My New ARC LH Nucleus Build

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09-23-2018, 03:14 PM
Txhillbilly

My New ARC LH Nucleus Build

I pre-ordered a LH SA Nucleus during the SHOT Show in January,knowing it would be a while before I ever saw it in person. That gave me plenty of time to decide on how and what I wanted this build to be
I wanted this to be an all around high speed varmint/feral hog/target/etc. type rifle,so I decided on doing a 22 Creedmoor.
Why the 22 Creedmoor?
Several reasons - (1) The Creedmoor case is an efficient and accurate design. (2)You can get head stamped brass for it from Alpha Munitions,or easily down size 6mm CM brass. (3)Whidden Gunworks has dies for it. (4)You don't have to waste time fire forming brass.

The stock was the hard part. I like Manners stocks,but hate their high prices,Greyboe was my next choice,but getting one inletted for a LH action puts the price right up with a Manners. I love the KRG Whiskey 3 chassis that I used on my last build,but didn't want that style on this rifle. The KRG Bravo chassis looks great,but only comes in RH versions. I called and emailed KRG several times trying to get them to sell me a Bravo with a LH backbone installed in it,they always told me NO!
I finally got in touch with Justin from KRG on another forum,and he was able to get me what I wanted. A FDE Bravo chassis with a LH Whiskey 3 backbone in it,so when I received it,all I needed to do modify the outer shell for a LH bolt handle.

The trigger was an easy choice - A LH TriggerTech Diamond

The barrel was simple also,X-Caliber was running a 25% off sale,so I ordered two 20" 1-7 twist 5R threaded barrels with a matte finish. Barrel life is pretty short with the 22 Creedmoor - 1200-1500 rounds.
I also bought the ARC Barloc system to install the barrel instead of using a barrel nut.

The scope! I love good optics,so it was a hard decision. After visiting Revic Optics at the DSC and NRA conventions in Dallas this year,and learning all I could about their optics,I decide to be different and try out the Revic PMR 428 scope. I'm a low tech redneck,so it will be a big learning curve for me to figure out this scope. With an on board ballistic computer,and it's heads up display,this scope is a game changer for shooting/hunting at longer ranges. This is a top shelf optic mechanically,and optically. The clarity will run with the best scopes made. It's pretty much the same size scope as the Vortex Razor HD gen 2.
The only thing I hate about this scope is the weight,it's one heavy scope - 3 lbs +/-.

Scope rings are ARC M10 34mm rings.

The Build-

https://i.imgur.com/m8Uwuwv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OrUjNXf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T09pUlH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/V7bhxlc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uN75212.jpg
09-23-2018, 03:17 PM
Txhillbilly

More pics-

https://i.imgur.com/JWsljur.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zRLZljA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0YsHGzN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0i8SPnd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MS6gXa2.jpg
09-23-2018, 03:20 PM
Txhillbilly

More pics-

https://i.imgur.com/qyQtVV6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DwmB3Y9.jpg

I haven't been able to shoot it yet,it has been raining every weekend around here,but hopefully I'll get to shoot some test loads out of it soon.
09-23-2018, 04:36 PM
Robinhood

Will this rain ever stop. Looks looks like all week and next weekend too. Thanks for the write-up
09-23-2018, 05:35 PM
J.Baker

If you can keep this fairly condensed into just a couple posts (so I don't have to piece everything together from 100 posts spread out over 10 pages) I'll make it into a Custom Build article on the site when you're done and have some range results to go with it.

Meanwhile my LH Nucleus action, Trigger Tech Special and Bartlein 6x47 Lapual barrel sit here on the bench waiting for me to scrounge up the money to get a stock to put them into.
09-24-2018, 11:01 AM
yobuck

Quote:

Originally Posted by Txhillbilly

More pics-

https://i.imgur.com/qyQtVV6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DwmB3Y9.jpg

I haven't been able to shoot it yet,it has been raining every weekend around here,but hopefully I'll get to shoot some test loads out of it soon.

A tactical look even I could warm up to. lol
Very nice job, enjoy it.
Im curios about the tripod setup, never saw one quite like it as for the head.
Im assuming there is no sliding type movement of the gun on recoil?
Have you used it yet? and if so how does it react with recoil?
09-24-2018, 10:26 PM
Txhillbilly

Quote:

Originally Posted by yobuck

A tactical look even I could warm up to. lol
Very nice job, enjoy it.
Im curios about the tripod setup, never saw one quite like it as for the head.
Im assuming there is no sliding type movement of the gun on recoil?
Have you used it yet? and if so how does it react with recoil?

