New rifle suggestions

[belshawelk]

I don’t mind the 06 recoil at all or the .444 that much you only notice it when practicing anyway. I was just thinking a really good long range gun and cartridge that both I and my daughter could handle if needed. She has a 300 blackout but has shot a .308 before with no problems. That’s why I was looking at the .308. The 6.8 didn’t seem to have that much more recoil. I’m gonna work on the Remington 700 30-06 before I do anything else. If it doesn’t work out I’ll go from there. It seems I can’t go wrong with the .308 for elk. I know someone who reloads so he could work on some loads for me with it and the 06 to really get it dialed in if needed.

Just FYI if you don’t care about recoil then get the 6.8. Awesome cartridge and blows away the .308.

 

[steveshuntn1]

Tikka 308. Best rifle im pretty biased tho, but it’s such a smooth shooter. My buddy had a bergara, but started taking my gun on long hikes because his was so damn heavy. Went 3/3 this year on animals, all 3 animals dropped in their tracks. 165 gr Nosler Accubond. I just went through this dilemma last year and ended up with the Tikka. Very happy I went this route.

It should be any easy decision…but I’ve been looking at calibers and rifles for months. I’m sure I’m overthinking it.

 

[Don Fischer]

I don’t reload. Elk will be the biggest critter most likely. I would love to hunt moose but that’s a bucket list hunt for sure. I’m gonna hunt elk, mule deer, and pronghorn every year as long as I’m able. I wouldn’t shoot over 500 yards and would do all I could to cut that distance in half if possible. I think that 6.8 is awesome as well and should be deadly on elk.

Isn't the 6.8 a 270non a 308 case? If so you might also consider the 7mm-08, low recoil and good bullet's. I live out west and I believe the attitude on the need of cartridges is really blown out badly. I've killed three with my 6.5x06 and 140gr bullet's and have never considered a cartridge for shooting game animals beyond 300 yds and only have done that one tim and just to say I did. There is no shot you have to take! People all the time wanting something that will go 500 yds out here. may surprise you but the 243 will do that and if you select the bullet well and place it well it will do the job. Of course I'm not gonna recommend the 243 for elk but if it was all I had, I'd use it in a heart beat if it was legal in the state I was going to. I have it in my head that honest big game cartridges start at 6.5's, It's not the case that kills the game it's the bullet! Keep in mind on bullet's there are all sort's of magic bullet's out there but if you don't go your part any bullet you decide is best will fail. Would not phase me one bit to go elk hunting with my 6.5x55 and a 140gr bullet. And as I understsand it, it is used a great geal on moose in Scandinava with excellent success. Brings the 6.5 CM and 260 Rem into it but 260 Rem ammo might be hard to come by. I hunt elk last few years with an old 30-06 and 180 gr bullet's. Three elk with three shots and longest shot about 200 yds! I also have a 308, had one a lot of years,favorite deer rifle but never took it after elk. I only shoot 165gr bullet's and no doubt in my mind you use it well and it will work. I have this feeling your just wanting a new gun, go for it. shoot 30-06 has served you well, get another or even rebarrel the one you have. My 6.5x06 is a 700 that was a 25-06 and I put a Shilen barrel with a mangum taper. Didn't have the action blue printed, I'm just a hunter, and it ran me right at $800. Your 700 will take anything on the 30-06 cartridge just as it is. Even use the same stock. I did and simply bedded the thing with the new barrel on it and it out shoots me! But if your really thinking 308, tell you what. I had such good luck with a 243 on a Mossberg Patriot I got another in 308 with a wood stock. never have fired a jacketed bullet through it but lot's of cast 180's and 150's and it handles them well. With the wood stock if you prefer, I do, they run about $450.

 

[GlockZ]

A new X-bolt is always a good idea, as for caliber, the choice is yours, I think either would serve you well, however, I have yet to see any ammo on the shelf for the 6.8 Western anywhere, at least in my area that is. I would also consider the 30-06 as a 3rd choice as well.

 

[steveshuntn1]

Isn't the 6.8 a 270non a 308 case? If so you might also consider the 7mm-08, low recoil and good bullet's. I live out west and I believe the attitude on the need of cartridges is really blown out badly. I've killed three with my 6.5x06 and 140gr bullet's and have never considered a cartridge for shooting game animals beyond 300 yds and only have done that one tim and just to say I did. There is no shot you have to take! People all the time wanting something that will go 500 yds out here. may surprise you but the 243 will do that and if you select the bullet well and place it well it will do the job. Of course I'm not gonna recommend the 243 for elk but if it was all I had, I'd use it in a heart beat if it was legal in the state I was going to. I have it in my head that honest big game cartridges start at 6.5's, It's not the case that kills the game it's the bullet! Keep in mind on bullet's there are all sort's of magic bullet's out there but if you don't go your part any bullet you decide is best will fail. Would not phase me one bit to go elk hunting with my 6.5x55 and a 140gr bullet. And as I understsand it, it is used a great geal on moose in Scandinava with excellent success. Brings the 6.5 CM and 260 Rem into it but 260 Rem ammo might be hard to come by. I hunt elk last few years with an old 30-06 and 180 gr bullet's. Three elk with three shots and longest shot about 200 yds! I also have a 308, had one a lot of years,favorite deer rifle but never took it after elk. I only shoot 165gr bullet's and no doubt in my mind you use it well and it will work. I have this feeling your just wanting a new gun, go for it. shoot 30-06 has served you well, get another or even rebarrel the one you have. My 6.5x06 is a 700 that was a 25-06 and I put a Shilen barrel with a mangum taper. Didn't have the action blue printed, I'm just a hunter, and it ran me right at $800. Your 700 will take anything on the 30-06 cartridge just as it is. Even use the same stock. I did and simply bedded the thing with the new barrel on it and it out shoots me! But if your really thinking 308, tell you what. I had such good luck with a 243 on a Mossberg Patriot I got another in 308 with a wood stock. never have fired a jacketed bullet through it but lot's of cast 180's and 150's and it handles them well. With the wood stock if you prefer, I do, they run about $450.

With all the information I’ve got here and a few pm’s I’m gonna do some work on the 700 and see what happens. I’m not necessarily looking to buy a new rifle. I just didn’t want to spend the money and time to go on a elk hunt and then if I do see one have a rifle that shoots poorly. After I’m done if it groups like it should then it’ll be in CO this fall. If not then I add another rifle to the safe. The 6.8 is on a 270 wsm case that’s been shortened a little. So it’s a 270 short mag with a heavier bullet with a better bc.

 

[hank4elk]

Yeah

I’m m the same way. Only reason I’m considering a new one is because at 200 yards the Remington will no longer group. I’m gonna try to tinker with it and see if I can get it to improve.
The houge stock said it came pillared and bedded. I’ll do my research and I would like to keep my wood stock if possible so at least I’ve got something to do now that deer season is over.

My Hogue stock is full aluminum frame inside, overmolded rubber, with built in Simms pad. It is a totally free floating barrel now. Just drop in & tighten properly. No bedding needed.

I believe they make a 3/4 frame that does have a tange on the end like Ontario said you have on the wood stock. It acts as the de-resonator in that case.

I added a Simms harmonic de-resonator on the barrel end, a little rubber cone shaped sleeve that they say helps "calm the barrel" . Or something like that. You move it around to find the spot that works on your rifle. Mine is on backwards ,1" from the barrel end.
Now it groups even shooting hot. Cloverleaf groups @ 100, 2" @ 200. I regularly shoot to 400 yards on elk/deer now. I can hit @ 600 with the Zeiss scope.

As much as I love wood stocks I would not go back. The Hogue is indestructable ,not effected by weather.

If I got another rifle it would be a Howa in 30-06 or the new -06,a 308 with the Hogue overmolded stock. Howa offers the Hogue or did. Or a Tikka & still go Hogue...
From remarks here on HT not many are fans of Hogue stocks. I do not know why except the rubber feel.
I love being able to grab it and it's solidly in my hands. I do not like the smooth cold hard finish on my MZ synthetic stock I had to fill with foam and it still makes noise.

