Some time ago, I got my Apache barrel installed on the Maxis project and have been dinking around with getting it out to the range for accuracy testing. Today, I finally got it, my match ammo, and another rifle to shoot while the barrel cooled down to the range. The results are pretty encouraging!





Apart from possibly offending a nearby shooter after yanking the trigger on the last shot of the string, shooting went very well. The Hornady 195gr match ammo left a group 0.45" across the main cluster and 0.77" with the called flier. The heavy barrel, recoil pad, and muzzle brake soaked up a good deal of the recoil, making it very comfortable from the bench.

Components:
  • Stainless Axis action (formerly .270 Win)
  • Timney trigger
  • Stainless Apache Gun Works .300 Win Mag varmint contour barrel with 5/8"-24 muzzle threads
  • Boyds Pro Varmint long action in pepper laminate with 1" Pachymar recoil pad
  • SWFA SS 12x42mm
  • EGW 20MOA Picatinny rail
  • UTG max strength rings
  • Some kind of muzzle brake and crush washer
  • Bit of 1/8" gray Kydex and hardware for the cheekpiece


Work done:
  • Installing a small shank magnum barrel in the Axis action was the easy part. As mentioned in a previous thread, the most difficult task was to fit a magnum bolt head, but it was done mainly with hand tools.
  • I pillared and bedded the stock with brass pipe and Devcon. I also had to open the barrel channel and replace the plastic trigger guard with a stainless one.
  • The cheekpiece is a simple design of my own. I haven't cut slots for adjusting the height but haven't found it necessary yet.


I was going to try my Spike's Dynacomp, but I couldn't get the timing right with the crush washer I had on the gun. Interestingly, when I switched back to the unknown brake my POI seemed to have shifted a mil to the left.