Thanks,The tripod head is from ZRODelta. To me,It is the best shooting tripod head on the market,and it's priced that way too. It attaches to any picatinny rail on the bottom of a stock or hand guard,and almost every rifle I own has the ability to install a picatinny rail on it. It rotates freely 360*,and the rifle can be locked in any position with a small cam lock lever under the rifle platform.
Nothing slides on the unit,it just holds the rifle secure. Yes,I've used it. The recoil really has no effect on it or the tripod as long as you have a tripod that is rated to hold the weight that you are trying to support.
My tripod is rated to hold 35 lbs
09-25-2018, 08:22 AM
yobuck

Thanks for the reply I will check them out, It is a nice looking setup.
There are some like Hog saddle and others that just clamp the gun at the balance point, and don't react well with recoil.
When hunting its important not to lose the target due to recoil.
09-25-2018, 11:17 AM
gbflyer

Man that’s a nice looking action. I am having trouble wrapping my simple mind around the Barloc though. What the heck does it do?
09-25-2018, 12:55 PM
J.Baker

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbflyer

Man that’s a nice looking action. I am having trouble wrapping my simple mind around the Barloc though. What the heck does it do?

It's basically an over-engineered barrel nut/clamp system that eliminates the need to remove your scope/rail to swap barrels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sciae3Rvc1Y

Only thing I don't like about the Barloc design is that like an extended picatinney rail it could limit the amount of room you have to move your scope rearward for proper eye relief if you (properly) mount the scope as close as possible to the bore.
09-27-2018, 05:59 PM
yobuck

Years back but not all that many actually, there were no internally adjusted scopes with target type adjustments for dialing.
So target shooters and hunters who wished to dial for various distances used target type scopes like Unertle.
Unertle scopes were made in Pittsburgh, and owner John Unertle was an active bench rest competitor.
Anyway the mounting system was 2 small blocks mounted on the receiver, similar to the old Weaver scope 2 pc mounts.
But in order for there to be a specific click value of say 1/4 minit, the mounts had to be placed at a precise distance apart.
That would often place the front block directly on the barrel, meaning the barrel itself was drilled and tapped for screws.
And sometimes a hole got a little deep which ruined the barrel, but aside from that as the barrel heated up it could also affect the accuracy.
So it wasent uncommon to see target type guns with short barrel sleeves attached to the front of the action, and thats where the front block was located. The barrel didn't touch the sleeve, a small amount of space was between it and the sleeve and it did also create a larger bedding area. This mostly took place with the few custom actions there were, but not always. Some went so far as to sleeve an entire standard action as a way to stiffen it.
10-01-2018, 10:22 AM
yorketransport

Looks great! I’ve got a long action magnum bolt face Nucleus on my bench waiting for me to figure out what to do with it. I’ve got my 6.5 Badger barrel screwed on there at the moment but I’ll probably end up using the action for a 270 wildcat I’m working on.
10-12-2018, 10:31 PM
Txhillbilly

It finally stopped raining enough to go shoot some test loads out of this thing. The first range trip was great for the 6.8 SPC II AR15 that I built a while back,I found a couple good loads for it using AA 2200 powder behind the Hornady 110 gr V-Max bullet,but I didn't have anything worth bragging about with the new 22 CM.
I knew going in that I probably wouldn't get good results using Reloader 26 with a 20" barrel. The groups weren't that bad,but the SD/ES numbers were all over the place. That's OK,You never know until you try something!

Yesterday,I went back out with more test loads,this time I loaded H4350 in some necked down Starline SRP 6mm Creedmoor brass using CCI 450 primers,and had great results. ( I used Alpha Munitions LRP 22 Creedmoor brass with the Reloader 26 loads)

I think this one will work. Five shots at 100 yards,I'll have to see what it does at distance,but it sure looks good so far both in group size & SD/ES numbers.

https://i.imgur.com/r4uuvKJ.jpg
10-13-2018, 11:59 AM
Evlshnngns

Nice rifle! What bullet did you use?
10-13-2018, 07:59 PM
Txhillbilly

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evlshnngns

Nice rifle! What bullet did you use?

75 gr Hornady A-Max
11-15-2018, 08:32 PM
1vakid

My 28" 22 Creedmoor also likes H-4350. I tried the 80.5 Berger and the Nosler CC 80.0 bullet. Both shot as yours did. Went with the Nosler's as they are cheaper and more readily available. Of course you know it but...The 22 Creedmoor is a blast to shoot!