European build

Brinkmeister

Brinkmeister

Registered From Netherlands
Minuteman
Sep 11, 2018
49
36
#1
So, I decided I should have a bolt action again. After selling My Parker-Hale TX1200 in .30-06 years ago, I only shot semi-auto. But now I want to get into the longer range shots, so a bolt action will be my next purchase.

While saving for a new setup, I'm thinking about building an all-European rifle. But what are the options? There are more than enough rifles overhere, but what about an affordable scope and mount? And a bipod?

I'm not sure what it's going to be, but I think it will be possible to configure the right rifle.

So, any tips?
 
#2
On the scopes there are a lot of good ones from Germany
There are also good scope mounts from both Germany and England

If you want a chassis gun, Accuracy International in the UK makes a superb one, and then there is a German outfit making a similar looking unit.
 
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#4
Tomorrow morning I'll be teaching in Amersfoort, after that I might take a look at Patrick's shop. Although he's specialised in the more dynamic aspects of the sport, he does have a few interesting bolt actions. Really interested in the Tikka.
 
#8
There are many great choices for you in regards to scopes it would just seem to reason you pick one with the features you want and need in your price range if you have one.
Looking at actions the Roedale Avenger II looks pretty impressive and of course as has allready been mentioned a Tikka would be solid option for a production class build.

Are you looking to have a rifle built or do as much as possible yourself while choosing your own components ?
 
#11
Went to the shop today, but he had no Tikka left. Only bolt action he can offer is the Ruger Precision Rifle in .223, .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor, all in stock. He even offered me a nice discount on them.

I don't know. I lean towards the European build, but it is a nice package with a more than decent chassis and a smooth action. I do have a feeling the Tikka barrel will be better. My other option is the shop where I bought my Stribog, they also sell Bergara.
 
#13
W54/XM-388 said:
The higher end Bergara rifles seem to be well regarded also.
If you wanted a chassis type rifle in Tikka that T3x TAC A1 is a nice setup
Click to expand...

For the first time, I just shot a TACA1 an hour ago, Man, I was impressed! Like an inch of vertical at 488Y, I think that's the one I'd personally go with for the money.

Tikka's are just about impossible to beat for the money.
 
#14
steve123 said:
For the first time, I just shot a TACA1 an hour ago, Man, I was impressed! Like an inch of vertical at 488Y, I think that's the one I'd personally go with for the money.

Tikka's are just about impossible to beat for the money.
Click to expand...

Inch of vertical could easily be ammo velocity difference playing a part.
You are correct that For The Money, Tikka offers a value that is very difficult to match.
 
#15
I'm not really sure about the chassis rifle thing. Bergara, Ruger, Tikka, everyone offers them at the moment but I kinda like an old school stock. The AICS stock is an excepion, I fucking love that chassis. Tried it with a Remington 700 and was impressed with the ergonomics.

Bergara seems to have Remington 700 dimensions, might combine it with that stock. Just poppet to mind. Need a lefty action, though.
 
#16
W54/XM-388 said:
Inch of vertical could easily be ammo velocity difference playing a part.
You are correct that For The Money, Tikka offers a value that is very difficult to match.
Click to expand...

I don't know about you but 1" vertical is amazing at that distance! This was with his handloads. Damn, my customs costing twice that don't shoot that good.
 
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#17
Brinkmeister said:
I'm not really sure about the chassis rifle thing. Bergara, Ruger, Tikka, everyone offers them at the moment but I kinda like an old school stock. The AICS stock is an excepion, I fucking love that chassis. Tried it with a Remington 700 and was impressed with the ergonomics.

Bergara seems to have Remington 700 dimensions, might combine it with that stock. Just poppet to mind. Need a lefty action, though.
Click to expand...
Tikka does plenty of lefthanded options. You might have access to more options on them than we do in the US.
 
#19
Brinkmeister said:
You'd be surprised at what guns find their way to the U.S. and how big the price differences with Europe are. We generally have less choice for a higher price with longer lead times.

For example; a Tikka T3x Varmint will cost me €1.495, that's $1758,52. That is more than twice your price:
https://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3x-varmint-rifles.aspx
Click to expand...

