I "lucked" onto a "new-in-box" 700ADL, .223 Rem/with "cheap" scope at a salvage store for $265. Before shooting it, I pillar-bedded the action, adjusted the new trigger, and free-floated the barrel. Then, I picked up a Leupold VX2, 3-9x, on-sale, mounted and bore-sighted it at 50 feet in the basement.
Winter was long and I didn't get out to sight it in until yesterday. The club range road is closed due to spring conditions, so the rifle sat unused until yesterday, when I hiked down the woods road behind the house, which still has about a foot of snow on most of it. I didn't sink in more than 3", most places.
There's no benchrest down there, so I packed my folding stool, a telescoping mono-pod hunting rest, ammo, and a water bottle in my backpack and slung the rifle over my shoulder. I also pasted 2 - 2" diameter fluorescent orange target dots on a fresh piece of stiff cardboard of adequate size and carried that.
It was a cloudy day, but fairly warm (44* f). I found a place in the edge of the hardwoods where the sun had melted all the snow, set up the stool there, then set up the cardboard target at 50 yards, in the snow and against a 3" sapling.
First shot was 2" right and 2" low. After adjusting the sights, I moved the target to 100 yards. First shot at that distance was about 1" above the bull. I wanted to sight this rifle in about 1/2"-3/4" above target center, so adjusted to that point and fired a 1/2" 3-shot group, exactly where I wanted it. (Not so high that I'd miss a small critter at 100 yards, and above the aiming point for load-testing.)
I'm more than pleased with the rifle/scope/handload combo and the trigger, which is the newest Rem Mark X-II(?) trigger, which is only adjustable with the action removed from the stock. It seems like a pretty good trigger, compared with the previous model that supposedly "adjusted" externally. I've tried to adjust several and they didn't seem to get lower than about 4 pounds, even with the screw removed. This one is safe at 2 1/2 lbs.
This will be primarily a range-loaner and home varmint rifle that I can keep near the door for dispatching 'yotes and other varmints within two-hundred yards of the house.
I like the balance and weight, but might get a better stock on it at some point.
Winter was long and I didn't get out to sight it in until yesterday. The club range road is closed due to spring conditions, so the rifle sat unused until yesterday, when I hiked down the woods road behind the house, which still has about a foot of snow on most of it. I didn't sink in more than 3", most places.
There's no benchrest down there, so I packed my folding stool, a telescoping mono-pod hunting rest, ammo, and a water bottle in my backpack and slung the rifle over my shoulder. I also pasted 2 - 2" diameter fluorescent orange target dots on a fresh piece of stiff cardboard of adequate size and carried that.
It was a cloudy day, but fairly warm (44* f). I found a place in the edge of the hardwoods where the sun had melted all the snow, set up the stool there, then set up the cardboard target at 50 yards, in the snow and against a 3" sapling.
First shot was 2" right and 2" low. After adjusting the sights, I moved the target to 100 yards. First shot at that distance was about 1" above the bull. I wanted to sight this rifle in about 1/2"-3/4" above target center, so adjusted to that point and fired a 1/2" 3-shot group, exactly where I wanted it. (Not so high that I'd miss a small critter at 100 yards, and above the aiming point for load-testing.)
I'm more than pleased with the rifle/scope/handload combo and the trigger, which is the newest Rem Mark X-II(?) trigger, which is only adjustable with the action removed from the stock. It seems like a pretty good trigger, compared with the previous model that supposedly "adjusted" externally. I've tried to adjust several and they didn't seem to get lower than about 4 pounds, even with the screw removed. This one is safe at 2 1/2 lbs.
This will be primarily a range-loaner and home varmint rifle that I can keep near the door for dispatching 'yotes and other varmints within two-hundred yards of the house.
I like the balance and weight, but might get a better stock on it at some point.
