My Stevens Re arrangement

B

boomer2

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As the title says, it is not a 'build' as some folks here take issue with that...so it is a re arrangement of items LOL

Sorry guys but I don't know how to attach pics..so hopefully you can see them by following the links below.

Rifle was a .223 Stevens. With the help of Mystic Precision the following was changed
1) McGowen 1 in 8 twist heavy bull 22" in .223 prefit
2) Timney trigger
3) EGW 20 MOA base
4) EGW tactical bolt knob
5) Choate Tactical Stock - bedded
6) Bolt timing
7) Burris Sig Zee Rings

I topped it off with a Sightron III 6-24x50 LRMOA from Bowyers Guns in Maple Creek, Sk. Weight with bipod is 14.9 lbs

Hope to get to the range soon, but wanted to credit everyone for their help now!


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w305/bjboomer/IMG_4575.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w305/bjboomer/IMG_4571.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w305/bjboomer/IMG_4570.jpg
 
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I like that a lot. Mine is going to be close to yours. Just a long action chambered in .280rem.

How stiff is the fore end of that stock?
 
It is really stiff. Not sure this will be the right stock for me. Only range time off the bench and in the prone will let me know. Only have factory loads for now and will reload a bit in the future.
 
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Why is it I can't attach pics, but when you reply to my thread then the pics are imbedded in message? Am I doing something wrong or just stupid? Tnx
 
to make picture show up in your post you need the linke "http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w305/bjboomer/IMG_4570.jpg" and then attach the image tags

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w305/bjboomer/IMG_4570.jpg [ /img]

with out the spaces of course, and u will need to tag every picture seperately
 
mlehtovaara said:
How much all that run ya?
Click to expand...

Well, more than I was planning LOL; but maybe worth it when I get to the range?

Here is a close approximation:
barrel 350
stock 300
trigger 110
base & rings 125
Add gunsmith labor, bedding, shipping, and don't forget cost of donor action/rifle.
I would say you are in ballpark of $1500 or the price of a good factory varmint rifle but I am hoping that it has the potential to be very accurate.

308BAR
Having never handled a B&C stock I cannot compare. In fact that was one of my major complaints about doing this sort of thing. I had ideas about what I did not want; but what was the best, or more useful I was at a loss.
I just had to trust other shooters and their opinions, did some research, and talked it over with gunsmith as to what type of shooting I was planning to do, and what was available on fairly short notice. Hopefully I got the right stock..time will tell. But it is going to have to be d@*m uncomfortable before I start forking out more money for another stock at this point LOL
 
boomer2 said:
Having never handled a B&C stock I cannot compare. In fact that was one of my major complaints about doing this sort of thing. I had ideas about what I did not want; but what was the best, or more useful I was at a loss.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the detail, give us a range report when you have a chance.

Would you be able to give a review on the Choate? Hows the fit and feel? :D
 
308BAR said:
How would you compare the quality of the Choate stock to let say the B&C stocks? The bulls looks great.
Click to expand...

I used the same Choate Tacticle stock on my Savage build and am happy with it. It is heavy, and the wrist is really thick, so it would be best to handle one before buying if those may be a concern.
Compared to my 700P (HS Precision), Sendero (HS Precision), and Rem 700 (B&C) stocks, this is hands down the stiffest of all. I placed a dial indicator on the barrel of each rifle and indicated off the fore stock then applied pressure in different places. The Choate had zero flex, while the others registered up to 0.013. I would buy another for a prone rifle build, and you can't beet the price compared to a high end stock.
The adjustable model would be better if using a high scope.
 
OK here is a quick range report. All I had for ammo was factory Winchester 55gr FMJ. After my break in procedure, I set up targets at 100yds and tried my best LOL. I know my bench tech is not the best so I experimented a bit. I tried the bench using Harris swivel bipod and then off bags, soft hold, firm hold, and just two fingers on the trigger type hold. Nothing would get much under a 1" group. Thats OK, because I need the once fired brass for future reloading. The good news, even with groups that were not stellar, I managed to hit all our gongs ranging from 200 to 650 usually on the first try. I had made up a drop table using 3100 as initial velocity. The Sightron III 6-24x50LRMOA worked flawlessly. I was a bit concerned about using high Burris Zee rings, but it seemed to be OK.

The Choate stock fit fine off the bench. I like the older Sako rifles with the palm swell in the pistol grip. Like others have said, the Choate is quite thick in that area but I loved and never noticed anything awkward. I even tried off handing a few and managed to hit the 200yd a few times, but this rifle and stock combo is just under 14lbs so it is not light; but was very comfortable off hand.

Although the pics show the rifle on my prone shooting mat, I did not use it. I tried. Our range has a rise to it. About 10' at 100yd and the rest are higher the further you go. Everytime I got down behind the gun I just could not get comfy. If I did, it seems my proper eye spacing to scope was not correct and all I saw was black. If I squirmed around to get it right, then I just was not at all comfy, and my neck was really strained. Perhaps in the future I will play around with the scope and move it forward & backward and try prone again. Maybe it has nothing to do with that and I am trying to use a bench rest type stock in a position it was not made for? Help me out here folks! I don't think that is correct, because it is a tactical type stock and it even has the studs mounted on the sides to attach carrying straps, so it should be usable in the prone position.

The only complaint about the Choate stock is very minor. The rear swivel studs just mentioned go across the stock....and they swivel....and they rattle. Like I said, not a biggie but you can hear those things rattle occasionally when handling the gun. An annoyance really, since I have no intention of crawling around or hunting with it, I may just remove them (if I can) or use a spot of silicone etc to keep them from turning/rattling.

So all in all the rifle/barrel/stock and scope combo work good. I am pleased. BUT, I will reserve final judgement until I can get some reloads working. 1/2 MOA should be easy to attain and I would be happy with that. Anything better will require the shooter to be on his game!

I was all by myself so nobody to take pics for me so can only show the bench and mat.

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Try raising the bipod higher. That should reduce the neck strain and allow you to see through the scope better.

The stock works just fine for prone and I use this for my FTR rifle.

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I am sure you will find a comfy position.

Good luck with the reloading.

Jerry
 
Looks to me like you need some lower rings. I have an extremely simmilar setup and run TPS Super Low Rings. With the 50mm bell I have about 2-3mm clearance to the barrel. They are advertised at 0.820" height. Another solution is an adjustable check rest like a tac pro.

Otherwise I would change nothing in your setup. Looks like it has big potential.

Post some target pics already! :D
 
I thought about lower rings too, but my advice from Mystic Precision was that these were the ones I needed. I am sure he has waaay more experience than I in this regard. I did attach a photo with sunshade on to show clearance.

No target photos yet...not until I can get some reloads or better factory ammo LOL. Waiting for dies to come and then I will be able to play and post some pics for others interested in building (or rebuilding). Also waiting on better bipod to arrive.

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