Barrel break in on 700 BDL 30-06

[Valar]

My wife bought me a rem 700 bdl in 30-06 for Christmas. I took it to the bench yesterday for the first time. I have to say for light barrel gun I am very pleased with shot consistency. I lapped the rings when I mounted the Nikon scope. I only had to move scope adjustment down 4 clicks to hit bulls eye! I followed normal break in procedure. I had hand lapped the barrel with lapping compound prior to shooting. I will defiantly do that again. I never had a factory barrel clean up so easy. I saw no signs of copper fouling after 25 rounds! Shot a quarter size 3 shot group at 100 yards. I cant wait to dial down the trigger pull and start hand load development. To me a light factory barrel shooting that tight with off shelf rem loads is pretty darn promising. Certainly Not bench rest caliber but for a hunting rifle, Heck yes! I did float the barrel prior to shooting as well! Hopefully I will get some load development done soon and follow up with results! If anyone is interested.

 

[mattri]

Well done! Nothing better than a rifle that shoots right out of the gate.

Which factory loads were you shooting?

 

[Valar]

Remington 180 Grain and 150 grain, both had same poi.

 

[ljhsniper1]

Remington 180 Grain and 150 grain, both had same poi.

The old war horse is still showing it's colors isn't it. I shot one in Viet Nam in the mid 60's and it was very impressive to say the least. Fine cartridge and caliber to be well over 100 yrs old. Still love mine. SEMPER FI! .....LARRY

 

[mac86951]

If you are looking for a good 1000y and closer cartridge, the 30-06 is hard to beat. Easy to find brass, even now and with the latest powders and bullets, it shoots well. The WSM, 300WM, and other mags are diminishing returns when it comes to putting more powder in the case. They are all good rounds, but I'll stick with my 30-06 for the closer range stuff. Check out German Salazar's articles on the Rifleman's Journal for some 30-06 hints and tips.

-Mac

 

[Valar]

Remington 180 Grain and 150 grain, both had same poi.

The old war horse is still showing it's colors isn't it. I shot one in Viet Nam in the mid 60's and it was very impressive to say the least. Fine cartridge and caliber to be well over 100 yrs old. Still love mine. SEMPER FI! .....LARRY

I was ALWAYS read the 30-06 was a excellent round. I have to say while I have always been proud of our us Vets. You guys were and are tough. I am used to shooting 22-250 and 204. My shoulder was sore after 10 rounds. I then shot ten more and was flinching so much I was glad my son showed up to take over. God Bless the War Horse in more ways than one!

 

[mac86951]

Likewise, I've had to work up to a 50rnd string...

They say the military chose the 30-06 as the maximum a soldier can shoot before developing a flinch...
Well, times have changed a little. Be careful that you don't find your accurate load at the lighter end of
powder charge simply by a degrading shooting technique. (also a 1" Pachmayer recoil pad helps).

-Mac

 

[ljhsniper1]

Maybe i'm just a tough old bird or my shoulder is seasoned but i still shoot the same rifle as i had in Viet Nam. A pre 64 Win. Mod. 70 with steel butplate. I may be an exception to the rule but i shoot 190 gr. SMK's from mine and recoil is not an issue. I think it is all in the mindset of the shooter. I just tune it out and concentrate on sight picture, breathing, and trigger control. I do however think the 30/06 is reaching the upper limit to my doing this. As for the barrel break-in on a factory barrel goes, i will always use a regimine of shoot one and clean until the copper goes away. I start out by polishing the barrel out before i start the break-in. It has worked for me more than once. SEMPER FI!

 

[Valar]

Yep Sarge I lapped the barrel prior to break in. I still need to put another 20 rounds thru then will be satisfied and start load workup. I would have been more comfortable had my adjustable shooting stool not failed me. It made it hard to maintain comfy shoulder position on my bench. I plan to install a nice recoil pad, call me a sissy! A bit more tweaking and will begin hand load testing. Hope to take some fine animals with her when I retire!

 

[M14AMU]

Here's my Ugly Bastid:


UglyBastid by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr


'061000 by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

I broke it in by shootin the schitt out of it 35 years ago!!

