Remington LV SF .223

[Baldie]

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. While the stock is essentially synthetic, it has something in it that gives it some surface texture which makes the grip quite pleasant. Off the rifle, the stock weighs a couple of ounces, but is very strong.

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.

[foxshot]

Thank you Baldie for a very precise write up on said rifle.
I also found on my reme .223 heavy barrel with a rifle craft kevlar bedded stock that the riflecraft treatment didn't really make any significant difference to performance although a trigger job certainly helps.
Since you have tried Federal ammo why not give this round a go. .224 sierra blitzking in 55 grain .. code P223J..
Ballistic tipped and cloverleaf groups out of my weapon and over shooters i've lent some to previously. Reloading this round with the same heads bought separately doesn't make any difference as it seems that good.
Interesting how Andrew insisted on proofing the weapon after working on it, he never used to (or is that just a way for a whey bit more income?)

[Baldie]

Since you have tried Federal ammo why not give this round a go. .224 sierra blitzking in 55 grain .. code P223J..
Ballistic tipped and cloverleaf groups out of my weapon and over shooters i've lent some to previously. Reloading this round with the same heads bought separately doesn't make any difference as it seems that good.
Interesting how Andrew insisted on proofing the weapon after working on it, he never used to (or is that just a way for a whey bit more income?)

Any chance you could bring some with you?


Apparently his insurers now 'insist' he gets this done.

[foxshot]

Yes i've got the heads mate which you are more than welcome to.(in exchange for one of your Hare's cleanly shot perhaps?

[Baldie]

Yes i've got the heads mate which you are more than welcome to.(in exchange for one of your Hare's cleanly shot perhaps?

Heads?

You can have the head of a Hare then..

I'll see what the weather is like Friday/Saturday. I (still) don't do rain.

[foxshot]

You wouldn't expect me to pay £22 a box more than once would you?
I've got a nine year old daughter,guinea pig and greedy Israeli landlord to account for.
Fourteen pence a bang is more more favourable and is just as accurate even with my sloppy reloading.(no polishing and admiring empty cases for me.)

[foxshooter]

Interesting how Andrew insisted on proofing the weapon after working on it, he never used to (or is that just a way for a whey bit more income?)

I have known Andrew for several years now and in that time he has ALWAYS insisted on a reproof after threading, there is no change of practice there. I dont see as he makes any money out of a reproof. Proof house charges are what they are. All they do is slow his already hectic workload while he has to wait sometimes up to 3/4 weeks for rifles to return.

He knows it is a belt/braces/waders/armor plated move but it is at the insistance of his insurer. Everyone knows there is less than no chance of a barrel self destructing because of threading but if a rifle did go bang because the barrel had been removed for threading who would be the more sorry....

Mark

[Baldie]

I have known Andrew for several years now and in that time he has ALWAYS insisted on a reproof after threading, there is no change of practice there. I dont see as he makes any money out of a reproof. Proof house charges are what they are. All they do is slow his already hectic workload while he has to wait sometimes up to 3/4 weeks for rifles to return.

Andrew is a friend so it's right you defend him, but Jimmy is a hopeless cynic (as many here might know) and I'm sure his remark was taken as lightly as it was meant. It certainly was by me.

I (personally) think that proofing after screw-cutting is not a serious requirement from any safety aspect. If it were an issue from the cost point of view, I would have the work done locally where I get a choice about proofing after scew-cutting.

As you know Mark, I drove up to R/C myself, and due to roadworks along the way it took 4 hours. Andrew isn't the cheapest either. But at the end of the day, I wanted the best work done on that barrel I could afford, by someone used to working on them. To cut delay time down, I also collected the rifle from the Proof House personally.

[foxshot]

Baldie is quite right, I am not having a go at Andrew, only resighting my own personal experience when work was carried out by himself afew years back on my two remmies. When questioned on whether reproofing was necessary or advised he assured me that it was a pointless exercise especially on the heavy barrel, that resell without proof wouldn't be a legal problem unless it was to be done very soon after to a RFD. Make of it what you want but many gunshops have 2nd hand rifles on their selves either on s.o.r. or part exchanges which are threaded non standard without proof etc. I know this for a fact locally/ Essex but no names mentioned incase I've opened a can of worms unintentionally.

[Spanner.]

[QUOTE=foxshot]Since you have tried Federal ammo why not give this round a go. .224 sierra blitzking in 55 grain .. code P223J..

I use 50GRN PMC (Sierra Blitzking head) in my Cooper and they are very very accurate. £11 quid a box from York Guns, can't be bad.