As with most gun nuts, I tend to be obsessed with trying out different things. Rifles, optics, ammo, etc..
We all do that of course, some to a worse degree than others. This time I am talking about changing the role of a particular gun, what drives that and what configuration changes are made to accommodate the task at hand.For the last few years I have been running my Remington 700 for long range use. It originally was purchased as a general purpose 308 and is turning back to that original use case. This particular rifle was purchased used from an FFL buddy of mine when I called looking for an LTR, he had one that had 400 rounds through it, carefully broken in and had a Jewell trigger installed. I jumped at it, especially when he told me to bring it back if I wasn’t happy with it. Well, that gun shot .75 or better with anything I put through it, and would do one hole groups at 100 yards and .5 at 300 with hunting handloads using 165 Sierra Gamekings or Accubonds over a medium load of Varget. I used it in that configuration for a year or 2 then decided I really needed (ok, wanted) a new stock. I ended up getting a Manners MCS-T in 4 color digi cam for it, glass bedded the front locking lug area with Marine Tex and tested it for accuracy. No change, good! I also installed a EGW Heavy Duty Tactical alloy +20 MOA Picatinny rail and along with some EGW rings mounted a USO 3.2-17×44 and decided to stretch it’s legs. I also installed a Wyatts DMB system for it. I worked up some handloads with 175g SMKs being launched at 2575 over 44.2g of Varget and started shooting out to 1K with it. It worked but the place we shoot (Best of the West near Liberty Hill, TX) has some wicked winds and they seem to swirl between the 750 and 1K berms. When it is calm, I am pretty consistent with it and have broke clay pidgeons at 1K (though admittedly my success ratio was rather low!)
I recently got a nice 25-06 in for hunting in a Cooper Custom, well, that put the Nosler in 280 Ackley I got last year in an odd spot, both guns really shot the same in regards to flat shooting with the nod to the 280 AI past 500 of course. I really didn’t need to rifles that had such overlap yet it is TOO good of a shooter to not shoot it often. The 280AI is right there with a 7 mag with handloads and with the high BC 7mm bullets I had to give it a try. So, I decided it was time to swap some stuff around. I moved the USO 3.2-17 from the 308 and got a hold of some 162 AMAX with a BC of .615, according to Nosler’s manual, I can get them going around 3k with IMR4831 and have worked up some loads for it.
Ok, so, cool, nice long range setup to test, but what about the 308? Something I have contemplated many times but never done was move the S&B 1.5-6×42 from my 6.8 SPC AR15 as it is a bit big and heavy for a lightweight AR, I just have a thing about keeping an AR light and handy. The S&B just looks right on the bolt action and it just feels right shoulder it. Being as that I have handloaded for the 308 for some years and have all the proven loads, I worked up some 175s for the range as well as some 175 Berger VLD hunting bullets and 165 Accubonds. The 308 General Purpose rifle returns! Should make for an ideal all around gun out to 500 yards. My S&B has the Flashdot #9 reticle and so no hold over points, I plan on running a 250 yard zero with it and dialing in for longer range. Next up is to cut the barrel and add a can to it.
I am off to the range to test these out..
Stay tuned for more…
My 308
280 Ackley
We all do that of course, some to a worse degree than others. This time I am talking about changing the role of a particular gun, what drives that and what configuration changes are made to accommodate the task at hand.For the last few years I have been running my Remington 700 for long range use. It originally was purchased as a general purpose 308 and is turning back to that original use case. This particular rifle was purchased used from an FFL buddy of mine when I called looking for an LTR, he had one that had 400 rounds through it, carefully broken in and had a Jewell trigger installed. I jumped at it, especially when he told me to bring it back if I wasn’t happy with it. Well, that gun shot .75 or better with anything I put through it, and would do one hole groups at 100 yards and .5 at 300 with hunting handloads using 165 Sierra Gamekings or Accubonds over a medium load of Varget. I used it in that configuration for a year or 2 then decided I really needed (ok, wanted) a new stock. I ended up getting a Manners MCS-T in 4 color digi cam for it, glass bedded the front locking lug area with Marine Tex and tested it for accuracy. No change, good! I also installed a EGW Heavy Duty Tactical alloy +20 MOA Picatinny rail and along with some EGW rings mounted a USO 3.2-17×44 and decided to stretch it’s legs. I also installed a Wyatts DMB system for it. I worked up some handloads with 175g SMKs being launched at 2575 over 44.2g of Varget and started shooting out to 1K with it. It worked but the place we shoot (Best of the West near Liberty Hill, TX) has some wicked winds and they seem to swirl between the 750 and 1K berms. When it is calm, I am pretty consistent with it and have broke clay pidgeons at 1K (though admittedly my success ratio was rather low!)
I recently got a nice 25-06 in for hunting in a Cooper Custom, well, that put the Nosler in 280 Ackley I got last year in an odd spot, both guns really shot the same in regards to flat shooting with the nod to the 280 AI past 500 of course. I really didn’t need to rifles that had such overlap yet it is TOO good of a shooter to not shoot it often. The 280AI is right there with a 7 mag with handloads and with the high BC 7mm bullets I had to give it a try. So, I decided it was time to swap some stuff around. I moved the USO 3.2-17 from the 308 and got a hold of some 162 AMAX with a BC of .615, according to Nosler’s manual, I can get them going around 3k with IMR4831 and have worked up some loads for it.
Ok, so, cool, nice long range setup to test, but what about the 308? Something I have contemplated many times but never done was move the S&B 1.5-6×42 from my 6.8 SPC AR15 as it is a bit big and heavy for a lightweight AR, I just have a thing about keeping an AR light and handy. The S&B just looks right on the bolt action and it just feels right shoulder it. Being as that I have handloaded for the 308 for some years and have all the proven loads, I worked up some 175s for the range as well as some 175 Berger VLD hunting bullets and 165 Accubonds. The 308 General Purpose rifle returns! Should make for an ideal all around gun out to 500 yards. My S&B has the Flashdot #9 reticle and so no hold over points, I plan on running a 250 yard zero with it and dialing in for longer range. Next up is to cut the barrel and add a can to it.
I am off to the range to test these out..
Stay tuned for more…
My 308
280 Ackley
