What I have been doing lately-With Results

[29aholic]

Well I have been somewhat out of the picture for a while so I figured I'd let you know what I have been doing gunwise lately.

This rifle started out as a Remington 700 SPS Tactical with a 20" barrel, .308 caliber. I have had it for about 8-9 years and have been tinkering with it ever since.

The stock gun shot pretty good, holding around .75" or better, but that wasn't good enough.

The first change was to ditch the rubber Hogue stock for an HS Precision stock off a better Remington

I then added a PTG DBM system and had the stock inletted for same. At the same time I also had the original barrel threaded but that is gone now.

Right around Thanksgiving I met a rifle builder in Pulaski, VA named Mark Williams. His company is Raven Rifles and on some forums he goes by Raven 6. I told him I would like to finish this project up, but I had a hard time sending expensive parts and chunks of money off then wait on the finished product for several months. He assured me, based off what I wanted, he would turn it around in a few weeks.

So I shipped him the gun and a barrel blank I picked up for a good buy. The Monday before Christmas, this is what UPS brought me.

Full Specs.
Remington 700 G-Prefix action (M40 guys will get the significance).
The action was trued by Raven. He also installed a trued recoil lug.
Schneider M40 profile barrel 1-11 twist finished 22" from the lug and threaded for a brake/can.
HS Precision stock with PTG DBM bedded by Raven.
Cerakoted by Raven. Stock is Patriot Brown and metal is Troy Coyote Tan.
Leupold MK4 base and rings
Leupold MK4 LR/T 6.5-20x50 scope
The entire package weighs a tad over 15lbs

The scope was another issue. I traded for it here in the PX, and through no fault of the person I got it from it had some issues, number 1 of which was a canted reticle.
I sent Leupold an email detailing the issues and requested they send me an RMA label, fix the reticle, and fix a couple other minor things.
I also requested since they had to mess with the reticle any way, that they replace the TMR reticle with their new TSMOA reticle. I asked if they would do it for free or at a significant discount for my inconvenience.
I'll give Leupold's CS credit, they communicated very well through the process. I sent them the scope about the same day I sent the rifle off and got it back on Christmas Eve. They did everything I requested...and for free.

Any way, a long post but there you go.

 

[tcon]

Sounds and looks like a sweet rig!

 

[29aholic]

Forgot to add, it is an easy sub 1/2" gun now

 

[Doug627]

Looks great. What is its intended purpose? Long range? Varmints? Steel targets? All of the above?

 

[29aholic]

Looks great. What is its intended purpose? Long range? Varmints? Steel targets? All of the above?

We have a round robin long range tactical match here in Missouri call the MOST (Missouri Steel Tactical) Series. With any luck I'll get to shoot some of them.

 

[jubela#4]

Hey Curtis, are you handloading for that rifle or using factory rounds?

 

[29aholic]

Hey Curtis, are you handloading for that rifle or using factory rounds?

I have couple of different loads I am working on

41.7gr H4895 and 175gr Sierra TMK's or SMK's

45.1gr H4895 and 155gr Sierra 2155 Palma's in Lapua Palma (small primer) brass.

 

[JayCeeNC]

Try Varget or Reloder 15 for the 175gr.

 

[29aholic]

Try Varget or Reloder 15 for the 175gr.

Yeah those are the new "preferred" powders I guess, but I have always had good luck with H4895 and it is a little faster.

I may try the new IMR4166 or MR2000 when I run out of 4895

 

[jrm53]

Was glad to see your post Curtis I was wondering how you were doing. When I used to see how accurate my rifles were I moved the point of impact about 1 or 2 inches to the side so your dot on the target does not get bigger with every shot. I got a butcher job on my right eye and have a new cornea that is not clear and my crosshairs waver in my scopes your rifle looks like a real performer. Jeff

 

[S&W ucla]

Nice Rig!! Just from my little experience, 155s are best out of very long (30") 1-13 bbls. I think I would stick with the 175s. In some US Palma matches, where the bullet is not restricted to 155gr (as in Intnl), many shooters use Berger 180s out of 1-10,11,or12 twist bbls But the only way to know for sure is shoot at distance. Good Luck and Good Shooting!!!

 

[29aholic]

Nice Rig!! Just from my little experience, 155s are best out of very long (30") 1-13 bbls. I think I would stick with the 175s. In some US Palma matches, where the bullet is not restricted to 155gr (as in Intnl), many shooters use Berger 180s out of 1-10,11,or12 twist bbls But the only way to know for sure is shoot at distance. Good Luck and Good Shooting!!!

Actually I started experimenting with the 155's to make up for the loss of velocity by running a 20" barrel. My first run with them was a "Mexican Match" load by pulling the bullets from some Portuguese ball and replacing them with 155gr Nosler CC's. I was able to shoot 900 yards with that load fairly effectively.
In talking with a few shooters who still shoot a 308 and do it competitively it is a toss up between 155's and 175/185's. The light bullets reduce the amount of elevation adjustment needed for extended ranges while the heavies tend to handle the wind a little better. I have a bunch of each so I am going to see what works best for me. It may come down to I load both and base what I use on a particular day by the conditions at the time.

 

[29aholic]

Some shooting results
This is two groups on top of each other with M118LR. Bottom group measures .322

The next two are both 46.0gr H4895 with 155gr Sierra Palma #2155. The load is a tad too hot. Both in the high 3's

This is 41.1gr H322 and 155gr Lapua Scenar's. I'll let the pic speak for itself.

 

[29aholic]

By the way that is not a flyer to the right in the last pic. It was my dip**** buddy trying to screw with me.