TargetTalk

Hello, first post here.

I find myself very spread out in interests, and within shooting I do a bit of everything, and I want to try smallbore type competitons. My range is home to a very prolific Biathlon shooter and I have talked to her about it as much as I could, (though I don't like to interrupt her training).

I currently have a remington 510 targetmaster. It seems fairly accurate, and while I likely wont actually compete with it, it seems like a decent enough plaform for me to put some time into. More importantly, its very cheap compared to something like a walther and whatnot. I would like to see what I can do with better sights, as the current open buckhorns leave much to be desired. How could I go about retrofitting a rifle like this to be more "competition oriented"? I would like to learn on something as close to the real thing.

Also would appreciate any resources on getting into this niche, it doesn't seem very popular where I live, and its surprisingly hard to find info about it online.

Thanks from Seattle, WA, USA!

Exactly what type of smallbore do you want to practise? This will direct exactly what you want, and how nuanced (and helpful) the forum can reply.

If you are in the US, the CMP run a Sporting rifle competition:https://thecmp.org/competitions/matches ... sporter-2/ I think this would require the least modification.

For ISSF (Olympic style) 3 Position or Prone, a Rem 510 would need aperture sights, and some way to attach a single point target sling. This is the absolute minimum. US-NRA matches allow telescopic sights in some matches. Very quickly the 510 would plateau though, even assuming it groups with the 10-ring, and with a shooting jacket and other kit. To make a 510 competitive with even a used target rifle from the 1970s would likely be uneconomical.

Why not attend a match, the sort that you want to participate in, or think you might want to? You'll see what people are using, and for 3P/Prone there is more kit than the rifle, can ask questions, and probably handle some.

Cheeseburger,
While an interesting idea, I will come down firmly with @Tim S and say, most any project to convert a Remington 510 to a competition rifle would be uneconomical both in terms of money and time invested. A few years back I restored a Model 510 which I then gave to a friend with two small boys so they could start to learn the basics of safe gun handling and marksmanship. That is it's intended purpose. The one I had, the barrel was OK with decent ammo out to 25 yards. The trigger and action on the rifle was very basic with safety in mind (cycling the bolt would also set the safety so it had to be taken 'off'' before every shot). So that alone would be annoying if you were trying to shoot a match.

I will agree, the 'buckhorn' sights are mostly a suggestion of what you might be aiming at. The 510 did come with a primitive rear aperture sight. You may try contacting SARCO or NUMRICH to see if they have reproductions. This would be just if you were trying to make the gun a little more interesting.

As @TIM S noted, especially CMP Sporter competition is geared toward affordable equipment and often the bigger CMP sites will have equipment that can be rented for very modest sums. CMP also offers guidance with regard to modern (read: currently in production with parts support) rifles that are allowed in 'sporter' their competitions.

If you want to restore and plink with the 510, do so, enjoy it, and have fun. I you want to do a little more than that, look for something a little newer. If I recall the 510s were from about 1950 which makes them 75 years old.

'dude

Tim,

Unfortunately, I think handling or seeing any matches is going to be difficult. By "smallbore" I imagine ISSF competitions. The official ISSF website isn't super helpful when looking for beginner resources, and the USAShooting website that seems to be associated with olympic styles tells me the nearest participating club is a short 1800 km away... There seem to be some more unaffiliated orgs that run fairly similar programs within my state however. Just took some digging.

Dude for more clarification I guess I meant more like getting the rifle closer to what a proper competition rifle is like? For example I have never used a front sight where the center is open, so was wondering if it was beneficial to change. However proper sights to get the gun close would cost enough that I might as well just buy a used competition rifle. I will talk to local gunsmiths abiut getting it tapped for a peep, but also will look at used competition rifles. The local Biathlon league is actually doing a beginner workshop soon, which should help as there is a fair bit of overlap.

Cheeseburger wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 3:41 pm I guess I meant more like getting the rifle closer to what a proper competition rifle is like? For example I have never used a front sight where the center is open, so was wondering if it was beneficial to change

Basic aperture sights would let you access more accuracy than open sights, but won't turn a 510 into a competition rifle. Even modern sporting rifles don't make a great platform; a club mate shoots a heavy barrel CZ 457 in domestic Bench Rest comps, and while it has shot a perfect 100, it's not close to this on average. The standard trigger is heavy compared to a modern match trigger; at 1lb-ish it's lighter than most rifles, but not a 3-4oz target rifle trigger.

What you mean by an open centre is called an aperture foresight. The open centre gives a 360° reference around the target, which helps you centre the target. Today almost all smallbore shooters prefer an aperture to a post.

Are there any US-NRA or CMP matches vaguely near you? There are differences in the rules and targets *both dimensions and technology), but the basic skills are identical.

I don't mean to come across as dismissive, just to offer realistic advice. In my experience beginners need to make good progress to stay motivated, which I think would be hindered by using an unsuitable rifle (and likely no ancillary equipment).

To my knowledge, the Remington 510 came in two versions, A 510A and a 510P.

The 510A had true squirrel rifle sights with a simple post front sight mounted in a dovetail and a leaf type rear sight with a notch about 2/3 of the way back on the barrel.

The 510P had a partridge type front sight, still a post but broader with a noticeably flat top and an aperture type rear sight with somewhat primitive adjustments on the back of the reciever. The front sight is fastened by screws with a somewhat unique diameter and thread pitch.

Given that the last 510 of any description was made over 60 years ago, there can be almost any number of modifications made for any number of reasons, valid or otherwise.

As noted, the Remington 510 is a cool little rifle but other than restoring, I would not screw with it. Something like a Savage Mark I-FVT (a CMP approved 'sporter' rifle) would be ready to go out of the box probably for sub $400 and would have current parts and accessories support.

https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php? ... tion_state A few more clicks and you should get a listing of CMP matches in Washington. There might be something you can go observe and ask around.

Cheers,
'dude

I contacted Williams about getting a new rear sight (just for fun). And through the suggestions here I did some additional digging and found some programs that operate in the area. Notably I was able to sign up for a beginner "workshop" type thing for biathlon, they provide ammo and Izhmash rifles. Will be cool to do.

Thanks for the help