How do I make my new .280 a super gun?

[pianoman9701]

I won a Rem 700 SPS .280. It has a composite camo stock. Nice gun. How much money would I have to put into it to improve it as a longer range weapon? What do you have to do to make a floating stock, etc? Thanks,
Pman

[BOWHUNTER45]

Piano .. good cal ... you may want to shoot it first and weed out the issues that you think could be better ...trigger pull - accuracy  and how the gun fits you... it may be just fine ... free floating always helps ... but if the gun is shooting tight groups already then no need to do anything ....you take a dollar bill and slide it down the barrel between the barrel and stock and see if the barrel is touching the stock ....sometimes you get lucky and it may not be !

[pianoman9701]

Piano .. good cal ... you may want to shoot it first and weed out the issues that you think could be better ...trigger pull - accuracy  and how the gun fits you... it may be just fine ... free floating always helps ... but if the gun is shooting tight groups already then no need to do anything ....you take a dollar bill and slide it down the barrel between the barrel and stock and see if the barrel is touching the stock ....sometimes you get lucky and it may not be !

OK, then I have to find a scope for it first. Thanks BH

[norsepeak]

run a dollar bill under the barrel and see where the tight spots are, then pop the action/barrel out of the stock and sand down the tight spots so the barrel doesn't touch the stock anywhere.  Then put it back together, adjust the trigger down to about 2.5, work a great load for it and ring steel!

[Curly]

Also, to get the best accuracy, you're most likely going to have to reload.   You may get lucky and find a factory load that the rifle likes, but chances are that you will need to reload to get the optimum out of the rifle.

[pianoman9701]

Also, to get the best accuracy, you're most likely going to have to reload.   You may get lucky and find a factory load that the rifle likes, but chances are that you will need to reload to get the optimum out of the rifle.

Ha, got the bill for one year at WSU last night - reloading is probably not in my near future. And, in all fairness, when I say long range, the most I'm talking would be 500 yds on the very outside. I think if the gun has the right scope and I do what I can to make it as accurate as possible, I'd be good. So I'll get a scope for it and check the barrel, and adjust the trigger. Is there anything else I should do to the existing rifle?

[norsepeak]

you can do yourself a huge favor and do a PROPER barrel break-in.  Go the Lilja barrels website and get the procedure.  It's a little time consuming in the beginning, but it's worth it in the end.  I've done their procedure on two of their barrels, and they are tack drivers, and clean up very easily now.

[pianoman9701]

you can do yourself a huge favor and do a PROPER barrel break-in.  Go the Lilja barrels website and get the procedure.  It's a little time consuming in the beginning, but it's worth it in the end.  I've done their procedure on two of their barrels, and they are tack drivers, and clean up very easily now.

Great advice! Will do.

[bearpaw]

piano I would scope it up and shoot it before you go to lots of trouble with modifications, some guns shoot great right out of the box...

[threedwizard]

All great suggestions! I'm a trigger man and feel a nice trigger job is money well spent. It seems to make all the difference in my long shooting rifles. Remington triggers are usually cheap to clean up and lighten.

[pianoman9701]

piano I would scope it up and shoot it before you go to lots of trouble with modifications, some guns shoot great right out of the box...

Good advice, thanks BP. I have a .280 and you don't!

[pianoman9701]

All great suggestions! I'm a trigger man and feel a nice trigger job is money well spent. It seems to make all the difference in my long shooting rifles. Remington triggers are usually cheap to clean up and lighten.

Mine has the X-Mark Pro adjustable trigger, too. I'll work on that pull. Thanks.

[Miles]

you can do yourself a huge favor and do a PROPER barrel break-in. 

Couldn't help it...   

[pianoman9701]

That just hurts. 

[Todd_ID]

It's got a bull barrel on it!