LR Hunters/Rifle Builders

[First_Gen]

Not sure if this is the correct forum but here goes...

Is there any difference in the action of a M700 BDL to the M700 Sendero? Curious because of how I might go forward building a rifle up and initial purchase.

Thanks

Paul

[IROCZ]

As far as the actions go I think its just the finish. The BDL will be high polish, the Sendero is matte blue. A 700 action is a 700 action as far as I know.

[blottermachine]

I've built quite a few LR and bench guns for guys useing both actions, I would suggest NOT useing the Sendero, I have had some pretty bad issues with them.
Receivers threaded crooked is the common one fyi. Yes, I have had a few good ones to, but any issues will be more with the Sendero's then with the 700's.

[Pa.Sniper]

As far as the actions go I think its just the finish. The BDL will be high polish, the Sendero is matte blue. A 700 action is a 700 action as far as I know.

Incorrect, There are different 700 actions, long and short. Use whatever you wish, just keep it constant.

http://www.brownells.com/items/remin...rt-action.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/items/remin...ng-action.aspx

[FJR86]

BDL denotes a hinging floor plate. ADL denotes internal box magazine only with no bottom access.

Sendero denotes heavy/varmint barrel.

Finish may differ, but assuming calibers are the same, the actions should be the same.

There are short and long action. There are also bolt face options. .223, .308, and magnum. A .308 bolt fce can accommodate a mulititude of calibers from .260, .243, 6.5 creedmoor etc. due to the base of the cartridges having the same OD.

Good read here:
http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers...lications.html

[First_Gen]

Thanks for the advice. Makes me want to start a scratch build but I want something to short first.

[First_Gen]

Also, any recommendations on building from scratch or starting with a base first?

[animalmother85]

What kind of accuracy are you looking for?
How much money can you spend?

[First_Gen]

What kind of accuracy are you looking for?
How much money can you spend?

As accurate as I can...into next question...afford.

My budget would be somewhere around $1,500 to $2,000 including optics. My considerations now are getting a used M700 BDL (pre offshore, new stuff annoys me), getting the action trued out and a new trigger. I guess I am thinking a shooter in progress type mod. The other consideration would be to build as I go, but components are not that cheap from a bit of research I have been doing.

From the original Sendero standpoint, at my budget I'd already be there with the initial purchase and optics. With that considered, is it a realistic expectation to mod/build a more accurate gun on that budget?

[FJR86]

How far do you intend to shoot?

Used base rifle: ~$300-1200
Action truing/blueprinting: ~$400
Pinning recoil lug: $50
Barrel blank: ~$350
Chamber barrel blank: ~$350
Crown and thread muzzle: $150
Pillar/bedding: ~$300
Timney 510 trigger: ~$200

If you true up an action, you may as well have a new barrel chambered so that the barrel threads match up perfectly with the trued action threads. I would not use a factory barrel if I were to true up an action unless I knew for a fact the barrel was good to go.

A complete custom build you should expect about $3000+. I easily put about $1800 in labor alone on my build. Then add another ~$2000 in parts. And that was using a Rem700 LA action. For the price I should have just bought a custom M700 action like Surgeon, but at the time I could not afford to just drop all $1000 at once for a custom action.

If you want a budget build in .308, go with a Remington 700 Police or PPS. Police models comes with a HS precision stock already with aluminum bedding. They are one of the most accurate out of box 700. You can also consider the 5R. These are great base model rifles you can slowly build up but will perform well until you do. The Police/PPS and 5R run around $1k in price. M700s are very customizable.

You can also go with a Savage 10 series. Some models already come in a better stock like McMillan or HS Precision. You could also upgrade to a Bell and Carlson easily/cheaply if the model 10 you buy only has a cheap synthetic stock on it. Savages are known for great out of box accuracy. Their customization is not nearly as extensive as M700s. Limited DBMs etc.

Rule of thumb is to spend as much on optics as you did on your rifle. So pick up a Bushnell Elite 6500 or Vortex PST, etc with the left over funds. These optics will run you around $800-1000

Recommended rifles with recommended optic will run you about $1500-2000. And you would still need a base and rings (another $200 if you buy solid parts like Seekins or Badger). $2000 for a custom built rig and optics would not be possible for what you are looking for. It can be easy to spend $3000+ on a precision rifle with no optics.

If you can afford more in the long run, go with a M700. If your budget is only $2k for a long time, I say go Savage.