Remington 700 / AICS
This weapon system was thoughtful from the beginning. At least the basics. But over time it turned out that some components did not work together as I expected. So I was looking for the "ideal" combination and finally I think found it ...
The components I used to build this system were bought at the company Beareka.
The base is the Remington 700 rifle in this case the 5R model. This is a stainless variant with a good barrel. After years of experience I can recommend Remington's stainless steel models. First and foremost because of the better barrel and the practical reasons - it does not rusts..
Chassis Accuracy International AX AICS. I wanted this chassis from the beginning because it's a top product with which other products are compared.
Original assembly as shown:
Remington 5R rifle
Chassis AX AICS
Magazines AI a MDT
AI scope rail
Badger Mini FTE muzzle brake
Timney 2-stage trigger
Harris bipod
Nightforce NXS 3,5-15x56 scope
It all fits nicely together. The question however was how it would work. Is this system built to take all the advantages of the individual components?
Folding stock. It flips to the side where is the bolt handle. Therefore it is not necessary to remove the bolt for transport because it is protected against possible damage or even loss. Great feature and now I would not want the stock folding to the other side - if it is possible...
What is folding stock good for anyway? There are two benefits.
The transport - even with the hard case it fits into the car trunk behind the seats so I do not have to fold them.
Then also for cleaning - I do not have to change the settings of the cheekpiece and it does not interfere - it is just much easier to clean the barrel.
Soon I found out that the original grip on the stock does not suit me at all. Most people do not have a problem with it but for me it was pain and suffering. So I rebuilt it and installed the Ergo Grip instead. which I'm used to - because I have it on all my other weapons.
I did not like the lower part of the stock with the hook. My style of holding the rear bag was not suitable and so I made my own. It works for me much better.
Soon I also found that the Harris bipod does not suit me in this set. I tried Atlas but it was still not perfect. I use both on other guns and they suit me. But with this set it simply was not how I wanted. Then I tried the Fortmeier bipod and it was much better.
Finally I adjusted the adapter's fastening so that it was not mounted on the rail but directly into the forend. AI uses the KeySlot system so I adjusted the adapter to direct mounting - the bipod joints got closer to the barrel and the whole assembly helped to improve stability.
I also exchanged the scope for Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25x56. This is a top optics that is a "gold standard" and other optics are comparing with it it...
Besides the .308 Winchester which was the original 24"(610mm) barrel I also wanted some of the more modern caliber to shoot at longer distances. Finally I chose 6.5 Creedmoor which has the same base (and the bolt face) end and also the same length so the magazines remain the same only the barrel is changed. We have created a barrel exchange system that is easy fast and functional.
At the competitions I use mostly the 6.5 Creedmoor caliber because it has better ballistics and I have better results with it ...
New replaceable barrel is from Benchmark and is 26 "(660mm) long. The muzzle brake is the same - Badger Mini FTE.
Due to some tactical competitions including camouflage some of our guns have been colored with camouflage spray and this is one of them.
The weapon system as I use it. Fortmeier bipod have aluminum feets and would bounce on a hard surface like concrete. That's why I have a soft pad under them. On grass or sand it is not a problem but on concrete or tarmac yes. It affects the hits...
The Arca Rail (tripod mount) is also installed on the bottom of the forend. Sling I use is classic Magpul MS3...
I chose Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25x56 for the optical quality.
I only use the maximum magnification to observe the hits on the target otherwise I shoot at a magnification of 15x (as shown) or smaller. So these parameters are perfectly satisfactory to me ...
Since I wanted to compete with this set up in the target shooting I chose 1/4 MOA because it is finer than 1/10 MIL (7.25mm vs 10mm). In retrospect I must admit that it was not good choice... For faster or tactical shooting it is a very impractical solution. But if I would use this rifle only for precise shooting it would be a good choice.
I think this setup - this weapon system is not only composed of top components but they complement each other well and together it works well.
It took about a year to test the various components and settings and align everything together. And of course including ammunition. But this system delivers great results whether tactical or target shooting. At medium distances up to 300m or even longer than 1000m.
Because I'm sure of a quality and accurate system - I know that bad hits are only a shooter's fault. And I can focus more on improving my abilities because my system is reliable.
We can offer help or advice when choosing a suitable system not only members of our team but to everybody. We already have some experience and results with it... Do not be afraid to contact us.