 

[doc gordon]

tell us how you polish bbl before shooting a factory bbl .

 

[ljhsniper1]

Started out with a squeaky clean barrel first. Then i wound a cotton patch around a NYLON brush. I saturated the patch with a product called M.A.S.S. I then pushed through the barrel. I did not bring it back as this could be bad. I removed the brush and started the process over and over again. The barrel cleaned up just like you would expect a custom barrel to. This is a Rem 700 Varmint 24" Barrel. It will and has shot under 1.250" groups at 300 yds. 100 yd. groups have been shot at under 1/4". All groups shot were 5 shot. Thats all i shoot. I would love to shoot it at 600-1000 yds. but no such range is near my location. This rifle is not a fluke as i have done this on other rifles and calibers with much the same results. The product i used was bought at WAL-MART but is no longer stocked there. It is the same as FLITZ only a lot cheaper. I think it can be found on line if you care to try it for yourself. I still run some of it through the barrel to clean out corbon. It does a fair job on copper also. Hope you get good results from yours. .....SEMPER FI! ...LARRY

 

[Valar]

Myself I purchased lapping compound from Midway. There are 3 different grits. I put a patch covered with course compound and worked it back and forth using a bore guide thru the bore 20 strokes. Then I repeated with medium and fine. The fine compound I pushed thru around 50 strokes. I then cleaned real well to get the compound out of the bore. I was having a copper fouling problem years ago in a rem 700 308 VS. My uncle and I were talking and he said Remington makes a good barrel but they do not polish the bore after machining worth a darn. So he suggested lapping. It helped my 308 tremendously and I now do it to all factory barrels. I haven't had to do this on my custom shilen barrels. I do push the patch thru over a bronze brush. It think it helps polish the grooves.

 

[ljhsniper1]

I think the custom barrel makers tell you not to try any polishing method because they have already done it for you and the warranty would be void if such a procedure was preformed by you. My Bartlein barrel takes very little effort to clean.

You are right about the factory barrels not being polished. It really helped my .308 doing my method. It is an excellent shooter and cleans very quickly.

SEMPER FI ...... LARRY

 

[Valar]

Well I cut aluminum pillars on the lathe last weekend and got the 30-06 pillar bedded. I was happy I didn't glue the gun together. I'm going to glass bed next and perhaps find a different trigger. The x mark adjustable will not go below 4 pounds. I am wondering if it can be adjusted down further in the same manner as the old Remington triggers? It would be nice to get down to 2.5 or three pounds? I am not impressed with Remington's so called adjustable trigger. There old triggers were a better unit I think. I have the one in my 15 year old 22-250 700 bdl at 2 pounds and it has always functioned flawlessly. Well I have more work to do and custom load development as well. I will repost results after further testing. Looks like I have to go with a grind to fit recoil pad as well. Remington doesn't offer a direct fit pad for the newer BDL stocks. Makes no sense to me?

 

[ljhsniper1]

Well I cut aluminum pillars on the lathe last weekend and got the 30-06 pillar bedded. I was happy I didn't glue the gun together. I'm going to glass bed next and perhaps find a different trigger. The x mark adjustable will not go below 4 pounds. I am wondering if it can be adjusted down further in the same manner as the old Remington triggers? It would be nice to get down to 2.5 or three pounds? I am not impressed with Remington's so called adjustable trigger. There old triggers were a better unit I think. I have the one in my 15 year old 22-250 700 bdl at 2 pounds and it has always functioned flawlessly. Well I have more work to do and custom load development as well. I will repost results after further testing. Looks like I have to go with a grind to fit recoil pad as well. Remington doesn't offer a direct fit pad for the newer BDL stocks. Makes no sense to me?

Valar, if you can fit it in your budget,a Jewell trigger is the way to go with the Rem. 700. The new Rem. Triggers are at best a joke as far as trying to adjust. Easy to install and your trigger will help in the group dept. as well. Check out Larry Scott on this site. Best price and free shipping also. ......SEMPER FI!

