Looking for some input on my first custom rifle.

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M70Stealth

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Hi all,

I've been learning shooting and reloading with a .308 for the past year and a bit and I'm ready to pull the trigger (pun intended) on a custom build. I've been shooting a .308 out to 800 yards and consistently hit sub MOA using a factory Winchester 70 that's been bedded using my handloads. I'd like to build a custom rifle for competing in some PRS style events.

I love the Defiant control round feed action because mauser actions give me a chubby. I'm also strongly leaning towards a Manners t4 or McMillan a4 to mount it in. It will probably be one of the 6mm calibres in a twist to use 105-117 projectiles. I'm leaning toward a .243 win or a 6mm SLR (I'm currently building 6 SLR for a buddy and it's an amazing round but I'm not experienced in the other 6's.)

I'll be shopping for everything else so if you have some experience you'ld like to share I'd appreciate it very much. Things like best bottom metal, triggers, barrels, optics and rings etc. I also would like input on gunsmiths and exporting parts from the US.

My budget for the build is $5k before optics.

Thanks in advance!

https://www.pinterest.com/greghowardphoto/rifle-build/
 
You can always just stick with the 308 and compete in Tactical division. You can do a lot of practice for $5k and it will get you a lot further than a new rifle. Better yet, take a course at CORE, K&M or Rifles Only. Scott Satterlee (of CORE) lives right below you and does courses. He is an excellent teacher.

I would stay away from the 243 as it is a know barrel burner. It is a long case with a short neck and doesn't allow you to chase the lands for very long while still remaining mag length. I'm liking 6x47L. Given the 3150 fps. velocity limit imposed by many matches, it doesn't lose anything to larger cases. I can get a 105 Hybrid up to that quite easily and can get a 115 DTAC to 3060 with most powders and over 3100 with Reloader 26. The brass is wickedly robust.

Which ever way you go, order an action with a small firing pin (0.062).
 
That's great advice for sure Kombayotch, but let's work on the assumption that I have the money to keep shooting and buy the new rifle. ;) I'll look into the 6x47L

My shooting is at a point where I do see much smaller groups when I shoot better hardware. I'm currently shooting a few hundred rounds a month and I plan to keep that up. I'm planning on hitting as many of the 600 yard shoots in Campbell River as I can this year and hook up with some mentors there.
 
Someone in the Meaford match thread (who was shooting a factory rifle) said very correctly that a more accurate custom rifle would not have improved his score.

Smaller groups won't help you in PRS if you can't build stable shooting positions efficiently and can't manage multiple target distances in the same string. If you have have a rifle that can hold sub-MOA, you're good. What you need to be able to do is hold sub-MOA shooting with that rifle sitting on a barricade with your elbow rested on your knee and the like. If you can't do that, a more precise rifle isn't going to help you. Proper training will. And a proper scope can go a long way to improving things.
 
No argument on any of those points. But I still want to build a new rifle because I'm also a gun nerd. I haven't had the opportunity to do any formal meets yet so that's all down the road. I have no illusion about a new rifle making me a super shooter. The build is just part of the fun for me.
 
After having shot a few PRS-type matches now, I'd say the biggest advantage(for me) of a new rifle in a caliber different than 308 is how the 6mm and 6.5s cheat the wind better. I don't think I would have done better at my last match with a more accurate (than my factory rifle) rig but I think something faster and flatter would have helped in regards to both the wind and ranging inconsistencies once past 800 yards. If you have the barrel for it (i.e. something longer than my 20", haha) you could also run 155s real fast in your .308. As far as Tactical Division is concerned, it looks like they'll probably be moving towards a speed limit next year to get rid of fast 155s and make the division more of what it's supposed to be, i.e. factory/mil/leo rigs shooting 168/175/178 at or under 2800 fps. I have a couple friends who have done Scott Satterlee's course that Kombayotch suggested and they speak very highly of it. I'm hoping to do it sometime soonish myself.
 
As Rugbydave said, I also heard that the Tactical division in PRS will now have speed limits as the 155 seems to be overpowered.
 
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