Turning old .243 Rem 700 in to Hunter Class Silhouette Rifle

[CoolArrowMarksman]

I'm rattling around the idea of turning my dad's 1978 .243 Remington 700 in to a Hunter Class Silhouette Rifle and want to see what the opinions might be on best approaches. The goal would be to breathe new life in to the gun, it just sits in the safe doing nothing unless my one friend wants to borrow it to take down a deer. I don't hunt, but I do shoot smallbore silhouette.

I'd like to take this and have it blueprinted, bedded, and rebarreled in .260 Remington. I want to keep the original stock, that's a must. Have the barrel channel opened up to accept a heavier contour competition barrel and MAYBE get it refinished if it's not too big of a pain for someone, but I want it to keep the same blued metal/wood stock appeal. I hear the newer Remington 700 actions aren't as high of quality as the old ones, and I've got an old one right here in my safe.

Blued metal barrel and glossy rifle scope to keep the same look as the Bushnell Sportview that sits on it right now, maybe something like a Leupold M8 or a glossy 6.5-20x if I can find one.

If it can be done the way I'm imagining it won't look drastically different when it's done. Just a longer barrel and bigger scope.
So I'd be asking the gunsmith that I find to work with to rebuild the rifle around the action, stock and a scope, getting the rest of the components together around that to keep it within Hunter Class rules. I know a more competitive rifle with a fiberglass stock and a 26 inch barrel and 25x scope can be had for maybe another $700-$1000. But the stock is nice and fits me well with that Monte Carlo cheekpiece and I think it would be cool for my Dad to come out and watch me knock down Rams with his rifle.

I'd like to take it to Tumbleweeds Rifles and see if Mark will help me make it a reality, but before I bother a master I thought I'd ask the internet.

Background: This rifle was mostly stuck under my dad's bed in a case with the exception of maybe 20 or so times he took it hunting.
And yes I'd ideally be posting this on Steelchickens but they seem to be closed for membership, since I've tried to register with 3 different emails over the years with no contact, and yes I checked the spam bin.
And yes I'll be looking over pawnshops for old Monte Carlo .243 Remingtons but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Put a mcmillan anschutz stock on it and upgrade as needed in the future. You can go shoot it in a match right now

 

[AlNyhus]

Sounds like a great project. You may consider snagging a vintage steel tube weaver T series scope. They are period correct, track like crazy and Ackerman's can refurbish them and make them like new.

For a modern scope, the reasonably priced Sightron STac's will out perform the best Leupold 6.5-20, 12X or M series ever made and have better glass by a big, big margin. The MOA reticle would be a good one.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[Will Henry]

If I was doing this for myself, I would perform a minimum of action work. I would true the face of the receiver and check the bolt face to see that it is square. and make sure the recoil lug is the same thickness all the way around. I would check the lugs for contact.
I would get a chromoly barrel from Shilen or Douglas in #5 contour (The Shilen will be heavier and might need some reduction). I would chamber it to 6.5 Creedmoor just because the capacity is a little less than the 260 and it is all you need for MS.
I would bed it into the factory stock; I would cast fiberglass pillars. I would remove the factory buttplate and glue on a piece of foam flooring or a flip flop sole for a pad (lightweight and they work very well; cheap too!)
Adjusting the trigger to 2 1/4 pounds would finish the rifle work
For a scope, my first choice would be to find an early Leupold 16X; preferably with a 1 minute dot (half minute would be OK). Second choice would be a more recently manufactured Leupold 12X, again, with a largish dot; if I could get it. Weaver quad lock rings are lightweight and strong. I like these mid range scopes because I like the wider field of view. I have shot at the wrong target too often when using a 20X! I prefer fixed power scopes because they are lighter and more durable; but that's just me.
This pretty well covers what you have mentioned and it should come in under 9 pounds, with a 26 inch barrel. I contour the barrels to carry the weight a bit forward but not so much as too make it too muzzle heavy.
If a person wants to get a little more serious, the substitution of one of Steve Wooster's stocks for the factory handle would be a logical step but, if I'm honest, I can miss just as well regardless of the stock! WH

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

Sounds like a great project. You may consider snagging a vintage steel tube weaver T series scope. They are period correct, track like crazy and Ackerman's can refurbish them and make them like new.

For a modern scope, the reasonably priced Sightron STac's will out perform the best Leupold 6.5-20, 12X or M series ever made and have better glass by a big, big margin. The MOA reticle would be a good one.

Good shootin' -Al

I am very interested in that Sightron STac 4-20, i just recently came across them and now you're telling me they will outperform and have better glass than my Leupolds. It's hard to find dot reticles in guns and that seems like a great value for a scope that would let me dip my toes in the water.
I have 2 6.5-20 EFR's but they are dedicated to my smallbore silhouette rifle and as my Service Rifle trainer scope.

