Model 700 woes

[PJgunner]

Originally posted by SuicidJky

FI shoot a group of about 2 feet at 100 yards.....then as the barrel heats up the group tightens up to under an inch. I blamed myself for awhile, then my dad tried with the same results. I have tried 7-8 different loads,powders,heads and the same results with the same results, some minor changes but thats expected. What could be causing this problem? rustrated, Shane

NOBODY'S LISTENING HERE. Note, the rifle shoots a two foot group then tightens up AFTER THE BARREL HEATS UP.

Possibly a serious bedding problem? Who knows? Without having the rifle in hand, it's hard to tell for sure what is wrong. However, the forst thing I think I would do is remover the barreled action from the stock and look it over with a fine tooth comb. I mean, look for shiny rubbed spots in the barrel channel, possible cracked wood in the recoil lug area, and where the screw holes in the wood are. Look to see if the screws themselves are rubbing against the screw holes.

Checking the screws holding the scope base may prove something, but I doubt it. I feel that if it was the scope, groups would be erratic all the time, that is a wide group one time and a poor group the next time, with no particular group falling into any particular sequence.

What I seriously do suspect is, when barrels are made, they are checked for straightness. If one comes out crooked, the factory straightens it out and puts it on a gun. Probably 99 44/100 percent of the time it works out satisfactorily. It's that one time that it doesn't. When the barrel is cold, it may or may not group worth squat, then tightens up as yours does, or it could be just the opposite.

You say you bought the rifle secondhand. Now you know why the original (?) owner sold it. Wasn't very ethical, but nowadays being ethical for some isn't in vogue.

Here's what I think I would do. If checking out the interior of the stock shows no abnormalties, I think I would contact Remington about your problem. Whether they put a new barrel on the gun for free or if they will charge you, I haven't a clue, but either way, the rifle will probably be fixed. Whether you want to keep it after that is up to you.
Paul B.