Help Me Understand "Accurizing" A Rifle

[maidendeth13]

Hey All,

Last year I started taking some shooting classes and really enjoying myself. I'm looking to take a "precision rifle" class in the near future and following that, inevitably start to build or buy one for myself.

I understand the general steps towards making a rifle more accurate but don't have a solid grasp of what order they would go in and what to invest in first.

In order to kind of spread out the cost of this a bit I'm most likely going to look to pick up a lightly used factory rifle (easy to do here in TX!!!) and then upgrade bits & pieces/have work done to it over the course of a few months (or longer depending on how far this goes...).

Anyways, if I were to pick up a factory 700 SPS or similar, is my money better spent upgrading the stock first? Replacing the trigger first? Re-barrelling first? Blue-printing the action first? Or do all of them or some combination of them need to be done to get any measurable result.

Hoping to work with a budget of $1200ish for the rifle alone. I'd also love to be able to hunt with the rifle a bit too. I won't be packing it in on a backcountry elk hunt, but may try to take some antelope or deer with it every once and awhile.

With regards to glass (not included in price above) I'd love to throw a nice FFP 3-15 scope (or similar on it) but short term budget won't allow for that so in the meantime I'll probably pillage a leupold Mark AR off another gun and either run that for a bit or sell it and pick up a SWFA fixed 10x or something similar in order to try and get more rounds downrange myself. (I do have limited access to some land where I can shoot between 1-1000 yards). A budget for nice glass will follow but unless anyone thinks it's putting the cart in front of the horse I'd like to keep this reasonably priced until I decide I love it and want to go all the way (in which case this will just be the first rifle I'm sure...).

Also, I have reloading equipment but haven't really started reloading much yet as most of my rifle shooting right now is just related to hunting.

Cheers.

[milotrain]

Just buy the 5R

[BillyGoatMachine]

Just buy the 5R

lol...


OP, in this order.

Match ammunition
Barrel
practice
trigger
stock replacement
If you can afford it, true the action while the new barrel gets fitted.

Seriously start with match ammo and a new trigger. If you didn't get a lemon it should shoot under moa.

[LynnJr]

The biggest problems with factory rifles are the triggers suck the stocks are too flexible and they all need bedding and the barrels are not capable of great accuracy.
The trigger is the easiest fix because it doesn't affect anything else.
If you bed a factory stock you will get rid of the major fliers but you just spent good bedding money on a factory stock that will be needed again when you swap out the stock.
If your going to true up the action this needs to be done before you put on a new barrel.
If your in Texas look up S&S Precision owned by Stick Stark.
He is a well known gunsmith that does quality work.

[bsumoba]

I would have different priorities as I believe match ammunition or hand loads only shoot as good as the rifle can shoot.

Barrel Job (Remage barrel is a good option for cost)
Stock - Need to ensure action is on a rigid and stable stock and you have a floating barrel.
Trigger - Factory triggers are heavy. Go with a Timney, Jewell, BixNAndy, etc.
Action Truing would be next. I would do this when you think you need to squeeze out that little bit more of accuracy, but me personally, I would just do it with the new barrel.

Then, practice a lot and learn how to do a proper load development on the new barrel. That is when match or custom ammunition will benefit you most IMO.

[Switchbarrel]

Personally, I would think about looking for a used "custom" rifle. Chances are good you can find one with a custom action (or trued up Remington), good bottom metal/magazine system, good stock/chassis, trigger, etc. Yes, the initial outlay will be more but, cheaper than buying a whole rifle just to systematically throw 90% of it away (per se).

I've done both and because I can't leave anything alone/original, I can't see myself ever buying a "factory" anything anymore.

[JackEllis]

This is probably a hopelessly naiive suggestion, but see if you can shoot a few of those "lightly used" rifles to find out whether any of them shoot well before spending more money to "fix" them. No sense buying a lemon someone is trying to unload if you can avoid it.

You might also want to take a look at the Tikka line from Sako (Beretta). They don't get much play in this particular forum as a precision rifle platform, but I have two and I like the way they shoot factory ammo by lightening the trigger but making no other modifications. There are some aftermarket parts including stocks, and apparently some users build precision rifles using Tikka actions. Mine are for hunting, and right now the biggest impediment to acceptable accuracy in field conditions is me, not the rifle.

[milotrain]

lol...

His budget is $1200, so he can afford it and it's cheaper than replacing the stock and barrel on an SPS. Then he will have a good place to start until he wears the barrel out and replaces it. At that point he can decide if he thinks it's worth it to true the action.

