Rifle for a young marine

[Twisted300Win MAG]

I'm putting together a rifle for my friends kid as a graduation/joining the Marines gift. Originally it was going to be a dedacated comp rifle but after picking his and his fathers brains I think a comp/hunting setup is more in line. Being that I already had a 6mm blank and a 6xc reamer that was the original plan. However now I'm thinking something in 7mm. I've pretty much narrowed it down to .280AI or .284 Shehane. Here are the specs. Let be know what you would go with and why. I'm leaning towards the 280AI mostly due to brass availability.
Trued rem 700 long action
26" rem varmet barrel fluted 1:8-9 twist
Timney 510
McMillan HTG or HS pro series
BDL bottom metal
Shooting for no more then 12.5lbs with optic. Wanting to shoot the 168 vlds and 180 hybrids. Cannot be a magnum and reloading is not an issue.
Thanks
Donald

 

[Pusher591]

Why not do 6.5 Creed or .260?

Reason I say that, several companies make great ammo in both calibers for relatively cheap (compared to x47 Lapua) and have great ballistics without being a barrel burner. IMHO a 6.5 Creed/.260 with a 140 Amax is a hard to beat round for hunting or matches and if reloading is not an issue he could load up some 140 Hybrids for comps, the ballistics with those are insane.

 

[JARHEAD1371]

One issue to think about is where this soon-to-be Marine will be stationed. If he goes to CA, he cannot shoot bullets with lead. If he goes to NC, the deer are so small that a .22 short will work (this is compared to the IL, SD, and WY deer I'm used to). Also, if he is in NC he will be mostly shooting at targets and not animals. Good hunting opportunities are extremely hard to come by around here. The public land is over run with dog hunters and a vast majority of private land is in clubs or very very closed to access.

I have to wonder how he will be hand loading his ammo and storing the rifle. He cannot have these items if he lives in the barracks and a jr Marine living off base is very controlled (despite what his recruiter may have said). He can store the rifle in the Armory, but I would only do that as an absolute last resort.

Good luck with the build and that is an outstanding gift for a newly trained Devil Dog.

 

[Infringed711]

Since when can we not shoot bullets with lead? I know we can't hunt with them but as far as ranges go I don't think there are any restrictions

 

[EOD350]

P/M sent with some info.

 

[JARHEAD1371]

I am under the impression that all bullets used in CA have to be lead free. If that is incorrect, my appologies.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I am under the impression that all bullets used in CA have to be lead free. If that is incorrect, my appologies.

That's very incorrect, as is your statement about all the deer in NC being small. How about getting your facts straight before posting nonsense as fact.

 

[Twisted300Win MAG]

He will be stationed in North Carolina. Being from NC I can tell you there are fairly large deer to be had. Storing isn't an issue. Settled on the 7mm class because he will be going with his father and myself after elk in WY or CO.
Thanks
Donald

 

[pmclaine]

You guys are very practicle.

Seeing as the Marine corps is an organization steeped in its history I would have been thinking M1903A1 or M1 Garand.

Your choices make too much sense. If you want to maintain some USMC connection with teh USMC the McMillan HTG would harken back to the M40A1.

Wish either people like you would have been around or somebody liked me this much when I left PI.

 

[MarinePMI]

Ditto on the the NC deer; some can get to be fairly large. Croatan National Forest is a bit crowded at times, but still has/had a fair amount of deer if you know where/how to hunt them in that thick cover. LeJeune also still has a rifle season (or is it shotgun only now?) on base (as well as bow only archery areas).

A big 7mm would be a waste (IMHO) for that area of the country, but if he ever gets stationed here out west, it would work well.

I'll be honest; while stationed in LeJeune for five years, I never took a deer past 80yds with a rifle, and usually more like 20 when I was poking sticks in them. Great country to hunt, but it's thick and brushy with very few long shots to be had...

 

[Hunt4life]

I would put him together an m40ish from new parts. 700 sps, wood stock, and the commemorative scope from swfa.

I would not use hybrid calibers for the kid as he likely want have time or space to reload.

 

[Jon Lester]

284 Win is a Great versatile round. Just Sayn!

 

[Chiwawa]

There are many people on this site much more qualified to give you an informed opinion on your questions. I just wanted to salute you for putting the effort into getting this young marine a rifle. Thank you for doing this and give him a BIG THANKS for his service to our country.

 

[Ledzep]

Odds are that he's going to keep it with the family at first, if not for his entire enlistment. He's not going to take it to the ITB/MCT/MOS school. So once he's in a unit and 'bedded down' he might be able to take it to the area and stash it at a married guys' house or something. I had a pretty short stay in NC on the base so can't be of too much help there. I would do it in a common caliber that can be bought easily. Reloading is a no-go in the barracks, and again he'll be reliant on a married buddy that has a house, if there is such a person at all that will store that stuff.

If you think in the long term, however, if it sits with his parents, it isn't going anywhere, and will be there when he gets out or gets a bit more freedom if he stays in, and he'll be able to do whatever he wants with it later.

