BadRock Rifle is set up - temporarily.. (updated -first shots) - Build Now Finished.

[JAS-SH]

Hi All,

I finally found the time to measure everything and set up the rifle I mentioned in my last post. Someone in the comments mentioned that he wanted a better picture. So, I included one here - not one of my "pro" pictures but it's ok for now.

This is a temporary setup because I have not settled on a scope for this rifle. It's either going to be a Vortex Razor Gen II or a NightForce NX8 4X32 scope. I installed a Strike Eagle on it temporarily to see how it shoots first. That's the scope in the image.

I took a lot of measurements for the new rifle on Christmas morning. I do that on all my new rifles so I know exactly where everything goes. The scope being the most important thing. And all rifles are different, Early morning and 30 minutes and a cup of coffee later I had everything I needed, I use calipers for this, and one of the things people forget about calipers is that as you open the jaws a ruler sticks out of the bottom. That straight edge is worth gold for this kind of work.

I work in mms for my measurements (I like base 10). Critically important to take really good measurements. I always try to find a square point to take the measurements which is critical for accuracy. I might do a post on that some other time. I loaded all the measurements on a previously prepared spreadsheet and entered the new data on the two scopes.

I wanted a scope height of around 2-inches and with an objective lens/ barrel clearance of no less than .20 inches (~5.1mm). For the 34mm tube on the Razor and Strike Eagle the perfect rings were the Vortex 1.1 inch ones. Well, I missed the measurements by only .04mm . The spreadsheet predicted 5.1mm clearance and I got 5.05. Scope height is 2.08 inches.

Here's the picture below. As I mentioned above I might do a post later on how I measure the rifle and install the scope.

Happy New Year!

.

 

[huntnh]

Looking good keep us posted on how it shoots

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Nice

 

[HemiPowrd]

What is it chambered for?

 

[KnowNothing256]

Is the rail angled, such as a 20 or 30 MOA rail? If so, that might explain your very minor discrepancy. Nice job, looks great.

 

[JAS-SH]

Took the rifle to the 100 yard range this morning for the first rounds downrange and sighting in . I only shot 15 rounds because I had trouble running cleaning patches through it. The .243 jag I have is too big! So how does it shoot? I'm really happy !

And by the way, I was asked so here it is -- I had it chambered in 6mm ARC! Guilty as charged so light the flames boys!! Here are the last three shots of the morning after mostly doing sighting in stuff:

 

[AleksanderSuave]

was that best of the 15 rounds, or were they all pretty close to that 0.3 moa grouping? Im looking at one now and comparison shopping to the MPA PMR at the same time, got it down to those 2 before I pull the trigger..

 

[JAS-SH]

was that best of the 15 rounds, or were they all pretty close to that 0.3 moa grouping? Im looking at one now and comparison shopping to the MPA PMR at the same time, got it down to those 2 before I pull the trigger..

That's one of two groups I shot. The other one was a dump of 3 rounds over some 3~4 sighters which went about the same (all touching) but this is the only clean group I shot with no other shots mixed in. I can post that other one if you want. It took me 9 shots to get the zero just right because I went backwards at the beginning ! Long story... The rifle is definitely a shooter. Very consistent.

 

[TNSleeper99]

Took the rifle to the 100 yard range this morning for the first rounds downrange and sighting in . I only shot 15 rounds because I had trouble running cleaning patches through it. The .243 jag I have is too big! So how does it shoot? I'm really happy !

And by the way, I was asked so here it is -- I had it chambered in 6mm ARC! Guilty as charged so light the flames boys!! Here are the last three shots of the morning after mostly doing sighting in stuff:

I have a bolt gun in .224 Valkyrie and been getting flack for it ever since I built it. It shoots well, and right now I can buy 88eld’s while all the 6mm boys are searching for 105 hybrids!

 

[AleksanderSuave]

That's one of two groups I shot. The other one was a dump of 3 rounds over some 3~4 sighters which went about the same (all touching) but this is the only clean group I shot with no other shots mixed in. I can post that other one if you want. It took me 9 shots to get the zero just right because I went backwards at the beginning ! Long story... The rifle is definitely a shooter. Very consistent.

