SmallCaliberCentral

I bought a new 700 SPS (not the varmint model) for my son to take on a PDog hunt this summer. To be polite...this thing is NOT what I expected. The smallest group it is capable of is 1.5". Most of the time it is more like 2.5" or worse. Not what I would consider anywhere NEAR an adequate shooter to take on that type of adventure.

I have owned Rugers all my life, and I am very disappointed in this rifle. While I didn't expect a tack-driver for $400, I DID expect much better than this with handloaded ammo. I have been told that I need to bed, and free-float. I have no problem with those tasks, but I am wondering if it is worth the effort with this slim-barreled rifle. It would have to be a VAST improvement for me to even consider this gun for any work that involved extreme accuracy.

Guess this just goes to prove the old adage...."You get what you pay for".

Are there any SPS (pencil-barreled) owners out there that have similar or opposite results?

In my experience, I'd move the rife. I bought a 700ADL in .204 that I:
+ tested in the original stock and got unacceptable accuracy
+ bedded in the original stock plastic stock and still got unacceptable accuracy
+ installed in a CDL wood stock, with BDL floor plate/trigger guard and it still didn't shoot well!
+ installed a $45 replacement firing pin/spring/striker assembley to replace the J-lock unit
+ fired over 1000 rounds though it looking for the right load, and never found it!
+ bought a $940 used Cooper Varmint in .204 that is the most accurate rifel I own!
+ finally rebarreled the M700 with a 3-groove 1-in-11 twist Pac Nor barrel. It shoots very well in the plastic stock, although the gunsmith fitted a heavier contour barrel than I asked for (I wanted a "Remington Sporter" contour as a carry rifle)! I have nearly $1000 in this thing, and I still am not satisfied, although it shoots with the Cooper now. I'm debating getting it turned down or opening up the barrel channel on the CDL stock.

Anyway, if I ran across another factory rifle that appeared to lack accuracy potential, it would be sold based on my experience! (Note that I like Remington rifles and not bad mouthing them, but obviously their quality control is lacking now)

Good luck!

Kurt

#1 - does your stock have the two humps near the end of the forearm in the barrel channel? If so, REMOVE these first, then shoot again.

Remember, the stocks are mass production.

Friend has a nice Rem 700VS in 223...first item removed were the humps...rifle is a tack driver now.

did u check and recheck all of your mounting accesories for your scope and make sure that everything is tight and that you have quality optics on your gun. Just wondering because i was seriously considering buying an sps any day now, but now i am not sure.

did u check and recheck all of your mounting accesories for your scope and make sure that everything is tight.........

Everything is tight and properly mounted.

......and that you have quality optics on your gun.....

Yep. Nikon is quality optics, IMO.

Just wondering because i was seriously considering buying an sps any day now, but now i am not sure........

Like I said, you get what you pay for. Never again will I buy a "cheap" gun of any sort. I never had this problem with a heavy-barreled rifle, and I am sure that the barrel weight contributes to the situation. I didn't expect perfection...but this is WAY too bad to be acceptable.

Acloco,

The 2 "humps" you are referring to is a free floating problem?
Just taking the stock off and sanding these "humps" will be fine?

Is this what you are referring to?

When you buy something you should expect it to perform as advertised. If you take delivery of something and it doesn't work reasonably well, you should contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer should make it right or you should expect a refund. Consumers are protected in this country by law. There is even a law about deceptive trade practices that guarantees double your money back.

Before I did anything to that gun, I would contact Remington and tell them what the problem is. At least give them a chance to rectify the problem before you go out and modify the gun and void your warranty. No manufacturer can stay in business if they don't stand behind their product.

Remington knows about the rifle. According to them, this model rifle is shooting what they refer to as "acceptable". In other words...1.5" groups are "acceptable" to them.

Makes you wonder if they have any varmint shooters that work there, huh?

A few years ago, I bought a Remington stainless, HB, fluted, varmint .223, top of the line varmint rifle. Would average around 1 1/2" no matter what I did. Remington told me the same thing, their factory spec was 1.45" for their guns. I traded it for a Tikka varmint, which will shoot circles around the Remington, and was a lot cheaper too. I've since discovered Cooper rifles, in .204 of course......now there's a rifle! I doubt if I will buy another rifle other than a Cooper from now on.

My Remmy VSSF II shot terrible out of the box. I had to get 80+ rounds through it, and quit shooting Hornady bullets to get it to shoot. I'm getting low .3's and it's best has been .208". The Sierra 39BK's are the $hl+!

I don't know guys, my XR-100 is a real shooter. I haven't done anything to it since I bought it. I've had pretty good luck with Remingtons for a long time. From everything I've heard over the last year I will have to admit that I would probably consider a Savage.

Gmoney wrote:Acloco,

The 2 "humps" you are referring to is a free floating problem?
Just taking the stock off and sanding these "humps" will be fine?

Is this what you are referring to?

Yes...I have yet to see a Rem, in any caliber, that does not vastly improve in the accuracy department after removal.

My 270 ADL now shoots accurately and repeatable, even after the third consecutive shot (read that as a hot barrel).

skipper wrote:When you buy something you should expect it to perform as advertised. If you take delivery of something and it doesn't work reasonably well, you should contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer should make it right or you should expect a refund. Consumers are protected in this country by law. There is even a law about deceptive trade practices that guarantees double your money back.

Before I did anything to that gun, I would contact Remington and tell them what the problem is. At least give them a chance to rectify the problem before you go out and modify the gun and void your warranty. No manufacturer can stay in business if they don't stand behind their product.

No guarantee of specific accuracy. Company, as most large rifle manufacturers, only guarantee 1.5" groups. That really is not bad....just not what we expect.

I think my problem was the 32 and 40 Hornadys after looking back at some paper. Ever since I went to 39SBK's, all my problems went away.

skipper wrote:I don't know guys, my XR-100 is a real shooter. I haven't done anything to it since I bought it. I've had pretty good luck with Remingtons for a long time. From everything I've heard over the last year I will have to admit that I would probably consider a Savage.

Skipper, that rifle is a WHOLE different animal than what I was discussing. I have a sporter-barreled SPS, not a high-dollar rifle like the XR. I've seen LOTS of XRs around the club here, and most all of them were great shooters in stock configuration. I wasn't bashing Remington as a whole, just venting frustrations about this el-cheapo SPS that they are marketing. IMO, there should start being "standards" amongst the manufacturers as to what the expected accuracy is. Maybe a series of "categories" such as Cat1, Cat2, Cat3, etc so the consumer can have a reasonable idea of what kind of accuracy they are purchasing.

If this purchase had been made with the intent of gaining a rifle for walk-about coyote hunting or that sort of use, I would be reasonable pleased. But that wasn't the plan. Maybe I am expecting WAY too much from a $400 rifle.