Thoughts on trueing Remington 700 action?

[CKMT]

This would be a hunting rifle build (not a bench rifle). I have been told by a couple people that with Remington actions produced after 2010 your kinda wasting your money to true and blue print them. Any thoughts? Experience?

 

[ID_Matt]

I have only had 1 trued rem 700 and it is my opinion that you would be further ahead to purchase one of the lower priced custom actions by the time all the money is spent.

 

[z987k]

For What a Remington action is going for, it is cheaper to go with a high end custom.

 

[Tmac]

If I already had the Rem action, I’d true it, if not I’d get something else, probably with the same foot print or maybe a Tikka or Howa. But I’d make sure which ever stock/chassis I wanted fit what ever action I picked.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Absolutely agree with the gentlemen above.
I dumped a bunch of money into a 700 action and would never do it again, if anything put a cheap remage prefit on

 

[LaHunter]

If you already have the action, then go ahead and use it. I have a 223 built on a newer M700 receiver and it is very accurate and functions perfectly. I used a PTG bolt instead of the factory bolt. Just make sure you use a good gunsmith, not a shade tree mechanic.

 

[CKMT]

If you already have the action, then go ahead and use it. I have a 223 built on a newer M700 receiver and it is very accurate and functions perfectly. I used a PTG bolt instead of the factory bolt. Just make sure you use a good gunsmith, not a shade tree mechanic.

Did you true and blue print it?

 

[CKMT]

I have only had 1 trued rem 700 and it is my opinion that you would be further ahead to purchase one of the lower priced custom actions by the time all the money is spent.

Suggestions on brands? Everything I have looked at would run me three times as much.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Based on the prices 700s have been going for and having just had a Remington 700 trued, bolt fluted, machined for a Wyatt’s cut, and mini-ar extractor added, I would have been money ahead selling it and buying a custom action…

 

[Str8shtr]

Everyone's idea of truing and blueprinting is totally different....like what reference points to true the action off of. If you want to use a 700 action as is, I say go for it. If you want something better, buy a custom action, it's not worth dumping money into a 700 action. I've done it.

 

[ID_Matt]

Suggestions on brands? Everything I have looked at would run me three times as much.

Defiance Tenacity, Bighorn Origin, Mack Bros (if you can find one)

 

[CKMT]

I have a couple semi-custom Rem 700's and some full custom builds. Unless there is sentimental value, I'd just get a custom action from the get-go nowadays.

Mack Bros SS Evo - $675 with rail & recoil lug
Big Horn Origin - $875 with rail & recoil lug
Gunwerks GRB - $850 with rail & recoil lug

Although trueing/blueprinting can mean a whole lot of different things to different people, some very basic action work on the Remington could include:

Blueprint - $225
Upgrade Base Threads to 8-40 - $75
Add M-16 extractor - $175
Time/Tig bolt handle - $125
Pin recoil lug - $75
Add Bolt Knob - $50 + knob cost
Flute Bolt - $50
Cerakote Action - $250

And that doesn't account for the price of the action. You may not want/need all those (or other) upgrades, but it's really easy to spend more than a custom action.

I’m curious on the Mack bros ss now! The matte stainless steel finish is what I want. Do you know if it is the same footprint as a 700 and can you go without the rail to run Talley lightweights? Are they a good quality?

 

[gbflyer]

The benchrest guys started truing the Remingtons 40 years ago. Many of those guys are still around today. Most of the honest ones will tell you that the gains are not appreciable unless you are talking reduction in group sizes in the .001’s. That’s with wind flags and really good barrels. There are always exceptions of course, and one may be compelled to embellish results having just laid down the cash for the new all day long tack driver.

 

[Seamaster]

I am an older benchrest shooter, and do gunsmithing as a hobby. I have "trued" many 700 actions over the years. Despite what is generally posted on internet boards, the newer actions need less work that the older ones. The newer actions were produced on CNC machines and the tolerances are actually pretty good. For a hunting rifle I doubt that you will see much of a difference in performance.

If you want to shoot in competition there are better actions, but for hunting or club level matches the 700 action is still a good choice.

Most of what is posted on boards is stuff that was read on other boards and repeated, not actual experience.

 

[CKMT]

I am an older benchrest shooter, and do gunsmithing as a hobby. I have "trued" many 700 actions over the years. Despite what is generally posted on internet boards, the newer actions need less work that the older ones. The newer actions were produced on CNC machines and the tolerances are actually pretty good. For a hunting rifle I doubt that you will see much of a difference in performance.

If you want to shoot in competition there are better actions, but for hunting or club level matches the 700 action is still a good choice.

Most of what is posted on boards is stuff that was read on other boards and repeated, not actual experience.

Thank you! This is the exact answer to the question I asked.

 

[wapitibob]

If they take much off the Rem action you'll lose the primary extraction and have to move the bolt.
been there
I gave up and bought a defiance anti and it was money well spent. I can now buy a prefit and screw it on. If they open the threads on the Rem to clean them up you'll need over size threads on the barrel tenon.

 

[LaHunter]

Did you true and blue print it?

yes, the gunsmith did a full blue print / trueing of the receiver. I am not sure of exactly how much 'trueing' was needed, but the end product is an excellent shooting rifle that functions perfectly.

 

[deadwolf]

Sell the Remington, and buy a custom. Get a Bighorn Origin if you don’t want to spend the big money, they are fantastic and reasonably priced.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Seamaster]

Thank you! This is the exact answer to the question I asked.

You are welcome.

 

[Wrench]

Something to consider, if you are discriminate on your custom choices, you can have one that will have a guaranteed headspace number. This is not something your smith will guarantee. If you ever want to buy another tube, prefit can be an option on the custom, not the trued.

I wouldn't waste money truing a Remington bolt....and I own the tooling to do it. I would buy a PTG bolt and depending on application either run the .700 bolt, or ream the action for a bench bolt.

Remington's machine work has improved, but the finish sucks. Expect to polish and spray it.

You can make a rem action run with a custom, but you'll be backwards on money and lose the option to spin any prefit tube on.