No worries, was just curious is all. I ask because Im in a pickle with my Tikka being out in service repair hell for 4 months now, with no replacement in sight. Im itching for another rifle, and was curious about out of the box accuracy.

My thoughts were more or less, My Tikka averaged 0.3-0.5 MOA (in an MDT oryx chassis, factory stock it was maybe sub moa on average) but the consensus amongst my buddies is that its the most accurate rifle they've seen from that brand and odds are the next one may not be anywhere near as good.

If you're already hitting 0.3 moa on a new rifle, odds are once you get more comfortable with the chassis and controls of it, you'll be shooting even better, especially when you find ammo or a load it really likes.

So the long and the short of it is, Im looking at buying a bad rock south fork in 6.5 CM and trying to figure out if the juice is worth the squeeze and based on your experience it sure sounds like it.

Did you also look at the MPA PMR?

 

[JAS-SH]

was that best of the 15 rounds, or were they all pretty close to that 0.3 moa grouping? Im looking at one now and comparison shopping to the MPA PMR at the same time, got it down to those 2 before I pull the trigger..

On second thought what the hell. I can post it and hopefully remove all doubt!

There are 4 sighters and a dump of 3 consecutive shots in the image - this was the first time I loaded 3-rounds in the mag. The last sighter is on the horizontal line (right after the 3-shot dump) - single round in the mag. From there I clicked .2 mils left and was done. Then went to the clean cross 3-shot group I posted above. I print these targets myself and the red grid is made up of .1 mil squares. It helps a lot unless I go the wrong way on the turrets! Enjoy the mess . Personally I hate messy because it raises doubts. And this 3- shot group was even better and I chose not to post it because of the mess! And who would believe it anyways? I would have doubts myself. So, I decided not to post this and posted a clean, albeit bigger group instead.

This group was made with the factory Hornady 108 ELDs. The first group I posted above was made with the Hornady Black 105s, if anyone is interested....

I am extremely happy with the performance of this rifle so far. Mechanically it is flawless. Feeds the 6mm ARC perfectly. The only minor complaint is that the bolt gets somewhat close to the scope eyepiece bell on extractions. A tradeoff for charging smoothness (outstanding) I guess...

 

[JAS-SH]

I have a bolt gun in .224 Valkyrie and been getting flack for it ever since I built it. It shoots well, and right now I can buy 88eld’s while all the 6mm boys are searching for 105 hybrids!

Thanks for that feedback! As of right now, and I hate to say this because the last thing I want is everyone jumping on the 6mm ARC at once with only one manufacturer, I just bought 200 rounds of 108 ELDs for $290 and free shipping. that's more than $.50 a round less than 6mm CM.

 

[TNSleeper99]

Thanks for that feedback! As of right now, and I hate to say this because the last thing I want is everyone jumping on the 6mm ARC at once with only one manufacturer, I just bought 200 rounds of 108 ELDs for $290 and free shipping. that's more than $.50 a round less than 6mm CM.

My Valkyrie reloads are a lot cheaper then my 6CM loads for sure. They are ballistically inferior, sure, but I’m in the mid pack mafia anyway so……what we keeps me shooting!

 

[JAS-SH]

I have a bolt gun in .224 Valkyrie and been getting flack for it ever since I built it. It shoots well, and right now I can buy 88eld’s while all the 6mm boys are searching for 105 hybrids!

This is why in all my previous posts I never mentioned the caliber! I wanted groups to show first. The truth and nothing but the truth. That's how I run my life, comes from an attorney Dad and a Catholic upbringing . With that combination you learn not to lie real quick!

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

This is why in all my previous posts I never mentioned the caliber! I wanted groups to show first. The truth and nothing but the truth. That's how I run my life, comes from an attorney Dad and a Catholic upbringing . With that combination you learn not to lie real quick!

I dont’ care what you shoot. If it hits the target readily that you are shooting at, and it does the job you are asking of it (ringing steel or killing critters or just killing dirt; don’t matter, whatever you want it to do) Then….

as far as I am concerned, Its Perfect!

 

[JAS-SH]

I dont’ care what you shoot. If it hits the target readily that you are shooting at, and it does the job you are asking of it (ringing steel or killing critters or just killing dirt; don’t matter, whatever you want it to do) Then….

as far as I am concerned, Its Perfect!

