Barrel contour for a Remington 700 CDL SA? Lightweight varminter buid.

[MoneyWaster]

I just ordered a nice Remington 700 CDL walnut stock off of ebay and am thinking of building a lightweight varmint rifle with it (ground squirrels and coyotes in Northern NV). As much as I dig my XLR chassis rigs, walnut stocks still hold a warm place in my heart.

Does anyone know what barrel contour is stock with these rifles? I'm thinking of ordering a PT&G blueprinted SS 700 action and building something like a 20 Practical or 17-223. It should be one sweet little rig. I'd like a 20 VARTARG or 17 Fireball, but I want this rifle to feed and extract with the stock hardware.

 

[varmintshooter]

I have, and like, both 20 vt and 17 fb but a 222 might be a better choice for a repeater.

 

[JLT]

I just ordered a nice Remington 700 CDL walnut stock off of ebay and am thinking of building a lightweight varmint rifle with it (ground squirrels and coyotes in Northern NV). As much as I dig my XLR chassis rigs, walnut stocks still hold a warm place in my heart.

Does anyone know what barrel contour is stock with these rifles? I'm thinking of ordering a PT&G blueprinted SS 700 action and building something like a 20 Practical or 17-223. It should be one sweet little rig. I'd like a 20 VARTARG or 17 Fireball, but I want this rifle to feed and extract with the stock hardware.

I'm guessing your run-of-the-mill #2 sporter contour.

You won't regret building a .20 Practical. A snap to form cases, components are everywhere and they shoot! A decent sporter weight barrel will surprise you with the accuracy and it's a hoot spotting your hits in the scope. If you go this route, get a 1:11 twist - it will shoot the 32 - 40 grain range of bullets accurately. A 12 twist can be a roll of the dice with the 40s.

 

[MoneyWaster]

I'm guessing your run-of-the-mill #2 sporter contour.

You won't regret building a .20 Practical. A snap to form cases, components are everywhere and they shoot! A decent sporter weight barrel will surprise you with the accuracy and it's a hoot spotting your hits in the scope. If you go this route, get a 1:11 twist - it will shoot the 32 - 40 grain range of bullets accurately. A 12 twist can be a roll of the dice with the 40s.

Thanks JLT, that's what I was looking for. Odds are that I'll go the 20 Practical route due to readily available Lapua brass in 223. My plan will be to go with an 11 twist so that I can shoot the 40 grain pills at coyotes. It should be one sweet little rifle once its done.

 

[JLT]

Thanks JLT, that's what I was looking for. Odds are that I'll go the 20 Practical route due to readily available Lapua brass in 223. My plan will be to go with an 11 twist so that I can shoot the 40 grain pills at coyotes. It should be one sweet little rifle once its done.

I'll bet you're going to love it. I shoot my .20 P more often than anything else in my line up, because it's so darned much fun. Tiny, itty bitty groups (I've managed a few in the zeros) and crows just disappear in a cloud of black feathers.

I built one for my neighbor on a Remington Model 7 action with a 24" #5 contour (magnum sporter) barrel and he loves his, too. He showed me a picture of the impact aftermath on a crow that was sitting on one of his barbed wire fences - all that was left of the crow was the feet, still clinging to the wire. A few feathers here and there, but I got a kick out of the feet. 32 gr. ZMax at around 4K.

 

[MoneyWaster]

I'll bet you're going to love it. I shoot my .20 P more often than anything else in my line up, because it's so darned much fun. Tiny, itty bitty groups (I've managed a few in the zeros) and crows just disappear in a cloud of black feathers.

I built one for my neighbor on a Remington Model 7 action with a 24" #5 contour (magnum sporter) barrel and he loves his, too. He showed me a picture of the impact aftermath on a crow that was sitting on one of his barbed wire fences - all that was left of the crow was the feet, still clinging to the wire. A few feathers here and there, but I got a kick out of the feet. 32 gr. ZMax at around 4K.

