20 year old Model 700 30:06 Practical advice needed

[ntodwild]

Landed on a 30:06 or should I say it landed on me.... Cut to the chase.

I threw my older Leupold on it and the thing is really a nice shooter. Since I got the rifle for free and after shooting it, confirming it is a solid shooter I figured I would turn it into a solid medium to long range (2-500yard) hunting rifle. I need some advice.......

First and foremost I am gonna drop a vx3i with CDS on it, Timney Trigger and I want to convert the ADL to BDL stock and possibly a removable magazine conversion. There is so many stocks and conversion kits in the market place. Anyone done this and have some recommendations and or things to stay away from??? Should I do an external mag conversion or just do a simple BDL conversion and leave it at that?

Good quality, durable "fully bedded" synthetic aftermarket stock????

Remember this is gonna be a HUNTING RIFLE not a show piece or target specific build. Durability and middle of the road price tag. Quality drop in/bolt on products.

Look forward to hearing from some of you model 700 builders.

 

[Addicting]

AG composites makes a great stock. I’ve used Bell and Carlson and don’t care for it. I have a McMillian game warden and love it. But for the money if I buy a new one it would be a AG sportsman.

 

[turbobrick]

My 700 in 30-06 started out as a BDL, I like the hinged floorplate. But, I didn't like any of the normal stocks, and at the time I was really into the form and feel of HS Precision stocks. The nice thing about HS, at least at that time, was that they had their own detachable bottom metal and magazine system that drops into all their stocks without inletting. The downside is that their stocks are on the heavy side. Ultimately, I swapped my 700 into one of the new HS Precision lightweight hunting stocks, and I really like what I have now.

Since then, Magpul came out with their bottom metal, and it works really well. I fit one to my brother in law's 700 in -06 with the factory stock, it works well, and is much cheaper. Legacy (Howa) also has a Rem 700 LA DBM, among others. If you can find a factory stock you like, you can convert. If you find a stock you like, talk with the manufacturer and see if they have a DBM option.

 

[HighDesertSage]

HS precision

 

[cowboy]

I say leave the ADL on it, glass bed it, do a trigger job, clean the barrel good, check the barrel crown, maybe put a brake on it and go for it. The BDL in my opinion is just a couple more moving parts that can go wrong (especially in a rifle scabbard on horseback). I can unload a ADL just as safe as you can a BDL.

 

[deer_shooter]

If its just a practical, short to medium range hunting rifle and it shoots good, I say leave it as is. There's nothing wrong with aftermarket goodies but doesn't sound necessary. That said I have an HS precision on my 700 and like it.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Landed on a 30:06 or should I say it landed on me.... Cut to the chase.

I threw my older Leupold on it and the thing is really a nice shooter. Since I got the rifle for free and after shooting it, confirming it is a solid shooter I figured I would turn it into a solid medium to long range (2-500yard) hunting rifle. I need some advice.......

First and foremost I am gonna drop a vx3i with CDS on it, Timney Trigger and I want to convert the ADL to BDL stock and possibly a removable magazine conversion. There is so many stocks and conversion kits in the market place. Anyone done this and have some recommendations and or things to stay away from??? Should I do an external mag conversion or just do a simple BDL conversion and leave it at that?

Good quality, durable "fully bedded" synthetic aftermarket stock????

Remember this is gonna be a HUNTING RIFLE not a show piece or target specific build. Durability and middle of the road price tag. Quality drop in/bolt on products.

Look forward to hearing from some of you model 700 builders.

My 700 BDL 7mm Rem Mag was purchased in 1971 right after I returned from Vietnam as a "gift" to me and celebration of life. It has misfired once, then received a new safety mechanism and a cerakote finish. I've lost track of the antelope, deer, and elk it has put down ... and it remains accurate and the favorite rifle.

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

AG Composites, Bell and Carlson, Grayboe (McMillan lineage), HS Precision, Manners all are solid options for stocks, and a simple BDL bottom metal and magazine conversion will be all you ever need. The above would be a very straightforward conversion to eliminate any variables that present themselves in the ADL configuration.

 

[kishs10]

my 7mm BDL lost the wood stock a few years ago, gained a ceracote job, a HS Precision Stock, Timney trigger and a VX5 Scope. Its been a great gun. I'm probably going to give it to my son when he gets back from overseas as an excuse to build another one. I'm really liking the AG composite stocks. That will probably be what I go with.

 

[tzone]

I'd make it a Leaver-rifle. Leaver just the way she is!

