accuracy problems in model seven

[dmc308]

have a remington model seven stainless synthetic in 7mm 08 that I'm having a difficult time achieving consistent accuracy from. This was a new (used.........but still in box never fired) rifle I came across last summer. Put a bushnell 3200 with a DNZ mount on it and it's a sweet little package. Only problem, having a hard time building consistent accuracy out of it. It will often touch two, but the point of impact keeps drifting. Do you think it will benefit from a bedding job, or will it be better off with the factory tip pressure given the thin barrel.

 

[SgtPat]

New remingtons are junk. Send it back to remington and make them fix it for free.

 

[dmc308]

per the serial #, this one was manufactured in 1997.

 

[germag]

Not enough information. Has the rifle ever shot well? Have you checked/double checked that all of the scope mounting screws are properly torqued and the base screws are Loc-Tited (blue)? Have you checked that the action screws are properly torqued? Do you handload for it? If not, what factory loads have you tried?

The pressure pad at the end of the forearm has nothing to do with bedding. Free-floating the barrle will remove the pressure pad, but you don't have to free-fload in order to bed and you don't have to bed in order to free-float. Those little pencil barrels on the Mod 7s have a pressure pad for a reason, which is that most of them benefit from it.

I have a Model 7 in 7mm-08 that will shoot like a house afire if it's clean and I don't overheat the barrel with good handloads with Hornady 139 gr SP or SST. It hated nearly every factory load I ever fed it, except Hornady Custom 139 gr SP. I must have tried 10 different factory loads before I found that out...it was getting expensive and I was about to throw in the towel and just chalk it up to a "lemon". The best I could get out of any of the others was about 2" at 100y.

Copper fouling is another issue with these barrels, in my experience. They start to lose accuracy quickly when they start fouling.

 

[jglenn]

all( and I own quite a few) of my mdl 7 are glass bedded and free floated..they all seem to like it that way.

have it bedded and free floated.. you can always add the pressure pad back. if it seems to group a couple then throw one check the magazine box to indure it is not binding against the receiver..it should be free floating . you should be able to move it just a bit.

the other thing would be as germag said let the barrel cool a bit between shots...and be sure the barrel is clean...really clean

great little guns

 

[HandgunHTR]

Just one more thing to add about shooting it from the bench.

For some reason they really like to be rested right on the front stock screw.

 

[germag]

all( and I own quite a few) of my mdl 7 are glass bedded and free floated..they all seem to like it that way.

have it bedded and free floated.. you can always add the pressure pad back. if it seems to group a couple then throw one check the magazine box to indure it is not binding against the receiver..it should be free floating . you should be able to move it just a bit.

the other thing would be as germag said let the barrel cool a bit between shots...and be sure the barrel is clean...really clean

great little guns

Yep, you can alway add the pressure point back by using some bedding epoxy and just build it up where the old pressure pad was removed from. The best way I've found is to hang about an 8 lb weight off the tip of the forearm while the rifle is resting on the barrel and buttstock between two benches. This will pull the the forearm away from the barrel and you can then use a syringe to fill the void with epoxy. I use a few layers of tape in the stock to make a dam to keep the epoxy from flowing past where I want it. Make sure to put some release agent on the barrel first or it may be a little hard to remove without breaking the epoxy. When all is said and done, that will leave you with about 8 lbs of upward pressure.

The Mod 7s are great little tree stand rifles....light, compact, and accurate. In my opinion, they are perfect for treestand use in the woods or for still hunting or stalking with something like a 2-8x scope, or even a low magnification fixed power.

 

[BookHound]

There are a lot of things that could be adversely affecting accuracy. Several good recommendations have already been made in this thread. Also as mentioned, more information would really be helpful in diagnosing the problems.

With some exceptions, most cernterfire rifles will perform best with a properly free-floated barrel and bedding job.

Is the scope a known good scope? Meaning, have you tried it on other rifles and know it to not be a problem? Groups opening up is one thing, consistent wandering POI is another problem entirely.

