I finally got around to building my F/TR rifle that I plan to shoot in the nationals out here in Sacramento in a few weeks.
I chambered and installed the barrel on Tuesday night, dropped it off at Phantom Finishing cerakote shop on Wednesday night, picked it up hot out of the oven on Thursday night, bedded it Friday night, pulled it and cleaned it up Saturday and loaded a bunch of ammo then shot it Sunday. That was the fastest turn around I've done so far.
The specs are:
-Surgeon RSR action
-MacMillan A5 stock (soon to have KMW Loggerhead hardware)
-Krieger 1/10 twist at 28" chambered with PT&G reamer spec'd for Lapua brass and 155 Scenar bullets seated to mag length
-Surgeon base
-Badger USMC rings
-Badger M5 bottom metal
-Premier 5-25
-Remmy trigger
Got it to the range and started the break in process. I bore sighted it and the first shot was 1-1/2" below the aiming point at 100 yards. I've never had one that close to point of aim from boresighting.
I cleaned all of the carbon with Shooter's Choice then dried that out and switched to Sweet's for the copper. I got all of that cleaned out and dried it and shot another one. Same hole. Did the same thing again, slightly fewer patches to get clean, fired another shot in the same hole again.
This is the group of those first three shots down a virgin tube:
It was late and I was in a hurry so I decided to shoot a group of three without cleaning in between. This is that next group including the CCB:
I was freaking happy about that man I just fired six shots in two groups and have two one holer's going. Sweet. These were all with 155 Lapua Scenars and H4895 in Lapua brass with 210M primers. I started low at 43.5 grains then moved up to 44.5 and still had no pressure signs whatsoever so I still have room to increase that load some more I'm sure. The velocity with 44.5 averaged 2,940. If 45 grains work with no pressure signs and the accuracy is good I'll stop there I think.
Then I grabbed a few of some extra ones I loaded that are the old standard of a 175 SMK with Varget. I loaded them with 43.7 grains and the velocity average was 2,700. Here is that group:
Needless to say I'm quite happy with these initial results. I ran out of time there Sunday and I still have more to do but I think this rifle will work. I've never shot an F-class match before so shooting in the nationals should be a fun way to start
After that match I'll pull it and chop it to 22" because I'm not an effer really and I like .308's at 22" the best. I'll probably put a smaller scope on it at that time also.
Marc
I chambered and installed the barrel on Tuesday night, dropped it off at Phantom Finishing cerakote shop on Wednesday night, picked it up hot out of the oven on Thursday night, bedded it Friday night, pulled it and cleaned it up Saturday and loaded a bunch of ammo then shot it Sunday. That was the fastest turn around I've done so far.
The specs are:
-Surgeon RSR action
-MacMillan A5 stock (soon to have KMW Loggerhead hardware)
-Krieger 1/10 twist at 28" chambered with PT&G reamer spec'd for Lapua brass and 155 Scenar bullets seated to mag length
-Surgeon base
-Badger USMC rings
-Badger M5 bottom metal
-Premier 5-25
-Remmy trigger
Got it to the range and started the break in process. I bore sighted it and the first shot was 1-1/2" below the aiming point at 100 yards. I've never had one that close to point of aim from boresighting.
I cleaned all of the carbon with Shooter's Choice then dried that out and switched to Sweet's for the copper. I got all of that cleaned out and dried it and shot another one. Same hole. Did the same thing again, slightly fewer patches to get clean, fired another shot in the same hole again.
This is the group of those first three shots down a virgin tube:
It was late and I was in a hurry so I decided to shoot a group of three without cleaning in between. This is that next group including the CCB:
I was freaking happy about that man I just fired six shots in two groups and have two one holer's going. Sweet. These were all with 155 Lapua Scenars and H4895 in Lapua brass with 210M primers. I started low at 43.5 grains then moved up to 44.5 and still had no pressure signs whatsoever so I still have room to increase that load some more I'm sure. The velocity with 44.5 averaged 2,940. If 45 grains work with no pressure signs and the accuracy is good I'll stop there I think.
Then I grabbed a few of some extra ones I loaded that are the old standard of a 175 SMK with Varget. I loaded them with 43.7 grains and the velocity average was 2,700. Here is that group:
Needless to say I'm quite happy with these initial results. I ran out of time there Sunday and I still have more to do but I think this rifle will work. I've never shot an F-class match before so shooting in the nationals should be a fun way to start
After that match I'll pull it and chop it to 22" because I'm not an effer really and I like .308's at 22" the best. I'll probably put a smaller scope on it at that time also.
Marc
