I'm looking at building a short heavyish hunter/lightish tactical rifle in .308. I want 400 to 500 yard deer/elk killing rifle that I can run a suppressor on when I hunt in a location that allows it.
I started by ordering a Defiance medium action with a fluted bolt and 1 piece rail today. I was given about a 7 week turnaround.
Component picks so far that I have not purchased.
-Manners MCS-TA stock with molded in color (As yet to be determined pattern)
-Badger bottom metal
-S&B 3-20X50 or 5-25X56
-Huber trigger
My biggest hiccup is the barrel. I want to run a short, heavy diameter barrel because I'll be hanging my AAC Cyclone on it, but I'm unsure of the contour. I'm thinking a Bartlein #6 whacked back to 16.25". If a lighter contour will work, I'm all for less weight. I can't figure out if I'm going to need more twist to run 180 grain Accubonds in a shorter barrel or not.
I have a Sako TRG 22 with the 11.25 twist that will stack Black Hills 180 grain load all day long with and without the can. I get a 2" straight vertical POI shift up at 100 yards that I have repeated no telling how many times. I've hunted with this rifle twice in Kansas and it is just a beast because of the weight and length. As such, it does not lend itself to offhand shooting.
Do I need to step up the twist to a 1:10, 1:9, 1:8 to allow for more stabilization in a short barrel? Or can I stick with a 11.25 twist?
Since this will be a hunting rifle, I would rather run factory ammo if possible. I got in a pickle once when I flew to Kansas with some .280 reloads and the airline lost my bag with my ammo in it. I didn't get my bag for almost 3 weeks.
One catch may be Bartlein's backlog. I'd like to have this rifle complete by October of next year, so I'll have a couple of months to work with it before deer season in Kansas.
Purchased so far:
Defiance medium action
Bartlein #5 1:9 twist
I started by ordering a Defiance medium action with a fluted bolt and 1 piece rail today. I was given about a 7 week turnaround.
Component picks so far that I have not purchased.
-Manners MCS-TA stock with molded in color (As yet to be determined pattern)
-Badger bottom metal
-S&B 3-20X50 or 5-25X56
-Huber trigger
My biggest hiccup is the barrel. I want to run a short, heavy diameter barrel because I'll be hanging my AAC Cyclone on it, but I'm unsure of the contour. I'm thinking a Bartlein #6 whacked back to 16.25". If a lighter contour will work, I'm all for less weight. I can't figure out if I'm going to need more twist to run 180 grain Accubonds in a shorter barrel or not.
I have a Sako TRG 22 with the 11.25 twist that will stack Black Hills 180 grain load all day long with and without the can. I get a 2" straight vertical POI shift up at 100 yards that I have repeated no telling how many times. I've hunted with this rifle twice in Kansas and it is just a beast because of the weight and length. As such, it does not lend itself to offhand shooting.
Do I need to step up the twist to a 1:10, 1:9, 1:8 to allow for more stabilization in a short barrel? Or can I stick with a 11.25 twist?
Since this will be a hunting rifle, I would rather run factory ammo if possible. I got in a pickle once when I flew to Kansas with some .280 reloads and the airline lost my bag with my ammo in it. I didn't get my bag for almost 3 weeks.
One catch may be Bartlein's backlog. I'd like to have this rifle complete by October of next year, so I'll have a couple of months to work with it before deer season in Kansas.
Purchased so far:
Defiance medium action
Bartlein #5 1:9 twist