One thing to remember is that your prices probably include a close to 25% VAT which means at least a 30% markup to cover tax overhead.
Also additional warranties and "customer rights" apply for stuff sold in the EU which drives up cost.
While I'm sure they are padding the profit, a lot of it has to do with the cost of doing business there at all levels. Much more expensive than in the USA. Also a much smaller market there compared to the USA, so costs are divided into a much smaller pool of sales.
 
#22
Okay, change of plans: It's going to be a Euro/US rifle. Last saturday, I bought a Vortex Viper Gen II 5-25 FFP, to start off the project. I'm pretty sure it wil be on a Bergara B14 BMP. Spuhr mount, Harris bipod and not exactly sure about the compensator.
 
#24
Brinkmeister said:
..And I've ordered the rest of the setup:

-Bergara B14 BMP .308, 24"1:10 barrel
-Nightforce 20 MOA rail
-Nightforce scope rings
-Harris 6-9" bipod with throw lever
-Locally produced Aeolus compensator: https://www.dutchlongarms.com/the-aeolus
-AIM 45 dragbag
-Safe
-Empty wallet.

Soon I will be ready to throw lead downrange. Far.
Click to expand...
Kinda far or really far.
Cheese from the Netherlands is the bomb!
 
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#26
Ordered some reloading dies and some odd stuff to get my reloading table prepared. Waiting for the rifle to come in and getting it on my license wil take some time, but I can't wait!
 
#27
License is approved, I picked up the Bergara yesterday.

I love the look and feel, looking forward to test it on the range.
 

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#29
Third training with the Bergara, second time with hand loaded ammo. Not satisfied yet, but it's a start.

Just took the rifle apart to adjust the trigger, it's on the minimum pull now. Nice, but I see a replacement in the future.
 

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#30
TriggerTech Special and the right ammo and you will be there as long as you do your part. For my 6.5 CM I'm using Federal Gold Medal Match 130gr. Berger, or any of the Hornady ELD Match 140 gr. to 147 gr., or the Hornady ELDX Precision Hunter 143 gr.; all of them with good results, the Federal with great results. I did not care for the BMP chassis, or the grip when I purchased my HMR.
 
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#31
I'm using 150 gr Lapua Lockbase FMJBT, but going to test other bullets. Love the HMR as well, but since I was spending money, the price difference with a full chassis was minor enough to go for the BMP.
 
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#32
My first slightly sub MOA group. 100 metres, 25.65mm edge to edge. That's 1.01 inch on a 109 yard distance for the non-metric community.

165 shots into the new rifle, pretty pleased so far.
 

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#34
Brinkmeister said:
My first slightly sub MOA group. 100 metres, 25.65mm edge to edge. That's 1.01 inch on a 109 yard distance for the non-metric community.

165 shots into the new rifle, pretty pleased so far.
Click to expand...
Remember to subtract the bullet diameter from your overall measurement. In your case .308. Hence a group measurement of .308 overall would equal 0. Looks like it’s shooting really well. By my calculations it’s a .702” group.
 
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#36
SonicBurlap said:
Still the Bergara trigger?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I took the stock off and set the trigger pull to minimum. A lot better, but I still might go for an aftermarket trigger group.

Average guy said:
Remember to subtract the bullet diameter from your overall measurement. In your case .308. Hence a group measurement of .308 overall would equal 0. Looks like it’s shooting really well. By my calculations it’s a .702” group.
Click to expand...

Thanks, good to know! There's still room for improvement, I'm going to test with 167 grain Lapua soon. Ordered a box of 155 and 175 as well.

Bemoni said:
When you have got use to it and found a good load, you should come and visit us at the ColdBore Range in Denmark www.coldborerange.dk We got acces to a millitary range, where we can go all the way, from 300 to 3200 meters and have visitors from all over Europe. Everybody with a licensed rifle is welcome.
Click to expand...

Yes, that would be great! Drop off the wife and kids at Legoland, since it's only a 40km drive from there. Any rules for storing a rifle at a holiday village?
 
#37
Brinkmeister said:
Yes, but I took the stock off and set the trigger pull to minimum. A lot better, but I still might go for an aftermarket trigger group.



Thanks, good to know! There's still room for improvement, I'm going to test with 167 grain Lapua soon. Ordered a box of 155 and 175 as well.



