In 1972 I bought a Remington Model 700 BDL 22/250. I used that rifle for fox and coyotes in Iowa. I moved to Wyoming in 1979 and proceded to shoot coyotes, prairie dogs, ground squirrels and jack rabbits. I shot the head space out of the gun in 1988. I didn't have much money so I had a local gunsmith rechamber the original barrel. Afterwards the gun still shot 1 inch groups and I shot it this way until 2009 when the accuracy just went to heck. 3 or 4 inch groups at 100 yards. Nostaliga and the hope of going back to that original configuration that I used to just pound coyotes with I bought a new take off barrel on the net and had it put on my gun. It would maybe shoot 2 1/2 inches at 100. I switched out the old Leupold 3-9 scope to a new Leupold 3.5 - 10x and it didn't improve. I made sure the new barrel was free floated then I had a local gunsmith glass the action. About this time the extractor broke and I finally found a gunsmith that could replace it. Then the magazine spring was so weak the rounds wouldn't feed always and I replaced that. Next the trigger went bad gun would fire when the safety was flipped no amount of gun smith help could give me a decent 3 lb trigger and safety so I replaced the original trigger with a Timney. However the accuracy still has not improved. 2 1/2 inches at 100 yards is about all it can do. I have made sure the mounts are tight and even replaced the bases. I bought new brass and attempted to work up a new load and experimented with bullets, primers, powder etc. The only thing I learned is it likes flat based bullets with SP points in the 55 gr weight. Don't even attempt to use lighter bullets. But accuracy on its best day is 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. I know I should just buy a new rifle and be done with this. But that gun is kinda like a friend when I shoulder it. I put it in the safe and begin shooting a new AR that will shoot 3/4 MOA groups all day long at 100 yards. But it just doesn't feel the same on my shoulder and I sure don't hit coyotes like I used to my old rifle. I have been considering putting another barrel on the old rifle and use a different gunsmith to see if maybe its salvagable. Any other thoughts as to what I should do?
Salvaging my old Model 700 22/250
- Thread starter JCL
- Start date
nastynatesfish
Active member
I'd say work your load more with it. If you bought a decent take off it should shoot. The 55gr sp bullets are my rifles favorite also. You didn't say what powder or charge your running. I use varget with the hornady 55s. I rebarreled to change a bought gun for me. Did you try a variety of bullets? It's probably got a 1-12 twist to it. Your original may have been a 1-10? Good luck and don't give up trying untill you just can't do it
lyotehunter
New member
i would sent it to pac-nor maybe and have them put a new barrel on it they are reasonable.it should shoot sounds like the barrel might be your problem.try some h380.start with 36.8gr.behind a 52gr HPBT match in berger or seirra
ninehorses
New member
Prime candidate for a new custom barrel, you could even go to 22-250AI for a little more performance out of the old girl.
Besides, BDL's with stainless barrels look sexy!
Besides, BDL's with stainless barrels look sexy!
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If you are on a tight budget, www.gunbroker and www.ebay.com have new rem 700 take off's for $80 or less. Uaually there are barrels on there that have few if any rounds through them and getting new SS take offs is not uncommon at all.
New custom barrels are always a plus...some folks are having their family budgets stretched to the limit these days.
New custom barrels are always a plus...some folks are having their family budgets stretched to the limit these days.
CatShooter
New member
Originally Posted By: JCL
"I shot the head space out of the gun in 1988."
How did you do that - I have never heard of such a thing?
Like others have said - you have been "Cheaping out" and it shows.
Get someone that knows what they are doing and get a decent barrel.
When you get a take off - you get something that performed so poorly that someone paid good money to get it off of their rifle, and then GOT good money (yours) to get rid of it.
Time to step up to the bar and do it right.
"I shot the head space out of the gun in 1988."
How did you do that - I have never heard of such a thing?
Like others have said - you have been "Cheaping out" and it shows.
Get someone that knows what they are doing and get a decent barrel.
When you get a take off - you get something that performed so poorly that someone paid good money to get it off of their rifle, and then GOT good money (yours) to get rid of it.
Time to step up to the bar and do it right.
When I bought the barrel I was under the impression it was a factory new barrel that was removed so the owner could rebarrel the gun to 6.5 BR. Money wasn't the main issue I was hoping to get the same set up I had started with 40 years ago. Crown on the barrel was perfect and it appeared to be brand new. But it could easily be the problem.
As for losing the head space in my gun the first time it was caused by throat erosion over time according to my gunsmith. My brass was showing signs of pressure with moderate loads and when I took it in the gunsmith used a set of gauges to check the chamber. My gun would easily bolt shut completely on the No go guage for 22/250. My gunsmith at the time told me that all the rounds I had put through the gun had eroded the throat badly enlarging the chamber. I asked if the barrel was bad and he told me that no the barrel itself was good just the chamber needed to be recut and he did this by taking a few threads off the bottom of the barrel and then rethreading and rechambering the gun. It shot well afterwards for another 15 years.
