My Stevens 305F

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Here's my Stevens 305F .22 Magnum that I put together a month ago.
I've shimmed the trigger for both let-off and lateral play and shortened the
trigger spring a tad. The pull is now at 2 lbs.
The stock is from Boyd's and is made for a heavy barrel Savage M93.
The trigger guard and bottom metal is from a Savage M93 BRJ and was
ordered direct from Savage. The Bushnell 3200 Elite 2-7 x32 scope sits
atop an Evolution Gun Works rail mount ordered direct from them.
I did some range testing today and I'm quite pleased with the results as
shown below.

1st. group at 75 yds. was high, but nice and tight despite gusting breeze.

2nd. group was centered after adjusting scope, but wind was picking up.

The only ammo I had on hand was 40 gr. CCI Maxi-Mag, so I'll have to
try some other brands to get a better result. It would also help to
get a proper bench rest rather than just shooting off of a single front bag.
Oh well, time to fab-up a Lead Sled type of steady rest.

 

[mikeystew]

That gun looks SLICK!! And very nice shooting also!
I plan to get one someday for a SHTF, BOB, "strap to the pack" kind of rifle.
...In case of emergency the whole family will be equipped with tiny little guns. I think, i might have to reconsider my strategy

 

[TFunfer]

Shell Shucker,

The 305F looks really good in that Boyds stock. I have been thinking of doing the same with my 305F. Was it easy ordering the trigger guard and bottom metal from Savage?

Nice shooting.

 

[.22LRGUY]

Very slick-looking set-up, and nice shooting! I've been very pleased with how my new 93FV has been shooting this summer...granted...not at paper.

I have been considering stepping-up to one of the Boyds stocks for it, if only to balance the rifle a little. (very muzzle-heavy) Anyhow, mine likes the Hornady 30gr. V-Max..and it's it's surprisingly accurate.

 

[mmatt]

Beautiful looking rifle. I have the 300F (.22LR version)

Three questions for you:

- do you have any problems with the last round (or any round for that matter) feeding from the mag?

- is it overly loud for plinking without ear-pro? (I know you should always wear ear-pro but sometimes when you're out hunting, you just want to plink for a bit and I don't always remember to bring foamies with me)

- did you do any shooting with the irons before scoping it? I found that I had to remove my rear sight riser completely to get it to shoot to POA (probably due to the shorter sight radius and the fact that they used the original front sight designed for the longer barrel)

 

[tbrwlf]

Very nice. Love the wood stock.

MMAT. I am having the same problems with my 300F. I am on the lowest setting but still several inches high at 25 yards. Also to the left by the same but I can fix that.

Maybe I will go to a nice little 1-4 scope.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Shell Shucker,

The 305F looks really good in that Boyds stock. I have been thinking of doing the same with my 305F. Was it easy ordering the trigger guard and bottom metal from Savage?

Nice shooting.

TFunfer;
Yes it was easy to order the needed parts from Savage. Just tell them
you want the trigger guard and magazine plate for a Model 93 BRJ
and they'll mail 'em to you pronto at a reasonable price.
Cheers

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Beautiful looking rifle. I have the 300F (.22LR version)

Three questions for you:

- do you have any problems with the last round (or any round for that matter) feeding from the mag?

- is it overly loud for plinking without ear-pro? (I know you should always wear ear-pro but sometimes when you're out hunting, you just want to plink for a bit and I don't always remember to bring foamies with me)

- did you do any shooting with the irons before scoping it? I found that I had to remove my rear sight riser completely to get it to shoot to POA (probably due to the shorter sight radius and the fact that they used the original front sight designed for the longer barrel)

mmatt;
Thanks, and to answer your questions:
- I've had no problems with feeding from the mag that came with the
rifle, nor with the spare mag I got from Savage. If you cycle the
bolt too fast, this can cause jams in some cases. Your mag spring
might also be a tad on the light side.

- Yes, this little gun barks like a 9mm Contender pistol with a similar
length barrel. Don't foget your foamies please!

- This rifle does shoot high with the issue sights. An easy fix is to order
a .500" high front sight from Brownells or from your dealer.