 

[rwc101]

A new X-bolt is always a good idea, as for caliber, the choice is yours, I think either would serve you well, however, I have yet to see any ammo on the shelf for the 6.8 Western anywhere, at least in my area that is. I would also consider the 30-06 as a 3rd choice as well.

For a long time 6.8 was one of the few cartridges Sportsman's in Laramie had in stock. I can see it being hit or miss though.

 

[Birdman707]

I have two favorites. My go to is a Rem 700 7mm Mag for elk and muley's here in CA and the mountain states. I will also shoot a Rem 700 .270 Win. I am big on Rem 700's. It's mostly personal choice and where your hunting. But then again....I have rifles that I never hunt with and wouldnt get rid of for anything. lol the .270 is nice and flat out for a good distance.

 

[steveshuntn1]

For a long time 6.8 was one of the few cartridges Sportsman's in Laramie had in stock. I can see it being hit or miss though.

It’s been available online for the last few months. I’ve never seen it in a store though.

 

[std7mag]

Except for being able to find primers, we really need to get you into handloading!
Bear in mind, your factory ammo is going to change.
Powder will burn differently from lot to lot.
Add to that, if a company finds something that saves them 3/10 of a cent per cartridge, over how many cartridges (possibly millions), we can start talking real money!

So it may not be the rifle itself that is opening up your groups at distance.
And yeah, i've seen handloads that shot great at 100 yards, go to crap at further distances.

As Don said, look at bullet selection for caliber. Not anywhere near as many 6.8 (270) bullets to choose from as 6.5 or 7mm.

People also don't seem to realize that you can shoot the standard 280 Rem in a 280AI.

 

[OntarioHunter]

My Hogue stock is full aluminum frame inside, overmolded rubber, with built in Simms pad. It is a totally free floating barrel now. Just drop in & tighten properly. No bedding needed.

I believe they make a 3/4 frame that does have a tange on the end like Ontario said you have on the wood stock. It acts as the de-resonator in that case.

I added a Simms harmonic de-resonator on the barrel end, a little rubber cone shaped sleeve that they say helps "calm the barrel" . Or something like that. You move it around to find the spot that works on your rifle. Mine is on backwards ,1" from the barrel end.
Now it groups even shooting hot. Cloverleaf groups @ 100, 2" @ 200. I regularly shoot to 400 yards on elk/deer now. I can hit @ 600 with the Zeiss scope.

As much as I love wood stocks I would not go back. The Hogue is indestructable ,not effected by weather.

If I got another rifle it would be a Howa in 30-06 or the new -06,a 308 with the Hogue overmolded stock. Howa offers the Hogue or did. Or a Tikka & still go Hogue...
From remarks here on HT not many are fans of Hogue stocks. I do not know why except the rubber feel.
I love being able to grab it and it's solidly in my hands. I do not like the smooth cold hard finish on my MZ synthetic stock I had to fill with foam and it still makes noise.

He should try free floating and bedding first and then go to pressure point "de-resonator" if he still can't get satisfactory groups. Everything I've read says adding a pressure point is hit or miss (pun intended). Some barrels do better, some don't, and some shoot worse. A couple of sources cite the "business card" method to check for potential improvement with pressure point. Loosen the action anchor screws, slip a business card (folded if neccessary) between barrel and stock, retighten, then see if it groups better. One source says to place the card 1/3 back from muzzle and other source says closer to muzzle. I guess you mean you put your de-stabilizer cone 1" from end of stock, not muzzle?

