Gunsmithing 223 barrel contour choice for prone, off hand and sitting

[ChemE1975]

Hello. I am in the process of choosing parts for my first precision rifle. The rifle will be chambered in .223 and have a 20-22" barrel, I intend to shoot 75/80 Amax. I am interested to get into shooting some local competitions which are across the course type shooting- If I read it correctly this is prone, off hand and seated shooting positions from 200-600 yards. I'll of course do other shooting, but it seems these positions and distances compose what I think I want to be able to do with the rifle. I'm not sure, but I think this is a tactical field rifle. The barreled action will end up with a manners MCS-T or T2A stock, which seems to address what I want from the rifle as well.

I do not have experience in barrel contours. Based on availability and trying to narrow things up a bit, I am interested in three different contours and would love some opinions. The three contours are remington varmint, heavy varmint or M24. Any of them would be from top shelf manufacturers.

I have searched quite a bit here on the hide for answers, but no threads/posts that I have found really target barrel contour and certianly not in detail on contour for caliber and application.

With the explaination above for use of the rifle, please help educate me (and others who may have this question). If this is better suited to the Bolt Action Rifles portion of the forum, please let me know and I will post over there. Many Thanks!

 

[CrazyDonkey]

I think you should try those positions first and decide on the balance you want, then choose your contour barrel.

 

[T2CH]

Varmint/sendero contour!

 

[ChemE1975]

@Crazy Donkey- thanks for the reply. I currently have no rifle to do this with. I guess I am asking what would be standard or the "no brainer" choice. I think the M24 and HV are close enough that this may be a toss up, but I think the Remington Varmint is different enough from these two that I need some opinion/direction on what most experienced shooters would choose.

 

[Randfal]

Look at a heavy Palma contour. It's a little heavier than the rem varmint but not as heavy as a HV or M24.

 

[SSC]

Stick to the Remington Varmint.

 

[ChemE1975]

Thanks for the opinions. Doing more and more reading/asking on the subject it seems the driving force behind the remington varmint choice is my mention of off hand shooting. Seems the m24 and HV are more for prone only.

 

[skinnj1]

Across the course to me implies NRA highpower and iron sights ,20" is not what I would recommend, most match rifle shooters use a 24-28 " barrel plus many of them use a "bloop tube" for extending their sight radius. contour of rem varmint through medium Palma is what I would recommend, but even more I would recommend going to a match and handling competitors gear, they are a friendly bunch who will help new people out. I would not go the "tactical stock" for highpower - medesha, sitman, and McGee all make great "conventional stocks plus McMillan makes the 40x and baker and there is a variety of tube gun makers getting the gun to fit you is important in that game but many an old school HM uses a win marksman or 40 x wood stock....

 

[223ai]

No need to go heavier than Varmint contour for 223.

 

[skinnj1]

223ai- tactical matches and highpower are not the same thing, some people "need" a heavier contour to balance the rifle better ( an important aspect in a position rifle)....

 

[223ai]

223ai- tactical matches and highpower are not the same thing, some people "need" a heavier contour to balance the rifle better ( an important aspect in a position rifle)....

I am familiar with both, and I shoot a 223 with a varmint contour barrel after trying my hands with an m24 contour. I'll continue offer that the Varmint contour is all that one would need in a 223, save for some extenuating circumstances.

 

[skinnj1]

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I am familiar with both, and I shoot a 223 with a varmint contour barrel after trying my hands with an m24 contour. I'll continue offer that the Varmint contour is all that one would need in a 223, save for some extenuating circumstances.

Stock type and a person's particular way they build their position has a lot to do with it, on my model 70 with a medesha "pot belly" stock I run a rem varmit, but when I went to a space gun ( on a "tube chassis") I found I preferred heavier, like most things with position shooting what works for one may not work for another.....