Eight months wait and my build is on it's way home. (updated with Range Report)

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fatboyz

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Well after an excrutiatingly long 8 month wait my North Shore Barrels 260 AI should be in the mail. This isn't exactly what I would class as a precision build , but since it's another of Sean's custom 260's I thought I'd post it here. I had a Remington SPS in 243 that i wanted to rebarrel to 260 AI. It already had a B&C Medalist stock and the trigger done but that was it. I got Sean to Order me a Broughton Sporter taper barrel back the beginning of March. I also wanted the action trued, lugs lapped etc, and the barrel and action ceracoated. It should have been in the mail to me last night or tomorrow. I'll post some pics and a range report when I get it. Hopfully it will shoot as well all his other 260 projects.


Well it took a while with the bad weather and a fair bit of playing around. I have it shooting good at 100m, and first group at 200 sucked. The loads are chrono'd at 2585 AVG, but the ES is like 116 to 127!! I'm going to try some magnum primers and see if that helps. My best load is Berger 130 VLD's over 45.7 gr H4831SC.
(For a reference, the red dots are 1/2" sticky dots from the dollar store!)

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And the IMR 4350 load (42.1 gr)
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Well it's still not in the mail yet, but sounds like it's actually almost done (ceracoat today) and should be in the mail shortly. Month number nine is almost here!!
 
what color are you ceracoating it with?
I am going to be recieving my build next month and going to be ceracoating the stock, action, barrel, and scope too. thinking of White with steath digital camo but we will see how it will turn out....
 
Dons been extremely patient. I think I am almost as excited as he is to get it to him lol. Being a shooter is guaranteed Don, I was hoping to see you take some game with it this year though.
 
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Looks fantastic Sean!!! I still have a deer tag that I'll save for the end of November and hopefully be ably to use it.
 
Well it finally arrived on Nov 21. Got the scope on today. Will be fire forming brass tomorrow and heading to the range on Sat. Can't put up any pics tonight Photobucket is NFG again!!
 
That is a good looking rifle. I better email Sean about my project. Going from 6mm Rem to 6.5 Creedmoor. (I wanted 6.5x284 however it is suit for LA, not SA).

I hope I do not want to wait for 8 months like you did.
 
Well I don't have any range pics, but the first three shots out of her while fire forming were under an inch at 100. While fire forming I'm getting 4 and 5 shot groups within .750". Not much range time as it's the last week of hunting season. More time next week. will get some range pics then. As far as the wait goes I was getting very frustrated. Sean did a fair bit of extra work and through in some pretty cool extras all at no charge so in the end it was worth the wait. I definitely would have liked to have the rifle for this hunting season, but now there's something to look forward to next yr!!
 
Nice rifle.

Just wondering, is most of the wait time because the gunsmiths are that busy and booked for months, or is it mainly cause they too have to wait forever for the parts they need to show up so they can finally get to work?
I've been waiting 6months for a fairly basic factory rifle with still no idea when I might get it, which kinda indicates a pretty big backlog at least on the manufacturing side.
 
I got the bbl about 2 weeks before completion, I believe the bbl order was lost. We tried a couple different options to sub but in the end had to wait for the bbl. 8 months is not typical but it can happen. Many bbls are 4-6 month waits for premium sought after brands. Don showed patience to the extreme and it was much appreciated.
 
After doing the custom route once before, I am getting all the parts together here at home before sending everything out to have the machining and assembling done. I am sure 'smiths like Sean are very frustrated while waiting for parts and having frustrated customers.

To the OP, that is a very nice rifle you have there!

To Sean, that is some nice work!
 
Hi Don...looks promising! Are those from formed brass? What are you using for dies BTW, I am making one of these for myself soon. have you tried any of the lapua offerings?

BTW H4831sc has been my go to for .260
 
Nice rifle.
Something sounds WAAAAY off on your velocities though. With 45.7gr of H4831sc you should be around 2800-2900fps. I was just shy of 3000fps with 47.5 gr H4831sc and 140gr Berger vld. Maybe check your chrony. Otherwise H4831 is a great powder and your target velocity should be around 2950-3000fps and the 130gr Berger vld, that should put you close to an accuracy node. I am now using RL17 with the .260AI and 140gr Berger vlds with very good accuracy and over 3000fps(around 3050 IIRC).

I think you have a few minor issues to work out but the rifle certainly looks like it has potential though.
Congrats and enjoy.
 
Sean that is from formed brass. It's Winchester fire formed. I'm using a Forster competition seating die and a lee collett neck sizing die. One of the other 260AI shooters here had his die reamed to AI, apparently the Forster dies aren't hardened steel. I'm going to try some mag primers to see if I can reduce the ES. Sure is a dream to shoot though!!
I haven't used any Lapua brass at all, maybe time to try some.
 
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