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I have owned more than a few M-700s over the years as well as a few 600s series rifles.
But I finally bought my first model Seven as a light hiking rifle. This is a 308 with the matte finish and plastic stock.
I moved a Leupold 3x9 compact scope over from one of my other rifles and headed off to the range after a quick cleaning.... The sun goes down fast here in Alaska this time of year.
Then my first problem struck.
The darn bolt-stop pawl will not stay up and I can pull the bolt straight out during loading. A quick dis- assembly inspection revealed that the spring was very under powered and the bolt release slider is loose as a goose. So it looks like I need to do a wee bit of work and visit my parts drawer before I can get all excited about load experimentation.
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Bought my first Model Seven
Moderators: Scorpion8, ripjack13, John A.
27 posts
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.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
 Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:36 am
Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:14 pm
Congrats...looking forward to a range report after you get her sorted out !!
Post a picture when you find the time... |
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 .270 WIN
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 7:13 pm Location: Indiana |
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:37 pm
Sucks that you had to discover this issue, at the range OP. Keep us posted.
USMC 83' - 87'
NRA Member Indiana & Utah CCW Are we there yet? |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:43 pm
The spring for the bolt stop is was catching in its guide hole. So it was not pushing any spring tension down-ward and thus not lifting the other end with the little pawl. Plus the spring was too short and underpowered.
I have a new spring and just need a little time in my shop. Just need to sneak out of the house and avoid other chores. Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 12:54 pm
Excellent...post a pic when she's fixed !!
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.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:08 pm
Problem fixed. The spring does not really have a guide hole, it just sits in slot that holds the bolt stop. So you really have to make sure it is at the correct angle when installing the new spring.
You have to remove the trigger group before removing and re-installing the bolt stop. In my case there was a sharp burr of metal inside the slot which was catching the spring's coils. So I polished the inside of the slot with 800 and 1200 grit polishing paper wrapped around a wooden guide that I sanded to the correct thickness. The new spring does not catch and the bolt stop seems to work fine now. I just re-installed the trigger group and now I am off to the range. I will take some pics later today. Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:29 pm
Float Pilot, Are you on SeaplaneForum.com? SPA Forum? - Bob
Bob Kittine
Sag Harbor and Manhattan, New York WA2YDV |
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.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:56 pm
Yes...
And the Alaska Outdoors forums and Gunboards. I use my real name on the Supercub.org forums and Seaplane Pilots association forums. Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:12 am
OK I had limited ammo and limited time. So I was forced to shoot some factory ammo I keep in the shop for testing. generally speaking I only shoot hand-loads.
Anyway the new spring and bolt stop worked just fine. The plastic factory stock is only so-so and the barrel has too many contact points in the barrel channel. I have a new Bell And Carlson stock on order. Accuracy was OK for factory ammo and a questionable barrel channel. Fired over sandbags, 100 yards, temp 29 degrees F, wind 8 knots cross wind. 5 shot groups. M-118 special Ball ( 173 grain boat-tail) = 1.4 inch grp. 4 shots in 0.80 inches. Old Federal 165 grain sp premium. = 1.16 inch group Federal 180 grain sp = 1.68 inch group Federal 168 grain Sierra HPBT match = 2.00 inch group 147 grain mystery ball ammo= 2.1 inch group. Hey how do I post photos????? Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 4:20 pm
Here is a free image hosting site...
http://www.photobucket.com Upload your photos to the site after you register...then alter/edit pics if desired and download the Remington pics of your choice here on the forum by copy & pasting the link. |
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.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:12 pm
OK I have a photo bucket account.. I have not used it in 5 years but it is there someplace.
Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:05 pm
So I installed the Bell And Carlson stock which totally free floats the barrel.
But as we know, not all lightweight barrels like to be free floated. Please note that the B&C stock has a cheek rest. With composite stock and free floated barrel: 175 grain Federal Match = 1.6 inches M-118 Special Ball = 2.399 inches Federal 165 grain premium ( 20 years old) = 1.50 inches Federal 180gr Soft Point = 1.06 inches. 
Last edited by Float Pilot on Mon Mar 09, 2015 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:05 pm
PART THREE:
So the B&C stock feels more solid than the Remington factory stock, but it actually weighs about the same. I did find a Leupold compact 3x9 scope, but the front lens has a big defect so it is on its way to the Leupold shop. So as an interim scope I installed a fairly compact 2x7 Burris scope. With the Burris scope, the new stock and a 1.25 inch wide all leather Montana Sling, the rifle weighs 6.90 pounds. The trigger pull is a crisp 4 pounds on my scale. So the next firing today was with a temporary pressure point at the end of the barrel channel. For this I just loosened the action and then inserted a piece of folded ammo box cardboard into the barrel channel. M118 special ball = 1.050 inches. M80 147gr Ball MG ammo= 1.200 inches Federal 180gr SP = 1.118 inches Federal 170 grain reduced recoil = 0.70 inches average of three groups one group was 0.34 inches Federal 175gr Match = 1.177 inches Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 2:44 pm
I picked up the B&C stock through RED HAWK RIFLES. They seemed to have the best price I could find on my junky computer.
http://www.redhawkrifles.com/ B&C set this up as a free float system. But as I learned with my M-700 Titanium rifle and a couple M-70 feather weights, the thin barrels sometimes like a pressure point or even a total barrel channel bedding. While the B&C stock has aluminum bedding blocks anchored into it, I think the action might be moving back and forth a wee bit from side to side. NOTE:::::::: The cardboard pressure point stopped the two-group problem, thus suggesting that the action was moving back and forth between shots. It also made the impact point move several inches upward on paper. See attached photo of two groups next to each other. The weird thing is that they are both from one point of aim. The bullets impacted back and forth, making two groups.  
Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
 Moderator
Posts: 567
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:59 pm Location: SouthEast Alaska |
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:54 pm
I like that stock!
Howdy from another part of the Great Land. NRA Life Retired USN
Pain heals, chicks dig scars .... glory, lasts forever! |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 2:55 am
I bedded a pressure point in the barrel channel. Now she shoots like a house afire.
Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:26 am
Good Job FP...!!
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.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:38 pm
Well I can't get the photo bucket gizmo to open. So I am having problems showing photos of the pressure point I made and the new groups.
Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:22 am
I have two photobucket accounts...the first filled up fast.
Open another account as a fix.. |
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.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2015 10:28 pm
Well since I can;t get my darn photo bucket to work...
Here are the group sizes I am now obtaining with the new stock and a pressure point in the barrel channel. PLUS, some minor bedding in the action area and under the barrel throat. From a Lead Sled at 100 yards. Burris 2x7 compact scope. Federal Factory: 175gr Sierra Boat-tail Match. = 0.364 inch group at 100 yards. Federal Factory: 180gr Power Shok.................= 0.57 inch group at 100 yards. Winchester Factory: 180gr Power Point......... = 0.665 inch group at 100 yards. Hand Load. ( Been busy and only worked up this one hunting load) 200 grain Speer " Grand Slam" flat base soft point 42.0 grains Reloader 15 Federal once fired brass. CCI-200 primer COL: = 2.798 inch light crimp. Velocity at 15 feet = 2,395 fps average Group at 100 yards = 1.13 inches. The nice thing is that ALL these loads shot within an inch of each other at 100 yards. Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
Moderator
Posts: 567
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:59 pm Location: SouthEast Alaska |
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:54 am
FP - any reason you're concentrating on heavy-for-caliber bullets in the .308? My thought was that the 150-165gr bullets were the sweet spot in the .308 and I left the heavier bullets for my .30-06 where I can use more powder and not devote so much case space just to the bullet in order to keep the cartridge overall length within spec. Thoughts?
NRA Life Retired USN
Pain heals, chicks dig scars .... glory, lasts forever! |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:03 pm
I have tried some factory loads in the 147 to 150 grain range ( cheaper ammo) and they gave me huge groups. ( Around 2 to 2.5 inches)
I have more rifles than I know what to do with,,,, But my thoughts for this Model seven was a general knock-about rifle and due to its light weight and short overall length I was working it up as a rifle that would supplement my other survival gear in my aircraft. I tend to like heavier bullets for deeper penetration through dense meat and hides, plus the ability to bust through shoulder bone and still have enough bullet left to poke holes through vital organs. Should I run across a Brown Bear whilst I am limping away from a wreck site, I would rather have a 180-200 grain bonded bullet in the chamber than a 150 grain. Last Sunday I tried some 165 grain Combined Technology ( Nosler) coated Ballistic Sliver Tips. Since I have a lot of VARGET laying around I tried 45.7 grains ( compressed) and a CCI-200 primer. Federal Brass and a 2.795 inch COL The velocity was good from the 20 inch barrel , but that load did not group very well for that bullet. Only a 1.10 inch group at 100 yards from sand bags. Another thing I have noted about this rifle is that it is difficult to shoot un-supported standing. The light barrel and weight towards the butt end of the stock are not great for off-hand shots. Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:37 pm
Well the wind stopped howling for awhile so I tried some more experiments using some:
165 grain Sierra SP-Boat tails. 44.7gr RL-15 Silver State virgin brass CCI-BR-2 primer 2.725in COL No-Crimp = 0.75 inch group Lee Factory Crimp = 2.00 inch group 180gr Accubond 42.5gr IMR4895 Fed brass CCI-200 2.797 col no crimp = 1.5 inch group Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
.22LR
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:45 pm Location: Kachemak Bay Alaska |
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 10:32 pm
I tried some Vitavitori N-150 ( $52 a pound) and some old 200 grain Speer Hot core flat base bullets.
The Brass was PPU virgin. I used 43.0 grains which was a max load in one book I have. The col was 2.800 in with no crimp With Federal 210 match primers I had a clover leaf group. With CCI BR-2 Match primers I had a 1.5 inch group. A HUGE difference just from the darn primers. It was raining cats and dogs today, so my range experience was far from fun. It was raining too hard to use the chronograph. My primers were pretty flat, so this is max. Owner-Operator Dragonfly Aero
Homer Alaska |
Moderator
Posts: 567
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:59 pm Location: SouthEast Alaska |
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:20 pm
Where are you getting PPU brass in AK? My queries to their distributors went unanswered a month or so ago. Always looking for new sources. NRA Life Retired USN
Pain heals, chicks dig scars .... glory, lasts forever! |
27 posts
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