 1996 before a sheep hunt. Other than that - it's stock. What other things could I do to help improve my rig accuracy without going crazy? Trigger job? Bedding? I'd like to hear your opinions.

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

Well, how does it shoot now? Bedding and free-floating, as well as making sure the stock is sealed from the elements (especially if you're traveling and hunting in different climates,) along with a trigger job will USUALLY improve things, or at least remove variables from the accuracy equation. The biggest thing anyone can do is just SHOOT AND SHOOT AND SHOOT to get a feel for their gun, and understand how accurate it is from a baseline, and then assuming the platform is accurate start stretching out to 500. And then SHOOT some more when you get to where you're hunting (assuming a different density altitude and completely different climate, unless there are new species of mule deer/antelope in MS) so that you can be sure that your gun is still shooting to the same point of impact in the different climate/circumstance.

 

[ELKhunter60]

Well, how does it shoot now? Bedding and free-floating, as well as making sure the stock is sealed from the elements (especially if you're traveling and hunting in different climates,) along with a trigger job will USUALLY improve things, or at least remove variables from the accuracy equation. The biggest thing anyone can do is just SHOOT AND SHOOT AND SHOOT to get a feel for their gun, and understand how accurate it is from a baseline, and then assuming the platform is accurate start stretching out to 500. And then SHOOT some more when you get to where you're hunting (assuming a different density altitude and completely different climate, unless there are new species of mule deer/antelope in MS) so that you can be sure that your gun is still shooting to the same point of impact in the different climate/circumstance.

good advice. Thank you. Let me see if my approach makes sense to you. My goal is to be able to confidently harvest an antelope and mule deer at 500 yards. In order to do this I'm thinking I need to be within 6 inches of the bullseye at 500 yards. If you have a different opinion on this I'm happy to hear what it is.

In order to shoot 5oo yards and be within 6 inches of the bullseye, I need to know my gun well, AND the gun needs to be able to shoot 1.25" groups or less at 100 yards correct? Given that logic I need to make sure I get a good load with good groups first - make sure the scope is sighted in as perfect as possible at 100 yards and then work on learning what the gun does at 300,350,400,450 and 500. Does that make sense to you? Any other insight you might have would be great.

I'm an old farm kid who grew up shooting guns but I've never really got into long distance shooting. Just trying to improve this aspect of my game.

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

You nailed it. You need to establish a baseline of how it shoots now, and see if it needs improvement. You also need to physically shoot it out at the various distances. Your math is correct, and you need to make sure that you're CONSISTENTLY keeping it within the 6". That's where the improvements/tweaks you mentioned (floating, bedding, trigger) will prove their worth, in the consistency.

 

[Unckebob]

good advice. Thank you. Let me see if my approach makes sense to you. My goal is to be able to confidently harvest an antelope and mule deer at 500 yards. In order to do this I'm thinking I need to be within 6 inches of the bullseye at 500 yards. If you have a different opinion on this I'm happy to hear what it is.

In order to shoot 5oo yards and be within 6 inches of the bullseye, I need to know my gun well, AND the gun needs to be able to shoot 1.25" groups or less at 100 yards correct? Given that logic I need to make sure I get a good load with good groups first - make sure the scope is sighted in as perfect as possible at 100 yards and then work on learning what the gun does at 300,350,400,450 and 500. Does that make sense to you? Any other insight you might have would be great.

I'm an old farm kid who grew up shooting guns but I've never really got into long distance shooting. Just trying to improve this aspect of my game.

That is a lot of very expensive ammo you'll burn to get comfortable shooting at that range

 

[ELKhunter60]

That is a lot of very expensive ammo you'll burn to get comfortable shooting at that range

it is expensive - your right! I bought the reloading equipment for it about 20 years ago but haven't used it in a while. I ended up letting my son take the reloading stuff to his place in Bozeman Montana but I think I'm going to have him send that stuff back to me. I have the empty brass and he isn't using it right now anyway. This ammo shortage has made purchasing 300 Weatherby more challenging and expensive. Back in 1988 when I bought the gun I wasn't worried about it. Reloading ammo is still a lot cheaper than buying a new rig. Part of me wants to just go out and get a new 6.5 PRC but I think I'll wait and see how this goes first. I need this gun for a Newfoundland moose hunt this fall anyway.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

that's a lot more gun than is needed for mule deer or antelope at 500 yards, and the ammo is super expensive + hard to find to boot. It's also very unlikely that your old leupold dials reliably enough to take a well aimed 500 yard shot. I strongly suspect you'd come out money ahead in about 500 shots going with a fast twist 243, 6 creed, or 6.5 creed, a package that is plenty lethal, and much easier to shoot well.

otherwise, get shooting your 300 and see how you do with it at distance. 1.25" is not automatically 6" 6x further away. The hornady podcast "your groups are too small" is really helpful for understanding a rifle's cone and how tough it is to accurately describe the accuracy of a given rifle+load with less than 20 or 30 shots.

 

[Treeline hunter]

My brother has an older Remington 700 SS that came in a plastic stock. He added a KDF muzzle break and Timney trigger. That gun would drop 180 ballistic tips on top of each other at 100 yards. Will look for the load data but thinking that was IMR 7828.

Recently, he switched the original stock to an HS Precision thumbhole stock (got a good deal on a sale!) because his factory stock was splitting on a seam. We shot off the bench and then sitting and prone and it seems like that new stock improved shoot ability of the rifle enough to be noticeable - especially when not on the bench. Just another couple of points to consider.

 

[Treeline hunter]

I would second Researching Stuff’s comments.

A 6.5 CM or fast twist 6mm would be plenty for antelope and deer with a lot less recoil and muzzle blast. Much easier to get to 500 yd accuracy with a light recoiling rifle. I have a couple of 6.5’s that I love to shoot - a Barrett Fieldcraft and a Tikka Superlight. Both were extremely accurate right out of the box, lightweight, no break needed, and fun!

Shot the biggest bodied mule deer I have ever shot last year with a 6.5CM at 485 yds and worked very well with the 147ELDM.

I’ve been impressed with a couple of Tract scopes recently and changing out to their scopes from Leupolds…

 

[FLATHEAD]

I'll 2nd the handloading. You already have a very capable rifle and
you are very familiar with it, and surely confident using it.
Try working up a load to fine tune your accuracy.
That 300 is a perfect do all.