Questions, Questions...

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 11:34 am

Among the nice target rifles in my locker, there's a factory outline Remington 504 I inexplicably shoot as well as (or better than) any of them. It has a Leupold VX-II 6-18x40 Target scope, it's bedded and LOP is stretched to 14.5", but 40 meter accuracy is .75 MOA and at 100 meters that spreads out to something just over 1 MOA so it is not exactly a tack driver. And yet, I've shot a personal best 26/40 twice - once with this rifle last fall and again this spring with a Anschutz 1712 and a Leupold FX-III 25x40. The next closest score is 24/40, and that only once this fall.

Last summer I spent many hours at the range with the 504, so this may be a practice effect, the lower power scope, or the lighter rifle. Or something else entirely. I would really like to understand why I shoot well with this rifle so I can replicate the magic! Evelio is already laughing at me and this obsession with 504's when I have better...

Consistency is key, and planting the butt squarely to the shoulder, then pulling it into my body, and laying into the comb and sliding my cheek down until I get a sight picture is the formula. The scope is positioned so getting a sight picture requires a particular position, and if the picture is wrong I rebuild the position until the picture is right. Oddly, my right shoulder is almost paralyzed after shooting this rifle, something that doesn't happen with any of the others.

To improve accuracy the 504 will get a re-cut Anschutz 1710 barrel, which raises another question. The 504 has a textured finish and the 1710 barrel is smooth blued, so should it be left alone, done in Gunkote or blued? Other?

Jim Beckley · Post by **Jim Beckley** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:14 pm

BB, I'll try to answer your question, but it's any my thoughts. Having two rifles for the same class it kinda like having two women at the same time, who aren't in the same picture, you are the one that is going to get hurt. I had a Kimber HS that shot really well and then I got a 1712, got rid of the Kimber, didn't have to worry about anything else!

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:48 pm

Blaubear I am going to have to send Kitty over as your talking jibberish again... Listen to the voices, Let the 504 go... Let the 504 go

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 1:54 pm

Bob259 wrote:Blaubear I am going to have to send Kitty over as your talking jibberish again... Listen to the voices, Let the 504 go... Let the 504 go

Dang, forgot about Kitty! He's gonna kill me for even raising the issue...

Sounds like consensus is I just need practice with the new baby...

dwl · Post by **dwl** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 2:57 pm

Hot Dog! Kitty does exorcisms?! This I gotta see. When's it gonna be? Cause I gotta book a flight. Hey, whaddya wear to an exorcism? Do I bring food? Is Innocent invited? I know she'll bring the drinks.

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 5:44 pm

This rifle has retired from competition and I was confirming how it shot before going to the expense of having the 1710 barrel put on. It is relegated to squirrel gun status, and right now I'm trying to figure why I shoot it unreasonably well in the hope I can transfer some of that magic to the better rifles. Barring a radical change in Silhouette rules, there's no question of returning it to competition.

Shooting again for the first time in a year did remind me of some basics that the Anschutz had let me get away from (butt squarely to shoulder, hug to chest, drag jowl down the comb to sight picture...) I'm anxious to get back out and practice these techniques with the Evelio 1712, but I'm looking for other hidden treasure in the lesson.

jneihouse · Post by **jneihouse** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:07 pm

Haven't been too successful exorcising Blaubear's demons concerning the 504's.....He iIS the patron saint of lost causes, after all...(he is my friend, that ought to tell you something about lost causes).....Innocent Mary is always invited, we've conspired to common ends before......Book the flight, come on down.......the exorcism with start with a sharp slap to the back of 'Bear's head followed by another every time he picks up the 504.....Worked with my kids and various bird dogs over the years, ought to work with him.......Did have a particular Springer once that, as a pup we tried to housebreak him to no avail......Accident on the floor, rub his nose in it, toss him out the window...Eventually the poor guy would have the accident, turn around, rub his own nose in it and jump out the window......Kind of like 'Bear and the 504....

Kitty

stsbuyer · Post by **stsbuyer** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:25 pm

Blaubear,

I have a 504 that Evelio put a Anschutz 1710 barrel on, I call it my RemSchutz. To give you an idea of the improvment this made my gun it went from just able to hit a chicken at 40 meters to being able to hit them at 100 meter and will hold and easy 1" group. I think it was a combination of the barrel and his bedding. Take a look at what Evelio did, he changed the way the rear action screw hold the action to the stock. I will try and bring it with me to one of the bigger matches and let you take a look at it.

Merry Christmas, Paul

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:01 pm

Paul, Evelio already dropped a 504 in a Nesika stock for me, put a Lilja barrel on it and set up the rear action screw like yours. Initially I had trouble with it because I didn't know how to hold the Nesika stock. That's pretty easy to figure out on most rifles, but I don't trust 504's when they act weird and just thought it was more 504 misbehavior. Without trusting the rifle I'm prone to blame it instead of myself when a shot misses that I think was on. To shoot well you have to trust your gear and my experience is that I will probably never really trust a 504. And so much of this game is mental.

Evelio Mc Donald · Post by **Evelio Mc Donald** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:18 pm

Bob, I hope the 504 that you want to re-barrel with the 1710 pulled barrel, is not the one that I put the Lilja barrel on. That baby shot pretty damm good when I tested it.
Besides you also have that 1712 beauty on the Pharr stock that I just did for you a month ago, that really shot well, My friend don't get me wrong, I will do whatever you want with the 504, but I really don't understand why you keep punishing yourself ??????
Oh Well.
Evelio.
P.S. I think is about time to break that love affair with the 504.

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:26 pm

Okay guys, the 504 in question is bone stock, I will not modify it and will sell it! The 504 Evelio overhauled will definitely shoot, and I'm keeping it to remind me that obsessions are dangerous! My only plans for the new 1712 are to shoot a couple cases of ammunition through it! Is everybody happy? Sheesh!

Now back to the original question! Why do I shoot that POS stock 504 so well?!

Rough crowd in here...

dwl · Post by **dwl** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:51 pm

Kitty;

Such a vivid style of writing. I can almost imagine the blows to his head. That is what you intended, right, for me and everyone else on the internet to imagine the blows over and over again?

As for the Springer, I own one that insists on checking the kitchen trash every morning for edibles and on laying her head in my lap whenever we're together. The wife can't understand why I keep her. She's not as trainable as the Springer.

Love reading about the 504. Anyone got a 547 yet?

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:16 pm

Hey, buy my 504, I'll throw in the 1710 barrel, have Evelio put 'em together and you have the essence of a 547.

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:29 pm

Thinking back through this, one thing that sticks out is how much more distinct the cross hairs and dot were in the lower power scope...

dwl · Post by **dwl** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 10:35 am

Herr BlauBear;

Is the 547 a split reciever like the 504? I haven't any more information than the Remington web site.

As for buying the 504, I'd really like to help you out of a tight spot but the all the stalls in the barn are full right now. Besides, I can't imagine the 504 will outshoot the Pearson 541, the Annie 1407 Silhouette or the Kimber HS.

Hey, maybe you should let Kitty decorate the 504 POS stock. Afterwards no one will recognize it and you'll have all that Bling social status! Bet he could even get you a cart to tote it around in with those big chrome spinner wheels.

dwl