My left hand 300 Blackout bolt gun

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-11-2013, 07:56 PM

Everything is pretty much done now except for the muzzle brake and whether it will wear a camoflage paint job. It is going to be a bench or prone only gun with the left handed action.

The action is a Savage short action with a modified Accutrigger. I also added a thrust bearing to the cocking mechanism to smooth the bolt lift.
The barrel is a 8 twist barrel built on a 416SS Green Mountain barrel blank that is 16.5" long and .920" OD with the muzzle threaded 5/8-24.
The stock is a Boyds "Tacticool" stock that started life as a right handed stock then I cut the left side for the left handed action.
The scope is a 6-18 Simmons Whitetail Expedition that is a temporary scope for accuracy testing. I think it will eventually wear a Nikon P22 scope because the turrets match my subsonic loads out to 150 yards. Or I might even add irons like I did for my wife's 45 ACP Savage.

Hoping to do some accuracy testing tomorrow.

My next project will be a Striker in 300 Blackout.

**bootsmcguire** · 05-11-2013, 09:03 PM

Looks great. Don't be suprised if that Green Mountain barrel shoots some good groups. My 6WSM is built on a Green Mountain CM blank and I am pleased so far with the accuracy that I have seen while doing load data developement. My 100yd 5 shot groups are all between .4 and .9 inches center to center and I have a lot of loads yet to try. First 3 shots of the smallest group so far were .166" center to center.

I am rambling, but I hope you have that kind of luck with it in the accuracy department. I will be watching for a range report.

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-11-2013, 09:28 PM

I took a chance on Green Mountain about 4 years ago and that is all I use anymore with the exception of a McGowan for my 300 Blackout AR last year. All of the Green Mountain barrels have shot better than I could have ever expected or when you take the cost into account.

**bootsmcguire** · 05-11-2013, 09:37 PM

Good to hear. I was kinda the same way, figured I'd take a chance since they had the blank size I needed on the shelf when I needed it.

How bad do they copper for you and how hard are yours to clean?

I have a couple of blanks from them, one was made into the 6WSM and the other is a .452 bore 1:16 twist that is either going to become a 45ACP or a 450 Bushmaster, most likely the BM. So far the 6WSM seems to clean ok, but its still under 50 shots on it so.....

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-11-2013, 10:14 PM

I shoot cast 99% of the time anymore so I have no clue about coppering with this barrel. As far as leading goes it is a non issue. I did build a 7.62x39 last year and shot surplus as well as factory ammo. Didn't notice any accuracy problems from copper fouling. But it is hard to see accuracy go down hill with 7.62x39.

I built several Savages in 7.62x25 Tokarev using a GM barrel. I shot surplus ammo as well as 180 grain jacketed bullets at 1,050 fps. It shot fine after thousands of rounds and I didn't notice any significant amount of copper.

**bootsmcguire** · 05-11-2013, 10:29 PM

Awesome. I wasn't getting any in this one either, but I had a Savage barrel that when new it didn't either and after a couple hundred rounds it started grabbing some. Was kinda weird. I ended up swapping it out anyway, but i figured since you have had a few I'd ask while fresh in my mind. Sorry for the hi-jack, again nice looking build and I'll watch for the range report.

Thanks.

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-11-2013, 10:45 PM

I had a factory 223 barrel that has chatter marks you could see. It would copper up really bad. But it still shot under 1/2" with handloads. I pulled it at 600 rounds and it was still shooting 1/2" groups.

**bootsmcguire** · 05-11-2013, 11:05 PM

that one of mine still shot fine, I probably should have kept it, but that build went a different direction. I just found it funny that for the first 200 or so, when I would clean it upon returning home from the range it would be clean, no copper. Then one day it just started grabbing copper. That seemed a little backwards to me, but it still shot fine so I continued using it for awhile after that. It just seemed to me that if it was going to copper up, it would have from the start or grabbed from the start and then smoothed out after time rather than the other way around. Either way, glad to hear the GM barrels are not an issue in that department.

**missed** · 05-12-2013, 09:31 AM

Oh I want to build one bad!!! Can the tacticool be worked to acceptthe factory dbm ??

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-12-2013, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by missed

Oh I want to build one bad!!! Can the tacticool be worked to acceptthe factory dbm ??

I have no clue. I don't own any DBM actions.

**jbjh** · 05-12-2013, 11:25 AM

I gotta ask...how much work (beyond converting to left-hand) was inletting the stock?

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-12-2013, 01:51 PM

None. The stock was inletted for this action so it was drop in other than making it left hand. It is a universal stock so it can be used for a left or a righty.

When converting it over to left hand I set the action in the stock without the bolt handle and marked the width. I used a small flush cut saw to go down until it was almost the same height as the right hand cut out. Then I took a die grinder and slowly went down until the bolt handle would not bottom out. After that I painted the area I cut out with some black paint.