Thanks so much! My thoughts exactly. Restores my faith on this site....

 

[AleksanderSuave]

I dont’ care what you shoot. If it hits the target readily that you are shooting at, and it does the job you are asking of it (ringing steel or killing critters or just killing dirt; don’t matter, whatever you want it to do) Then….

as far as I am concerned, Its Perfect!

I echo that sentiment. Not my money being spent on the gear, not my place to critique it, or the caliber.

Good shooting JAS-SH. Thats one hell of a group. Do you intend to compete in PRS too or is this an upgraded bench rifle for you?

 

[TRPrecision]

Have you had a chrono on it? Curious what kind of speed you can get out of a 6ARC with a 26" tube bolt gun.

 

[JAS-SH]

Have you had a chrono on it? Curious what kind of speed you can get out of a 6ARC with a 26" tube bolt gun.

Funny you asked. I had a friend at the range playing with a new Lab Radar unit he got for Christmas. I was really tempted to ask him to test my rifle but he was in the reading the instruction stage every cease fire so I thought I'd pass on that until he gets it right.

 

[JAS-SH]

I echo that sentiment. Not my money being spent on the gear, not my place to critique it, or the caliber.

Good shooting JAS-SH. Thats one hell of a group. Do you intend to compete in PRS too or is this an upgraded bench rifle for you?

Thanks! I'd love to do it but no sooner than I'm comfortably ready. I competed in Sporting Clays for a number of years. I'm a much better instinctive shooter (Shotgun) than I am a rifle shooter. I had to shoot A class in Sporting Clays after my first tournament (I won C class which was the entry level at the time with an A Class score) and sure enough I was in A class based on my score for the next meet.

My scores were always in the mid to sometimes upper 90's out of 100. Tough sport though! I had to go through a lot of tie breaking shootouts in front of a hundred people. No pressure....

I only want to do PRS if I can be competitive. Time will tell if I can get there, and quickly enough, cause I'm in my 60s!

I did learn something important in the Sporting Clays business. There is a huge advantage for home field shooters. They shoot there every week. I'm pretty sure that can be said for PRS as well.

 

[HemiPowrd]

No worries, was just curious is all. I ask because Im in a pickle with my Tikka being out in service repair hell for 4 months now, with no replacement in sight. Im itching for another rifle, and was curious about out of the box accuracy.

My thoughts were more or less, My Tikka averaged 0.3-0.5 MOA (in an MDT oryx chassis, factory stock it was maybe sub moa on average) but the consensus amongst my buddies is that its the most accurate rifle they've seen from that brand and odds are the next one may not be anywhere near as good.

If you're already hitting 0.3 moa on a new rifle, odds are once you get more comfortable with the chassis and controls of it, you'll be shooting even better, especially when you find ammo or a load it really likes.

So the long and the short of it is, Im looking at buying a bad rock south fork in 6.5 CM and trying to figure out if the juice is worth the squeeze and based on your experience it sure sounds like it.

Did you also look at the MPA PMR?

I have a 6.5 CM South Fork in the MDT LSS chassis. It is an accurate shooter. Just to give you an idea of its accuracy - I'm not the most consistent shooter, but it seems to average .5 MOA for me, better when I do everything right. Here's one of my 100 yd load dev targets with a nice 3 shot group:

 

[JAS-SH]

I have a 6.5 CM South Fork in the MDT LSS chassis. It is an accurate shooter. Just to give you an idea of its accuracy - I'm not the most consistent shooter, but it seems to average .5 MOA for me, better when I do everything right. Here's one of my 100 yd load dev targets with a nice 3 shot group:

OUTSTANDING! You and I are sure lucky we got our rifles before the surge in orders that is sure to come. I can't thank Tara enough for her work on my order. They have an outstanding crew up there in Montana!

 

[AleksanderSuave]

OUTSTANDING! You and I are sure lucky we got our rifles before the surge in orders that is sure to come. I can't thank Tara enough for her work on my order. They have an outstanding crew up there in Montana!

I spoke with her too. Sounds like I’ll be placing my order tomorrow.

