Slight disappointment with Remington

[Guymullins]

I am doing an unseasonal hunt next week. Some Blue Wildebeest are being offered at a good price and I need to take youngest son on his first hunt.
My .375 H&H Remington heavy barrel Model 700 has served me superbly for almost thirty years. It is a Remington Custom Shop product and began shooting badly during my last hunt a few months ago. Aiming at the heart, I shot a Black Wildebeest in the neck at just over 200 yds. The next animal, a Blesbuck, was shot through the upper front leg, twice at 170 yds. The rifle (or the rifleman) was shooting quite badly on the range prior to the hunt. I put it down to the cold and high winds.
Anyway, once home, I went back to the range and shot some paper to see whether it was me or the rifle. At 100 yds, it was grouping all over the place. About a 4 inch group at 100 yds, where previously, it would comfortably group under an inch at that range.
First stop was the scope and its mounts. I have a quick release scope mount for swift transition to open sights for dangerous game.
The scope and mounts seemed firm, so I took the rifle to my local gunsmith telling him I had checked the scope, mounts and anchor screws into the stock.
I went back to check progress yesterday (I want to do some range work after any alterations he may have made). He tells me that the rifle had never been bedded, and that the action was now eating into the woodwork. He was bedding it and it will be ready tomorrow.
Now, my disappointment (slight) with Remington is: One would expect a rifle from the custom shop would be bedded. Especially one of medium calibre that could shake itself out of true quite easily.
I can't complain about its initial accuracy, but this is a poor show and in my eyes , unworthy of one of the worlds best and most accurate rifles.

[JJ_BPK]

Agree about the bedding,, BUTT
You have shot this rifle for 30 YEARS??
I'll guess,, 1K or 2K rounds of 375H&H??

I'd say that's quite an accomplishment and in my opinion, it exceed the requirements.

My $00.00002

[Guymullins]

JJ, you are right. Thats why I said `I was only slightly disappointed. The rifle has served me really well and my unhappiness is not with the rifle per se, but with the fact that a vey expensive rifle (for me in Africa) was not accorded the respect it deserved by the companie's Custom Shop. A rifle like this costs about 4 times a secretaries monthly salary, say a third of an annual salary. It has seen a lot of bullets through it, probably many more the your estimate and seen some really rough wear and tear over the years. My only wish is for a Remington (glass bedded) that shot as well as the Model 700 and that had a controlled feed action similar to a Mauser.

[Team Sergeant]

Agree about the bedding,, BUTT
You have shot this rifle for 30 YEARS??
I'll guess,, 1K or 2K rounds of 375H&H??

I'd say that's quite an accomplishment and in my opinion, it exceed the requirements.

My $00.00002

Exactly. I sold a custom Remington .300 WM years ago for the same reason, it was 25 years old. And 2 years ago I purchased another, off the shelf .300 WM.

That said it would take typhoon winds to knock such a heavy bullet off track at 200m.

[35NCO]

Time to rebuild it with barrel, stock, and bed. I too think you got a good run for your money.

I feel the same of my auto engines. I get my investment return on them and then rebuild them for another lifespan.

I generally do my own work though. So time, money and skill is always of consideration to just starting over with something new.

Nice gun either way. A fine choice.

[Divemaster]

Have your gunsmith check the rifling just ahead of the chamber. Depending upon how many rounds you've put through it over the years, you might see the first few inches of rifling worn almost smooth.

Our M24 (Remington Custom Shop) sniper rifles in 7.62/.308 were rebarreled after 10,000 rounds. Hotter rounds call for rebarreling after much fewer shots down the barrel. If memory serves, I think the .300 Win Mags got new barrels after about 2 or 3 thousand rounds.

[Peregrino]

Guy - Your comments got me thinking about how custom "safari rifles" were built 30 years ago so I asked my gunsmith about your experience. He stated it was unusual to bed the actions back then. They actually had craftsmen who could inlet a stock so that the action didn't need bedding and a properly fitted stock would last longer than the bedding compounds available at the time. Does your stock have a cross bolt behind the recoil lug? That would have been the preferred custom touch at the time. And yes - heavy recoil will eventually crush the wood fibers and loosen the stock fit. Thing is - bedding breaks down too. Depending on the bedding compound your gunsmith is using, and how much you shoot it, you should be prepared to get the bedding redone seasonally.

Side note - and far less expensive for diagnostic purposes - have you gotten the bore scoped? It's not at all unusual for magnums to have a sharp drop-off in accuracy once the barrel starts showing wear. It sounds like you've already checked everything else.