Hope this helps;
Cheers
PS; I enjoy listening to Reload Radio. Keep up the good work!

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Very slick-looking set-up, and nice shooting! I've been very pleased with how my new 92FV has been shooting this summer...granted...not at paper.

I have been considering stepping-up to one of the Boyds stocks for it, if only to balance the rifle a little. (very muzzle-heavy) Anyhow, mine likes the Hornady 30gr. V-Max..and it's it's surprisingly accurate.

Thankyou much;
Nice varmint to go with a nice rifle! A Boyd's Target/Hunter stock will definitely balance up your gun. The laminate wood is a fair bit more heavy than the plastic stock. If you want to keep the rifle a wee bit nose heavy, then order a Boyd's Ross Thumbhole stock for it as these are lighter cause of the grip relief machined into the laminate.
Hope this helps.
Cheers; SS

 

[ruel_CZ]

SHELL SHUCKER :

Your rifle is really nice with this stock !

I bought the 300F, but haven't try it yet. Looks like a nice little rifle !

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

TFunfer;
Yes it was easy to order the needed parts from Savage. Just tell them
you want the trigger guard and magazine plate for a Model 93 BRJ
and they'll mail 'em to you pronto at a reasonable price.
Cheers

Oops, almost forgot to mention that you need 2 additional action screws
from Savage to switch from a plastic stock to a Boyd's stock.
These screws are 12-32 X 1" and ONLY Savage will sell them to you.
The only other way to get these screws is to make them yourself using
Brownells No. 12 blank screws and a 12-32 thread die from Besly Dies.

Cheers;SS

 

[mmatt]

I actually doubled up the spring in my 300F mag and it helped a bit, but that last rounds can still be finicky.

tbrwlf, try removing the rear sight elevator completely to see if that gets you on target. That's what did it for me. I also have a 1.5-4.5 scope on mine. It really helps with some longer shots (I've hit a 10" gong all the way out to 200 yards with it). A 2-7 would work too I think and would probably be a bit more versatile.

PS - thanks for listening SHELL SHUCKER! Glad that you enjoy the show! Be sure to tune in this week for another interesting and high profile interview!

 

[TFunfer]

Oops, almost forgot to mention that you need 2 additional action screws
from Savage to switch from a plastic stock to a Boyd's stock.
These screws are 12-32 X 1" and ONLY Savage will sell them to you.
The only other way to get these screws is to make them yourself using
Brownells No. 12 blank screws and a 12-32 thread die from Besly Dies.

Cheers;SS

Thanks Shell Shucker,

Looks like I will be picking up a Boyds stock the next time they have them on sale.

 

[lone-wolf]

Wondering if anymore ammo tests were done.

The Evolution Gun Works rail is dandy isn't it? Used one to mount a red dot, very nice.

 

[surfclod]

Do you know if the shorter barrel in a .22WMR gives up any significant velocity???

I am a big fan of short barreled rifles, and last spring/winter did a comparison test using a chrony on a factory 18.5" barrellled 10/22 vs a 12.5" barreled project and found the shorter barrelled rifle to have consistently higher velocities. This was with a standard .22LR.

I am just curios if the extra powder in the .22WMR round is at a disadvantage in the shorter barrel, or if the difference is negligible. I would be happy to give up 20 or 30 fps for the added convenience that a short barrelled rifle offers but if a 12" barrel brings the .22WMR down to .22LR energy level then its another game entirely.


Really like your setup, personally I am not a fan of the factory tupperware furniture but the laminate is aesthetically pleasing, (as well as practical)

 

[mmatt]

I can't say for sure surfclod, but I'd hazard then guess that you'd see a significant increase in performance with the .22WMR based entirely on the fact that people shoot .22WMR out of handguns.

I'm guessing that there will be a drop in velocity over a "full length" barrel but I'd be extremely surprised if it dropped down to even close to .22LR speeds.

 

[lone-wolf]

Took out a skunk the other night @ about 50yds with the 305f and a 3moa red dot sight.

I really like this rifle.