 

[OddJack]

What barrel is on it?

 

[AleksanderSuave]

Is that the tab rear bag? been thinking of trying one in addition to my mini fortune cookie

 

[JAS-SH]

Is that the tab rear bag? been thinking of trying one in addition to my mini fortune cookie

No, it's a Precision Underground EL-Rx. PU bags are the only bags I use these days. The beads inside lock up the bag in position so that followup shots are a breeze. They will make you a custom bag if you want one. And they are lighter than other bags (I have a Tab bag in permanent storage).

 

[JAS-SH]

What barrel is on it?

Unknown. BadRock /Defiance will not divulge that information. They use barrels from different manufactures for their builds. Mine is excellent.

 

[Baron23]

BadRock /Defiance will not divulge that information.

Ah, just saw that they are located at the same address and are...same company? Subsidiary...maybe...sort of?

didn't know that

 

[JAS-SH]

Ah, just saw that they are located at the same address and are...same company? Subsidiary...maybe...sort of?

didn't know that

They are! Defiance is now building PRS rifles.

 

[owyheerat]

What barrel is on it?

When I ordered mine (last June) I asked and was told it would be and X-Caliber barrel.
Also, this is quoted from Badrock Southfork website

South Fork Barreled Action​

Uses the same precision stainless steel bolt action as our South Fork rifle and a match grade stainless-steel barrel from X-Caliber Barrels. The action is designed for an optional pinned, screw-on scope rail and pinned recoil lug (included). The barrel and receiver are mated together using state-of-the-art CNC equipment and the absolute best precision chambering practices.

Barreled Actions - BadRock Rifles

badrockrifles.com

I have shot 488 rounds thru mine so far, and I am very happy with the accuracy and the overall rifle.

Good luck

 

[owyheerat]

They are! Defiance is now building PRS rifles.

Nice rifle. I like that first pic!
I've had a Badrock Southfork 6mm CM in KRG Bravo stock since last July (ordered in June) and I am very happy with it. It is definitely the nicest rifle I have ever owned. And a great shooter. So fun....

Thanks for posting about the BS (that sounds bad) rifle and keeping this post updated.

Good shooting...

 

[K80/6.5]

Any ideas on what barrel contour that is?

 

[HemiPowrd]

Went to the local range to shoot mine this morning. Temp in the high 50s, no wind, great shooting weather! They had a sign up "Rifle range closed for two weeks for maintenance". @#$$@#@#!@!$#$%$

 

[JAS-SH]

Any ideas on what barrel contour that is?

From the measurements I took it seems to be a heavy varmint, which is one of the heaviest tapered barrels available at around 7-pounds for a 28-inch barrel. Starts with around a 5-inch 1.250 straight section then tapers from 1.250 to .900 at the muzzle in a 28-inch length.

Mine is 26-inches long and the diameter at the muzzle is .913, so that sounds about right taking the taper into account.

 

[308pirate]

Thanks! I'd love to do it but no sooner than I'm comfortably ready. I competed in Sporting Clays for a number of years. I'm a much better instinctive shooter (Shotgun) than I am a rifle shooter. I had to shoot A class in Sporting Clays after my first tournament (I won C class which was the entry level at the time with an A Class score) and sure enough I was in A class based on my score for the next meet.

My scores were always in the mid to sometimes upper 90's out of 100. Tough sport though! I had to go through a lot of tie breaking shootouts in front of a hundred people. No pressure....

I only want to do PRS if I can be competitive. Time will tell if I can get there, and quickly enough, cause I'm in my 60s!

I did learn something important in the Sporting Clays business. There is a huge advantage for home field shooters. They shoot there every week. I'm pretty sure that can be said for PRS as well.

Some observations from someone who went up to A class in SC and left burned out.

I settled into USPSA after trying it and PRS, but the lessons I think are still the same

• Rifle and pistol sports are different than clay sports. You don't have to be constantly at the range grinding targets to get better
• Home range advantage matters less than you think
• Success in PRS (like in USPSA) depends heavily on being good at certain tasks that are not shooting. That isn't the case in sporting clays.
• You won't know what it takes to be competitive in PRS until you compete in PRS

 

[AleksanderSuave]

No, it's a Precision Underground EL-Rx. PU bags are the only bags I use these days. The beads inside lock up the bag in position so that followup shots are a breeze. They will make you a custom bag if you want one. And they are lighter than other bags (I have a Tab bag in permanent storage).

