and it's all mine!!!!
OK, so it's just the last one to come out of the shop prior to Ozzie hanging up his reamer holder professionally. But it's still fantastic, and it's still mine.
Sniper's Hide has afforded me the priveledge to meet and become friends with a number of fine people and one in particular that I'm proud to call a friend is Ozzie Suarez. He and I had been talking for about a year and discussed various build options, ideas for rifle configurations and just generally shooting the breeze.
Last summer I spoke to Ozzie and he informed me that he was going to be done building rifles and I asked him if he had any more, unsold, signature actions. Thankfully there was 1 that was not earmarked already and I jumped on it.
We talked about a heavy 308 Tactical build on a McM A5, a shorty barrel with all kinds of bells and whistles... the only hiccup was that I already had one just like this. The rifle shoots well, it is reliable and I enjoy shooting it, but it's not my first choice, especially if I'm going hiking; 16.5lbs is just too much for a 308 and it's also a righty, even though I'm a southpaw.
I've always really liked the idea of a <10lb hunting rifle that retains the precision of a solid target rifle.
So here's what the build turned into:
Suarez Tactical Rifles signature action (RHRP, no more lefty's but I wasn't going to let that stop me)
Brux barrel with a custom twist/contour (1:8.5" & just enough to thread for a 5/8-24) finished at 20"
Timney 510-U
McMillan HTG, non-adj with a couple flushcups to sling up with
APA Bottom metal
The fast twist barrel was chosen for the application of subsonic 240 SMK's and 250 RNFPL's for hunting/culling work at short range with a suppressor. Remember, this is a dual use rifle: Targets at long range, and hunting at any range I can reliably take the shot.
<span style="font-style: italic">Overall package (sorry for the poor quality pic) All the metal is black with the stock finished in a med. desert tan</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">The flash makes it difficult to read, but the action says "STR Suarez Tactical"</span>
I have a better picture that Ozzie sent me prior to shipping the rifle but it must be on a different computer because I can't find it right now.
<span style="font-style: italic">Note the fit/finish around the ejection port and rear tang</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Now you see it</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Now you don't</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Last but not least, a gorgeous bedding and inletting job to cap off the rifle</span>
The barrel contour was a little light for the inlet in the McMillan stock so Ozzie cleaned that up and filled it while bedding the action and I have to say, once I pulled the barreled action from the stock I was even more impressed. Flat out, this guy is a talented rifle builder and he did a great job on my rifle.
The rifle, with 5rd and a 2.5-10x32 NF NXS weighs 10.2lb and balances on the recoil lug.
Ozzie chambered it with the Bisley 308 Match reamer and I loaded up some 178 Amax's, CCI #200's, 42.1gr of IMR4064 and went to the range. After 2 shots to get on the zero I put the next 3 into 0.3", then 5 more went into 0.38", and why not? I put 10 more downrange into 0.81 edge to edge... that's a 10 shot group from a brand new rifle that went 0.5"
I quit shooting groups and worked out a quick DOPE estimate to 600yd then worked back in on the steel at my club. The rifle is a hammer, I felt like I could hit anything I wanted, when I wanted, where I wanted. Nothing like a solid rifle to put some confidence behind the shooter.
By the middle of the day it was chump change to hit the 6" plates we have and I started shooting golfballs and small rocks around the impact burms at 640yd.
I thought that this would be a rifle that I would enjoy shooting occasionally, hunt with it, and it would spend most of its time living in the safe until I (hopefully) passed it along to my children.
I have a strong suspicion that it's going to need several new barrels before that happens. It's just too much fun to shoot, even if it's a right handed rifle. With some tips from the SH Online Training I'm getting better at dealing with that and having fun the whole time.
Ozzie:
This is a beautiful rifle and it shoots even better. I'm proud to own it and even more proud to call you a friend of mine.
Thank you again.
OK, so it's just the last one to come out of the shop prior to Ozzie hanging up his reamer holder professionally. But it's still fantastic, and it's still mine.
Sniper's Hide has afforded me the priveledge to meet and become friends with a number of fine people and one in particular that I'm proud to call a friend is Ozzie Suarez. He and I had been talking for about a year and discussed various build options, ideas for rifle configurations and just generally shooting the breeze.
Last summer I spoke to Ozzie and he informed me that he was going to be done building rifles and I asked him if he had any more, unsold, signature actions. Thankfully there was 1 that was not earmarked already and I jumped on it.
We talked about a heavy 308 Tactical build on a McM A5, a shorty barrel with all kinds of bells and whistles... the only hiccup was that I already had one just like this. The rifle shoots well, it is reliable and I enjoy shooting it, but it's not my first choice, especially if I'm going hiking; 16.5lbs is just too much for a 308 and it's also a righty, even though I'm a southpaw.
I've always really liked the idea of a <10lb hunting rifle that retains the precision of a solid target rifle.
So here's what the build turned into:
Suarez Tactical Rifles signature action (RHRP, no more lefty's but I wasn't going to let that stop me)
Brux barrel with a custom twist/contour (1:8.5" & just enough to thread for a 5/8-24) finished at 20"
Timney 510-U
McMillan HTG, non-adj with a couple flushcups to sling up with
APA Bottom metal
The fast twist barrel was chosen for the application of subsonic 240 SMK's and 250 RNFPL's for hunting/culling work at short range with a suppressor. Remember, this is a dual use rifle: Targets at long range, and hunting at any range I can reliably take the shot.
<span style="font-style: italic">Overall package (sorry for the poor quality pic) All the metal is black with the stock finished in a med. desert tan</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">The flash makes it difficult to read, but the action says "STR Suarez Tactical"</span>
I have a better picture that Ozzie sent me prior to shipping the rifle but it must be on a different computer because I can't find it right now.
<span style="font-style: italic">Note the fit/finish around the ejection port and rear tang</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Now you see it</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Now you don't</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Last but not least, a gorgeous bedding and inletting job to cap off the rifle</span>
The barrel contour was a little light for the inlet in the McMillan stock so Ozzie cleaned that up and filled it while bedding the action and I have to say, once I pulled the barreled action from the stock I was even more impressed. Flat out, this guy is a talented rifle builder and he did a great job on my rifle.
The rifle, with 5rd and a 2.5-10x32 NF NXS weighs 10.2lb and balances on the recoil lug.
Ozzie chambered it with the Bisley 308 Match reamer and I loaded up some 178 Amax's, CCI #200's, 42.1gr of IMR4064 and went to the range. After 2 shots to get on the zero I put the next 3 into 0.3", then 5 more went into 0.38", and why not? I put 10 more downrange into 0.81 edge to edge... that's a 10 shot group from a brand new rifle that went 0.5"
I quit shooting groups and worked out a quick DOPE estimate to 600yd then worked back in on the steel at my club. The rifle is a hammer, I felt like I could hit anything I wanted, when I wanted, where I wanted. Nothing like a solid rifle to put some confidence behind the shooter.
By the middle of the day it was chump change to hit the 6" plates we have and I started shooting golfballs and small rocks around the impact burms at 640yd.
I thought that this would be a rifle that I would enjoy shooting occasionally, hunt with it, and it would spend most of its time living in the safe until I (hopefully) passed it along to my children.
I have a strong suspicion that it's going to need several new barrels before that happens. It's just too much fun to shoot, even if it's a right handed rifle. With some tips from the SH Online Training I'm getting better at dealing with that and having fun the whole time.
Ozzie:
This is a beautiful rifle and it shoots even better. I'm proud to own it and even more proud to call you a friend of mine.
Thank you again.
