280 Rem, Mountain rifle

[Barlow]

Any body have any loads, suggestions on how to get a 700 Mountain Rifle in 280 Rem to shoot 139, 154 hornady's or 160 gr Speer btsp's or any other bullet accurately? This thing is getting to be a pita. Barlow

 

[Albany Mountain]

Bedding it helps and free floating the barrel. no loads.

 

[Barlow]

The rifle is not mine but has a new (50 rds or so) Remington barrel installed at factory, and is floated. Just check coal to lands with Speer 160 gr btsp and it's 3.702 with a nut. Seems pretty short throated as the bullet sits to bottom of the shoulder at this measurement. Im going to try some RL 19 with this bullet. Thanks, Barlow

 

[deepwater]

The rifle is not mine but has a new (50 rds or so) Remington barrel installed at factory, and is floated. Just check coal to lands with Speer 160 gr btsp and it's 3.702 with a nut. Seems pretty short throated as the bullet sits to bottom of the shoulder at this measurement. Im going to try some RL 19 with this bullet. Thanks, Barlow

I had one of these that I bedded and floated right after I got it, used. The pencil thin barrel necessitated that I waited at least 20-30 minutes between shots when I was working up loads the first day at the range. I started .010" off the lands. Even then, the shots were everywhere. It was just too frustrating and "not fun" messing with it. It was light weight and good looking, but I never shot it again. For hunting, "the shot" would be from a cold barrel.

Is the new barrel a standard or light weight one? Regardless, sounds like my experience.

deepwater

 

[msinc]

I have a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 280 AI...I had a lot of trouble getting it to shoot. I glass bedded it, adjusted the trigger, barrel was nicely floated and didn't need any attention. Not much changed. I was beginning to think the brand new scope was the trouble. I called the company and they ask what rings and bases i was using. I had the Redfield style with the two windage screws on the rear base. The scope was very heavy and i was told that they did not recommend those rings and bases. I changed to a lighter scope and different rings and bases. It improved a lot but still wasn't shooting like I wanted it to.
Not until I switched to 140 grain Berger VLD hunting bullets and 55.5 grains of N160 Vhitavouri powder did I get the groups I wanted. I was close with 57.5 grains of IMR4831, but the N160 shot better. Honestly, the light weight of a Mountain rifle is really not worth the B.S. you have to go thru to get it to shoot, if you get it to shoot. This one will definitely be my first and last.

 

[Barlow]

Thanks for the replies. My cousin owns this rifle and we have hunted together for 57 plus years. He bought it new and after a few years the stock cracked. He sent it back to Remington and they advised him it needed a new stock and that the barrel was bad and they would replace both for iirc 250.00 + -. He did that and I worked up some loads that shot o.k. never great, and we were always careful not to get it hot. We are going to Wyoming on a Mule deer hunt this month and he was going to take this as a spare. He uses a Sako 25-06 most of the time. It would not hold any group less than 2.5 to 3" so I decided to get it to shoot straight. The barrel fouls badly and I am cleaning it and applying some Eezox tonight. Will try the 160,s tomorrow. As an aside, I love the stock fit on this rifle. If it was mine I would take the factory barrel off and install a Rock Creek or Brux or something the next taper heavier 24" long. I think it's just a bad barrel. Barlow

 

[BillPa]

I know this goes against the grain but try putting a pressure point about a inch in from the end of the forend. A few business cards will suffice as a test. It wouldn't the first time I've seen it help to settle down a piece of spaghetti barrel.

Bill

 

[snert]

I know this goes against the grain but try putting a pressure point about a inch in from the end of the forend. A few business cards will suffice as a test. It wouldn't the first time I've seen it help to settle down a piece of spaghetti barrel.

Bill

worth a try...I used a piece of laminate from a cheap ID card on a 788...changed everything for the better.

 

[kcjim]

I have owned a 700 Mountain Rifle in .280 for well over 20 years. Mine shot 140 grain Ballistic Tips very accurately. I recently switched to 140 gr Accubonds and they also shoot very accurately. For many years, I used the factory walnut stock unaltered. About two years ago, I replaced the stock with a McMillan. Both stocks shot about the same, both very accurate. I use RL 19. I never could develop a load that would give much over 2850 fps with 140 gr bullets.

 

[Homerange]

I know this goes against the grain but try putting a pressure point about a inch in from the end of the forend. A few business cards will suffice as a test. It wouldn't the first time I've seen it help to settle down a piece of spaghetti barrel.

Bill

+1
It's definitely worth a try.
As an example many in the past have thought floating a Rem Model 7 would improve its shooting but it doesn't. Bed them, piss around with screw tensions all you like, you won't achieve much.
The harmonics of these very light profile barrels can be troublesome to overcome, it either takes a lot of work to find the right "recipe" or for the two Model 7's that I have a suppressor can sorted them out.
Some might say you need a barrel tuner.
Research I did suggested the Model 7's required around 7lb of stock pressure onto the barrel, you can pretty much feel when the barrel clears the stock. Of course the price to pay is the possible seasonal variation in POI.
Check zero before hunt, problem overcome.

