wilkup,
Unless I missed it you didn't say what the distance and targets will be other than a dual purpose rifle.
Also, if you become a paid member you will get access to our classified where some pretty good deals can be had from time to time.
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wilkup,
Unless I missed it you didn't say what the distance and targets will be other than a dual purpose rifle.
Also, if you become a paid member you will get access to our classified where some pretty good deals can be had from time to time.
Thought I replied to this earlier today, but I guess it didn't actually go through.
For hunting I plan on staying within 500 yards and if it's further out, I'll just have to "hunt" further in for my shot =)
For longer range target fun, I think 1000 yards is the max distance I'll be going for.
Depending on how my time spent with the Vortex hunting scope goes, I may end up purchasing a higher-power Viper series down the road for my target setup.
Alright, I finally purchased a scope for the rifle =) I was hunting with a buddy the other evening and took a peak through a Bushnell he had on his rifle. I really liked the clarity and crispness of it so I did a little research on them. It's not exactly something I was looking to get but after seeing favorable reviews and getting to mess with it first hand, I went ahead and made the purchase.
It's a Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 4.5-14x44. I think this is going to be a great scope for hunting and might possibly work for long range shooting too =) I'll post pics when I receive it. I also ordered a Weaver rail for the rifle and plan on picking up a Boyds Prairie Hunter in the pepper color the next week.
I'll glass and bed the stock and action once I fit it to the gun!
Next on the list is a fluted barrel and I'm thinking I'll stay with the 260 Remington after all =) This prroject has evolved a lot in the past 2 weeks since purchasing the rifle and I've decided to make this a good looking to me hunting rifle for everything I go after, but have the option of using it for longer range shooting when wanted.
I think my next scope will be the Burris C4. I like Burris scopes and bino's anyway, and with the new C4 model, once you send them in your hunting load ballistics, ie, bullet, velocity, caliber etc, they will create a custom turret for the elevation, and the horizontal crosshair has wind compensation built into it. I haven't priced them yet, so it might be out of my league. For me the $$$ for my Burris Fulfield II was near the top.
wilkup
Looks like, as most of us, once you actually get hands on a scope, it's hard to buy something else. Hope it serves you well. From all my readings, I have read of guys that quite often shoot at long range, in semi competition (like you and your buddies trying for your best) use fairly cheap scopes and can often do as well as guys with more expensive glass. That said, they all admit, the difference in ruggedness, durability, and maybe repeatability (as in shooting a square) are not up to par with the mega $$ stuff. But when they zero for the real long range (600+) shots, and left alone, they do fine. Someone like a sniper needs absolute repeatability, understandably, but someone like myself, once it's zereo'd it stays until I swap loads or have to remove it for some reason.
Update on build idea and order status.
Still waiting on the scope and getting antsier by the day =)
Trying to get the stock situation figured out right now and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. I looked at the Stockade website and found a couple stocks that fit what I'm looking for really well, but it sounds like the wait time on a finished stock can take quite awhile and I'm looking for something right now. I may end up purchasing one of these down the road if the Boyds ends up not working out.
Something else I've added to my list on this build is getting all the metal CeraKoted to keep it protected while hunting this fall (spend a lot of time in the rain/elements). Waiting for a quote from a local business on cost and turn around for the Savage Stainless color.
I will be rebarreling the gun and changing calibers to 308 because I can purchase heavy factory loads to cover all my bases for hunting and they have a high BC, which will work well enough for longer range shooting out to 1000 yards, until I begin my next project - reloading. I like the downrange energy the 308 offers over the other options I've been considering. I will be listing the new, unfired 260 barrel in the classified section later today. Planning to order an ER Shaw fluted Heavy Mag or Varmint by the end of this week.
Everything's moving right along for me, even if it's taken a little bit of an unexpected direction...
*Edit*
Barrel and stock will be listed as soon as my payment goes through, which I just found may take up to 5 days. Bummer.
You do realize that the 260 shooting a 140 grain bullet will do anything the 308 can do with a heavy 200 grain bullet with less recoil. The 260 can provide a flatter trajectory and remain supersonic longer than the 308 and the energy and windage numbers are nearly identical between the two.
For hitting steal or punching paper I would say the 260 makes more sense; but I want this to be a hunting round capable of taking down a big bull elk with. This need considered, the 308 brings far greater force downrange than the 260 is capable of and this is the reason I'm going with the bigger, heavier caliber change.
*Newton's 2nd Law of Motion*
F = ma
Where F is net force acting on object, m is mass of object, a is acceleration of object
260 Remington - Federal Premium 140gr Sierra Game King Boat Tail (best factory available load I could find)
F @ muzzle = (0.00907kg) (838.2m/s) = 7.60N ; F @ 500 yards = (0.00907kg) (528.2m/s) = 4.79N
308 Winchester - Double Tap 200gr Nosler Accubond (load I plan to use)
F @ muzzle = (0.01306kg) (777.2m/s) = 10.15N ; F @ 500 yards = (0.01306kg) (551.4m/s) = 7.20N F @ 1000 yards = (0.01306kg) (375.5m/s) = 4.90N
I don't have enough information on the 260 load to get the numbers at 1000 yards, but as you can see, the 308 is packing more force (hitting harder) at 1000 yards than the 260 is able to at 500 yards.
