Our rifle range is overrun with ground squirrels that dig into the berms and cause a lot of damage. I decided that I needed an accurate long range .22 caliber centerfire varmint rifle capable of making four or five hundred yard shots. I decided on .22-250 caliber as it has a long history of excellence for varmints. I’m a lefty, so wanted a left hand bolt action rifle with a 26” bull barrel. I narrowed my choices to either a Savage or a Remington 700 SPS as they were the most affordable. The local Sportsman’s Warehouse had right handed versions of both rifles, so I was able to handle them and try the fit. The Remington at $575 was not only less money but fit me better. I have never owned a Remington 700, so I went ahead and ordered one. While waiting for it to arrive I bought the dies, brass, etc. for reloading, as well as a bullet mould so I could try cast lead bullets to lower ammunition cost. That was another $300 or so.
Here is a picture of the Remington SPS:
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/wSBaWh6.jpg?2)
The rifle arrived and I installed a $350 Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50mm scope on it with two-piece Weaver mounts. Hmmm…., this project is starting to get expensive! With completed rifle and ammo in hand, off to the range I go. The first firing showed a very heavy trigger pull and mediocre accuracy. The rifle was equipped with an adjustable X-Mark Pro trigger said to reduce pull by 40%. My Lyman electronic trigger pull gauge showed a 5 ½ lb. pull. That is way too much for a bench/varmint gun. I backed out the adjustment screw until it was finally completely out of the trigger and the pull would not go below 5 lbs. OK, maybe it just needs some use to wear in properly.
Over time I experimented with different loads, and after several hundred rounds the trigger was just as bad if not worse, so I spent another $125 for a Timney trigger. It worked perfectly and would adjust as light as I wanted. Problem was the rifle was still shooting +2” groups at 100 yards when it should do half that. The cast lead bullets were a lot of fun to shoot but were less accurate than jacketed. Researching my problem on the internet showed I was not alone, and the consensus was that the plastic factory stock lacked proper bedding and was not ridged enough. There is a series of videos on YouTube showing how to glass bed the Remington stock, but it did nothing to stiffen the stock and I came to the conclusion that you can’t polish a turd. I really liked the feel of that stock, but it had to go. I found Stocky’s Gun Stocks on the web and they had a beautiful left-handed aluminum bedded laminated wood thumbhole stock for $325, so I ordered it. It is a beautiful thing and bolted right up to my rifle. The length of pull proved slightly too long for me as I had to crawl the stock to see clearly through the scope, which was mounted as far back as the Weaver bases would allow. I tried reversing the base, but it interfered with the bolt lift. I finally resolved the problem by spending another $40 on a Picatinny rail that set the scope where I needed it. I have yet to find out if all this has improved accuracy as it has been raining and I have not made it back to the range. After all this, I certainly hope things have improved.
Here is a picture of my rifle as it is today:
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/p71Py67.jpg?1)
Now, if you have been keeping track, I have spent upwards of $1,700 on this rifle and accessories. I am very disappointed in its performance so far. The legendary accuracy of the Remington 700 bolt action rifle is no more, judging by my experience. I should have gone with the Savage and none of the modifications would have been necessary. My Savage Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor has been a real tack driver right out of the box, and was only $100 more than what I originally paid for the troublesome Remington. This is what I get for going with the cheaper rifle. It certainly was not cheaper in the end. I would have been much better off to just use the Creedmoor on those squirrels, but I wanted another new rifle. Now, if any of you get the itch for a new rifle, I would recommend you stay shy of Remington!
My late father-in-law was fond of telling me “Sometimes you ain’t too bright”. I guess this was another one of those times.
Shasta