Started ordering parts yesterday for my next build

Donar action is my first center fire rifle, a Remington Mdl 721 chambered in 270 Winchester that I have had for the last 45 years.

Stock will be a Stocky Stock Accublock Apache Laminated Thumb-hole in Birch.

Bottom metal from Red Hawk Rifles; Remington ADL to BDL SS LA Conversion Kit

Barrel/Recoil Lug/ RemAge barrel nut/ Go-NoGo gauges and Trigger Tech primary trigger from Northland Shooter Supply. Barrel will be a SS match grade, 26" Criterion, Heavy Sporter, with 1:9 twist and a recessed crown.

I have not ordered a scope yet but leaning towards a Vortex HST 4X16X44 at the moment.

Will post photos of progression of build as it moves along.

seems like a lot of work to get right back to where you started.

I had a vortex hst 4x16 and got rid of it. I just didn't think is was much of a scope for the money.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
seems like a lot of work to get right back to where you started.

Since I have my father's 270, my 270 was just setting in the safe, i wanted something else . Good thing I have the ability to try something different and mainly because I March to my own drum and not others .

quote:

Originally posted by DIs:
I had a vortex hst 4x16 and got rid of it. I just didn't think is was much of a scope for the money.

Sorry you didn't like your vortex. I have found all the ones I own to be well made and do everything I expect from them.

I'm fine with my Vortex scopes too.
I do think the honeymoon period with them is over though and your gonna have to buy the more upscale ones the get the better quality glass we have come to expect from them.

oh, my comment was geared more to the cartridge choice rather than the rifle rebuild.
it wasn't a poke at you.

Just ordered the Vortex HST 4x16x44. For what I plan on using this gun for it should be a good combination. Most of my scopes tend to be 6x24 and if I find myself in close quarters I wish for a lower magnification.

I should have explained in OP that I had another 270 so it would have made a little more sense why I was changing calibers.

Well I think you made a excellent choice of calibers albeit a bit of trouble fire forming etc...I was wishing I hadn't punched out my 257 Robts to an Ackley, had to fireform several hundred rounds, and that is a chore..but now that's it,s done and the gun is incredibly accurate Im good with it..but it will be my last wildcat Im thinking..but who knows, Ive said that before..

you know Ray the 250 Savage Ackley is a pretty smoking accurate little round.
and the 7x57 Ackley will run like a 280 no problem if you do the short neck version.
just throwin that out there... LOL.

280 AI?

Some of you dudes are overthinking it.

No flies on the old .30-06. And less spendy.

Looking forward to seeing your progress. I wanted to play with a 280AI so I bought one of the Kimber Hunter models. I fire the cheaper 280 Rem in it to fire form the brass. It shoots 280 Rem and 280 AI ammo to the same POA - POI.

Happy Christmas!

LL

quote:

Originally posted by SFRanger7GP:
Looking forward to seeing your progress. I wanted to play with a 280AI so I bought one of the Kimber Hunter models. I fire the cheaper 280 Rem in it to fire form the brass. It shoots 280 Rem and 280 AI ammo to the same POA - POI.

Happy Christmas!

LL

That's amazing you get the same POI from both. I am looking for 280 AI brass now and will likely grab a box of Nosler 280 AI loaded rounds for the brass and box. Push come to shove I will fireforming some of my hundreds of rounds of 270 brass I have stashed away.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Well I think you made a excellent choice of calibers albeit a bit of trouble fire forming etc...I was wishing I hadn't punched out my 257 Robts to an Ackley, had to fireform several hundred rounds, and that is a chore..but now that's it,s done and the gun is incredibly accurate Im good with it..but it will be my last wildcat Im thinking..but who knows, Ive said that before..

I know what you mean about the work you put into a wildcat. As you noted though once you get a bunch of brass formed you can then enjoy the spoils of your labor. Since this has become a Sammi round there are several manufactures of loaded ammo and Nosler and Hornady have 280 AI BRASS for sale with the proper head stamp.

Only the Nosler 280 Rem and 280 AI shoot to the same POA - POI. The Barnes 280 Rem shoots within 2" of the same POA - POI and the Remington 280 shoots far out and doesn't group well.

quote:

Originally posted by Harold R. Stephens:
Just ordered the Vortex HST 4x16x44. For what I plan on using this gun for it should be a good combination. .

What do you plan on using it for? Looking at the parts you ordered it's going to be heavy for carrying and unwieldy for a blind or stand. However it does sound like a decent toy.

