I am going to do it .... Rem 700 LTR clone in 300 Whisper (or fireball)

[Quarterbore]

I have put this off way too long..... Here is what I have planned...

Buy a 223 Barreled action (AKA cheap Rem 700 in 223)
- perhaps one of the new Rem 700 SPS in 223
New H-S Precision LTR Style short action stock
Have a 1:8 twist 300/221 heavy barrel made to 20-inches
Have the barrel threaded for the 5/8x24 thread typical of AR-10s and other 30-cals
Have everything built up and blueprinted and refinish with some type of Matte or parkerized finish

I am hoping that Kurt at Kurt's Kustom can do it for me as he as built a few toys for me ove the years but we will see:

http://ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=44&t=147625

I just need to get some idea what I will have invested in this...

[Cornholio]

I'm doing basically the same thing right now. I already had a Rem 700 VS in .223 that I'm having outfitted with a 22" 1 in 8" Douglas XX stainless barrel. Bead blasted and threaded 9/16x24. The work is costing me about $400. Hopefully I'll have everything back and write up a range report in about a month.

[Quarterbore]

I'm doing basically the same thing right now. I already had a Rem 700 VS in .223 that I'm having outfitted with a 22" 1 in 8" Douglas XX stainless barrel. Bead blasted and threaded 9/16x24. The work is costing me about $400. Hopefully I'll have everything back and write up a range report in about a month.

Why 9/16x24? My goal is to eventually get a Gem-Tech TPRS (http://gem-tech.com/tprs.html) so I am sticking with thread pitches that will match with my AR-10s and AR-15s.

Also, who is doing the work for you?

[Cornholio]

The AWC Thundertrap uses the 9/16x24 thread spec. Dave Carver in Ohio is doing the work.

[Quarterbore]

OK, I am finally the owner of a host rifle for the project... I have been going shop to shop looking for a used 223 case head rifle and I managed to find a brand new Rem 700 ADL synthetic for $339.

Now I need to reasure myself that I want the 20-inch heavy profile... and I need to find myself a stock as I do have a Remington 700 LTR stock but it is a DM... with the 300 Whisper I need to get a BDL style stock... I also likely need to find the BDL bottom metal for the 223 as I am sure it is different then the 308 sized units... :eek:

[Cornholio]

Where are you going to send the rifle for the rebarrel?

[d-mon]

You should try Pac-nor, they specialise in rebarreling + they can true the face of your action, lap the lugs and they have the reamer.
If you want a better "blue printing", you should send your action to GTR tooling For a complete blue print, before sending it to Pac nor, but I am not sure it is worth the effort.

D-mon

[Quarterbore]

Thanks for the advise but I like Kurt and he has done me well in the past...

I posted that I was looking for the BDL parts to convert my rem 700 ADL to BDL and I got some feedback that the factory 223 Mag parts kind of suck... I had a Remington 700 VLS in 223 a few years back and I never had any problems but they got me looking now...

I am really not sure I want to spend this kind of money but I am considering one of the H-S DM units as shown here:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=584644

It's $203.99 for the unit and one mag!

Extra mags are $73.99 Each

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=139289

That is getting into some really serious money in a hurry so I am not sure I want to go this route yet...

I am trying to derermine if I can use the Box, Speing, and Follower from my Remington 700 ADL in 223 with a more available Rem 700 BDL SA assembly from a 308 sized gun and have it work with the 223 (or 300 Whisper when rebarreled)...

I may call Remington to get an answer...

[Cornholio]

I wonder if the parts in my Rem 700VS will work ok?!

[Quarterbore]

Well, in my case I don't have the parts so I need to buy something anyways... I am still trying to figure out if the Rem 700 ADL follower, spring, and internal magazine "box" is the same as would be used on a BDL and if I were to take the BDL assemblly off my 243 if I could use the ADL parts with the 243 BDL group to get a BDL group for this project...

If it works, I will simply convert my Sporter weight 243 to use the H-S Precision mag assembly as when I ever managed to shoot out that 243 BBL (I shoot lots of varmints when I get time to go with 55-gr Noslet BTs at 4000 fps so the barrel will go eventually) I will rebarrel my 243 and make a 308 Tactical out of it... Depending on how well I like this 300/221 rifle I may or may not make another LTR clone.... OR .... I may try something special like a 257/243 (25 Souper)...

I just need a few hours somewhere to take the rifles down and compare them!

[Quarterbore]

I got the rifle back and she is sweet! I had to work late last night so I didn't get to take any pics but now I need to hurry up and order an appropriate scope base and rings plus figure out what scope I want to use. I think I have an extra Silver Leupold VXIII 3.5-10 and Leupold QR bases and rings so I may end up sticking that on the rifle until I can figure out just waht kind of optic I want on the rifle long term.

The rifle has a nice balance and I didn't measure the final barel length yet but if anything I might have had this rifle built with a little longer barrel then I really wanted. Just the same, Kurt at Kurts Kustom did a fantastic job and the barrel is contoured down to a standard AR-15 HBAR profile and then the barrel is pretty much a straight HBAR profile as near as I could tell just looking. The barrel diameter exactly matches the Gem-Tech Bi-Lock profile and you really have to look hard to see where the barrel stops and the bi-lock begins.

Now I need to get the reloading equipment out and get this little baby spitting bullets. I have a special suprise in store for all of us 300 Whisper / Fireball owners that I will get to work on pretty soon now that I have this new baby to get me into working on the 300 Whisper again... ;)

[d-mon]

PLEASE, PLEASE, some pictures... :)

ND