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

If I was doing this for myself, I would perform a minimum of action work. I would true the face of the receiver and check the bolt face to see that it is square. and make sure the recoil lug is the same thickness all the way around. I would check the lugs for contact.
I would get a chromoly barrel from Shilen or Douglas in #5 contour (The Shilen will be heavier and might need some reduction). I would chamber it to 6.5 Creedmoor just because the capacity is a little less than the 260 and it is all you need for MS.
I would bed it into the factory stock; I would cast fiberglass pillars. I would remove the factory buttplate and glue on a piece of foam flooring or a flip flop sole for a pad (lightweight and they work very well; cheap too!)
Adjusting the trigger to 2 1/4 pounds would finish the rifle work
For a scope, my first choice would be to find an early Leupold 16X; preferably with a 1 minute dot (half minute would be OK). Second choice would be a more recently manufactured Leupold 12X, again, with a largish dot; if I could get it. Weaver quad lock rings are lightweight and strong. I like these mid range scopes because I like the wider field of view. I have shot at the wrong target too often when using a 20X! I prefer fixed power scopes because they are lighter and more durable; but that's just me.
This pretty well covers what you have mentioned and it should come in under 9 pounds, with a 26 inch barrel. I contour the barrels to carry the weight a bit forward but not so much as too make it too muzzle heavy.
If a person wants to get a little more serious, the substitution of one of Steve Wooster's stocks for the factory handle would be a logical step but, if I'm honest, I can miss just as well regardless of the stock! WH

This sounds like a winner of an approach. I don't necessarily need the full blueprinting done on the receiver since this rifle isn't meant for me to shoot for national or international titles. If I ever get there I'll be going all out with a Fiberglass stock, custom action, completely built from the ground up.
A fixed glossy Leupold 16x is ideally what I am looking for. again I want it to look as much like my dad's original rifle as possible, his has that glossy Bushnell Sportview so that's what I'm looking for.

 

[wbm]

Unless you reload I would not go with a 260. 6.5CM is a better way to go imo.

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

Unless you reload I would not go with a 260. 6.5CM is a better way to go imo.

I have a reloading set up. I compete in High Power-Service Rifle. I know bolt guns are different and I am interested in exploring that world of reloading as well.

 

[Fast14riot]

Well, reloading 260 is the easy button. You can make brass from 308, 7-08, 243 if you are ever short on brass. For silhouette, don't be afraid to look at the old made in Japan Tasco scopes. They can be quite nice and are still a bargain on the secondary market. Also, post a WTB ad for the scope you want, you never know who has one sitting on the shelf collecting dust for the last decade or more and will see your ad. I got my Sightron 36x Big Sky that way. Keep us posted on your build!

 

[Will Henry]

The 16x Leupold is the ideal IMO but you don't see many. I saw one on the CGN equipment exchange a couple of weeks back. Bushnell 6-18 variables are not a bad choice either and are often seen in a glossy finish. WH

 

[AlNyhus]

I am very interested in that Sightron STac 4-20, i just recently came across them and now you're telling me they will outperform and have better glass than my Leupolds. It's hard to find dot reticles in guns and that seems like a great value for a scope that would let me dip my toes in the water.

I've got two of them and love 'em.

For a period correct scope that tracks well, the Simmons Gold Medal and Silhouette series Japanese made scopes are killer good. Don't let the Simmons name fool you...these were from the day when Simmons was a quality product. They are a shiny satin finish, too. The vintage Tasco 6-24 World Class TS series are good one with very good tracking and decent optics with an 1/8" dot or cross hair reticle.

There's both a Simmons 15X Silhouette and a Tasco TS 6-24 here just taking up space on scope shelf.

Again...neat project. -Al

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have a bushnell scopechief on my usual silhouette smallbore. Its a great scope with spot on tracking

 

[drover]

Here is my take on it as a long time silhouette competitor. Put a scope on the rifle, adjust the trigger or put an aftermarket trigger on it that will give a consistent 2 lb pull, glass bed the action if the accuracy doesn't suit you. After that start shooting matches, you will likely get about 1500 rounds out of the barrel before it starts giving up, by that time you will have a lot better idea of what caliber and stock you may want. You can use your Hunter rifle in both Hunter and Standard class which give intimate familiarity with the rifle and upped my scores considerably when I started using just one, there are a lot of advantages to not switching to different feeling rifles and different weight triggers.
Prior to switching to just the Hunter rifle for both classes I had started out by shooting a 308, I then dropped down to a 7/08, then a 243 in my Hunter rifle. I tried a 308, a 7/08, a 7BR, and a 7 TCU, for my Standard rifle at different times. Then one day looking through my score books I noticed that throughout the years my best scores were shot using the 243 - that is when the light went on. The faster bullet, lack of recoil and using the same rifle for both classes was the perfect combo for me. I almost immediately moved from a competitive AA class shooter to a winning AAA class shooter then even though I did loose some rams at practically every match I more than made up with the lost rams by a higher percentage of hits on the closer animals.

