Somewhat new to bolt guns, but I have always wanted one since I sold my last 700 and finally picked one up.
From the reading I have done the Hogue stock is crap. So that will be the 1st to go. For now that is probably going to be the only thing to get changed out until I get some time behind the gun.
However I don’t know where to start with scope, mount and rings. Any insight would be great. This is going to be a plinking gun so I’d like to keep glass around the 500 range. Vortex comes to mind, but what one?
As for stocks I think I have narrowed it down to this one, thoughts? I’ll have to have it bedded cause I’d have no idea what im doing.
I put a B&C m40 non adjustable stock on mine with the same aluminum bedding block, dropped right in with no fitting needed and accuracy has been great. But the Hogue was surprisingly stable…
This was 5 shots during barrel break in as my SPS Tact 223 came “out of the box”
Just put a B&C A2 Tactical Medalist stock on my new SPS Tactical .308 & I love it. Feels so much better than the Hogue. Now, just need to boresight it and find some time to actually go shoot it.
+1 on Stocky’s Stocks. I got my B&C Medalist II from them at a great price.
I have a chicom Millett LRS scope mounted on my 700SPS. It was a bit of a pain finding quality rings for the 35mm tube but it does not need the 20moa base. I realize that it isn’t the best quality in optics but is damn good for the $.
Don’t feel like you need to rush right out and buy a stock. The Hogue stock isn’t ideal, but it serves its purpose perfectly adequately.
If you’re new to bolt guns, and on a limited budget, focus your efforts on getting a decent optic/mount/rings (the Vortex PST FFP is an excellent suggestion). Shoot it.
When you notice a performance deficit (i.e. you can outshoot the rifle) then you can start worrying about new stocks/barrels etc.
Agree with good scope, base and rings first before changing the stock. And agree that the Vortex Viper PST FFP MIL/MIL is an excellent choice.
Either the 4-16x50 or the 6-24x50: http://www.libertyoptics.com/contents/en-us/d64.html
For an experienced shooter, yes, the factory hogue stock can be dealt with. However, a certain level of experience is required to be able to drive it effectively and understand when shots were thrown due to the stock.
Virtually every single remington 700 in a hogue stock can be made to repeatably throw shots based on how much forward pressure is applied or not applied to the bipod.
This would be virtually impossible for a rookie shooter to identify. I have seen students suffer the effects of this in nearly every class where a SPS tactical in factory configuration is present. For this reason, I believe the stock is the FIRST thing that needs to go. Obviously a quality optic is also of paramount concern, however, a quality optic will do you no good when the rifle is throwing shots as much as 3 inches due to varying torque in the stock in different firing positions.
What will you suggest when he can do no better than 1 moa, and the POI shifts as much as 3 moa every time he gets in position?
All the while it’s throwing shots, because he’s new, he’ll think its him instead of the rifle.
The way the action mates up to the stock is one of the most important aspects of a rifle. The hogue stock is one of the worst in history when considering that interface. It bends between the action screws, and in front of them, causing tremendous stress on the action. Every single SPS tactical that we have re-stocked results in a more consistent rifle. They usually shrink the groups by 1/4 to 3/4 moa, and the POI stops wandering all over the place.
The effect is so severe that I would say it is nearly impossible for a new shooter to learn anything at all while firing a rifle with that hogue stock. The inconsistency is too great to identify anything the shooter is doing to cause the thrown shot. Just about anyone in the world can shoot 2-3 MOA at 100yds. It takes a different skillset all together to do half MOA. The best shooter in the world would never be able to consistently make one of those rifles perform to that degree with that stock.
A rifle that shifts POI for seemingly no reason is a nightmare scenario for a new shooter. It can be anything. Optic, base, rings, barrel, stock, them, etc. This nightmare scenario is virtually guaranteed by use of that rubber stock. The only people that don’t already know this are those that have not had sufficient experience behind those rifles.
To be clear for those that may be skimming through:
The hogue stocks are some of the worst precision rifle stocks in history. The only thing as bad or worse are the factory tupperware stocks offered by every major manufacturer. A $200 bell and carlson composite is so much better than the hogue, that there is no reason not to spend that $325 for the stock and bedding.
Confidence is your number one asset when shooting a rifle. Equipment that robs you of your confidence can not be tolerated. I have seen so many people’s confidence destroyed by these stocks, that it is impossible for me to say they are anything but complete garbage.
Those that disagree, I encourage you to get your rifle out and spend some quality time with it in various positions. If you don’t find the deficiencies, print the dot drill below, and attempt to clean it at 100yds.
My recommendation was mostly based on the need for a budget/prioritization.
I think the stock is mostly irrelevant to simply building the skillset he needs to use the rifle effectively. Yes, he’s not going to shoot as well as he would with a properly bedded, higher-end stock, but put yourself back in the head of someone just starting out.
The optic/mount/rings combo remains the first place to spend money on. This is where you buy the best money can afford right off the bat.
With the optic in place, you can go out and shoot now, if the stock is your priority, than you still have to wait for the proper scope to go shoot.
Once he’s mastered some of the more basic skills, the stock is a worthy place to invest some dollars down the road.
If you’ve got money for both, I’d still go with a precision shooting class over a stock.
This is great info,I will be buying one of these rifles in the weeks to come & was wondering myself about there capability and what to look for !! I’ll keep my eyes on this thread for sure !! Hey Gatekeeper,is that Factory Ammo,or some reloads,doesn’t look like ya need to do much tuning no matter what it is,good shooting !
You’re right, obviously there is nothing he can learn. He’s not going to learn anything about creating a stable shooting position. He’s not going to learn anything about how to use his optic. He’s not going to learn anything about breathing. He’s not going to learn anything about spotting by watching other people shoot. He’s not going to learn…
Who cares what MOA his rifle shoots, if he as the shooter can’t do any better?
Lots of people learned on that exact platform.
Spend your money on the optic and worry about the stock later when it becomes an issue.
Yeah, why worry about a solid foundation when you can have a fancy scope with big tacticool knobs on it!
Seriously, those rubber stocks are junk and don’t even belong on those rifles in the first place. They are lowest common denominator price point junk. The only reason to buy a rifle with one is if you are getting it cheap and budgeting for a real stock as part of the total package. Once you have that, then the next thing out should get is a good scope/ring combo. But a rifle with a junk stock is like building an addition on a house with a shifting foundation. Just a really bad idea.
I would rather have a rifle with iron sights and a good stock than a junk stock and a good scope. But at the end of the day, you need both.