I confess I do not like the feel of Hogue stuff. I have heard a ton of complaints about RamLine crap but nothing about quality of Hogue. If a walnut stock is straight grain, well aged, free floated, and properly bedded, it should hold up well even in awful weather. For this fella a Hogue stock might be an easy quick fix. Easier than free floating (which he says he's already done) and less hassle than glass bedding (which can be a BIG hassle if insufficient freeing agent is applied before dropping the action in liquid fiberglass). Glass bedding would be my first step simply because it's cheaper and I like wood. Hogue stocks are indeed functional but they are ugly in the extreme. Also, if he decides to add a Timney (highly advisable) it might require making some room inside the stock. That synthetic stuff is no fun to carve. I learned that from fitting a RamLine (aka Champion) plastic set to my A5 shotgun. What a bitch that was. Besides aesthetics, I wanted to stay with my 30-06's wood for sentimental reasons. It seems to be doing okay now at 100 yards but I'll need to see what happens when I can get to a range with more room. I may yet have to give up on my gun's walnut. Barbary sheep don't provide many close shots. I could borrow my PHs 270 WSM again but prefer to do it with my gun if possible. Dad built that Springfield and he always dreamed of hunting Africa.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Except for being able to find primers, we really need to get you into handloading!
Bear in mind, your factory ammo is going to change.
Powder will burn differently from lot to lot.
Add to that, if a company finds something that saves them 3/10 of a cent per cartridge, over how many cartridges (possibly millions), we can start talking real money!

So it may not be the rifle itself that is opening up your groups at distance.
And yeah, i've seen handloads that shot great at 100 yards, go to crap at further distances.

As Don said, look at bullet selection for caliber. Not anywhere near as many 6.8 (270) bullets to choose from as 6.5 or 7mm.

People also don't seem to realize that you can shoot the standard 280 Rem in a 280AI.

I agree. Getting into loading is not terribly expensive if you look for used components. Press and dies are built like a tank so used stuff is not going to be worn out. For getting started a balance scale will work. Reloading is not scary rocket science either. Just take your time and follow published recipes and you'll do fine. Anyone getting into long range shooting should be reloading. Factory stuff can't be trusted for the consistency needed for that.

 

[steveshuntn1]

I agree. Getting into loading is not terribly expensive if you look for used components. Press and dies are built like a tank so used stuff is not going to be worn out. For getting started a balance scale will work. Reloading is not scary rocket science either. Just take your time and follow published recipes and you'll do fine. Anyone getting into long range shooting should be reloading. Factory stuff can't be trusted for the consistency needed for that.

The biggest problem with reloading right now is time. I don’t have much of it with a full time job and two side gigs going. Is it time consuming? I’m sure being careful and not rushing through it is the top of the list when doing it. I do like the idea of using my 700 and ammo I created. What about ammo like Buffalo Bore? Is it a better solution to “big” factory inconsistencies?
Also I’ve ordered a bedding kit from Midway USA along with a good cleaning kit and bore solvent. I’m gonna give the original wood stock a makeover and see what happens. If that doesn’t satisfy me I’ll give the Houge a try.
When I decided to free float the barrel I could not get an inch wide strip of notebook paper to go between the barrel and the stock anywhere. The stock was tight against the barrel all the way down and I could see where it had swelled from getting wet. After that it was good at 100 yards, but at 200 I wouldn’t hunt with it. I’ll try the tip’s I’ve gotten here and I may just have a new rifle again that’s accurate after a few days of working on it.

 

[hank4elk]

He should try free floating and bedding first and then go to pressure point "de-resonator" if he still can't get satisfactory groups. Everything I've read says adding a pressure point is hit or miss (pun intended). Some barrels do better, some don't, and some shoot worse. A couple of sources cite the "business card" method to check for potential improvement with pressure point. Loosen the action anchor screws, slip a business card between barrel and stock, retighten, then see if it groups better. One source says to place the card 1/3 back from muzzle and other source says closer to muzzle. I guess you mean you put your de-stabilizer cone 1" from end of stock, not muzzle?

