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New Gun thoughts

panhndlpoke

Heisman Candidate
Sep 6, 2006
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I'm thinking about building a new gun. I've always wanted to pick out components, choose caliber, etc. and put it all together for my own gun just as I wanted it. I had originally planned on an AR platform, but think I'd rather have a bolt gun in 6.5 Creedmoor for long distance shooting. With some of the custom actions available in the market place, I can purchase multiple barrels and have a larger caliber. I have a 300 WSM that I could sell and just have a 300 WSM barrel and a 6.5 barrel.

Has anyone messed around with this stuff? Anyone into long distance shooting (500-1000+ yards)?
 
I have a 6.5 CM and love it! I'll hunt deer with it too, since it can come with a hunting bullet that is about as energy efficient as their target bullet.
Mine is based on the Remington 700 action, with a 24 inch bull barrell, threaded. I've only shot out to 600 yds, but I've shot half a dozen coyotes at 400 That seemed like a long way, but not so much with this rig. You'll enjoy this project!
 
I have a 6.5 CM and love it! I'll hunt deer with it too, since it can come with a hunting bullet that is about as energy efficient as their target bullet.
Mine is based on the Remington 700 action, with a 24 inch bull barrell, threaded. I've only shot out to 600 yds, but I've shot half a dozen coyotes at 400 That seemed like a long way, but not so much with this rig. You'll enjoy this project!
Yeah, I'd like to build it, but it will be expensive to set it up they way I'd prefer. I'm waiting on a couple items to see if they come through. If they do, I'm going to feel more comfortable starting the project. If they fall through, then I'll have to sell some things to get in a position financially to be able to put the gun together.
 
Revisiting this.

So I’ve sold 2 rifles, 3 scopes and have two rifles left to sell.

Kimber 84m in 7mm 08 with rings $700
Mauser M18 in 243 $500.

I went a totally different direction than I originally had planned and went with a Desert Tech SRS A2 in 6.5 Creedmoor. Quick barrel changes from .223 to 338 Lapua. Minox ZP 5 5-25x56 scope and American Rifle Company M10 QD-L 40 mm height and 30 MOA. Should be good with that set up to 1200 yards or so and we’ll in excess of 2000 yards with a caliber change. Should be in next week.

https://www.minox-usa.com/riflescopes/minox-zp-line

https://www.americanrifle.com/shop/product/m10-qd-l-scope-mount-9?category=3

https://deserttech.com/srs.php
 
All up it’s about 14 as it is pictured. With a barrel swap and pulling the monopod in back, bipod, and a much thinner barrel I think I could get it down to about 10 lbs.
 
I’m hoping to shoot some Sunday but it will be a little slow as I break in the barrel. Depends on how much the copper deposits in the barrel during the first 30-40 rounds.
 


Went out for just a sec today in the 20 mph wind to try to get on paper at 100 yards. Tomorrow is going to be very nice and I wanted to be able to get the rifle how I wanted it so I could run it out a bit further if I have time. I shot 3 at 50 and was surprisingly close so ran it back to 100 and shot this. Was aiming at the center of the red. Not bad in the conditions.
 
Wind was low and weather was nice. Didn’t get much shooting in because I had to leave early for family stuff. I have it sighted in, but I wasn’t able to stretch its legs out much
 
I know you'll enjoy this process....

I'm still very slowly getting better accuracy with mine as I break it in. About 1/2 to 3/4 moa now. That used to be incredible accuracy but seems par these days.
 
With my new rifle’s different chassis set up, I’m struggling to figure out a good way to bag it up steady for range work. It’s such a different design from traditional rifles that a lot of my crap isn’t working. I’ll get it figured out and continue to shoot the barrel in. I had very little copper in the barrel today so I’m hoping this is a short break in.

I’ve got steel hanging from 50-1020 yards. Ready to get this sucker set up and running right. All that steel is mocking me!
 
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Got out today with a friend who is a lot more experienced than I am with long range shooting. We loaded up and shot from 250-1020 yards. Hornady 140 ELD-Match. Rang steel at all distances with first round hits at each distance. At 750 we have an IPSA sized man with a 4” x 8” flapper at his heart painted orange with the rest of the body painted white. Shot the flapper 3 times out of three. The rifle really liked the ammo.

I also shot some Hornady 140 grain BTHP American Gunner ammo. It’s a lot less expensive but it wasn’t as hot or as accurate. It was about 110 fps slower and didn’t seem to be as consistent. I didn’t chronograph it, but from my dope, it seemed to be shooting at 2600 fps when the ELD M was at 2712. We did chrono it.

Anyway, I have some 120 ELD-M and some 147 ELD-M to shoot. Honestly, the 140 stuff shot so well, I’m a little tempted to just buy more of it.
 
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First Panhandle, that is really impressive accuracy from your rifle, and excellent shooting.
I'd definitely say you chose/built a winner! My 6.5CM loves that exact ammo as well, and am ordering 5 cases of it, so it's all the same lot number (for consistency sake). Can't reload any cheaper really, and can't improve on it either. You can buy more expensive ammo, but I don't see improving on it unless that was just want your rifle happened to like better.

My rifle also likes the hunting bullet version as well. Nothing wrong with that!

I just got my Christmas present of a new Leopold 1700 yd rangefinder. This is an improvement from what I was using. Panhandle, are you using a phone app for determining your dope at those ranges?
 
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First Panhandle, that is really impressive accuracy from your rifle, and excellent shooting.
I'd definitely say you chose/built a winner! My 6.5CM loves that exact ammo as well, and am ordering 5 cases of it, so it's all the same lot number (for consistency sake). Can't reload any cheaper really, and can't improve on it either. You can buy more expensive ammo, but I don't see improving on it unless that was just want your rifle happened to like better.

My rifle also likes the hunting bullet version as well. Nothing wrong with that!

I just got my Christmas present of a new Leopold 1700 yd rangefinder. This is an improvement from what I was using. Panhandle, are you using a phone app for determining your dope at those ranges?
I’m using Ballistic AE. I think it costs like $10-15 from the App Store. Without his help, I doubt I would have really been able to figure out the important things for the app to run correctly. Basically, need MV, barometric pressure, and temperature. And your bullet information. The rest is you, reading the wind and the shot.

Regarding ammo, that’s basically what I’m going to do. When I shoot all my test ammo, I’ll decide on which one I want to shoot and buy a lot of it.
 
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I got my 223 Rem barrel for the rifle today. It's a work of art, but sadly, the weekend looks crappy. I'll be out as soon as we get some decent weather.
 
Tried some new gun cleaner. Boretech. The copper solvent was legitimately the best I’ve ever used. Used some rim fire cleaner but need to work a little more before I pass judgement.

jags, brushes, patches are all very solid. I need a cleaning rod and might buy one of their high end ones just cause.
 
6.5 groups are 120-140. The 223 groups are 73. The 3 shot group is 223. I let some kids shoot the other two rounds next to it.
 
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