Sorry for getting all geeked out on this, I live math and physics every day and love real-world applications =) There's the long answer to why I chose 308 over 260 though.
Hate to say it but that's wrong. According to any ballistics calculator I can find the 260 is producing around 1350 pounds at 500 and 700 at 1000. The 308 is doing around 1500 at 500 and 700 at 1000. The greater BC and retained energy of the 260 really comes into play at longer ranges.
The average 260 pushing 140s equals a 308 pushing 175s in energy around 600-650yd, and has more energy than the 308 beyond that.
Additionally, regardless of range the 260 has two intangibles that 308 does not - a combination of sectional density and velocity. A higher SD bullet moving at a higher velocity means more penetration..and with modern expanding bullets there's not a game animal in North America that a 308 can kill any deader than a 308.
Google "Pat Sinclair 260" and see all the game animals that guy has killed with a 260...brown bear, black bear, elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, etc///
Besides, the Swiss have been shooting moose with 6.5 Mausers for over a century...
You may want to check the 308 vs 260 again mate... The 260 has the edge according to my research in both Hitting Power and BC.
Sounds like your project is coming along nicely... Always frustrating waiting for parts to arrive and other people don't seem to have the same interest levels as you !!
Looking forward to a picture post when it comes together.
So, does the "super math" prove that my 358Win. is better than both of them? I have all three, by the way, so I'm not overly concerned! :)
First of hopefully many more pictures =)
Just got the new Weaver 1 piece scope mount installed!
http://sdrv.ms/152bkPK
Are there any vendors on this forum who've got barrels for sale? I'm looking for a 24-26'' fluted #6 or #7 contour 308 Winchester barrel and would prefer not to wait a few months to receive it. Any advice?
I'm not interested in waiting on a stock right now either, but want to replace the one that's on before hunting season. Are the Hogue Pillar Bedded stocks for $150 a better value than the Boyds options? I want to replace the factory stock with something else for hunting this season before sending it in for a custom one. Would it make more sense to get the Fully Bedded Hogue for $280 and call it good?
Ok, now I really need a barrel! My 260 barrel just sold in the classifieds sections! I called ER Shaw and was told their wait time on a barrel right now is 4-6 months!!! YIKES! Is this typical of all barrel companies?
Look at the McGowan outlet or over at Jim at north land. Probably your best bet.
http://www.gunshack.com/barrels?product_id=297
If you really want a fluted barrel, you've going to have to 1. wait for it from the manufacturer, or 2. send it off to be fluted by a competent smith which is going to add $$$.
Any advice on stocks...?
Hogue Overmolded Pillar Bedded/Fully Bedded
Cost: $99/$190
VERSES
Boyds Prairie Hunter Laminate
Cost: $97 +tax/shipping
Looking for something that will be easy, effective and inexpensive to get me through hunting season and the months of waiting on a custom stock that's better than the factory Savage stock it came with.
I really like the Boyds stocks. They are nicely made and great quality for the money. I've never tried the hogue they are just not my style.
Anybody have information on the Hogue stocks? There's got to be at least 1 person who's used one...
Is there a way to bed the Boyds stocks without spending LOADS of money or having a smith do it...?
My Boyds was a drop in fit. If you are going to have the Boyd's bedded I thing it's just the receiver as the barrel is free floating. I was originally looking at a Hogue fully bedded as well. The overmoulding tends to grab when shooting off of sand bags, etc but is pretty tough and stable. I bought one for my 10/22 a while back so I decided on a different look and the laminates are pretty stable as well.
I'd like a swfa 10x ss scope but can't get them in Canada. My 10FP has a Nikon Monarch on it as has excellent light transmission and 1/8 moa adjustments and has been great with the fine cross hairs. Still looking for a swfa for throwing some long bombs out there.
Any other stocks I should be aware of in this price range that will fill my needs?
I'm going to be mounting a 26'' fluted varmint barrel and want it to look "right". Will the Boyds need a considerable amount of work to fit this barrel and make an accurate hunting rifle?
Does the Hogue snag on things because of the rubber-like coating?
Would you say the Hogue is heavier, lighter or of a negligible weight difference?
Thanks for ALL the advice and help so far! Will be posting pics of the new rifle soon!
You should be able to get a Boyds with a varmint contour channel that will require little if any fitting. If not opening the barrel channel is a piece of cake.
I have a Boyd's Thumbhole Varmint and a Stocky's Thumbhole Varmint with Heavy Varmint Barrels, and they were both "drop in's". :)
I'll call Boyds today and find out if they'll cut a varmint contour channel in the Prairie Hunter, I'm not a fan of the thumbhole stocks and really prefer the classic look of the laminate over the rubber Hogue.
I'm getting all the metal parts, mag box/parts Cerakoted Graphite Black when they barrel, lug and nut arrive =) I want all the parts to look good/ match!
Should be getting the scope in the next week I think! It's all starting to come to a head and then it'll just be a waiting game on parts/paint.
The Prairie Hunter does NOT come with a varmint contour channel option, at least not for my model (Short Action, DBM, new triggerguard bolt release).
How complicated is it to open up the barrel channel? Could someone possibly provide me with a link on a "How to..." video...?
In other news, the 1 piece scope base has tightened up the action considerably and smoothed it out a bit =) That was unexpected and made me pretty happy!