My first custom! Now with range report

D

dfrombc

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Well, it's been about 6 months since I decided that it was time to have my first custom rifle built. I started out by getting Sean from North Shore Barrels to screw together a Pierce short action and a Krieger #9 barrel finished at 26". It's chambered in 260 Rem. From there I managed to source the A5 and Vbull bottom metal from a couple of fellow gun nutz. The AI mags came from Wolverine and Timney trigger from Mystic Precision. From there the parts were sent to Terry from Black Art rifle company. He did the final inletting for the bottom metal and barrel, bedded the action and bead blasted a beautiful finish on the barrel. The scope is a NSX 5-22x50 with the MOAR reticle. It's sitting in a pair of Nightforce ultralight rings and somewhere in the mix is an USO anti cant device. I went with the medium rings but it looks like low ones will work better. They are currently en route but the medium rings will work in the meantime. I cant wait to see how this thing shoots. A big thank you to all the fellow Nutz and who helped me out with this. I hope it shoots as good as it looks.

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308BAR said:
A Beauty congrats! Is the Pierce action smooth? Does it compare to the Tikka action in its glassy feel?
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The Pierce is very nice but I would honestly have to say my T3 is a little slicker as far as working the bolt goes. I'm sure running a few rounds through it will help smooth things out though. With any luck I'll be able to get somewhere and start breaking her in sometime over the xmas break. Range report to follow.
 
I had a chance to view this rifle a few days ago and Terry did a superb job of reconstructing and repairing a variety of ills. The bedding was refilled and properly inletted. The bottom metal refit in the inletting. new pillars installed. Fitment of all parts to a close fit. Alot of time was taken to bring this project to its rightful level of "CUSTOM".

The barrel was already chambered and on the receiver but some exterior refinishing and labeling needed to be redone. We are looking forward to see how it will shoot.

The Pierce is definitely a nice looking receiver but like the Stiller, a bit more TLC could be used. The most "custom" of custom receivers I have fondled lately was a Borden.

If you are coming through Summerland, let me know and we can go launch some lead. The range is still accessible.

Jerry
 
I can't say enough good things about Terry and his work. It is quite evident he spent a lot of time making everything right. He'll be getting my 338 to re-barrel in a little while.

I will have to take you up on that offer Jerry as soon as I tailor a load to the gun. I'd love to get out and shoot with someone who knows as much about the long range game as you do. I had better get to work at the loading bench.
 
Assuming a PTG reamer was used, seat just ogive just off the lands - at most 1 or 2 lands touching jiffy marker.

H4350 or H4831SC (I used this for my 140gr loads but will be compressed at mag lengths)

CCI BR2 or 250 primer. With the cold, I would go 250. Use published load data and work up to a speed between 2700 and 2800fps for 140/142 class bullets. It will be very obvious where your nodes are.

Done.

The spot I shoot LR is snowed in so only 200yds at the Summerland Range till spring.

If the plan is to build a 338LM, don't use the Rem receiver. It simply will not stand the useage.

Jerry
 
My plan was to use H4350 with 142 gr smk and fed 210 match primers. I can load out to the lands and still mag feed. Hopefully the load testing will be quick and easy.

I've already got a Weatherby TRR in 338 LM. I aquired a Krieger 30" heavy Palma for it a little while ago and think it would be nice to have it put together for spring. We'll wait and see if Santa leaves a little cash in the rifle improvement fund for Xmas.
 
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It looks almost the same as mine but it is 6BR. I presume it weighs about 15lbs? Feels like it is the barrel is quite heavy? Ohh... your barrel is #9. Mine is #17.
 
Well it took me a few days but I finally managed to get out to the range on xmas eve, run some factory ammo through her for break in and shoot a ladder test. It only took 3 shoot and clean cycles before I stopped seeing copper fouling so I decided to try a group with the Federal Premium 140 gr hunting ammo at 100 m.
View attachment 3637

Another clean then a 5 shot group.

View attachment 3624

So it is beginning to look like this thing can shoot! I shot a ladder test going up in 1/2 grain increments from 40 to 45.5 gr. There appeared to be a node between 40-41 gr and 44-45 gr. I went home and loaded between each node in 0.3gr increments. I'm using 142 smk's, H4350, virgin Lapua brass neck turned just enough to clean everything up and Federal 210M primers. All bullets were seated 0.005" off the lands.


