Older(?) 700 BDL questions

[vanfunk]

Hello folks!
My Friendly Neighborhood Gun Dealer has an older Remington 700 BDL HB .308 for sale with a big ol' Leupold (with target knobs) on it. The bore and external metal surfaces are in excellent condition, and the muzzle crown is unmolested. The stock has some handling wear, mostly in the form of scratches and compressions. The scope is, I believe, a 4-12x with a very fine target reticule and is very clear. I've been thinking about a long-range bolt gun in .308 to compliment my M1A, and I think this piece might be it. I can prolly get it for $500 plus tax.

Without a bore scope, how can I determine throat erosion on this rifle?

I don't much care for the BDL stock. Would an HS Precision stock be a drop-in fit on this rifle?

I would think that this rifle would be a worthy alternative to a 700 PSS or VS, with little practical difference aside from the polished blue and stock - correct?

Lastly, does this sound like a good deal?
Thanks!
vanfunk

 

[vanfunk]

Oops - forgot to ask...
What's the twist rate on BDL's? 1 in 10, 1 in 12? I'd probably shoot mostly Lake City match ammo in it, since I've got a good local source for it. Oh, and a lot of Portugese milsurp, too .

Thanks,
vanfunk

 

[Maestro]

I have a BDL L.H. .270 made in 1978.Put a HS Precision stock on it.Dropped right in and is a great shooter.The stock has the long aluminum block in the forend.Well worth it.
Good luck on the throat erosion.Can't help you there.

 

[Stinger]

$500?!? Ouch!

You could get a brand new one for that price. Absent the scope, of course.

Stinger

 

[vanfunk]

The scope is in great shape and I figure is worth at least $250 right there. I can't seem to find a NIB target Leupold for sale anywhere for less than $400 or so... Then again, I don't know the models as well as I should.

Thanks for the responses so far!
vanfunk

 

[dakotasin]

does the scope have click adjustments or not? the scope is probably a vari-x 2, which would have a price tag of +/- $290 when new...

i'd say that $500 is not a screaming deal, but you're not getting ripped off, either.

when you are trying to value the rifle, keep in mind that rings and bases are also a consideration...trigger job? recoil pad (decelerator)? sling? etc etc. it is stuff that you won't have to pay for later...

 

[hps1]

The throat can be measured in a rifle by taking a fired case and mash the neck just enough to hold a bullet snugly; using a magic marker, paint the sides of the base end of a bullet and insert it in the case about 1/8". Chamber this round in the rifle and remove carefully. Check to see the bullet has not been pulled out when case extracted (will scratch off magic marker if it moved). Measure OAL and record. Later, by repeating this procedure and comparing the OAL to previous measurements one can monitor throat erosion in his rifle.

Keeping in mind that chambers vary from one manufacturer to another, you might check the Remington and compare it to your M1A to get a rough idea.

The Leupold 4-12x40 VXII (w/paralax adjustable obj. lens) is shown in Midway's current catalog @ $369 but they do not list the target knobs. I know Burris charges $80 to put target knobs on an existing scope, don't know difference if scope is bought w/tgt. knobs.

Regards,
hps