New member with new .308

ActiveMonkey · April 19, 2013, 09:08 AM

Hello, im a new member from CA and i recently finished putting together my new long range rifle. I previously had a Savage 111 in 30-06 with a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 scope. However after about 3000 rounds it didnt have the same accuracy it once did.

So i got a Remington 700 sps tactical in .308 with a Weaver 20 moa rail and Warne quick connect 1" rings holding a Nikon Monarch 5-20x44 sf scope. Aside from the stock i love this thing. I shot some federal sierra match king 175 grain bthp and got a .75" moa group (Out to out) at 100 yards.

What are your thoughts on this setup and what would be some good upgrades

ActiveMonkey · April 19, 2013, 11:43 AM

myfriendis410 · April 19, 2013, 08:17 PM

Obviously a stock would be good as you pointed out. I would try shooting off of bags instead of the bipod; seen accuracy go down on many rifles while shooting a bipod.

big al hunter · April 19, 2013, 10:32 PM

Quote:

and got a .75" moa group (Out to out) at 100

Groups measured out to out need subtract the dia of the bullet to get center to center. That gun shoots .44 inch groups.

Very nice. Congratulations

ndking1126 · April 19, 2013, 11:21 PM

Quote:

what would be some good upgrades

A longer range and some reloading equipment

Welcome to the forum!

kraigwy · April 19, 2013, 11:49 PM

If it shoots .75 inches (or .44 inches) why do you think it needs upgrades.

ActiveMonkey · April 20, 2013, 02:34 AM

I always feel things can be improved. Through practice or upgrades i feel it can always get better.

hooligan1 · April 20, 2013, 09:32 AM

I would have rebarreled the Savage..

anyway practice and handloading are two things YOU control to be more accurate.

Bart B. · April 20, 2013, 11:41 AM

Top ranked competitors get about 2000 rounds of best accuracy from their .308 barrels. Service rifles used by soldiers get about 10,000 rounds of acceptable accuracy for combat use.

Next time, rebarrel your rifle when its barrel wears out and you'll do much better as you are used to its fit and feel.

One thing to do besides practice is to improve the way you reload your ammo, if you reload. Otherwise, Federal's match ammo's about as good as most people can buy, or handload for the most part. Few people can reload ammo that equals what Federal match ammo can do in a good barrel well fit to a receiver that's properly bedded in the stock then shot by a competant person.

ActiveMonkey · April 20, 2013, 03:37 PM

I thought about a new barrel for the savage, but i felt the Remington 700 was a better platform to build. It was a good rifle, and i sold it for a good price. To top it off i was able to sell my wife on the idea...

I see the following as the next few steps.

Stock (probably a bell & carlson m40 or a2)
Trigger (timmys have a good rep)
DBM (not sure which one)

By this point i should have a decent amount of brass so ill probably start reloading.

redrick · April 20, 2013, 03:59 PM

You are shooting great groups, I would leave it alone for a while.

TX Hunter · April 20, 2013, 07:06 PM

Good looking Rifle, but If I shot as much as You I would have kept that Savage, and bought the tools to rebarrel it. The Savage is supposed to be the easiest Rifle to re barrel and the barrel nut allows You to obtain perfect headspace.

ActiveMonkey · April 20, 2013, 07:55 PM

Heres my old Savage

I was looking at the Shilens Match Select barrel for $449... but eh... i like the Remington more

mxsailor803 · April 20, 2013, 10:59 PM

Timney and Shilen make very good triggers for the 700. I've got a Shilen in my ADL and Timneys in both of my 788's. Performance wise I would say they so close that you can't go wrong with either. Enjoy it!

TheNatureBoy · April 21, 2013, 04:53 PM

If its shooting that good I wouldn't touch a thing. Take the darn thing back to the range and have some fun with it.

ActiveMonkey · April 22, 2013, 07:44 AM

Went to the range and resighted in at 200 yards then turned onto the 300 yard target where i realized three things.

1 - I need a spotting scope to see the dang impact points to adjust.
2 - I am not fond of the trigger. its ok, but buy no means great.
3 - I love this gun.

Best grouping of the day.
10 Shot grouping
Federal 175 Sierra Match King bthp
300 yard target
85 dregrees, 5 mph wind right to left
Seated off bench. Bipod and sandbag

Bart B. · April 22, 2013, 12:21 PM

ActiveMonkey, the accuracy you can count on with your rifle and ammo is the largest groups shot. How big was that one?

More often than not, folks never shoot another group smaller than their tiniest one. They spend lots of stuff trying to better it, but all the subsequent groups are larger.

If by chance folks do shoot a tinier one, then they go back to spending lots of stuff trying to better it, but again, all the subsequent groups are larger.

Benchresters had been doing this for decades. Then they learned a few years ago to do stuff that makes their largest groups smaller and their overall average group size finally got smaller. Their tiniest ones stayed about the same size.

ActiveMonkey · April 22, 2013, 12:35 PM

They were not that good. For the most part i was just noting in my log how the ammo shot with this rifle.

Ill get some more photos next time and try more groupings.