I kept all of my stuff at home for the 5 years I was in. Went home on leave, burned up powder, left it there, and went back to work. It was a bit frustrating not being able to play with my toys whenever I wanted, but it also wasn't worth the hassle of bringing stuff on base or cycling it from one friends' house to the next as they move units or get out etc... And FUCK leaving it in the armory so the dipshit custodian can play hell with my optics or whatever the fuck they do....

Personally, .284 sounds decent, maybe even as simple as .30-06. All of the Ackley improved stuff sounds nice, but that's work. Not sure how into reloading this guy is. Things to think about.

 

[Twisted300Win MAG]

Well this kid has earned it in my eyes. He graduated with honors he's got a good head on his shoulders. He is an incredible natural shooter. Also most important he has common sense, which isn't that common nowadays. The rifle will be stored at his parents house until he gets stationed somewhere he can have it or until he gets out. I know his taste and he likes nontraditional cartridges like myself. He reloads already so that's not a problem His father and I will load while he is gone so we can get him out to a friends range with targets out to 1200 yards while on leave. Fireforming for the ackley isn't bad and you can buy nosler brass that is already formed. The shehane intrigues all three of us. I'm still torn. I guess I could just ask home once I tell him what's going on but kinda wanted to keep part of it a surprise until it was finished. Any further convincing would be great.
Thanks
Donald

 

[haroldwilson]

6.5 x 55 is a great long action caliber. Will kill damn near anything that needs kilt including elks and mooses.

 

[MarinePMI]

Twisted,

It sounds like you have it pretty much figured out, and know the young man better than anyone here on the Hide. Perhaps your gut instinct is what you should go with (with regard to cartridge choice), and let the young Marine figure out the rest (whether he keeps it at home, or stores it in the armory or at a buddy's house).

When I was in, and single, I did all three; started with just leaving them at home, then kept them with a brown bagger buddy of mine, and once I got to know the armorers (one of which who was on our shooting team) I stored my stuff at the armory. He'll know what is the right thing, and it sounds like you know what he likes.

As for reloading in the barracks...it's illegal, but I'd be lying if I (and others) didn't do it. We just had to be careful about it, and keep an ear out for the health & comfort inspections (as Sgt's, we usually caught wind of the things, and the Company 1stSgt was also a shooting team member). Everything was kept in a box that could quickly be taken out to our POV's; not unlike a reloading set up for range work. Not encouraging the young Marine to break regs, but just saying that circumstances will determine the prudence of...bending the rules a bit.

JMTCW...

 

[JARHEAD1371]

Ditto on the the NC deer; some can get to be fairly large. Croatan National Forest is a bit crowded at times, but still has/had a fair amount of deer if you know where/how to hunt them in that thick cover. LeJeune also still has a rifle season (or is it shotgun only now?) on base (as well as bow only archery areas).

A big 7mm would be a waste (IMHO) for that area of the country, but if he ever gets stationed here out west, it would work well.

I'll be honest; while stationed in LeJeune for five years, I never took a deer past 80yds with a rifle, and usually more like 20 when I was poking sticks in them. Great country to hunt, but it's thick and brushy with very few long shots to be had...

Big game hunting on base (out here anyway) cannot be done with a rifle. The only weapons allowed are muzzle loaders, slug guns, and archery gear. IMO the best places to hunt around here are on base, that's mainly because of the ban on dog hunting. Like you said, a long shot out here can be very hard to come by.

 

[JARHEAD1371]

Twisted,

It sounds like you have it pretty much figured out, and know the young man better than anyone here on the Hide. Perhaps your gut instinct is what you should go with (with regard to cartridge choice), and let the young Marine figure out the rest (whether he keeps it at home, or stores it in the armory or at a buddy's house).

When I was in, and single, I did all three; started with just leaving them at home, then kept them with a brown bagger buddy of mine, and once I got to know the armorers (one of which who was on our shooting team) I stored my stuff at the armory. He'll know what is the right thing, and it sounds like you know what he likes.

As for reloading in the barracks...it's illegal, but I'd be lying if I (and others) didn't do it. We just had to be careful about it, and keep an ear out for the health & comfort inspections (as Sgt's, we usually caught wind of the things, and the Company 1stSgt was also a shooting team member). Everything was kept in a box that could quickly be taken out to our POV's; not unlike a reloading set up for range work. Not encouraging the young Marine to break regs, but just saying that circumstances will determine the prudence of...bending the rules a bit.

JMTCW...

The way the Corps is these days, someone caught with any reloading gear (or anything that could be considered an explosive, even simple firecrackers) in the barracks is a career killer, if not resulting in severe legal action and a BCD. Personally that's not a risk I would be willing to take. That's not to say that I didn't "bend" the rules from time to time back in the day, I'm just saying the vibe of the Corps has greatly changed in the past 10 yrs or so.

If I were in his boots, I would rent a small climate controlled storage unit and set up my reloading gear, and store any firearms, there. Many in this area are accessible 24/7 and can be rented for around $50 per month.