Help with new Rem 700 300 Win mag

excaliber · Nov 23, 2012

I have a new Rem 700 300 Win Mag and it has a Leupold VX3 CDS scope on it. I need to get the barrel broken in and get the muzzle velocity for it so I can send the info to Leupold to make the custom turret for it.

Is this time of year a bad time to get it sighted in and muzzle readings or would it be better to wait till spring/summer next year. Will colder weather/ humidity affect muzzle velocity and sighting in? I'd hate to give them a bad reading and have the turret be faulty due to being impatient.
I'm going to start out with Doubletap 180Grain Accubonds. they claim 3050 FPS out of a 24" barrel, mine is 26" so I was hoping for at least 3100 fps.

Any suggestions?

284NM · Nov 23, 2012

I had a leupold retrofitted to the cds system, works great. Some of the info they need pertains to average elevation and ambient temps. If you plan on hunting with it this time of year I see no reason not to collect your data right now. They say plus or minus 2000 ft, I had them set mine for 5000 so I should be good to go from 3000 to 7000, and 70 degrees for an average between 50 and 90 as I use my 243 primarily for pronghorn and coyotes in the early fall. I've found that in temps above 90 degrees my rifle shoots high past 300 yards, so make sure you give them average temps for the area and time of year you will be hunting. Remember you can order additional dials for different situations and locations if you travel a lot.

440sixpack · Nov 23, 2012

The Leupold system is not accurate enough for changes as minor as you're talking about to matter.

My buddy had it done on his 300 RUM and it works pretty fair, good enough I had one made for my 264 win mag but I'm not impressed. it's OK, but it's not perfection.

Stay thirsty my friends

excaliber · Nov 25, 2012

Thanks for the feedback guys. 440sixpack, what don't you like about the CDS system? Most of what I've read says it's a great system.

dang302 · Nov 26, 2012

I would be more worried about velocity differenced from summer to winter. Some loads will go significantly faster in the hot summer than in the cold winter. I am talking about more than 100 fps. That is what will start changes your ballistics at farther ranges. I would say now is the best time to gather data. I would not have a turret made on theoretical data either (I have and its not perfect). Make sure you shoot at long distances and find out exactly how much drop you have and then match the ballistic info you give Leupold to what you have seen in the field.

WapitiBob · Dec 7, 2012

Get a ballistics app for your phone (I like Strelok), enter the pertinent info, including temp and altitude/pressure, then zero at 200, check the drop at 400, and again at 600. Adjust the muzzle velocity in the ballistics app to match the drops at 400 and 600. Use the ballistics app info for the CDS.

440sixpack · Dec 8, 2012

I think the system is good enough It's just not that accurate from the two I've seen. I wonder if the scope adjustments are good enough for this type of use too, my rifle has a 30 year history of extreme accuracy but the point of impact changes in relation to the setting a little.

I've never researched it but I wonder if scopes like Nightforce don't have an adjustment system designed more for this use. if I try it again I'm going with Nightforce and I'm going to send the rifle for a custom turret built on actual balistics.

Stay thirsty my friends

REDDOG · Dec 8, 2012

exactly..all tho my VX3LR leups track really good, most other leups i have are not true 1/4 min clicks..this problem will cause you to pull your damn hair out..NF is dead nuts.

I dont want to come off like a prick, but thats something that MOST "custom" turret owners are blissfully ignorant of, as they just dont understand what is going on other than dial to the yard, or "paint by the dots" kind of approach..yes it bothers me, i think it will only lead to regulations down the road with all the mall snipers running around anymore.The way 99% of these are set up are ball park accurate at best, but it seems thats good enuff to sell them like hotcakes.

I use CDS and make my own zero stops for them, but they are MOA adjustment just like every other turret.

An up close of an MOA CDS