[Stone]

Hey guys, I just bought a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .223 and have two questions.

1. The barrel is not floated and I am contemplating a minor sanding to float the barrel...any thoughts?

2. While I know that every gun is different, any input on the brand of ammo this gun may like would be appreciated. I am not concerned about perfection (YET) but this gun should shoot 1/2" groups with several different ammos.

 

[bsn]

Before you make any modifications shoot the gun as is and see how it does. Most of them shoot pretty good as is. Free floating the factory stock may or may not help accuraccy-a better coice would be a replacement stock. Any of the premium bullets should shoot well you will have to try several. Any 1/2 MOA factory gun is luck of the draw, few custum makers will promise that kind of accuracy.

 

[Stone]

Before you make any modifications shoot the gun as is and see how it does. Most of them shoot pretty good as is. Free floating the factory stock may or may not help accuraccy-a better coice would be a replacement stock. Any of the premium bullets should shoot well you will have to try several. Any 1/2 MOA factory gun is luck of the draw, few custum makers will promise that kind of accuracy.

Thanks for the info.

I had seen a few of these guns that were 1/2 MOA and assumed that was somewhat normal. I don't need to achieve that so I will hope to get away without the really expensive stuff!

 

[Gyroboy01]

I've had good luck with black hills ammo and HSM both in 223, in my DPMS.

 

[Stone]

Upon further review the barrel on these is actually floating! I took the stock off and looked closely to find two small pads (about 3/8" square) at the far end of the fore-stock but a couple bills will pass freely between there and the receiver. I called Remington and they said they were pressure points and some guns perform better with them and some perform better without them.

I will shoot until I see what the groups are and then sand them off if needed.

Surprising how many places I read about that barrel/stock and never heard about this........I probably just didn't do enough research.

 

[spitfire_er]

I took the stock off and looked closely to find two small pads (about 3/8" square) at the far end of the fore-stock but a couple bills will pass freely between there and the receiver.

I knew that they did that with the regular SPS rifles, Just never looked at a varmint close enough I guess.

 

[Colohunter]

I tried sanding my SPS Varmint to float it, but the stock flexes enough that if it is on a bipod or rest the stock will move and touch the barrel. So it didn't really work, I really want to try a different stock, though I may try a bedding job, just to try it.