First day at the range with new rifle

[scudzuki]

Got out to the range today with my new rifle which consists of a McRees folding chassis, Remington 700 SPS .308 stainless barreled action, Timney 510 trigger, bedded and dowel pinned 0 MOA EGW rail with #8 screws, 13 mil Spuhr ISMS, and an S&B PMII 5-25.

Yesterday I lopped 4" off the barrel, so it finished at 20" with a target crown.

Shooting 42 gr. IMR behind a 168 gr Hornady HPBT with CCI large rifle primers and Federal brass at 2.800 COL I got a best 5 shot group of .880; nothing spectacular but it's a hunting rifle barrel, after all. Most of the rest of the groups hovered just north of 1 MOA, 1.1" or so, with a few at 1.5"

One thing that impressed me was that even though there was a fair amount of recoil in terms of the rifle moving around after each shot, I felt like I could have shot the rifle all day, which is a very different experience than shooting my FNAR which is a good 5 pounds lighter and has a hard rubber recoil pad instead of the Pachmayr "mattress" the Mcree comes with.

After a few shots I understood the fascination with bolt knobs around here. I must have smashed my right thumb on the S&B a dozen times.

I'm not sure how a real gunsmith modifies a 700 bolt so I just made it up as I went along, milling the factory knob into a 3/8" diameter by 5/8" long post, then I drilled & tapped the end 1/4-20 and spun up a knob out of aluminum, retained by a 1/4" SHCS. Not as elegant as what I've seen the professionals do, but I am really digging the leverage and the clearance!

Joe

 

[EdwardTeach]

Re: First day at the range with new rifle

Sweet stick. At what range was the pictured group shot?

 

[stranded]

Re: First day at the range with new rifle

Good looking rifle! Did I understand you did the bolt & bolt handle work yourself? Very nice either way.
How do you feel about your group? No critism, I think the rifle is showing great potential.

 

[scudzuki]

Re: First day at the range with new rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: boomer@#$</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sweet stick. At what range was the pictured group shot? </div></div>

100 yard range @ Northern Chester County Sportsman's Club in SE PA.

Joe

 

[scudzuki]

Re: First day at the range with new rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Stranded</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Good looking rifle! Did I understand you did the bolt & bolt handle work yourself? Very nice either way.
How do you feel about your group? No critism, I think the rifle is showing great potential. </div></div>

Ex machinist/moldmaker here with a VMC (CNC mill) and an engine lathe in my home shop, so the potential is limited by how adventurous I get. The most difficult part was coming up with a way to hold the bolt so I could machine the handle.

I've been shooting rifles about a year at this point and started with ARs. The 2nd one I built has a 20" 1:8 stainless match barrel but with 77 gr SMK reloads it was quite a while before I achieved a sub MOA 5 shot group, even though some members at arfcom claim they shoot them "all day" with PMC Bronze ammo out of 16" chrome lined barrels. Ran into a few guys like that at the public range, too. One day I realized most of them were full of $hit, since I heard claims but never saw any targets to back them up. I don't understand how people can state complete and utter bullshit just because they are shrouded by the anonymity the Internet provides; I participate in forums to broaden my knowledge and hopefully help someone out along the way, so dishonesty is counterproductive IMHO.

I have an FNAR that FNH guarantees is a sub MOA rifle with FGMM 168 ammo, and I have yet to shoot a 5 shot sub MOA group with FGMM.

I have shot a few 5 shot sub MOA groups with 168 gr SMK or Hornady HPBT reloads, probably because I shoot a lot more what with the cost savings.

My first day out with the new rifle I shot a best 5 shot group .150" smaller than the best I've shot with the FNAR so I am pleased with it, but I expect that someone with skills could do better (with both rifles). Unfortunately I don't know anybody like that.

I plan to spend a lot more time behind the trigger this year.

Joe