JLT,

Who smithed your rifle for you?

 

[JLT]

JLT,

Who smithed your rifle for you?

I did. I own a LGS and build a few rifles now and then. In the process of moving to Texas from central NY. Texas is much more business-friendly.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

The factory contour is called a Remington sporter or you can get a Remington magnum sporter which is .050" larger along the od. Totally different shape than a #2 or #3

 

[JLT]

The factory contour is called a Remington sporter or you can get a Remington magnum sporter which is .050" larger along the od. Totally different shape than a #2 or #3

Thanks Alex. Notes taken . . .

 

[jds holler]

Whoever ya get your barrel from will have a chart showing dimensions of their various barres contours. It's pretty easy with a pair of calipers to see how much meat you have in the fore-stock to work a particular barrel into. I think that if you stick with a barrel of #4 contour or less you will have room. An afternoon with sand paper and some deep-well sockets will have you thinking you're ready to go into gunsmithing. -- or not.jd

 

[tclaunch]

Bartlein offers exact Remington tapers for a hassle free drop in fit. The Remington Sporter is only offered in chromolly, magnum in SS, but being a 20 cal you might get them to run it in SS. I order direct from them and always get the 4 groove not 5R. Just me personally.

 

[MoneyWaster]

Bartlein offers exact Remington tapers for a hassle free drop in fit. The Remington Sporter is only offered in chromolly, magnum in SS, but being a 20 cal you might get them to run it in SS. I order direct from them and always get the 4 groove not 5R. Just me personally.

Perfect! This is exactly what I'm looking for. I do want the SS though.

 

[nmkid]

I went the .20 Practical route with a 28" finished barrel, (I know not a lightweight) 11 twist shooting some of the smallest groups I have ever shot with 40 gr Vmax's. Using H335. No turning necks, weighing brass or working with seating depths. I have used 4 different powders and it shoots great with all of them. PAC NOR did mine.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I use Rock Creeks almost exclusively for my hunting rifles. They will do Rem sporters and mag sporters in SS. Awesome barrels.

 

[MoneyWaster]

I use Rock Creeks almost exclusively for my hunting rifles. They will do Rem sporters and mag sporters in SS. Awesome barrels.

Good to know. Thanks Alex!

 

[MoneyWaster]

I was thinking of going with a relatively short barrel, like 21". Would it be worthwhile to go a little heavier than the #2 sporter contour? I want the gun to be quick handling and balanced.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

@tom has a 6.5 creed with a fluted #2 that shoots as good as I would expect a bench gun to shoot a creedmoor.

 

[JLT]

I was thinking of going with a relatively short barrel, like 21". Would it be worthwhile to go a little heavier than the #2 sporter contour? I want the gun to be quick handling and balanced.

A 20 cal hole doesn't remove much metal. A #2 contour or similar, especially at a shorter length, will result in a pretty stiff barrel. If everything else goes together properly and the barrel/chamber are well done, it will shoot. My neighbor's mag sporter contour shoots as well as my varmint contour. Heck, my .20 Practical AR upper (22" Hbar) keeps up with the bolt guns, too.

 

[MoneyWaster]

A 20 cal hole doesn't remove much metal. A #2 contour or similar, especially at a shorter length, will result in a pretty stiff barrel. If everything else goes together properly and the barrel/chamber are well done, it will shoot. My neighbor's mag sporter contour shoots as well as my varmint contour. Heck, my .20 Practical AR upper (22" Hbar) keeps up with the bolt guns, too.

If it will consistently shoot in the .3's I'd be thrilled. Heck, I don't even know if I can consistently shoot in the .3's. I can do it with my PRS style .308 on occasion, but not day in and day out. Three shot groups, yes, but not 5 and 10 shot groups.

 

[MoneyWaster]

Before I really got into shooting for precision I thought that I was a pretty good shot. Now I have a plethora of data that says otherwise.