I confess I do not like the feel of Hogue stuff. I have heard a ton of complaints about RamLine crap but nothing about quality of Hogue. If a walnut stock is straight grain, well aged, free floated, and properly bedded, it should hold up well even in awful weather. For this fella a Hogue stock might be an easy quick fix. Easier than free floating (which he says he's already done) and less hassle than glass bedding (which can be a BIG hassle if insufficient freeing agent is applied before dropping the action in liquid fiberglass). Glass bedding would be my first step simply because it's cheaper and I like wood. Hogue stocks are indeed functional but they are ugly in the extreme. Also, if he decides to add a Timney (highly advisable) it might require making some room inside the stock. That synthetic stuff is no fun to carve. I learned that from fitting a RamLine (aka Champion) plastic set to my A5 shotgun. What a bitch that was. Besides aesthetics, I wanted to stay with my 30-06's wood for sentimental reasons. It seems to be doing okay now at 100 yards but I'll need to see what happens when I can get to a range with more room. I may yet have to give up on my gun's walnut. Barbary sheep don't provide many close shots. I could borrow my PHs 270 WSM again but prefer to do it with my gun if possible. Dad built that Springfield and he always dreamed of hunting Africa.

Spot on. Try bedding, properly, 1st.
I was told the dollar bill method for checking float on barrel,same method.
Love my wood stocks,even still have the OG as a model for a future hand made.....but. This one was cracked on a fall on granite crossing a raging Sierra creek,even dented the Leupold,which they replaced. 2 rebeddings/with glass did not help. It could be a twin of your stock.
To me weapons are survival tools. Love my tools.
And right when this was going on a buddy retired from Marine scout/sniper career. He wanted me and another guy to find him a pre64 700 in -06 and he was going to put it on a Hogue.....he wanted one reliable,any weather hunting rifle. His words...and the other guy was a USFW trapper. He did the same thing with his 300wm & -06.

The ADL-BDL conversion was needed for the drop box. I chose the Timney. It took a couple exacto knife trims on the rubber to fit,maybe a few minutes.
The plastic,composite stocks need more work to fit,from what I have seen. They do not feel as good as wood & varnish to me even. Only thing I do not like on my Omega MZ is that plastic stock,but it works.

Have never taken a deer farther than 250 yards with the -06. Most elk within 200. But it will shoot much farther . My farthest game kill is 405 on a cow,here at home.She dropped.

If he can find a real gunsmith to help him the better. Most are a total joke these days,IMHO.
Guys like you who have done the bedding right and such and know about the subtle changes that can fix it or not. Like the tange deal or trying different ammo.
And the Simms gizmo is 1" from muzzle end,on backwards. LOL But that is where it worked the best on my rifle with my 165 loads I use.

 

[hank4elk]

The biggest problem with reloading right now is time. I don’t have much of it with a full time job and two side gigs going. Is it time consuming? I’m sure being careful and not rushing through it is the top of the list when doing it. I do like the idea of using my 700 and ammo I created. What about ammo like Buffalo Bore? Is it a better solution to “big” factory inconsistencies?
Also I’ve ordered a bedding kit from Midway USA along with a good cleaning kit and bore solvent. I’m gonna give the original wood stock a makeover and see what happens. If that doesn’t satisfy me I’ll give the Houge a try.
When I decided to free float the barrel I could not get an inch wide strip of notebook paper to go between the barrel and the stock anywhere. The stock was tight against the barrel all the way down and I could see where it had swelled from getting wet. After that it was good at 100 yards, but at 200 I wouldn’t hunt with it. I’ll try the tip’s I’ve gotten here and I may just have a new rifle again that’s accurate after a few days of working on it.

You set it too deep in the bedding,a subtle change...
I also do not load my own.
I use the same ammo that works in it. That is Nosler AB in 165 in mine,now. It has never shot 180s well. It took many boxes to find the 1 shot I now use. Takes 4 after a cleaning to get the 1 shot back....

 

[steveshuntn1]

You set it too deep in the bedding,a subtle change...
I also do not load my own.
I use the same ammo that works in it. That is Nosler AB in 165 in mine,now. It has never shot 180s well. It took many boxes to find the 1 shot I now use. Takes 4 after a cleaning to get the 1 shot back....