It is a very comfortable stock and a great value. I will say that it will get a bedding job done because even when the action screws are tight the action has a little more movement than I like.

Orange_Crush · 05-12-2013, 02:46 PM

It is a very wicked looking rifle. I bet it's fun to shoot :)

**jbjh** · 05-12-2013, 02:54 PM

I didn't know that they had the Tacticool in Centerfire, I was only aware of the Rimfire version. Thanks!

Originally Posted by dolomite_supafly

None. The stock was inletted for this action so it was drop in other than making it left hand. It is a universal stock so it can be used for a left or a righty.

When converting it over to left hand I set the action in the stock without the bolt handle and marked the width. I used a small flush cut saw to go down until it was almost the same height as the right hand cut out. Then I took a die grinder and slowly went down until the bolt handle would not bottom out. After that I painted the area I cut out with some black paint.

It is a very comfortable stock and a great value. I will say that it will get a bedding job done because even when the action screws are tight the action has a little more movement than I like.

coolhandluke · 05-12-2013, 02:55 PM

Love seeing nice left handed guns, being a lefty myself. But I've gotta ask, why does it have to be a bench or prone only gun, being that it's a left handed action?

**bootsmcguire** · 05-12-2013, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by coolhandluke

Love seeing nice left handed guns, being a lefty myself. But I've gotta ask, why does it have to be a bench or prone only gun, being that it's a left handed action?

I am assuming that the OP is a right handed shooter. Some Right handed shooters will use left handed actions when shooting prone or on the bench because it can be easier to use the off hand to work the bolt and single load ammo, thus not loosing their grip and posture on the stock. However a righty trying to shoot a lefty gun off hand would be quite challenging.

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-12-2013, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by bootsmcguire

I am assuming that the OP is a right handed shooter. Some Right handed shooters will use left handed actions when shooting prone or on the bench because it can be easier to use the off hand to work the bolt and single load ammo, thus not loosing their grip and posture on the stock. However a righty trying to shoot a lefty gun off hand would be quite challenging.

+1

Couldn't have said it better myself.

**Handloader** · 05-14-2013, 11:36 AM

Looks great! I have a handi-rifle in a 300blk, an 8.2in AR15 SBR (legal), and your rifle really floats my boat.....very interested in your results. Let me know if you want some load data for that barrel (Unique is very quiet with the 208AMax (Gemtec Titamium can)). I have some 247g Pb coming soon (waiting for 5 weeks now) so I can keep the single shot loads different from the AR loads. I am getting ready to lathe out another form 1 can for my single shot (when the ATF feels like sending my stamp back).

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-14-2013, 11:50 AM

Same here as far as waiting to build another form 1 can. ATF is dragging feet these days. When I did my first a few years ago it took 97 days, door to door.

I designed my own bullet for the 300 when there was nothing out there that would work. It allows me to seat 245 grain (using COWW) to 2.10" OAL for use in a magazine WITHOUT exposing the lube grooves. All other bullets up until December either exposed the lube groove or were too long for use in an AR magazine. The only issue with teh Accurate mold is his tooling means the front is .18" across which can be problematic for some guns, like this one. I built a bolt gun previously using a different action and different barrel and it cycled fine but this one is being a pain. It cycles great in an AR but not in this bolt gun.

I am actually going to tear this gun down in the next few days. I am getting a Striker and it will be my 300 BO platform. I am going to chop the barrel down to probably 10"-12". When my SBR paperwork comes back I am going to chop an AR down to 9.5" then slowly chop the Striker down until the velocities match.

When you build your can you need to start casting for the 300. I do and it costs me 4.4 cents per loaded round for subs and 7.3 for supers.

**Apache** · 05-14-2013, 07:37 PM

If I understand correctly.........you made your own can? Just needed a stamp?

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-14-2013, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Apache

If I understand correctly.........you made your own can? Just needed a stamp?

Yes

You apply using a form 1 to build rather than a form 4 to transfer. When you have approval you can begin the build. Paperwork is no harder than for a passport.

**dolomite_supafly** · 05-14-2013, 08:47 PM

Here is my homebuilt Form 1 can on a Cricket Hunter pistol. I used a GM barrel blank to make the threaded barrel. When shooting subsonic ammo it is as quiet as a slingshot. It has a 316SS tube and 17-4 internal K baffles. All the same materials used for most centerfire cans. It should last several lifetimes.

**missed** · 05-14-2013, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Apache

If I understand correctly.........you made your own can? Just needed a stamp?

From my reading of the ATF regs as long as its a not for manufacture status you can make one only needing the stamp. I have wanted a integrally suppressed 300 black without spending a massive fortune. I got a quote from a place that does a bunch of IS AR platforms for over $3k for a IS barrel and can 16.25"