SPS Varmint review (part 2)

ARCOREY

ARCOREY

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As some of you may have seen I did an initial review of my Remington 243 SPS Varmint, not as an expert, just my observations. I've managed to shoot 5 groundhogs with it and like the caliber, but just haven't gotten the accuracy I was hoping for. Even though I was warned about the "terrible trigger and tupperware stock", I figured it's a Remington 700 for $529 how can I lose /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif? Some initial groups fired from bipod and rear bags from the bench in mid 60's temperatures looked promising. Recently I fired more test loads from bipod and rear bags from a bench as well as a Coyote Jake's rest and was dissapointed to say the least. My 1" groups turned into 3.5" groups in the mid 90's temeratures. Even factory 3 shot groups came in around 3". Luckily fellow PM'er chris1017 had his 700VS 22-250 there. We swapped stocks and back to 1" groups. After applying pressure to the forend of the SPS stock, flexing was visable. As for the trigger, I made two adjustments to the one screw for the weight of pull and it was great. Now that I know what is causing my lack of accuracy, I am going to experiment with my $25 stock and see how hard it will be to remedy using basic tools and techniques. I have removed the plastic webbing in the forearm and plan to re-inforce it with welding rods and glass bedding. These will be shown in part 3 of my review. Still happy with my purchase so far. Priced seperately, the action would have been $418 for the action, bolt, and trigger no floor plate, and the FFL transfer plus shipping. Floor plate and trigger guard about $30 for the plastic one I got. 26" varmint barrel about $200 for the cheapest out there. Recoil lug about $20. Gunsmith services to assemble about $200. Bringing the total to about $868. If the stock trick works I'll have about $554 in it for the same stuff plus a stock and only have a few hours of bedding and grinding with the Dremel /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif. For all those interested in an SPS Varmint, I don't thing this would have been an issue with the lighter recoiling rifles in 17FB, 204, 223, and maybe even 22-250. I thing it is probably only going to be an issue with the hotter 243 and 308. I bought this rifle knowing I may have to replace the stock, so no big deal yet. Here are some pictures, all groups shot from bench at 100 yds in mid 90's temps.
3 shot Federal Premium from Coyote Jake's
PICT0055.jpg

5 shot group from bipod and handloads( can't remember the load)
PICT0057.jpg

5 shot group with VS H-S precision stock and Coyote Jake's rest using handloads(also don't remember which ones)
PICT0054.jpg

Inside of forearm of SPS Varmint stock.
PICT0042-1.jpg

Stay tuned for the part 3 results after the glass bedding /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
 
Looks like it's definitely the stock. It'll be nice to see how it shoots after you bet it. Are you going to bed the action too? I think that would help even more.
 
Don't waste your time w/the remington offering stock. It will always have channel warp. Though the bedding will help matters a McMillan or HS Precision it will never be. It may set you back some $$ but it'll be worth it in the long run.
 
I just got back from the rifle range shooting a Rem 243. I was shooting 5/8" groups at 200 yards with 44.0g of AA2700, Rem case, CCI250 primer with the 70g Nosler touching the lands. Maybe this may help you on your quest. This is not the first 700 in 243 that has liked this load (+/- 1/2grain) with the 70's and the CCI250's seem to group better than the Fed 210. The 75's shoot unreal with 43.5g of AA2700 in two 700-243's. 1 inch and under is common place at 200 yds with these two loads.

I offer this suggestion, instead of using welding rods, go to the hardware store and get 1/4" steel square rods, your forearm will be very stiff when you pour a generous amount of casting resin or bedding compound in around them. I suggest that you de-grease the stock surface with brake cleaner twice, and take a dremel tool and roughen up the surface with any bit that turns your crank. I have NEVER had a problem with bedding compound sticking to the surface of a plastic stock when using this method.

A Boyd's laminate stock with the pillars installed is a great investment. Go to ebay under "gunparts", then "rifles" then "stocks" and you will find a super deal on them from some guy that has a bunch of them for sale.
 
I would love to replace the stock, but life has thrown me a few curve balls lately and my upcoming bills of about $6500 require me to be more practical with my spending. I have found tons of replacement stocks that would fit the bill and went as far as the last checkout screen on a few sites before coming to my senses. I'll see how this does first, if it doesn't help then I lost half of a $25 bedding kit and a $25 tupperware stock. I'll drop my scope back on my AR and make due till next year. Ackleyman, I thought a barstock would be more rigid also, but didn't know how easy it would be to find. As for the loading, I have been using nothing but the CCI 250 primers and have a box of 70 gr. NBT's I had just started on when diagnosing the problem. I'll be limited to Benchmark, BL-C(2), and Hogdon 4064 for the time being since that is all I have and can't really afford to try others now, but will make note of the AA2700. Thanks for the suggestions and incase the internet is out at home again, have a safe weekend /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif.
 
cjg beef, this will be my first bedding attempt. I figure I'll try it in stages. I'll bed the forearm first, then move back fore and aft of the recoil lug, then work my way back toward the tang screw. The next pictures will show that a Dremel at 30,000 rpm tends to melt plastic a bit, but on the lowest setting with a sanding drum, it's perfect for scuffing all the surfaces to make the bedding adhere. I would be posting part 3 after this weekend if I hadn't screwed up the shipping address on my order of a Miles Gilbert bedding kit from Midway and had it returned to sender. Hopefully I'll get it by next weekend.
 
Keep trying. For the first six months of owning my .204 I just couldn't find a load It would shoot right. Just last week I loaded up 50 rds. of ammo and headed to the range. My load was 28.7 grns of Varget under a 35 gr. berger HP. My first three shot group measured .155 after subtracting bullet diameter and CTC was somewhere around .25. My average Group was about .4. At 400 yds. I shot one 1.5 in group. This is all stock. I hope you get your shooting like you want! Good luck!
 
Quote:
cjg beef, this will be my first bedding attempt. I figure I'll try it in stages. I'll bed the forearm first, then move back fore and aft of the recoil lug, then work my way back toward the tang screw. The next pictures will show that a Dremel at 30,000 rpm tends to melt plastic a bit, but on the lowest setting with a sanding drum, it's perfect for scuffing all the surfaces to make the bedding adhere. I would be posting part 3 after this weekend if I hadn't screwed up the shipping address on my order of a Miles Gilbert bedding kit from Midway and had it returned to sender. Hopefully I'll get it by next weekend.



You need to bed it all at the same time. If you want to do it in stages then you would need to do the action first (recoil lug and tang at the same time) then you could do the forearm and barrel channel in the second step.
 


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