Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Lots of good advice here. The 700 is a great action. If you are going to compete in precision matches, it's going to take some dollars. But for most of us (self included) there are several low-cost things you can do to maximize accuracy in a given rifle.
Rifle itself: Trigger. Remington 700 triggers are adjustable and can be tuned. If you plan to use it for hunting, I wouldn't tune it less than 4#, although 3# would be okay. Because it is not difficult to do if one is mechanically inclined, it's the first thing I do on a new Remington. Costs nothing. If you're not inclined to do it yourself, have a competent gunsmith do the work. A more expensive approach would be to replace the trigger with one of the excellent aftermarket units. A good, crisp trigger will really help with shooting accurately. Stock. I'd replace a flimsy plastic stock, even if only with a second-hand factory wood stock. Best option, of course, would be a high quality composite with a bedding block; more money. For best accuracy, I'd bed the action to the stock even if the stock is the original cheap plastic one. It'll give you a more rigid platform. At the same time, make sure the barrel is floated--that is, that the barrel does not touch the forend of the stock anywhere in front of the bedding.
Scope: For accuracy, you need good glass. You don't need more than 10X magnification out to 800 yards; more is nice, but not necessary. And if you buy a high magnification scope, make it very good glass; you don't want a big fuzzy picture. You don't need to buy new. I'd look for a good second hand Leupold Vari-X III in 3.5-10X, or maybe a 4.5-14X, although it will be a bit more expensive. You want click adjustments. There are other options, but I like Leupold's lifetime warranty and their glass is good.
Ammo: I'd buy several boxes of match quality ammo, beginning with Federal Gold Medal in 168 and 175 grain versions. See what your gun is capable with with really good ammo (I assume you know how to shoot for groups from a well-supported position). Shoot a variety of ammo through it until you find a load it really likes. I accuracy test with five-shot groups. Out to 500 yards, anything from 150 grains up will be fine; you'll need 175 grains or better if you want to go beyond 800. Ultimate, of course, is to reload and build a custom load for that particular rifle.
None of these--except quality glass--are very expensive, and will help you get the best accuracy possible out of that particular rifle. It should be possible to get most 700s to shoot sub-MOA without a lot of expense. It takes some experimentation, but that's part of the fun.
Rifle itself: Trigger. Remington 700 triggers are adjustable and can be tuned. If you plan to use it for hunting, I wouldn't tune it less than 4#, although 3# would be okay. Because it is not difficult to do if one is mechanically inclined, it's the first thing I do on a new Remington. Costs nothing. If you're not inclined to do it yourself, have a competent gunsmith do the work. A more expensive approach would be to replace the trigger with one of the excellent aftermarket units. A good, crisp trigger will really help with shooting accurately. Stock. I'd replace a flimsy plastic stock, even if only with a second-hand factory wood stock. Best option, of course, would be a high quality composite with a bedding block; more money. For best accuracy, I'd bed the action to the stock even if the stock is the original cheap plastic one. It'll give you a more rigid platform. At the same time, make sure the barrel is floated--that is, that the barrel does not touch the forend of the stock anywhere in front of the bedding.
Scope: For accuracy, you need good glass. You don't need more than 10X magnification out to 800 yards; more is nice, but not necessary. And if you buy a high magnification scope, make it very good glass; you don't want a big fuzzy picture. You don't need to buy new. I'd look for a good second hand Leupold Vari-X III in 3.5-10X, or maybe a 4.5-14X, although it will be a bit more expensive. You want click adjustments. There are other options, but I like Leupold's lifetime warranty and their glass is good.
Ammo: I'd buy several boxes of match quality ammo, beginning with Federal Gold Medal in 168 and 175 grain versions. See what your gun is capable with with really good ammo (I assume you know how to shoot for groups from a well-supported position). Shoot a variety of ammo through it until you find a load it really likes. I accuracy test with five-shot groups. Out to 500 yards, anything from 150 grains up will be fine; you'll need 175 grains or better if you want to go beyond 800. Ultimate, of course, is to reload and build a custom load for that particular rifle.
None of these--except quality glass--are very expensive, and will help you get the best accuracy possible out of that particular rifle. It should be possible to get most 700s to shoot sub-MOA without a lot of expense. It takes some experimentation, but that's part of the fun.
