I decided to build a bolt gun after not having one for over 25 years. I found a good price on a Remington 700 AAC-SD and a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10x40 mm LR/T M1 and want to marry the two together correctly.
For the most part this gun will be used at 600 meters and in, but I want the option to take advantage of the quicker twist barrel and heavier bullets to get out to 1000 meters.
My first inclination is to go with the Leupold Mark 4 30mm medium rings (#61049) and their short action long range 1-piece 15 MOA picatinny rail base (#59235). The scope I chose has 65 MOA of elevation and windage adjustment.
Is this a good choice or do you have better recommendations?
Next, I am looking at the Harris S-BRM bipod given that to start out I am going to stay with the factory Hogue stock. Knowing that the Hogue does not have dual studs up front, is this the best option?
Thanks for any help and for all the info I’ve gleaned from your other posts on this nice forum.
I prefer 20MOA mounts myself. They give the most flexibility in my opinion as they give you the ability to reach out further without compromising your ability to shoot shorter distances.
The factory Hogue stock is decent but a bit too flexible in terms of getting the most out of your rifle. There are some great options out there to include McMillan, Manners, Bell & Carlson, and HS Precision. My favorite is Manners…which is as good as McMillan but priced better for my pocket. You can also find very nice HS Precision 700P and LTR take offs for around $200 with a little looking around. They will sere you well.
I would play around with some DevCon 10110 or MarineTex to (a) bed the action and free float the barrel, (b) stiffen up the stock and (c, just my druthers) install a side sling swivel or flush cups. If you have lots of money, just go buy an XLR stock or Manners/McM.
I use 2 piece Loopy scope mounts, but if I were to buy a rail I would compare EGW’s HD to Seekins or Warne. I do have Warne rings and love them, but would also consider Seekins.
I have this set up for my son. AAC-SD in .308; AICS 1.5; Nightforce aluminum 20moa base; NF Ultra light rings.
I had a muzzle break installed.
I would recommend a 20 moa base. Leupold Mark 4, Badger Ordnance, US Optics, and of course Night Force all make good bases.
As far as rings, I like the lightweight NF rings.
The factory stock that came on my sons gun was flimsy in my eyes. I would recommend you shoot it and see if you like the stock prior to buying some thing new.
It all depends on optic turret adjustment options.
If you’ve got a scope with fairly decent adjustment range, then there is no reason not to get a 30 or 40. You’ll still be able to zero for 100yds, but you’ll have the turret dialed all the way down, which creates a quasi-zero-stop on cheaper scopes that lack it. Just do the math based on what your scope adjustment limitations are, and get the slope that will still allow a 100yd zero yet track to its maximum potential. For most 65-75moa scopes this will be a 30 moa base. For the higher end 100moa scopes, it will be a 40 moa.
For sabresbrs, I paid $580 for the rifle. Got the scope for $720. Both are new in the box.
These responses generate a few more questions:
I noticed some EGW aluminum rails and rings with great reviews, but low prices. Rail was $30 and rings were $60. Sounds too good to be true so I assume it is.
For orkan, do you have a reference link for doing the math on the MOA angle for the base?
I like the looks of the NF parts, but their cost seems out of line as they’re nearly half the cost of the rifle. What am I missing here?
I ran a EGW mount and Burris XTR rings on a low cost Remington SPS Tactical and never had an issue. I will suggest though that you spend a little more to go top notch. I was using a lower cost Falcon Menace scope which worked well, however you’ve invested in a very nice Leupold so ne sense in going cheap on the rings and mount. You got some good glass so let’s make sure its secure so that you can get the most out of your rifle.
I’d recommend a nightforce, badger, or seekins base.
Making an assumption that your rifle is straight and true, selecting a 20moa base means that you’ll need at least 20 minutes (5.5mils) more down adjustment to zero at 100yds than would be required with a flat base.
So, if your scope has a 20 mil max adjustment, you’ll probably be fine with a 30, but maybe not a 40. The likes of nightforce, S&B, Premier, vortex, IOR, etc… all offer scopes that will work great on a 40moa base. A 20moa will work with damn near anything. My friend has a falcon 4-14, and we put a 20moa seekins on his, and he is 9.7 mils from the bottom of his adjustment range. We could have easily put a 40 on there, and the quasi-zero-stop would have been easier to deal with, as it wouldn’t have been a turn and a half, but rather a half turn from the bottom.
Bad idea if you only plan to shoot close distances however, because some scopes react badly to being on either end of their mechanical adjustment.
OK, you have me convinced; I will not skimp on the mounting system. Went with a NF 20 MOA base and their ultralight titanium rings. Should be a sweet rifle when it all goes together.
Thanks. From the reviews I read of these parts they sound like absolute first rate gear. As a mechanical engineer, I know how costs add up as tolerances shrink. You get what you pay for (sometimes).
Piece of free advice: Before you even shoot the thing, send it to a competent gunsmith for a new 11 degree crown. The crowns on the new Remingtons look like they were done with a pocketknife. Just save the cost of the wasted ammo and do it up front.
Renegade: I found mine at a local gun show. A little shop out of Monroe, OH had it on their table. Kind of surprised me to see it there.
Quietshootr: I’ll take a look at it. I had the thread protector off last night, but didn’t pay attention to the crown. Might the thinner cross section due to the threading on this model change the crowning or is it still the same?
No. the crown is the edge of the muzzle. However, the threading does increase the chance that they fucked up the crown - at least that was my experience with a new 5R factory threaded last week. EVERY one I looked at (5 of them) all had dicked up crowns.
The Leupold just arrived and after talking with them yesterday they had me spooked that the price was just too good to be true. I opened the box and immediately called them again to verify its authenticity. It’s real! It was manufactured late last year.
Heading to the range weekend after next so everything should be here in time to get it assembled for the sight in.