[seatleroadwr]

Do any of you know if it is possible to expand the magazine length of a Remington 700 BDL short action? I have a 308W that will accommodate cartridges with a COAL under 2.8300". Some of my best shooting rounds exceed this length, for instance Noslers 165 grain bullets seated to a COAL of 2.901" shoot very well. This length is .0200" from the lands. Some Sierra 165 grain loads slightly exceed 2.8400" when set .0200 from the lands. I can seat my bullets deeper but I get the best accuracy when the bullet shoulder approaches the lands.

 

[MikeG]

If you see a big difference with the deep-seated bullets, one thing that you might want to check is whether they are seated concentric to the case. Just roll a few across a table-top (mirror is better) and see if the tips wobble.

Perfect concentricity may not cure every reloading problem, but it does help. Bad concentricity never helps......

Just a thought.

 

[kdub]

You might take it to your local gunsmith and get his thoughts. By the looks of my 40X short action, not only the magazine well, but the feed ramp will have to be altered slightly.

 

[pantannojack]

I have a .222 Remington 700 Varmint special that would shoot poorly, 3 moa, until I seated longer than the magazine would allow. Lucky for me, a High Power X course sponsor/coach in Phoenix enjoyed tinkering and tweeking things. He heated, bended, and lengthened my mag box and welded an extension on the follower. With these alterations and my longer col, I have reliably a very tight shooting gun. I have done two five shot groups from 500 yards of 3.5 inches, and a 300 yard group of .75 inch. these groups with 50g Speer TNT bullets over the long gone BW36 powder. This rifle has retired in my safe the last 15 years as while only accurate rifles are interesting, they at the same time can become somewhat booring.