Lastly, not all rifles shoot best when clean. Learn what your rifle likes. Is your barrel holding copper at all? How do you clean it?

Mark

 

[germag]

Just one more thing to add about shooting it from the bench.

For some reason they really like to be rested right on the front stock screw.

Yeah, especially if they have a factory synthetic stock. That little Butler Creek synthetic they put on them is flexible up front.

 

[badger]

To save you further embarrassment and frustration at the range, I'll take it off your hands for free . Just pm me if you're interested.

 

[jkoch]

Badger I will see your offer and raise you a dollar plus i will come and pick it up!!!!!

 

[jkoch]

I have 3 model 7 7MM-08 and all of them will shoot 1/2 moa at 100 yds If the barrels are clean and allowed to cool between shots. I shoot 140 gr. Nosler AccuBonds.(hand loads).

 

[Dub]

DMC308, I had a Model 7 a few years back. The lightweight barrel showed definite preferance for bullet weights over others.

Once I found the weight it liked it became one of the most accurate guns I've owned.

 

[chuckdog]

To answer your question? It's a crapshoot. The only way to know for sure is to try it.

Proper bedding sure won't hurt it. The pressure is the unknown factor.

A pencil barrel can be difficult to get good groups from ?

But the first shots shifting point of impact should be fixable with proper bedding. If the first shots POI is still shifting, then you have issues with a bad barrel/crown, scope, mount, ect.

If you plan to keep it, a little accraglas can work magic with the first shots poi consistency.

First shot cold barrel consistency is pretty much all I demand from a pencil barrel like the 7.

An 18"- 20" standard weight barrel is a more desirable package in my eyes.

Good luck with it! Merry Christmas! CD

 

[Jimmyp]

you can just bed the lug if you want to try that. My first place to look would be the scope if you have a wandering zero. Got another scope of known quality to try? OR consider this. Put your eye behind the scope and look at the 100 yard target. Move your eye up and down relative to the occular, does the crosshair move some on the target? Try left and right. That my friend is what they call parralex. See if the parralex in your scope is set for 100 yards. If its not parralex then maybe the scope, if not the scope then shim the lug with masking tape and see how many thicknesses of masking tape you can get on the lug and still get it to go into the lug channel. If your lug is loose then bed the lug.

 

[Jimmyp]

let your barrel cool 5 minutes between shots as well.

 

[dmc308]

thanks for all the info. scope base and mount screws properly torqued and base lock tite'd by the guys at the foxhole (watched it being done). Do not hand load, but have gone through every brand/weight I could find and the regular rem. corelocks shoot the best. With a cold clean barrel it will touch the first two most of the time. Here's the problem, next time out to the range (after a fouling shot) it will group the first two tight again, but the POI is different. Resting from bags (same as I do with my x bolt 308 and it will do sub MOA no problem). Scope is a new Bushnell #3200 elite with the solid DNZ mounts. Checked mounting screws on guns and everything it tight.

 

[dmc308]

I normally let the barrel cool at least 15 minutes after a 3 shot group. It heats up in a big hurry given the wispy barrel

 

[ASH556]

Wandering POI sounds like a bad scope to me. It can happen even with new ones. Put a different scope on the gun and see what happens.

 

[triton]

I bought a mod.7 7mm08 about 12 yrs ago it was used but it was like a new one verry clean and no scratches.It wouldnt shoot worth a xxxx.I thought about it a while and started checking a few things.Tried the $ blill trick and it wouldnt go past the swivel stud.I took the stock off the rifle and you could see where the stud was sitting on the barrel.I took the stud out and ground it down some and put it back and free floated the barrel.with 120grn.Nosler blastic tips reloads it shot 1/2"moa.A buddy that is small wanted it for 3 yrs.and I sold it.XXXX wish I didnt.Told him if he ever wanted to get rid of it I wanted it back.