I GUESS it's still considered a wildcat by some but with dies & brass readily available I'd hardly consider it so.

I built one 3-4 years ago but opted for the other direction on the Weight scale with a light weight fulted Lilja 9 twist, 24" barrel and a Kevlar stock done up on a blueprinted Rem 700 action. All the metal is Teflon'd and it's quite a pleasant looking mountain rifle....to me. It's a sweet shooter and a dream to carry in the mountains!

You'll have fun with the build and even more fun shooting tiny little groups with high BC bullets!

Zeke

I'd opted for a 1:8 twist on my 280 AI bean field rifle and have no regrets. Mine wears a 28" fluted PacNor barrel and I can push the 168 LRAB at 2950 with RL-23 and a bit faster with RL-25.

quote:

Originally posted by ZekeShikar:
I GUESS it's still considered a wildcat by some but with dies & brass readily available I'd hardly consider it so.

I built one 3-4 years ago but opted for the other direction on the Weight scale with a light weight fulted Lilja 9 twist, 24" barrel and a Kevlar stock done up on a blueprinted Rem 700 action. All the metal is Teflon'd and it's quite a pleasant looking mountain rifle....to me. It's a sweet shooter and a dream to carry in the mountains!

You'll have fun with the build and even more fun shooting tiny little groups with high BC bullets!

Zeke

With the cartridge being standardized and brass now available, I decided to build myself a .280 AI after completing one for a customer.

I too went the route of a light weight rifle with a shorter barrel. Not as much kick as a .30-06 so it is perfect for lending to folks who may be more recoil sensitive.

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:

quote:

Originally posted by Harold R. Stephens:
Just ordered the Vortex HST 4x16x44. For what I plan on using this gun for it should be a good combination. .

What do you plan on using it for? Looking at the parts you ordered it's going to be heavy for carrying and unwieldy for a blind or stand. However it does sound like a decent toy.

Some background on myself I am 6'5", so a longer 26" barrel is not that unwieldy to me. I plan on using it for white tails from stands in Texas to mule deer in South Eastern New Mexico, plus any exotics and hogs I get a chance to hunt.

I have a 280 AI with a 1:8 twist. It stabilizes all the new VLD bullets with ease.

As far as fire forming brass was concerned it wasn't that big of a deal. Just used a cheap bullet and loaded up a bunch of loads and used them for barrel break in. Turned out that the load I used was very accurate.

quote:

Originally posted by Harold R. Stephens:

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:

quote:

Originally posted by Harold R. Stephens:
Just ordered the Vortex HST 4x16x44. For what I plan on using this gun for it should be a good combination. .

What do you plan on using it for? Looking at the parts you ordered it's going to be heavy for carrying and unwieldy for a blind or stand. However it does sound like a decent toy.

Some background on myself I am 6'5", so a longer 26" barrel is not that unwieldy to me. I plan on using it for white tails from stands in Texas to mule deer in South Eastern New Mexico, plus any exotics and hogs I get a chance to hunt.

Being 6' 5" has nothing to do with how well a rifle with a 26" barrel handles. I'm 5' 10" and can handle a 26" barrel just fine, especially when hunting the wide open plains for mule deer and pronghorn. However, when I'm in a blind I prefer the shorter barrels, as shorter rifles overall are easier to move in confined spaces.

It's your rifle build it how you want. If you're not going to hunt from inside a blind most of the time I'm sure it'll work well for you, and you'll kill truckloads of game. It's really about the journey anyway.

Barrel and oversized lug installed and head spaced yesterday. Going to replace the trigger today and do some minor in-letting on the stock for the RemAge barrel nut. Should be ready for test firing by Wednesday, will have to spend some family time tonight and tomorrow.

Merry Christmas to all.

Got the new trigger mounted after some Dremel work on the 721 action. First time taking a cutting wheel to a action before. Used my Dads Rem 700 as a guide for the safety relief cut. I need some finish file work to clean things up , but I think it came out ok.

I am use to doing Dremel work on stocks for finale fit. I obviously had to fit the RemAge barrel nut in front of the lug , but also had to doing some work at the bottom metal to get it to fit better. I also had to open up the barrel chamber at the front of the stock a bit. I thought I had the action screws for the new stock and bottom metal but alas, they were standard length, so I have to wait until the stores open back up to get longer action screws to finish finale fit of barreled action to stock.

Merry Christmas to all.