I meant the barrel and stock didn’t have any clearance before I did anything. All I’ve done to it was to wrap a wood dowel with sandpaper and remove material from underneath the barrel so I could slip a dollar bill between the barrel and wood.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Spot on. Try bedding, properly, 1st.
I was told the dollar bill method for checking float on barrel,same method.
Love my wood stocks,even still have the OG as a model for a future hand made.....but. This one was cracked on a fall on granite crossing a raging Sierra creek,even dented the Leupold,which they replaced. 2 rebeddings/with glass did not help. It could be a twin of your stock.
To me weapons are survival tools. Love my tools.
And right when this was going on a buddy retired from Marine scout/sniper career. He wanted me and another guy to find him a pre64 700 in -06 and he was going to put it on a Hogue.....he wanted one reliable,any weather hunting rifle. His words...and the other guy was a USFW trapper. He did the same thing with his 300wm & -06.

The ADL-BDL conversion was needed for the drop box. I chose the Timney. It took a couple exacto knife trims on the rubber to fit,maybe a few minutes.
The plastic,composite stocks need more work to fit,from what I have seen. They do not feel as good as wood & varnish to me even. Only thing I do not like on my Omega MZ is that plastic stock,but it works.

Have never taken a deer farther than 250 yards with the -06. Most elk within 200. But it will shoot much farther . My farthest game kill is 405 on a cow,here at home.She dropped.

If he can find a real gunsmith to help him the better. Most are a total joke these days,IMHO.
Guys like you who have done the bedding right and such and know about the subtle changes that can fix it or not. Like the tange deal or trying different ammo.
And the Simms gizmo is 1" from muzzle end,on backwards. LOL But that is where it worked the best on my rifle with my 165 loads I use.

The dollar bill method is for checking to ensure the barrel is free floating. Credit card trick is a temporary pressure point AFTER the barrel has been floated but still not shooting an acceptable group. Once the proper location is determined with credit card then a permanent pressure point is created in the stock's barrel channel using fiberglass. I like this Simms idea better. Move it around till best result is obtained, mark its location on stock with a crayon pencil, remove action/barrel and then simply glue the shim in place.

At one point I thought it would be nice if I could convert my Springfield to a removable box magazine. Then I missed a bull moose because the clip fell out of my 760. Box magazines are handier for road hunting in jurisdictions where it's illegal to have a loaded gun in the vehicle. That's not really my style of hunting so not important. Apparently no one makes that conversion for a Springfield anyway.

I once toyed with the idea of picking up a surplus 1903 milled magazine/trigger guard with hinged floor plate (my 1903A3 has stamped one piece magazine) but changed my mind when I saw a buddy dump his Browning's shells on the ground. The thinking was a hinged floor plate would be "safer" with my gun's two position safety. Not really. Still has to be off safe to unload the shell in the chamber. That's when accidents happen. The rest of the shells in the magazine need only be engaged enough with bolt for magazine to release them and then extracted individually. No need to close the bolt, and striker cannot release until the bolt is being dropped on closure at the end of cycle. Emptying the chamber can possibly be somewhat dangerous but emptying the magazine should always be safe enough. A three-position Model 70 style Springfield safety would be the ticket for absolute safe unloading but $475 is just too much. When Ed LaPore was making them they were $280 which wasn't cheap. This guy is ridiculous.

If the OP's Model 700 is old enough to require being off safe to unload, he should definately explore getting that upgrade, especially if he plans on turning the gun over to his daughter someday. While I've never heard of a Springfield accidentally discharging during loading/unloading (the military version actually has three-position safety but it won't clear scopes), we all know the horror stories associated with "the Remington moment." The new improved Timney trigger for Springfield has a trigger block safety which presumably allows the gun to be unloaded in safe position. Maybe they make the same conversion for Model 700?

 

[steveshuntn1]

The dollar bill method is for checking to ensure the barrel is free floating. Credit card trick is a temporary pressure point AFTER the barrel has been floated but still not shooting an acceptable group. Once the proper location is determined with credit card then a permanent pressure point is created in the stock's barrel channel using fiberglass. I like this Simms idea better. Move it around till best result is obtained, mark its location on stock with a crayon pencil, remove action/barrel and then simply glue the shim in place.