What position do you typically use yours in? Bench or prone? I’m looking for a bag that can do a little of both. Looking at the RX and saw PU’s posts on here about it mentioning that it’s a little harder to use as a “squeeze bag”, and that the model that came as a result of changes to the RX for that specific reason works better as a rear squeeze bag.

 

[Baron23]

Looking at the RX and saw PU’s posts on here about it mentioning that it’s a little harder to use as a “squeeze bag”, and that the model that came as a result of changes to the RX for that specific reason works better as a rear squeeze bag.

I think you are referring to the ELR Pro which is a bit taller but has a bit less fill in it to support pinching it.

I believe that this came about from a request of @lowlight

I have the ELR Pro and like it a lot. I don't have large hands so it suits me and allows me to secure the back of the stock during the shot.

Others with much more experience than I may have a diff view.

 

[AleksanderSuave]

I think you are referring to the ELR Pro which is a bit taller but has a bit less fill in it to support pinching it.

I believe that this came about from a request of @lowlight

I have the ELR Pro and like it a lot. I don't have large hands so it suits me and allows me to secure the back of the stock during the shot.

Others with much more experience than I may have a diff view.

Thats the one. Would love to try both to get a better understanding of which is best for me.

 

[NH4X]

@JAS-SH ... ...how much does it weigh (top picture ) ,and if you don't mind........hold it left handed and see if check riser bolt knob hits your cheek. I shoot mostly right hand bolts ,left handed and that knob there has me hesitant to order that stock. Thanks and congratulations ,that's a fine shooting rifle

 

[JAS-SH]

What position do you typically use yours in? Bench or prone? I’m looking for a bag that can do a little of both. Looking at the RX and saw PU’s posts on here about it mentioning that it’s a little harder to use as a “squeeze bag”, and that the model that came as a result of changes to the RX for that specific reason works better as a rear squeeze bag.

I've shot the rifle very little - 45 rounds. So far all bench for sighting in purposes. I already installed the Razor Gen II on it and had to re-sight in the rifle. More on that on a follow up post - not pretty. That said prone would be the same bipod height or 1 click higher, depending on target height. I will report back when I do that.

I went with the EL-Rx based on prior experience with PU. I can cant the bag backwards to reduce rear height and the beads in the bag still lock up. So much so I can leave it unattended. Caveat: The KRG Bravo stock comes with a smooth transition cover for the bottom of the stock. Although it shows that way in the picture above I removed the spacer and installed the "hook-style cover" optional bottom. That works better for me - found that out with my .22 trainer which uses the same stock. I can use my Atlas bipod 1 or 2 clicks extended., no issues. the bag is very adjustable because of the beads.

 

[JAS-SH]

@JAS-SH ... ...how much does it weigh (top picture ) ,and if you don't mind........hold it left handed and see if check riser bolt knob hits your cheek. I shoot mostly right hand bolts ,left handed and that knob there has me hesitant to order that stock. Thanks and congratulations ,that's a fine shooting rifle

I don't understand what the "check riser bolt knob" means but I tested it for you anyway. If you mean the bolt knob hitting your face then there is a four finger distance, index to pinky in my setup.

 

[AleksanderSuave]

I've shot the rifle very little - 45 rounds. So far all bench for sighting in purposes. I already installed the Razor Gen II on it and had to re-sight in the rifle. More on that on a follow up post - not pretty. That said prone would be the same bipod height or 1 click higher, depending on target height. I will report back when I do that.

I went with the EL-Rx based on prior experience with PU. I can cant the bag backwards to reduce rear height and the beads in the bag still lock up. So much so I can leave it unattended. Caveat: The KRG Bravo stock comes with a smooth transition cover for the bottom of the stock. Although it shows that way in the picture above I removed the spacer and installed the "hook-style cover" optional bottom. That works better for me - found that out with my .22 trainer which uses the same stock. I can use my Atlas bipod 1 or 2 clicks extended., no issues. the bag is very adjustable because of the beads.