A 5R can outshoot most people with the most plentiful good quality match ammo commercially available besides 7.5x55 GP11. It's a no brainer, and he can start shooting now rather than wait for a smith to have time or a barrel blank to come in or rolling the dice on a 700 SPS that might be able to shoot MOA (some do, some don't).

I could be shooting a 5R in 10 days from Saturday depending on how much I was willing to drive. It will take OP that long to sort through the "advice" on this forum and choose a barrel profile much less order said barrel assuming it's in stock (it's not, something similar is so that's another thread of "advice")

[ar15barrels]

Just buy the 5R

This.
It's a better barrel than any of the other factory remington rifles.
A new shooter does NOT need a trued action or a custom barrel.
A new shooter needs a good stock and a great trigger and lots of time behind the rifle.
Professional instruction will dramatically reduce the learning curve.

A 5R barrel will shoot beyond the needs of a shooter with a few classes under his belt.
The same can not be said for the barrels on the SPS or the 700P though.

All I would do to a 5R is put a Timney 510 and a muzzle brake on it.
The stock is already nice and solid and properly free floated.

When we talk about the 5R, that is Remington's model 29663 with the 24" stainless action/barrel.
Stay away from any of the shorter barrelled models as you want the 24" barrel.

[ar15barrels]

Anyways, if I were to pick up a factory 700 SPS or similar, is my money better spent upgrading the stock first? Replacing the trigger first? Re-barrelling first? Blue-printing the action first? Or do all of them or some combination of them need to be done to get any measurable result.

OP, in this order.

Match ammunition
Barrel
practice
trigger
stock replacement
If you can afford it, true the action while the new barrel gets fitted.

Seriously start with match ammo and a new trigger. If you didn't get a lemon it should shoot under moa.

I'm going to disagree.
If he starts with an SPS, he needs a stock before a trigger and ammo because the SPS stocks use the barrel to support the stock.
He needs a stock that properly floats the barrel before ammo and trigger can help him very much.
Once a good stock is in place, put a good trigger in it and use good ammo.
After that, it takes lots of practice until he can out-shoot the existing barrel.

[kriller134]

Bud's has the 5r for under a grand shipped. That should leave you enough for ammo or a trigger.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobile/product/411540287/redirect

[Rickmcu]

The 5r is a great way to go as mentioned. Other then that. Save the money on all the other stuff to upgrade the rifle and just get behind the rifle as MUCH as you can. That's how you become more accurate. Upgrade later when you think the precision of the rifle is holding you back.

[maidendeth13]

I like the 5r idea.

I will definitely remain as the weak link in this equation for quite awhile so if a 5r with an upgraded trigger is a good place to start that's fine with me. More $ to spend on a class and ammo and I think trigger time is one of the most valuable things I could do. Doesn't do any good to have the most accurate rifle in the world if I can't shoot!

I'd actually done some reading on the 5r a while ago and thought I remembered a few different models. Is there a a difference between a 5R and a 5R milspec at all or is it just different people referring to the same gun in different ways? I see the model # listed above but not sure if it changed anytime over the past few years or if any with a 24" barrel would be that model.


I see them pop up on a local forum every now and then for $800-$1k so I'll start keeping an eye out and see if I can snag one on the cheap.

[BillyGoatMachine]

His budget is $1200, so he can afford it and it's cheaper than replacing the stock and barrel on an SPS. Then he will have a good place to start until he wears the barrel out and replaces it. At that point he can decide if he thinks it's worth it to true the action.

A 5R can outshoot most people with the most plentiful good quality match ammo commercially available besides 7.5x55 GP11. It's a no brainer, and he can start shooting now rather than wait for a smith to have time or a barrel blank to come in or rolling the dice on a 700 SPS that might be able to shoot MOA (some do, some don't).

I could be shooting a 5R in 10 days from Saturday depending on how much I was willing to drive. It will take OP that long to sort through the "advice" on this forum and choose a barrel profile much less order said barrel assuming it's in stock (it's not, something similar is so that's another thread of "advice")

I can see how my "lol" post was mistaken judging from your response. I was more or less agreeing with you at the ease of solving his problem by simply purchasing a 5R. My post was not meant to be in disagreement with your recommendation.

An regarding the order of my recommendations, they are based upon changing one thing at a time on the rifle, increasing accuracy along the way. Would I build a rifle for myself in that order? No, I'd just do it right from the start and change everything, including adding a one piece bolt from PT&G. Or simply starting with a custom action to begin with.

[LynnJr]

Skkeeter
I must have read the title of the post wrong myself.
I thought he wanted to know about accurizing a factory rifle not picking out the best one then replacing everything anyway.
And the world's worst Shooter behind a great gun will outshoot a very good shooter with a junk gun in my experience.