Importance of having both locking lugs touching?

[thelaw]

i have a rem. 700sps .300wsm which i have not really got to shoot much yet. i've noticed that when the bolt is closed, the "down" lug shows near 100% wear where it touches. all bluing is removed. however, on  the "up" lug maybe 10%, if that, shows wear. does this effect accuracy? my 700 in .270 looks about the same and its a very accuracte rifle.

[beemanbeme]

In the real world of hunting, it probably means very little if anything.  Only shooting can determine that.  In the world of ultra accuracy, it means more as the bolt is not aligned exactly with the chamber.  In time, with enough shooting, the lugs will wear until they bear equally.  This is what the bench shooters seek to achieve when they lap the lugs on their bolts.  Most of the stuff they do to "accurize" a rifle is really accelerated wear.

[riddleofsteel]

Sign on the wall in a gunsmith's shop;

REFRAME FROM FIXING THAT WHICH WORKS


How does the rifle shoot? Your experience is pretty much the norm with a lot of factory rifles. Lapping the bolt lugs is not difficult but if the rifle does not shoot well and is fairly new I would contact Remington and find out if they are willing to fix it for free.

[Ramrod]

Uneven contact is normal in a factory made gun, it will wear (lap) itself in with enough shooting time. You can't expect hand fitted tolerances from an average production gun. There is nothing to fix, because there is nothing broke.

[thelaw]

right now the rifle does not shoot very good in my opinion. 1.5"+ groups. however, i placed the barreled action in a hs precision stockafter purchasing the rifle. i was unaware that some times those "bolt and go" stocks are not that at all. i'm no gunsmith, but it seems to me that the rifle does not set the way it is supposed to in the bedding block on the stock. i've found gaps where i can slide a piece of paper between the the receiver and the bedding block. a friend of mine, who is a gunsmith, is going to look at this for me as well as the lugs. he says its quite common.

[riddleofsteel]

Have him lap the bolt lugs and put a skim coat of bedding between the receiver and the bedding block. Make sure he beds the recoil lug as well. Set the bedding screws at 65 Inch/pounds and you will be good to go.

[thelaw]

you read his mind. that's exactly what he intends to do. every gun i've had him work on is a sub-inch gun. i feel after a little "custom" work the gun will be a sub-inch gun as well. i really wanted to take my .300wsm on an upcoming mule deer hunt next month, but not having it quite the way i want it and not having shot it enough to be real familiar with it, i've opted to take along my .25/06 and .270 again this year.