[Guymullins]

Guy - Your comments got me thinking about how custom "safari rifles" were built 30 years ago so I asked my gunsmith about your experience. He stated it was unusual to bed the actions back then. They actually had craftsmen who could inlet a stock so that the action didn't need bedding and a properly fitted stock would last longer than the bedding compounds available at the time. Does your stock have a cross bolt behind the recoil lug? That would have been the preferred custom touch at the time. And yes - heavy recoil will eventually crush the wood fibers and loosen the stock fit. Thing is - bedding breaks down too. Depending on the bedding compound your gunsmith is using, and how much you shoot it, you should be prepared to get the bedding redone seasonally.

Side note - and far less expensive for diagnostic purposes - have you gotten the bore scoped? It's not at all unusual for magnums to have a sharp drop-off in accuracy once the barrel starts showing wear. It sounds like you've already checked everything else.

Thanks for the info Peregrino,
I got the rifle back on Friday, but have not had the opportunity to shoot it yet. I will do so tomorrow at the beginning of the hunt. My gunsmith says he bedded it with a epoxy compound and he thinks it should do the job. I have not had the bore scoped. To the naked eye, it looks surprisingly pristine and if the slump into inaccuracy were gradual, I would suspect the bore to be the problem. However, the jump from MOA to 4xMOA took place between two shooting occasions and I feel deterioration of the bore would be more gradual.
It does have a cross-bolt. It also has a pound of lead I had added to the butt to balance the rifle. It has a mighty bull barrel up front.
I wouldn't be happy re-bedding every season though. This excersize cost an arm and a leg.
Lets see what happens tomorrow.
I will report back, with pictures. Lets hope they are of carcasses and not Wildebeest heading for the horizon.

[Guymullins]

Brush, 35 and Dive. I think one of the reasons for the wood compressing is that my home is at 6000ft altitude. The air is very dry, which is great for producing no rust, but it is very hard on any wood. One dare not use wood for door or window frames here because your life will be taken up with maintenance. The wood on my rifle has a not-very attractive urethane-type finish which has been scratched and worn down over the years. The wood now is very dry, so perhaps that has contributed to its compaction. I have just helped a Turkish walnut wholesaler to establish some sales in my country, so maybe it is time for payback. A blank of superior Turkish Walnut would be appreciated. The Remington wood looks a bit blonde for walnut, but I could be mistaken.

[Divemaster]

I have not had the bore scoped. To the naked eye, it looks surprisingly pristine and if the slump into inaccuracy were gradual, I would suspect the bore to be the problem. However, the jump from MOA to 4xMOA took place between two shooting occasions and I feel deterioration of the bore would be more gradual.


Actually, when the bore goes, it can happen faster than you think. If after the bedding job the accuracy is still not there, I think you should definitely inspect the rifling ahead of the chamber. Also, inspect the crown for damage. This is the last place the rifle physically interacts with the bullet.

[craigepo]

Brush, 35 and Dive. I think one of the reasons for the wood compressing is that my home is at 6000ft altitude. The air is very dry, which is great for producing no rust, but it is very hard on any wood. One dare not use wood for door or window frames here because your life will be taken up with maintenance. The wood on my rifle has a not-very attractive urethane-type finish which has been scratched and worn down over the years. The wood now is very dry, so perhaps that has contributed to its compaction. I have just helped a Turkish walnut wholesaler to establish some sales in my country, so maybe it is time for payback. A blank of superior Turkish Walnut would be appreciated. The Remington wood looks a bit blonde for walnut, but I could be mistaken.

If you ever get a Macmillan, you will leave the walnut in the gun case forever. This coming from a guy who lives in walnut heaven.

[Guymullins]

Happiness. The bedding seems to have worked a treat. Sighting the rifle in before the hunt produced the following, the flyer was my fault, I pulled it badly. A wasp on the nose does that to me.

[mark46th]

Good Hunting!!

[Divemaster]

Happiness. The bedding seems to have worked a treat. Sighting the rifle in before the hunt produced the following, the flyer was my fault, I pulled it badly. A wasp on the nose does that to me.

Happy days, and happy hunting.

Let us know when the PS.com safari is happening.

[Guymullins]

Happy days, and happy hunting.

Let us know when the PS.com safari is happening.

You are welcome at any time, but hunting season is all the months without an "R".
We can hunt all year round on most locations, but can't shoot females out of season.
For the record, I could only get a Warthog. The bush was summer thick and wet. My son got a nice Blue Wildebeest though. Shot with my other rifle, a Tikka 30-06 using a 220gr soft point. It was through and through at about 100 yds. Dropped within three paces. the 220 gr is a very nice bullet and closely mimics the ballistics of the .375 H&H up to 300 yds.

[cbtengr]

Congrats to you both! Does that critter in the picture taste better than it looks? :D

[Guymullins]

Congrats to you both! Does that critter in the picture taste better than it looks? :D

They are ugly buggers, but the meat is good. I only make Biltong (our version of jerky) and dried sausage from my game meat. The Black Wildebeest is even uglier, if thats possible. I shot one last season. Their meat is also good, but there is not much of it. All hair and bones.