LV SF = Light Varmint Stainless Fluted. Comes with synthetic stock.
LV SF details: I have .223 calibre.
This rifle was short-listed because of its weight. I don't use a sling because you can't use the rifle if it's on your back. I carry mine when I'm out, and I have a weak left arm, so weight is critical. I seldom get to drive around a shoot, and usually am out for 2-3 hours at a time.
Another criteria was stainless barrel, and synthetic stock. I was looking for an all weather gun that I wouldn't be afraid to get wet. Stainless barrels are known to last longer too.
Lastly, I wasn't going to spend more than £800 on the rifle. Actually, I wasn't going to spend more than £600, but you know what it's like.......
Other contenders: Tikka T3 - Mannlicher ProHunter - Savage 16FSS. Steyr Scout was over-budget. [£1000-£1395]
The T3 has (IMO) a sloppy bolt, so was disqualified. The ProHunter wasn't available locally, so disqualified. Tried a Savage up at Garlands. Lovely rifle, nice action, but felt a little barrel heavy. It has a 24" barrel which might explain that. A scope might move the centre of balance, but it seemed like a gamble so was off the shortlist....
Remington are a popular rifle in America, and custom stocks and barrels are available from many outlets. This was also a consideration (at the time).
The Tikka/ProHunter/Savage all came in around the £600 mark. The LV SF at around £850. This was a big handicap because it pushed the price past the (stretched) budget. Minsterley had one for £750. As did the man at Wildcat. I twice went to Brumingham on other business, and twice the chap at Wildcat stood me up. (W**ker.) So it was down to a Minsterley trip.
Once I held the rifle, I knew I was going to buy it. Balance was good, nice smooth action, though the trigger felt agricultural. Needed about 9lbs to pull it.I left Minsterley £750 poorer.
The Rifle:
The stock is made by H+S, and has pillar bedding. There are two little pips in the forend to support the barrel. They are there to help with barrel harmonics, and Remington say the rifle works best with them. So the barrel isn't supplied floating. There's a recoil pad, so it doesn't hurt to shoot.
The barrel is fluted, which makes the 22" barrel almost impossible to shorten if a thread is going on the end. Remington tell me it weighs the same as any other varmint barrel, so the fluting is there for strength, and helps with keeping the barrel cool at the range. The ADL (blind) magazine can be a PITA if loading at night. With a scope on there is limited access, and getting the mag full can be problematic. Once it's loaded, cycling is always successful, and bullets pop up just as they should. Emptying unfired rounds isn't always pleasant as cycling the bolt to get ammunition out of the rifle sometimes means trying to find ejected (live) ammunition in the dark. A BDL (floorplate) conversion may happen sometime in the future. The bolt is heavy, and inspires confidence. It's also significantly better than the Tikka.
Before I started using the rifle, I had Norman Clarke 'tickle' the agricultural grade trigger. I prefer a very sensitive one, and now it is. He also found the bolt wasn't able to sit fully closed against the stock, so a small amount of fettling was done. I left £37.50 poorer, but the trigger was transformed. [And he did it 'while-I-waited'.
I had decided to use a weaver rail, and 'tactical' style rings. I don't know why (now) but it just seems like the normal arrangement to me? I waited a long time to get some Tactical Precision rings and a picatinny base.
I spent a lot of time shooting the barrel in. A lot of time.
Once the rifle was ready I began to look for factory rounds the barrel liked. Started with Remington 50grn Accu-shot. Gave me groups around 1 1/2" to 2" at 100 yards. Federal V-Shok shot all over the place.Hornady 55grn V-Max was a little better than the Accu-shot.
I decided to get the barrel threaded and got the stock modified so the barrel now floats. It went to Riflecraft as they are Remington specialists and they insisted the rifle was also proofed, though given the choice I would not have bothered. I hoped the 'floating might improve the accuracy a little, but didn't seem to make any difference.
I read something Elwood had written about 40grn factory V-Max so I tried a box. Results were excellent, giving me a group a little under an inch. So I now use 40 grn factory. I did try some handloads someone had made for another .223 rifle, and these produced a single cloverleaf shaped hole. So nothing wrong there then.
The rifle is used entirely for foxing. Shoots well, and has taken fox out to circa 280 yards. Limit of the gun will be me.
Maintenance is a barrel clean every 20 or so rounds fired. I need to get a chamber cleaning kit, and Norman C. will be getting my business for that. When I get another CF rifle (variation submitted) I plan to start reloading, and I'm hoping to see improvements in the groups. Single hole would of course be nice, and certainly the barrel seems capable of it.
Lovely (keeper) rifle.
When I first got my rifle, there were very few in the country. But I've seen a good number since I bought it, so I'm not the only one who considers this a good choice.
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