At one point I thought it would be nice if I could convert my Springfield to a removable box magazine. Then I missed a bull moose because the clip fell out of my 760. Box magazines are handier for road hunting in jurisdictions where it's illegal to have a loaded gun in the vehicle. That's not really my style of hunting so not important. Apparently no one makes that conversion for a Springfield anyway.

I once toyed with the idea of picking up a surplus 1903 milled magazine/trigger guard with hinged floor plate (my 1903A3 has stamped one piece magazine) but changed my mind when I saw a buddy dump his Browning's shells on the ground. The thinking was a hinged floor plate would be "safer" with my gun's two position safety. Not really. Still has to be off safe to unload the shell in the chamber. That's when accidents happen. The rest of the shells in the magazine need only be engaged enough with bolt for magazine to release them and then extracted individually. No need to close the bolt, and striker cannot release until the bolt is being dropped on closure at the end of cycle. Emptying the chamber can possibly be somewhat dangerous but emptying the magazine should always be safe enough. A three-position Model 70 style Springfield safety would be the ticket for absolute safe unloading but $475 is just too much. When Ed LaPore was making them they were $280 which wasn't cheap. This guy is ridiculous.

If the OP's Model 700 is old enough to require being off safe to unload, he should definately explore getting that upgrade, especially if he plans on turning the gun over to his daughter someday. While I've never heard of a Springfield accidentally discharging during loading/unloading (the military version actually has three-position safety but it won't clear scopes), we all know the horror stories associated with "the Remington moment."

It’s not one that needs to be on fire to unload. I wouldn’t want to get rid of the enternal magazine either. I like the wood stock and the original 700 ADL. I’ll do all I can to get it back on track myself. I can’t think or find any gunsmith around here so hopefully I can figure it out.
What about the Timney trigger. Upgrading the trigger was mentioned as well. How does that help accuracy over the original?

 

[andrew11]

It’s not one that needs to be on fire to unload. I wouldn’t want to get rid of the enternal magazine either. I like the wood stock and the original 700 ADL. I’ll do all I can to get it back on track myself. I can’t think or find any gunsmith around here so hopefully I can figure it out.

I was in the same situation a couple years ago. I had a "lightweight mountain rifle" that I wasnt really happy with how it shot. Had an old remington laying around that had been used pretty hard over the years and just sat in the safe. Buddy convinced me to put a good barrel on it and bed it in a new stock. Ended up shipping it out to a highly recommended gunsmith to do the action/barrel work. Finished it up and the thing is a tack driver. Kinda ruined me though as far as rifles now. Would rather spend the $ on the components I want and build it my way.

 

[OntarioHunter]

It’s not one that needs to be on fire to unload. I wouldn’t want to get rid of the enternal magazine either. I like the wood stock and the original 700 ADL. I’ll do all I can to get it back on track myself. I can’t think or find any gunsmith around here so hopefully I can figure it out.
What about the Timney trigger. Upgrading the trigger was mentioned as well. How does that help accuracy over the original?

The Timney trigger is adjustable and "crisp". Unbelievably crisp actually. This doesn't make the gun shoot better, it makes YOU shoot the gun better. A lot better in my case. No creep and I know precisely when the gun will fire. Timney factory sets trigger weight at 3.5 lbs and if that's where mine is at, it's perfect. You should be able to drop their trigger in without too much trouble. Follow the instructions provided. Sounds like only minimal material, if any, would need to be removed from your stock. My Timney trigger was a bit of a unique headache due to inconsistency in sears and strikers during wartime production. Required some modification of striker and safety that my gunsmith African hunting buddy was disinclined to attempt. It took some time and creative thinking before I eventually got it in (thank you Dremel tool!). I think that's why Timney came up with their "deluxe" model with trigger block safety. Simply remove the Springfield striker safety and that takes care of problems matching new trigger up to it.