Curious to hear what happened that required sighting in again.

 

[JAS-SH]

The Build is now finished with the installation of a "hook style cover" for the bottom of the KRG Bravo stock and the addition of a Vortex Razor Gen II scope, - 4.5-27X56. Images is below.

I have mixed feelings about the Razor. The thing is a tank -top of the line. It is what you would want if you're coming underwater out of a sub and then swimming to a beach. I'm not ever going to do that. Then there's the zero system. The premise is quite valid, with no click adjustments so you can get a really good zero on a mil scope. Like right on the money and not +/- .1 mils @ 100 yards (.36 inches).

The problem is that the the dials are too small, and the adjustments are too sensitive, so it takes a LOT of shots to get it dialed just right. Maybe this is one of the reasons that they changed the zero system dial for the Gen III. I have no experience with that one so I don't have an opinion as to whether it's an improvement. But they did make a change to the zero system. So that speaks for itself IMHO.

I bought this scope because it was on sale during Christmas for $1995. It is now back up to ~ $2500. The bottom line for me is that most all of us are not part of of a SOCOM team and I personally don't need a tank of a scope. I could have bought two Strike Eagles and still have $$ left over. That said, the optics are quite obviously superior on the Razor - no doubt, but most importantly, the eye relief sweet spot is much longer than on the Strike Eagle, so the scope does not have to be set up perfectly as it has to be with the Strike Eagle. This no doubt could help a lot when shooting in different PRS comp positions.

Here's the pic of the finished rifle minus the hook style cover I mentioned - put it on a week later. It is on the rifle now though. By the way, Perfect scope height in my case is 2.04 inches, achieved with the Vortex PMR rings - 1.1 inches to center. There is an issue with the Razor scope/rings combo as well but for now I'm not going to dive into that until I have more info. It might just be a setup issue. There were no issues with the same rings and Strike Eagle though.

 

[AleksanderSuave]

Which part is the hook cover? Got a photo?

 

[JAS-SH]

@JAS-SH ... ...how much does it weigh (top picture ) ,and if you don't mind........hold it left handed and see if check riser bolt knob hits your cheek. I shoot mostly right hand bolts ,left handed and that knob there has me hesitant to order that stock. Thanks and congratulations ,that's a fine shooting rifle

Sorry, forgot. The rifle weighs close to 16.5 pounds with the Razor scope installed.

 

[NH4X]

I don't understand what the "check riser bolt knob" means but I tested it for you anyway. If you mean the bolt knob hitting your face then there is a four finger distance, index to pinky in my setup.

Talking about the knob on the side of stock that locks the cheek riser in place . Hope that is a clearer explaination

 

[JAS-SH]

Which part is the hook cover? Got a photo?

The KRG Bravo has two lower stock covers. The one included with the stock is the "continuous angle lower surface". the optional one is the $10 "hook cover" - second image.

Once the continuous angled cover is removed you can install the hook cover so that the inside of the stock is protected.

 

[JAS-SH]

Talking about the knob on the side of stock that locks the cheek riser in place . Hope that is a clearer explaination

Oh, get it. When I went left handed to try it for you I did not feel it so in my case it's way out of the way. Your milage might vary though, depending on how much you lift the cheek riser. There is a solution though. Very easy to install a flush bolt.

 

[AleksanderSuave]

The KRG Bravo has two lower stock covers. The one included with the stock is the "continuous angle lower surface". the optional one is the $10 "hook cover" - second image.

Once the continuous angled cover is removed you can install the hook cover so that the inside of the stock is protected.

So unless I misunderstood, instead of it being an angled flat surface, this changes the bottom of the buttstock profile to have a curved tail.


admittingly, the chassis I use all run bolt-on bag riders so its a pretty different setup

 

[JAS-SH]

So unless I misunderstood, instead of it being an angled flat surface, this changes the bottom of the buttstock profile to have a curved tail.


admittingly, the chassis I use all run bolt-on bag riders so its a pretty different setup

I prefer the hook because I get better control of the bag - Bag hand higher up and closer to the stock. KRG does sell Bag riders though only one model for the KRG Bravo.