 

[Barlow]

I know this goes against the grain but try putting a pressure point about a inch in from the end of the forend. A few business cards will suffice as a test. It wouldn't the first time I've seen it help to settle down a piece of spaghetti barrel.

Bill

This rifle had the factory pressure point in the stock and it was worse with it, so we floated it. But I have never seen a factory pressure point work, seems there cockeyed or to narrow. But I agree with you guys as I have done that to other rifles and it improved their accuracy. He has a Ruger International in 308 Win that I did that to, and it worked. I'll give it a try and report back. Thanks again. Barlow

 

[expiper]

if you want good groups you must use good bullets,,,try Sierra 150 and H-4350 (max loads) ,,,roger

 

[Barlow]

I found a lot of slack in the recoil lug to stock fit. Pulled it apart a found .040 clearance. I don't have time to glass bed it, so I shimmed it with .038 of credit card plastic. As stated previously I cleaned it down to bare metal and Eezox'd it last night. First shot this morning I could smell Eezox. After just two foulers, 4, 139 gr Hornadys were at .857, 53 grs of RL19 and 160gr Speer hpbt did .857. Good conditions, 45 degrees, dead calm and shade. I let it cool down between shots. Hopefully, it will be good. I did not shim the barrel. Barlow

 

[snert]

I found a lot of slack in the recoil lug to stock fit. Pulled it apart a found .040 clearance. I don't have time to glass bed it, so I shimmed it with .038 of credit card plastic. As stated previously I cleaned it down to bare metal and Eezox'd it last night. First shot this morning I could smell Eezox. After just two foulers, 4, 139 gr Hornadys were at .857, 53 grs of RL19 and 160gr Speer hpbt did .857. Good conditions, 45 degrees, dead calm and shade. I let it cool down between shots. Hopefully, it will be good. I did not shim the barrel. Barlow

good detective work!

 

[Barlow]

Just a little follow up. I read somewhere recently (don't remember where) about a long range shooter who trains folks somewhere to shoot long range. At the end of the day he runs a brass brush one stroke down and back dry, followed by one dry patch down and out, to maintain poi. I tried it with this Mountain rifle and the next morning fired one shot to see where the cold shot would go. The 139 gr Hornady Il went 1 1/4" high dead center, the same load with 140 gr Hawk same place. It is grouping this load sub moa. I quit. Barlow

 

[ireload2]

This is really a 7mm rifle. Make sure you use bullets with NO boat tail and the right length for the twist. I would use at least 150 to 160 grain flat base bullets.

 

[CaptainMal]

Mine is 257 Roberts and got it to shoot super. From new I devcon-bedded and free floated. Measured throat carefully, checked lugs and did minor polish. Sub MOA for 2-3 shots. Most often .5 MOA but ... no more than three shots. Once that pencil-thin or little-finger thin barrel starts to get heat, forget it.

Main reason I have, use and treasure it is the first shot from a cold-clean bore is right there ALL the time.

 

[Barlow]

Mine is 257 Roberts and got it to shoot super. From new I devcon-bedded and free floated. Measured throat carefully, checked lugs and did minor polish. Sub MOA for 2-3 shots. Most often .5 MOA but ... no more than three shots. Once that pencil-thin or little-finger thin barrel starts to get heat, forget it.

Main reason I have, use and treasure it is the first shot from a cold-clean bore is right there ALL the time.

My cuz who owns this rifle was wanting to get rid of it. I informed him that I had too much time and effort in it and not to give up on it. Besides, he killed a 5x5 Bull with it in Wyoming a few years back, and two bucks running together (8&9) one COLD morning in Wisconsin. The cold bore shot is good, and is the one that counts. Barlow

 

[lhead71]

A light rifle put together properly will shoot shots cold or hot into the same grouping. My ULA in 284 is fully bedded all the way to the very end of the barrel channel. If Melvin Forbes does this to all his rifles and they are usually touted as the best light shooting rifles, it makes one wonder, why the larger companies don't do this for their light rifles?

 

[Barlow]

A light rifle put together properly will shoot shots cold or hot into the same grouping. My ULA in 284 is fully bedded all the way to the very end of the barrel channel. If Melvin Forbes does this to all his rifles and they are usually touted as the best light shooting rifles, it makes one wonder, why the larger companies don't do this for their light rifles?

I have been thinking about the very same thing. I have a 94 Swede that I fixed up a few years back and it is full length bedded, and puts 160 gr Hornady rn into very small holes. Thanks, Barlow