As for losing the head space in my gun the first time it was caused by throat erosion over time according to my gunsmith. My brass was showing signs of pressure with moderate loads and when I took it in the gunsmith used a set of gauges to check the chamber. My gun would easily bolt shut completely on the No go guage for 22/250. My gunsmith at the time told me that all the rounds I had put through the gun had eroded the throat badly enlarging the chamber. I asked if the barrel was bad and he told me that no the barrel itself was good just the chamber needed to be recut and he did this by taking a few threads off the bottom of the barrel and then rethreading and rechambering the gun. It shot well afterwards for another 15 years.
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Smokeless
New member
I agree that you should have had a good after market barrel turned on the first time, but that is not what we are dealing with here. Let's see if we can make the ole' girl shoot. It probably won't do bug holes, but if we all put our thoughts together I bet we can get her under or at MOA.
Do you have a headspace gage, or a bullet comparator? These are tools that are very valuable when working up loads.
We need to determine your headspace, and a over all length for your loaded rounds, this will change from bullet to bullet.
Explain in some detail your reloading process, and exactly what you have tried.
I will help you all I can.
Do you have a headspace gage, or a bullet comparator? These are tools that are very valuable when working up loads.
We need to determine your headspace, and a over all length for your loaded rounds, this will change from bullet to bullet.
Explain in some detail your reloading process, and exactly what you have tried.
I will help you all I can.
CatShooter
New member
Originally Posted By: JCL
"As for losing the head space in my gun the first time it was caused by throat erosion over time according to my gunsmith. My brass was showing signs of pressure with moderate loads and when I took it in the gunsmith used a set of gauges to check the chamber. My gun would easily bolt shut completely on the No go guage for 22/250. My gunsmith at the time told me that all the rounds I had put through the gun had eroded the throat badly enlarging the chamber. I asked if the barrel was bad and he told me that no the barrel itself was good just the chamber needed to be recut and he did this by taking a few threads off the bottom of the barrel and then rethreading and rechambering the gun. It shot well afterwards for another 15 years.
You need a new gunsmith - the throat and the headspace have nothing to do with each other - you can shoot out the throat, but it is impossible to shoot out the headspace.
.
"As for losing the head space in my gun the first time it was caused by throat erosion over time according to my gunsmith. My brass was showing signs of pressure with moderate loads and when I took it in the gunsmith used a set of gauges to check the chamber. My gun would easily bolt shut completely on the No go guage for 22/250. My gunsmith at the time told me that all the rounds I had put through the gun had eroded the throat badly enlarging the chamber. I asked if the barrel was bad and he told me that no the barrel itself was good just the chamber needed to be recut and he did this by taking a few threads off the bottom of the barrel and then rethreading and rechambering the gun. It shot well afterwards for another 15 years.
You need a new gunsmith - the throat and the headspace have nothing to do with each other - you can shoot out the throat, but it is impossible to shoot out the headspace.
.
BubbaChicken
New member
Cat is right, headspace is not affected by the throat wear, and is not measured with the end of the case in mind in a shouldered case. You do not get gasses into that part of the barrel, as the case shoulder fills it upon firing! It is basically sealed until all the pressure is gone! It is impossible to wear away. Now if your barrel had somehow backed out, or if you altered the OAL of the bolt, THEN your headspace will CHANGE, but that is pretty easy to verify.
I was going to do a setback and rechamber (the process you are describing that cuts the barrel face a couple threads and reams the barrel again) on my .270, but the gunsmith doing the work was so overloaded in business that after about 6 months I said to heck with it and bought a new barrel and converted my Savage into a 30-06, so I cannot tell you anything about how well such an event would do. I have no actual experience in rechambering a barrel, only read theory.
I was going to do a setback and rechamber (the process you are describing that cuts the barrel face a couple threads and reams the barrel again) on my .270, but the gunsmith doing the work was so overloaded in business that after about 6 months I said to heck with it and bought a new barrel and converted my Savage into a 30-06, so I cannot tell you anything about how well such an event would do. I have no actual experience in rechambering a barrel, only read theory.
My gunsmith was a veteran of 50 years and a master gunsmith. Ralph Hastings. He is now in a retirement home. He built custom rifles for Bob Milek and many other high profile people over the years. I have three of his custom rifles one he built for my daughter 257 Ack Improved, one for my son 22/250 and .270 for me. Both are 1/2 MOA guns. He was best known for his rifle stocks which were works of art. He told me at the time I had shot it out so badly he had never seen one quite as bad. It would fail to eject and I would use a rod to remove the case. Cases developed a bright ring around the web of the case from stretching. Slowly cases started sticking more and more. I was a young idiot at the time when it came to shooting prairie dogs. I would pull up to a dog town and shoot until they all disappeared and the barrel of my sporter weight rifle was so hot you could blister from touching it. I started seeing pressure signs on mild reloads. Finally I had a case partially separate. Being a young idiot I thought it was my reload. When I brought it to Ralph he removed the stuck portion of the case. looked at it and immediately said the head space is bad. He took the no go headspace gauge and it loaded right up. He told me that was a problem. As to whether the barrel had moved I really don't believe so. At the time I swore he told me I shot the head space out of the gun but that was in 1988 and I may have misunderstood and yes I have slept since then. All I can say for sure is he set the barrel back and rechambered the gun because the writing (22/250) Remington on the original barrel was under the forearm.
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