This build began back in October of 2013. I wanted to try a new shooting discipline the Ridgway VBR match. It’s a long range benchrest silhouette match with ranges between 850 and 1000 yards. I had most of the equipment I needed from my time shooting informal short range benchrest “Ground Hog” matches. But I needed a spotter for the long range match. My wife was willing to spot for me. After the match she said the only way she would keep spotting for me was if I built her a rifle too. So a year later she finally got to shoot a full match with her rifle “The Phantom” as she calls it. She calls it the phantom because we thought the parts would never show up!
Being completely new to benchrest I wanted to build her something that was light recoiling. So of course the 6BR and its variants came to mind. But I wanted to do something different. I had inherited a 220 Swift so the thought of doing a long range fast twist swift came up. Knowing all the pitfalls of doing a Swift throat erosion, brass trimming and the list goes on and on we decided to try it anyway. So here this adventure begins.
With only a course load development the rifle is under half MoA. The muzzle velocity is not where I was expecting it only 2850fps. I haven’t seen any signs of pressure yet so I’m hoping I can push it faster my goal was 3100fps.
Rifle Specs:
Savage “J” series left hand action
Rifle Baxis SAV-2 trigger tuned to 6oz
McGowen 30 inch stainless barrel 1:7 twist with McGowen’s turbo break
Sharp Shooters Supply Dog Tracker Stock pillar and glass bedded
Nightforce 15x55 Competition Scope FCR-1 reticule
Burris Signature Rings 10 degree offset
Gun Smith work by Tim Smith of Warren PA
Ammo Specs:
Berger 90 grain VLD
Hodgdon 4831SC powder
Remington brass fully prepped
CCI BR-2 primer
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks