Thoughts on trueing Remington 700 action?

vonb

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
239
I’ve trued one Remington. Never again. Anything I buy anymore, I want to be able to buy shouldered prefits off the shelf and put it together myself. You can’t do that with a trued Remington where the threads have been opened up.

With that said, I’m going Defiance, Bighorn, Impact, Terminus, etc.
 

excaliber

WKR
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Jun 21, 2013
Messages
494
Location
Southwest Idaho
I bought a Rem 700 300 Win Mag with the fluted sporter barrel back in 2006. I had that action trued and made into a semi custom action with a McMillan stock and Bartlein barrel. I'm no bench rest shooter but this is the most accurate rifle I've ever owned.

Would I have rather built on a Defiance action? Absolutely but most likely the only thing this gun would have benefited from is resale value. I don't know how another action would make it more accurate than it is. I like Remington 700 actions.
 

Byobsob

FNG
Joined
Mar 13, 2022
Messages
12
A custom action generally seems to have better resale value, more often stronger and ultimately on average a better benchrest shooter. Athough, I do have a trued Remington action, 6.5 creedmoor with kreiger barrel that shoots awesome but doesn’t quite shoot as good as my defiant action 7 mm rem mag, kreiger barrel. Both less than 1/2 inch groups custom loaded bergers. Both actions will shoot more than well enough with proper barrel, bedding and triggers
 

eoperator

WKR
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Messages
1,200
I had the same dilemma recently had a hard time deciding between;
-true action and have smith rebarrel
-another full custom
-do a prefit remage myself

Ended up doing a prefit remage myself for about $800 total (tools included) it turned out great. If you have an action, a good stock and like keeping $ in your pocket a remage rebarrel seems like a good option.
16473030964842732185357181374676.jpg
 

MTNHUNTER76

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 16, 2022
Messages
135
I started with custom rifles based off trued 700 actions. Have had probably a dozen or so over the years. They all worked great, no complaints. I started shooting competitively and upgraded to custom actions. Bighorn, defiance, impact. My favorite is the bighorn TL-3. They have an interchangeable bolt head. I can swap bolt heads and barrel to switch calibers in 5 min using a barrel vise. Many barrel makers will offer prefit barrels for the bighorn, impact, defiance ruckus actions. I currently run a prefit proof cf in 6.5 prc and it's a hammer.

My remingtons just sit in the safe. The bolt cycling, bolt lift pressure is so much better with a custom. This is a big deal for quick follow up shots. I don't see any reason to run a trued 700 vs a custom. A custom will end up costing a little more in most cases but you are buying a precision machined piece of equipment. Custom action will also offer better resale if needed.
 

XLR

WKR
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May 24, 2018
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732
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Grand Junction, CO
It is going to sound repetitive but if you have a 700, use it otherwise just go with a custom action. I am still running a 700 on two of my competition rigs and they both hammer, but they are sloppy. I have to run my thumb on the back of the bolt otherwise they bind up. With that being said, I am on barrel #3 for that action and every one of those barrels have been 1/4 moa rifles. You can get just as accurate with a blueprinted 700, no questions asked, but you are going to pay for it. Look at the resale value if you ever plan on selling it. A barreled action with a 700 will sell for 800-1k brand new while a barreled action with a custom will sell for $1500+ depending on the barrel life remaining. There is no correct answer and you won't go wrong either way!
 

7MMMAG

FNG
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Mar 13, 2022
Messages
95
Location
TX
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 Tapata
You can get into a defiance tenacity for about the same price as an Origin or you can get into a BAT, Terminus, Lone Peak for a couple hundred more.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
326
Location
NY
I have done it exactly 3x now with a Rem 700's. Two of them are trued up rifles and shoot under 1 moa that's as well as I need them to shoot.

I smartened way up on my third 700 and went the Remage route & IMHO that is the way to go with a 700 unless you have the tools & know how to square them up. It also shoots under 1 moa all the time at 1/2 the cost ... Once you have the tools and what not and a good chassis the sky's the limit.

I would like to add with all the dang money I spend on these rifles I could have easily purchased one super high-quality custom in a medium bore Ie 338/375 and been done a long time ago, but sometimes the best part is the journey!!!

Good luck dude!
 

300 win mag

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Messages
111
wrench hit it on the head.i have 5 older rem actions completely trued or blueprinted with sleeved bolts that are as the customs.if you knew the best smiths building benchrest rifles 25 30 years ago.if no sentimental value.just go custom.for the money better value.
 

Wrench

WKR
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
6,295
Location
WA
I wish every smith would print the tennon measurements on the bottom of the action. Nothing quite as awesome as a "trued" action with no idea what the clean up was.
 

vonb

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
239
I just had a trued Remington action re-barreled. This is the third barrel on the action (second custom barrel). It was an expensive decision to do it but the action was sooo smooth after all the original work that was done to it. The barrel fitting and cost of the barrel plus finish work, taxes, shipping, etc was right at $1K. All I can say is that I hope it shoots....I won't be putting another barrel on this receiver. All my barrel work from now on will be by me with prefits or shouldered prefits for custom actions.
 

TheBrk

FNG
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Messages
26
I had the same dilemma recently had a hard time deciding between;
-true action and have smith rebarrel
-another full custom
-do a prefit remage myself

Ended up doing a prefit remage myself for about $800 total (tools included) it turned out great. If you have an action, a good stock and like keeping $ in your pocket a remage rebarrel seems like a good option.
View attachment 391346
What Nightforce scope is that if I may ask?
 
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