Yes, that would be great! Drop off the wife and kids at Legoland, since it's only a 40km drive from there. Any rules for storing a rifle at a holiday village?
Click to expand...
As long it's not in a functional state and the ammo is locked in a another place, it should not be a problem, just be sure to have a firearms passport and a copy of your range registration along with it.
 
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#38
Bemoni said:
As long it's not in a functional state and the ammo is locked in a another place, it should not be a problem, just be sure to have a firearms passport and a copy of your range registration along with it.
Click to expand...

Excellent, thanks. Can I bring my AR-15 as well?

I have a couple of ranges on my wishlist:
-Cold Bore
-Black Forest Precision
-Bisley
-The range in Slovakia my gunshop books every summer

My own club has a 100 metre range, which is great for practice. I also have access to a 300 metre range, about 183 km (114 miles) from my house.
 
#39
Brinkmeister said:
Yes, but I took the stock off and set the trigger pull to minimum. A lot better, but I still might go for an aftermarket trigger group.



Thanks, good to know! There's still room for improvement, I'm going to test with 167 grain Lapua soon. Ordered a box of 155 and 175 as well.
Looks like just some fine tuning left. Keep us updated.


Yes, that would be great! Drop off the wife and kids at Legoland, since it's only a 40km drive from there. Any rules for storing a rifle at a holiday village?
Click to expand...
 
#40

Looks like you wanted to add someting to that.


Meanwhile, I went out to the police station to renew my license and show my new bolt action. That's mandatory for every new purchase. The officer that inspected the rifle actually was impressed. "You won't look like a fool with that!".

Took the rifle to a friend with an OAL guide last saturday, measured for the bullets I have in stock now; Lapua Lockbase 150gr, Scenar L 155gr, Scenar 167gr and Scenar L 175 gr. Made a couple of test rounds with 167gr, so I hope to hit the range soon.
 
#41
As the proverbial shit hit the fan in The Netherlands around the beginning of March, we went in a lockdown that prevented me to go to the range from March 10th to yesterday. The current situation is that we can't shoot at indoor ranges, since it's considered indoor sports. Given the fact that our actual physical activity is very limited, we're trying to convince the authorities that we can safely enjoy shooting while not infecting each other.

But the good news: the 300 meter range I went to yesterday is outdoor! We had a terrific day yesterday, I was able to test my load on 300 meter for the first time. Shot 3 series of 10 shots: 98, 98 and 100 points. Very pleased with 296 points.
 

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#44
W54/XM-388 said:
That's a nice range computer display setup you've got.
Click to expand...

Yes, they use electronic scoring on that range. I prefer paper, but beggars can't be choosers.

want2learn said:
congratulations....that looks wonderful.

love the Netherlands....have family there. beautiful people, beautiful country.
Click to expand...

I like it here. There are pros and cons to everything, but overall our life is great.
 
#45
Got a 2 hour-slot at the 300 meter-range next tuesday and the week after that. About time, I haven't been shooting in ages due to a lockdown that affected my local ranges. So I'm taking the Bergara and AR and have some fun.

The only changes I made to the Bergara since the last time I shot it is a mirage band,might come in handy shooting in this cold. Coming to think of it: how am I going to keep warm, lying on the floor?
 
#49
I got offered a Nightforce NXS 12-42x56, for a very good price. Gonna take a look thtough it tomorrow, they're supposed to have really great glass. Number of vertical clicks is a bit on the low side, 45 MOA. And it's in MOA instead of mil. And measuring the size of a thumb over the distance of 35 cows should not still exist in 2021.

But on the other hand, it's going on a .308, so 1.000 meter will be the maximum distance anyway.
 
#50
Brinkmeister said:
I got offered a Nightforce NXS 12-42x56, for a very good price. Gonna take a look thtough it tomorrow, they're supposed to have really great glass. Number of vertical clicks is a bit on the low side, 45 MOA. And it's in MOA instead of mil. And measuring the size of a thumb over the distance of 35 cows should not still exist in 2021.

But on the other hand, it's going on a .308, so 1.000 meter will be the maximum distance anyway.
Click to expand...

I haven't looked through a recent production of this scope "maybe they improved the coatings", etc??" but the old one I looked through was disappointing.
 
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