Today I was up bright and early and off to the range again. -5, light snow falling and no wind (woo hoo!) Aside from the loads I had built between nodes I put together a few with my remaining brass to confirm my sight in at 200m and foul the bore.

View attachment 3625

I had 4 shots loaded at 40.5gr. I took one, adjusted the scope and sent the next 3. The adjustment was piss poor but they came together into a group of .742". I started to shoot through my 40 -41.2 gr loads. The best groups came at 40.3 , 40.6 & 40.9. Smallest group was around 0.620" from the 40.6gr loading! As I am not a great marksman by any stretch I was pretty excited about this!

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I continued into the second node but the groups doubled in size. I was into the 2900fps range with only slight pressure signs but the accuracy was not there. I stopped and went back to confirm my first few groups. The second group at 40.3 was just over an inch (1.023") with very little vertical. The real puzzler for the day was the day was the second group at 40.6gr. When I retrieved the target there was only one hole! Surely I didn't miss the whole page twice in a three shot group!! Upon further inspection I absolutely put two in the same hole, the hole is too big for 1 bullet. But 3? I am very tempted to call it a 0.093" group at 200m. I think I may have found the sweet spot for this little rig of mine.
IMG_0744.jpg

A big thanks again to Sean from North Shore Barrels and Terry from Black Art Rifle for doing such a great job putting my rifle together. Not to mention Jerry and the other Nutzs ( whose names I've forgotten... sorry) who provided me with all the parts.
 

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dfrombc said:
Well it took me a few days but I finally managed to get out to the range on xmas eve, run some factory ammo through her for break in and shoot a ladder test. It only took 3 shoot and clean cycles before I stopped seeing copper fouling so I decided to try a group with the Federal Premium 140 gr hunting ammo at 100 m.
View attachment 3637




View attachment 3624

So it is beginning to look like this thing can shoot! I shot a ladder test going up in 1/2 grain increments from 40 to 45.5 gr. There appeared to be a node between 40-41 gr and 44-45 gr. I went home and loaded between each node in 0.3gr increments. I'm using 142 smk's, H4350, virgin Lapua brass neck turned just enough to clean everything up and Federal 210M primers. All bullets were seated 0.005" off the lands.


Today I was up bright and early and off to the range again. -5, light snow falling and no wind (woo hoo!) Aside from the loads I had built between nodes I put together a few with my remaining brass to confirm my sight in at 200m and foul the bore.

View attachment 3625

I had 4 shots loaded at 40.5gr. I took one, adjusted the scope and sent the next 3. The adjustment was piss poor but they came together into a group of .742". I started to shoot through my 40 -41.2 gr loads. The best groups came at 40.3 , 40.6 & 40.9. Smallest group was around 0.620" from the 40.6gr loading! As I am not a great marksman by any stretch I was pretty excited about this!

View attachment 3638

I continued into the second node but the groups doubled in size. I was into the 2900fps range with only slight pressure signs but the accuracy was not there. I stopped and went back to confirm my first few groups. The second group at 40.3 was just over an inch (1.023") with very little vertical. The real puzzler for the day was the day was the second group at 40.6gr. When I retrieved the target there was only one hole! Surely I didn't miss the whole page twice in a three shot group!! Upon further inspection I absolutely put two in the same hole, the hole is too big for 1 bullet. But 3? I am very tempted to call it a 0.093" group at 200m. I think I may have found the sweet spot for this little rig of mine.
View attachment 3639

A big thanks again to Sean from North Shore Barrels and Terry from Black Art Rifle for doing such a great job putting my rifle together. Not to mention Jerry and the other Nutzs ( whose names I've forgotten... sorry) who provided me with all the parts.
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Gun is going to be like a fine wine ... gonna only get better with age ! 200 rounds and you will for get how many rounds you shot at a group it will get so tight. Great gun ... great calibur !
 
I'm seeing 3 bullet marks in that hole.
Kinda funny how when something looks too good to be true we all wonder what the heck went wrong, definitely looks worth working on replicating it and going to 5 and 10 round groups.
 
I can't say how happy I am with the rifle to this point. It is looking like it has the potential to exceed my expectations. Now if I could only get ahold of another box of 142smk's! I was all over southern bc today and couldn't find one!
 
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