April 19, 2013, 09:08 AM	#1
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8	New member with new .308 Hello, im a new member from CA and i recently finished putting together my new long range rifle. I previously had a Savage 111 in 30-06 with a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 scope. However after about 3000 rounds it didnt have the same accuracy it once did. So i got a Remington 700 sps tactical in .308 with a Weaver 20 moa rail and Warne quick connect 1" rings holding a Nikon Monarch 5-20x44 sf scope. Aside from the stock i love this thing. I shot some federal sierra match king 175 grain bthp and got a .75" moa group (Out to out) at 100 yards. What are your thoughts on this setup and what would be some good upgrades

April 19, 2013, 11:49 PM	#6
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	If it shoots .75 inches (or .44 inches) why do you think it needs upgrades. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

April 20, 2013, 09:32 AM	#8
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	I would have rebarreled the Savage.. anyway practice and handloading are two things YOU control to be more accurate. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

April 20, 2013, 11:41 AM	#9
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Top ranked competitors get about 2000 rounds of best accuracy from their .308 barrels. Service rifles used by soldiers get about 10,000 rounds of acceptable accuracy for combat use. Next time, rebarrel your rifle when its barrel wears out and you'll do much better as you are used to its fit and feel. One thing to do besides practice is to improve the way you reload your ammo, if you reload. Otherwise, Federal's match ammo's about as good as most people can buy, or handload for the most part. Few people can reload ammo that equals what Federal match ammo can do in a good barrel well fit to a receiver that's properly bedded in the stock then shot by a competant person. Last edited by Bart B.; April 20, 2013 at 11:46 AM.

April 22, 2013, 07:44 AM	#16
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8	Went to the range and resighted in at 200 yards then turned onto the 300 yard target where i realized three things. 1 - I need a spotting scope to see the dang impact points to adjust. 2 - I am not fond of the trigger. its ok, but buy no means great. 3 - I love this gun. Best grouping of the day. 10 Shot grouping Federal 175 Sierra Match King bthp 300 yard target 85 dregrees, 5 mph wind right to left Seated off bench. Bipod and sandbag Last edited by ActiveMonkey; April 22, 2013 at 07:52 AM.

April 19, 2013, 11:43 AM	#2
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8

April 19, 2013, 08:17 PM	#3
myfriendis410 Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2011 Location: Lompoc California Posts: 274	Obviously a stock would be good as you pointed out. I would try shooting off of bags instead of the bipod; seen accuracy go down on many rifles while shooting a bipod.

April 20, 2013, 02:34 AM	#7
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8	I always feel things can be improved. Through practice or upgrades i feel it can always get better.

April 20, 2013, 03:37 PM	#10
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8	I thought about a new barrel for the savage, but i felt the Remington 700 was a better platform to build. It was a good rifle, and i sold it for a good price. To top it off i was able to sell my wife on the idea... I see the following as the next few steps. Stock (probably a bell & carlson m40 or a2) Trigger (timmys have a good rep) DBM (not sure which one) By this point i should have a decent amount of brass so ill probably start reloading.

April 20, 2013, 03:59 PM	#11
redrick Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,041	You are shooting great groups, I would leave it alone for a while.

April 20, 2013, 07:06 PM	#12
TX Hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: East Texas USA Posts: 1,805	Good looking Rifle, but If I shot as much as You I would have kept that Savage, and bought the tools to rebarrel it. The Savage is supposed to be the easiest Rifle to re barrel and the barrel nut allows You to obtain perfect headspace.

April 20, 2013, 07:55 PM	#13
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8	Heres my old Savage I was looking at the Shilens Match Select barrel for $449... but eh... i like the Remington more

April 20, 2013, 10:59 PM	#14
mxsailor803 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: SC Posts: 1,344	Timney and Shilen make very good triggers for the 700. I've got a Shilen in my ADL and Timneys in both of my 788's. Performance wise I would say they so close that you can't go wrong with either. Enjoy it!

April 21, 2013, 04:53 PM	#15
TheNatureBoy Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2007 Posts: 1,204	If its shooting that good I wouldn't touch a thing. Take the darn thing back to the range and have some fun with it.

April 22, 2013, 12:21 PM	#17
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	ActiveMonkey, the accuracy you can count on with your rifle and ammo is the largest groups shot. How big was that one? More often than not, folks never shoot another group smaller than their tiniest one. They spend lots of stuff trying to better it, but all the subsequent groups are larger. If by chance folks do shoot a tinier one, then they go back to spending lots of stuff trying to better it, but again, all the subsequent groups are larger. Benchresters had been doing this for decades. Then they learned a few years ago to do stuff that makes their largest groups smaller and their overall average group size finally got smaller. Their tiniest ones stayed about the same size.

April 22, 2013, 12:35 PM	#18
ActiveMonkey Junior Member Join Date: August 16, 2012 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 8	They were not that good. For the most part i was just noting in my log how the ammo shot with this rifle. Ill get some more photos next time and try more groupings. Last edited by ActiveMonkey; April 22, 2013 at 01:03 PM.