Best upgrade bang for the buck

[KurtM]

12gabackup is right the factory trigger can be tuned to a nice 2-2 1/2 lbs.

Get hold of some J.B. bore paste and clean the hell out of it. ( like 2-3 patches of the stuff back and forth 20 times in the barrel each patch paying close attention to the first 6-9", clean between patches of J.B.).

Make sure the barrel isn't touching the stock. (run a doubled up piece of typing paper from the front to the back, between the stcok and the barrel, it shouldn't drag anywhere.)

Nothing wrong with Leopold rings and bases as long as they are tight!.

Make sure the action screws are tight ( around 65 inch pounds and be sure to tighten the front one first. Make sure the mag box is loose in the stock.

Take the Swift and try this test. Zero it with 3 rounds. give it 12 clicks up, 12 clicks right, 12 clicks down and 12 clicks left. you should end up very near your orriginal zero by a 1/4" or so. if not up grade your scope first!

 

[NikatKimber]

Thanks Kurt. You give me plenty to work on.

I'll see what I can do on the trigger. Is this something I can do myself, or do I need to get a 'smith to do that?

I'll check the barrel again, but have you seen the Choate SS stock, Kurt? There's like a full inch clearance all the way around. OK, little sarcasm, but it's supposed to clear a 1.25" barrel.

12gabackup is right the factory trigger can be tuned to a nice 2-2 1/2 lbs.

Get hold of some J.B. bore paste and clean the hell out of it. ( like 2-3 patches of the stuff back and forth 20 times in the barrel each patch paying close attention to the first 6-9", clean between patches of J.B.).

Make sure the barrel isn't touching the stock. (run a doubled up piece of typing paper from the front to the back, between the stcok and the barrel, it shouldn't drag anywhere.)

Nothing wrong with Leopold rings and bases as long as they are tight!.

Make sure the action screws are tight ( around 65 inch pounds and be sure to tighten the front one first. Make sure the mag box is loose in the stock.

Take the Swift and try this test. Zero it with 3 rounds. give it 12 clicks up, 12 clicks right, 12 clicks down and 12 clicks left. you should end up very near your orriginal zero by a 1/4" or so. if not up grade your scope first!

 

[ldp4570]

Shoulder time, lots of shoulder time.

 

[12gabackup]

I'll see what I can do on the trigger. Is this something I can do myself, or do I need to get a 'smith to do that?

You can do it yourself with care and patience; http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/RemingtonTriggers.asp

PS- I've not had as good of results with the new X-Mark trigger.

 

[12gabackup]

Shoulder time, lots of shoulder time.

Veeeery true! PLUS, learn good technique!

 

[KurtM]

Yes I have seen them. Major John Plaster ( who wrote The Ultimate Sniper) and Garth Choate ( owner of Chate Machine and Tool) designed that stock to fit the Remington rifles with a tractor axle for a barrel ( the rest of the line came latter). The reason I ask is I have seen some folks run in a sling swivel screw too far and they imping on the barrel, and a few of the stocks had a bit of extra molding sprue towards the back third that would rub. And while we are at it does your recoil lug touch only on the back and not at the bottom or the front, or sides of the cut out? When you screwed the stock on, did you use a plastic mallet to seat the action against the recoil lug area? Do you need to true your action? Do you know how to tell? Have you used a magic marker or Dykum blue to see the bolt lug wear pattern with a shell chambered? Are your firing pin hits centered on the primer? How deep are your pin hits? What is your throat lead? WOW I could go on all night, but if you are looking to upgrade anything I think the last thing I would look at would be the stock...Although I might look into getting it bedded to your particular action with steel bed.....yeah...yeah I know it isn't supposed to need bedding...but I guarantee it helps, at least it did last week and that is sarcasm back atcha! If you already know all the answers why ask? Good luck on your quest, I am sure you will get all sorts of good advice you already know. I am done!

 

[THE JOKER]

www.varminthunters.com/tech/crisp.html I and a few friends have used this trigger adjustment meathod for hunting rifles with no issues.

 

[ez bake]

12gabackup is right the factory trigger can be tuned to a nice 2-2 1/2 lbs.

Get hold of some J.B. bore paste and clean the hell out of it. ( like 2-3 patches of the stuff back and forth 20 times in the barrel each patch paying close attention to the first 6-9", clean between patches of J.B.).

Make sure the barrel isn't touching the stock. (run a doubled up piece of typing paper from the front to the back, between the stcok and the barrel, it shouldn't drag anywhere.)

Nothing wrong with Leopold rings and bases as long as they are tight!.

Make sure the action screws are tight ( around 65 inch pounds and be sure to tighten the front one first. Make sure the mag box is loose in the stock.

Take the Swift and try this test. Zero it with 3 rounds. give it 12 clicks up, 12 clicks right, 12 clicks down and 12 clicks left. you should end up very near your orriginal zero by a 1/4" or so. if not up grade your scope first!

You can do it yourself with care and patience; http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/RemingtonTriggers.asp

PS- I've not had as good of results with the new X-Mark trigger.

www.varminthunters.com/tech/crisp.html I and a few friends have used this trigger adjustment meathod for hunting rifles with no issues.

The above instructions and tips apply only to non X-Mark/X-Mark Pro triggers (the good Remington triggers).

If you own an X-Mark style trigger, do not adjust it! They are set from the factory at about 4Lbs and there is a magic point somewhere around 3.5Lbs that once adjusted there, they become very inconsistent and start to "wear out". You'll notice that your creep/overtravel gets worse and worse and it will eventually fail if you continue using it.

Look it up - there is tons of info about this online - also, if you adjust it below 3Lbs and have to send your rifle back, expect a new trigger to be in it and if you didn't replace their factory "don't mess with the trigger" red goop in the adjustment screw-head, you'll get a bill for the price of a new trigger (the story I've heard is that Remington will not send a rifle back to you with a factory X-Mark trigger adjusted below some magic number of 3-3.5Lbs).

Several folks have attempted to figure out why the new trigger design fails at this specific point but no one appears to know.

If you're looking for a cheap upgrade, try and find someone who isn't gouging on an old-style factory Remington trigger - they can be adjusted very easily with the above instructions and are good triggers.

 

[NikatKimber]

If I do have an X-Mark trigger, I'll end up replacing it anyways, so I see no reason not to try and fiddle with it. It's a range only gun, so I don't have to worry so much about trigger problems in the field.

On the triggers, would something like this Shilen trigger without safety work with the factory safety?
Shilen Std Trigger MidwayUSA

 

[mmchambers06]

I don't think that Shilen trigger will work the later safeties (post-06)? I'm no expert, though.

Did you figure out how old your rifle is and whether it has the X-Mark?