moral - use what you have and enjoy yourself, you will likely have different thoughts after a few matches

drover

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

I have a bushnell scopechief on my usual silhouette smallbore. Its a great scope with spot on tracking

I would love to keep the bushnell sportview on and try my luck with it, it is supposed to be a solid little scope from a different era. but it's a coin-turn 1/2 minute adjustment scope, it just won't cut it.

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

Well, reloading 260 is the easy button. You can make brass from 308, 7-08, 243 if you are ever short on brass. For silhouette, don't be afraid to look at the old made in Japan Tasco scopes. They can be quite nice and are still a bargain on the secondary market. Also, post a WTB ad for the scope you want, you never know who has one sitting on the shelf collecting dust for the last decade or more and will see your ad. I got my Sightron 36x Big Sky that way. Keep us posted on your build!

how else is reloading for .260 the easy button? besides being able to make brass from those other calibers i mean.

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

Here is my take on it as a long time silhouette competitor. Put a scope on the rifle, adjust the trigger or put an aftermarket trigger on it that will give a consistent 2 lb pull, glass bed the action if the accuracy doesn't suit you. After that start shooting matches, you will likely get about 1500 rounds out of the barrel before it starts giving up, by that time you will have a lot better idea of what caliber and stock you may want. You can use your Hunter rifle in both Hunter and Standard class which give intimate familiarity with the rifle and upped my scores considerably when I started using just one, there are a lot of advantages to not switching to different feeling rifles and different weight triggers.
Prior to switching to just the Hunter rifle for both classes I had started out by shooting a 308, I then dropped down to a 7/08, then a 243 in my Hunter rifle. I tried a 308, a 7/08, a 7BR, and a 7 TCU, for my Standard rifle at different times. Then one day looking through my score books I noticed that throughout the years my best scores were shot using the 243 - that is when the light went on. The faster bullet, lack of recoil and using the same rifle for both classes was the perfect combo for me. I almost immediately moved from a competitive AA class shooter to a winning AAA class shooter then even though I did loose some rams at practically every match I more than made up with the lost rams by a higher percentage of hits on the closer animals.

moral - use what you have and enjoy yourself, you will likely have different thoughts after a few matches

drover

Thank you for this, great contribution that gives me a little more insight on things. I'm currently focused on High Power Service Rifle competition, and am using silhouette to cross train. I want to concentrate on smallbore since I already have tons of .22 ammunition.
I think your game plan is sensible and would be a better way to dip my toe in the waters of HP silhouette.

I absolutely want to take the single Hunter class rifle approach when I do decide to jump in fully to Silhouette competition.

Does anyone have suggestions for a gunsmith who can do a good job of bedding the rifle? I'm in San Antonio, Texas. I know Mark Pharr is in the area but I don't want to bother the master until I want a full blown championship rifle made.
I also might need help with mounting the next scope properly, the screws on this mount and rings set up are in weird tight spots and I'd like to preserve these components as best I can.

 

[Fast14riot]

how else is reloading for .260 the easy button? besides being able to make brass from those other calibers i mean.

Its an accurate cartridge that does really well with a wide variety of bullet weights and powders. Shoot 120s for chickens and pigs, 140s for rurkeys and rams. 44g H4831 under any 130-140gr bullets will group nicely in any 260 I've ever shot. Of course you can fine tune it a little more, but it will be sub moa right from the start.

 

[1911nut]

I am very interested in that Sightron STac 4-20, i just recently came across them and now you're telling me they will outperform and have better glass than my Leupolds. It's hard to find dot reticles in guns and that seems like a great value for a scope that would let me dip my toes in the water.
I have 2 6.5-20 EFR's but they are dedicated to my smallbore silhouette rifle and as my Service Rifle trainer scope.

I have a Sightron STac 4-20. I can’t give a comparison to my Nightforces, Leupolds or other Sightrons but I find it bright, very good resolution and I have the MOA with a dot reticle to match some other scopes I shoot.
Overall a very good and I paid $400.

I just saw it on Amazon for $299

 

[CoolArrowMarksman]

any gunsmith suggestions for bedding the rifle?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Speedy gonzalez in your town