New Guy

[ofdscooby]

Hi guys I'm new to this site and wanted to get some imput. I have a 116 in 7mm mag LH and a 11 in .243 I just recently stated getting interested in achieving more accuracy than I could get out of a stock gun and shelf ammo. So now I am starting to reload and would like to do some affordable thigs to my rifle's to improve accuracy. Is there anything that anyone can suggest to get started?

[usmc_mwroseberry]

Currently your stocks and possibly your scopes are your weakpoints of your rifles. I would recommend either investing in a good stock:
B&C, Choate, Manners, ect. Depends on how much you want to spend.
Or super budget route try the following: http://savageshooters.com/SavageForum/index.php/topic,31730.0.html

Use blue lock-tite on all your action and scope ring base screws and ensure your barrel and tang are properly floated.

Next look into the Bushnell 3200 10x Mildot scope ~ $200
Or any of the Super Sniper scopes ~$300

Those with standard bases and rings will get you out to 800yds or so. I would however recommend running an EGW 20moa base with TPS, Burris, or another quality ring.

Reloads is where your going to make another huge improvement. Each barrel is different so you need to try different grain weights of bullets and powder until you find just what it likes. Look online and see what other guys are running for your loads.

My Stevens 200 can shoot well under 1 MOA with the mods I'm running and I'm about to upgrade to a custom barrel soon. I have a total of about $800.00 in my rig and I can shoot with rifles costing much more. If you want more background or have more spacific questions feel free to ask away.

Thanks,
Merritt
SGT USMC vet.

[ofdscooby]

Thanks for the responce I have a bushnell 6500 on the 7mm mag and a VX-II on the .243 win. I was thinking of having the 7 mag pillar bedded and glassed do you have any imput on that I saw your other fix I'm worried that if I try that I may just screw my rifle up I realy don't think I have enough gun knowledge to do that myself yet

[GUNFANATIC]

Welcome aboard!

Where are you? I'd be willing to bet that a member near you would be more than willing to help you with bedding.

[usmc_mwroseberry]

Thanks for the responce I have a bushnell 6500 on the 7mm mag and a VX-II on the .243 win. I was thinking of having the 7 mag pillar bedded and glassed do you have any imput on that I saw your other fix I'm worried that if I try that I may just screw my rifle up I realy don't think I have enough gun knowledge to do that myself yet


I would be willing to do it for you if you were close enough that I could get you here to test fit your rifle ect. I would have you just send me the stock but it would be better to have the whole rifle. Pillar bedding will help, do you have a wood or fiberglass stock? Wood expands and contracts due to temperature, moisture, rifle heat ect. so fiberglass is much better than wood. You can get a B&C duramaxx for about $100 which would be a GREAT option if your on a budget and can't get to me to do the work on your stock for you.

The scopes you're running should serve you well. Upgrading the bases and rings should be something you might want to consider later down the road. For now just work up hand loads, upgrade your stocks, and just get trigger time in. Mildot scopes help alot with ranging targets and making fast range corrections so that is something you may want to have depending on what models of bushnell and leopold you're running. If I were you I'd do the following.

Sell the scope you like the least. Go to a Super Sniper. Take your 243 and pull the barrel. Order a 7mm-08 barrel with a tight twist 1in8" would be good. Northlander has a shillen for 259.00. Get either a B&C Medalist or a Choate Tactical, get a 20MOA base and some good rings. Run 150gr SMK and work up a load. With that round you can reach well over 1000yards, it's cheap to reload leaves the barrel at 3000FPS and will buck the wind quite well. You can keep your old barrel and go back and forth anytime you want but the 7mm-08 round will do anything from ground hogs up to deer depending on your bullet selection. Assuming you get $300 out of one of those scopes it will cost you $475.00 and you will have a 3/4 to 1/2 MOA rig and be able to reach out over 1K with no problem.

Good luck,
Merritt

[hotbrass]

usmc_mwroseberry, did I miss where you described the rifle in you picture?

Is that a stock barrel or did you go with a heavier contour and faster twist?

What load are you shooting?

Thanks!

[ofdscooby]

Well I'm in Oceanside thats in the top half of San Diego county if anybody lives in that area let me know

[usmc_mwroseberry]

Well I'm in Oceanside thats in the top half of San Diego county if anybody lives in that area let me know


I was stationed there. Now I'm out and back in Ohio.

That is a stock stevens 200 barrel shooting a 168gr SMK BTHP using 39gr of IMR 3031. Shot under 3/4" on a 5rd group at 100 today.

Rig is as follows:
Stevens 200 in 308 stock barrel
B&C Medalist Tactical
EGW 20moa base
TPS 30mm low rings
16x SS
Stock trigger set to 4lbs
eagle buttpad
cheapo Ebay bipod

[hotbrass]

Thanks!

Sorry I thought you were shooting a 7mm-08. Must have been confused with a another shooter you were replying to.

But I have a 308 barrel also. And I ordered a EGW 20moa mount last week. Got a Vortex Viper 30mm 6.5-20x50 MOA reticle in yesterday, nice scope. Here is the pic of my 7-08 config.

http://webpages.charter.net/hotbrass/stevens.jpg

[usmc_mwroseberry]

7mm-08 is what my brother runs. I did some custom work on his stock for him. As far as the rounds go the 7mm-08 is a better round. Better BC and less arc to the trajectory. If I didn't compete in 308 only matches I would have already switched.

Good luck,
Merritt

[hotbrass]

Yeah but the stock 7mm-08 has an 11.5 twist barrel and will barely shoot 140's.

I have some 120's but have not loaded them yet.

I got a new 308 1:10 barrel for a good price so I am switching. I also have a large stock of .308 175 SMK.

I think my next barrel will be a Shilen 260. Or 7mm-08 1:9 since I already have the realoading setup.

[usmc_mwroseberry]

Yeah but the stock 7mm-08 has an 11.5 twist barrel and will barely shoot 140's.

I have some 120's but have not loaded them yet.

I got a new 308 1:10 barrel for a good price so I am switching. I also have a large stock of .308 175 SMK.

I think my next barrel will be a Shilen 260. Or 7mm-08 1:9 since I already have the realoading setup.


Yeah the stock 7mm-08 twist will only handle the 120gr rounds as the 150s will never stabolize. So you might get good groups at 100yds with the 150s for now but when you go out past 300 or so they will start going crazy on you. Get the 1in8 twist and you will be able to run the heavy grain bullets at much longer ranges than even the 308.

Good luck,
Merritt