 

[Valar]

Sarge thank you but I tried a jewel trigger in my ar 15. When it worked it was awesome. I started having issues after a short period of time, maybe 25 or 30 rounds. I called Jewel tech support and what a joke! Try this try that after several try's I was Disgusted, I will never own another Jewell trigger for that reason! I have since removed the Jewel from my AR, Never again. I am a hunter not a bench rest shooter If a trigger failed me with the shot of a life time while hunting? Oh baby, that would be devastating! I might just go to old style factory rem trigger. They are easy to adjust!

 

[ljhsniper1]

Sarge thank you but I tried a jewel trigger in my ar 15. When it worked it was awesome. I started having issues after a short period of time, maybe 25 or 30 rounds. I called Jewel tech support and what a joke! Try this try that after several try's I was Disgusted, I will never own another Jewell trigger for that reason! I have since removed the Jewel from my AR, Never again. I am a hunter not a bench rest shooter If a trigger failed me with the shot of a life time while hunting? Oh baby, that would be devastating! I might just go to old style factory rem trigger. They are easy to adjust!

Well,i do not know what to say about AR triggers as i have never owned one and have no desire for one but i can tell you that the 2 Jewell triggers i have on my 700's are excellent. I have tried other brands and they cannot be compared to the Jewell in my opinion. If i had an issue with a Jewell i would not put up with with poor customer service. Either the dealer or the manufacturer should give you satisfaction. Jewell is the top rated trigger among them all. Hope you get it straight with them. ...SEMPER FI!

 

[Valar]

Thanks Sarge, I appreciate your point of view. If I was a bench shooter I might try a jewel in a 700 action. They have a awesome following. I recently I think on this forum read a problem with jewel in a 700 and similar results? I have to wonder. I feel for hunting purposes there are several triggers capable of safely going down to the 2 pound mark or 2.5 I am afraid to hunt with a lighter pull than that. As for you having no desire to own a AR? Well I built mine from a stripped Rock River lower, Model one upper and Shilen Match barrel in 204 Ruger. This gun shoots consistant in the upper 2s If I do my part. I built it for Coyote hunting. I call my Coyotes and they often come in bye the threes! This is why I choose a follow up shot. I feel any bench shooter that shot this firearm would be impressed. While I respect your point of view and don't argue it. For my purpose my 204 AR is my favorite firearm. Fun to shoot low recoil and excellent accuracy with Berger bullets and Hornady 40 grainers as well. Try a 9 twist Shilen on a AR in 204 sometime and I think you might get the bug? If in Northern IL> area let me Know Id be happy to let you shoot mine sometime!

 

[ljhsniper1]

Thanks Sarge, I appreciate your point of view. If I was a bench shooter I might try a jewel in a 700 action. They have a awesome following. I recently I think on this forum read a problem with jewel in a 700 and similar results? I have to wonder. I feel for hunting purposes there are several triggers capable of safely going down to the 2 pound mark or 2.5 I am afraid to hunt with a lighter pull than that. As for you having no desire to own a AR? Well I built mine from a stripped Rock River lower, Model one upper and Shilen Match barrel in 204 Ruger. This gun shoots consistant in the upper 2s If I do my part. I built it for Coyote hunting. I call my Coyotes and they often come in bye the threes! This is why I choose a follow up shot. I feel any bench shooter that shot this firearm would be impressed. While I respect your point of view and don't argue it. For my purpose my 204 AR is my favorite firearm. Fun to shoot low recoil and excellent accuracy with Berger bullets and Hornady 40 grainers as well. Try a 9 twist Shilen on a AR in 204 sometime and I think you might get the bug? If in Northern IL> area let me Know Id be happy to let you shoot mine sometime!

I appreciate the offer man. I doubt i'll ever get up that way though. I live in the southern state of Louisiana and travel little if at all. I have no doubt the AR's shoot well but i have bad feelings about them as i was in Viet Nam when they were beginning to be forced on the Marines. Give me an M-14 any day of the week. Better yet the Mod. 70 Win. 8x Unertl and LC Match. Long time ago but seems like yesterday. Damn glad it is over but not forgotten! Jewell can go up to 3lbs. if you like them that heavy with a spring change. Anyway, we are all the same but different if you know what i mean. In the mean time ,shoot well and thanks again. SEMPER FI! .......LARRY