You want a budget rifle...you just got one. Tune the trigger, put your scope on it, and find a load.

 

[Don Fischer]

Something that never happens with an ADL is the floor plate never falls open for any reason. ADL's are my choice but I do have one BDL; always worrying the floor plate will fall open!

 

[6mm Remington]

Something that never happens with an ADL is the floor plate never falls open for any reason. ADL's are my choice but I do have one BDL; always worrying the floor plate will fall open!

Have a quality gunsmith glass bed and pillar bed the stock and free-float the barrel. Good trigger you chose, or maybe your gunsmith can do an excellent trigger job as well getting it to break sharp and clean at about 2.5 - 3 pounds. An HS or B&C stock would be nice as well if that is what you want on it.

H4350 or IMR4350 with 165 gr. Partitions or Accubonds seem to be a match made in heaven. The 150 gr. E-tip would also be an excellent bullet. I would go with that weight of the E-tip over the 165 gr. E-tip for the quicker velocities you would generate and it will still penetrate and hold it's weight very well.

Have the gunsmith check the crown as mentioned above and if it looks like it might need touched up let him do that since he's doing the other work. I had a 700 ADL in 30-06 that was a real shooter. I have rifles with the detachable magazine and have had the non-detachable like the ADL. I like them both but as stated above you can just as safely unload an ADL as you can a BDL. Push the round far enough forward that it pops out of the magazine and then pull the bolt back without closing it on the cartridge and tip the action to the side and the round will fall out into your hand. Repeat until the magazine is empty. Simple and quick.

 

[westbranch]

I have a Rem 700 ADL 30-06 that is 30+ yrs old and the biggest issue I had with it was recoil due to no recoil pad. Received a new HS Precision stock a couple weeks ago, already have a Howa with one and liked it. Cerakote scheduled in December, there is a bit of rust and it should look good cleaned up. Also bought a Vortex Viper HS scope on sale and a new trigger. So should be a good hunting gun with all of that done.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Tinker away. That's the great thing about guns - you get to decide how it's set up.

I like the HS precision stocks for plastic ones. Lots of folks swear by McMillan as well. Since it's a hunting rifle though, I'd eschew the drop box mag for a standard ADL blind mag & save weight. If you're set on a bdl style though, I'd still stay away from the drop mag.

To truly get that 500 yard goal though, I'd rechamber to 30-06 AI and gain those extra FPS for heavier bullets. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck & post pics!!

 

[cahunter805]

What’s your budget for the entire upgrades?Stock options are endless and a budget on that would help narrow some choices. I’d look at a Trigger Tech instead of a Timney trigger. ADL to BDL conversion is simple and just a few parts to swap and what I would recommend instead of a removable magazine.

 

[FLS]

I’ve got the same rifle, an older 700 ADL 30-06. I put it in an HS Precision ADL stock and swapped the trigger for a Trigger Tech. Great setup.
I don’t see any point in adding a detachable mag to a hunting rifle. If it already has on, so be it, but I appreciate the simplicity of the ADL.
I put my 700 Mountain, with a factory detachable mag, in an AG Composites Privateer. I’ve got McMillan, Manners, HS, and B&C stocks, and the AG composites is by far the best. The fit and finish is superior to any of the others. Add in price and wait time compared to a Manners or McMillan, and it’s a no brainer IMO.

 

[Big Slick]

I hear good things about Greyboe stocks.

 

[hank4elk]

On my old 74 700 ADL -06 ,I dropped a Timney in it,got a Brownells ADL-BDL conversion kit and put it on a Hogue overmolded full aluminum bed stock. Never missfired,never had the floor plate open when it shouldn't,never get a recoil bruise anymore no matter how many rounds I put thru it, and it's always spot on. Put a Zeiss on it 4 yrs ago and it's a 600 yrd rifle,for sure.

 

[44hunter45]

I am a big user of Hogue Overmolded stocks. They are way cheaper than most others and they shoot and feel great. At around $225 for a full bed, they are really overlooked.
I fill the forearm "ladder" of aluminum with epoxy just to the top of the metal to stiffen them even a little more. It adds very little weight.

 

[jnmullins]

I have basically the same gun. The only things I have done to it are install a Boyd's laminate stock and glass be it. I put a Triggertech primary in it this spring, but took two deer and two hogs last year with the factory trigger. With IMR4350 and 165gr Hornady SPs, it shoots right around .75" and sometimes better. The only other things I want to do to it are to remove some wood from the stock to make it slimmer and install a VX3i on it.