I am considering a semi custom rifle. My thoughts so far are 22-250 with a Kreiger 28" - 30" 1-8 twist Stainless barrel non fluted in heavy varmint, Choate Ultimate Varmint or Ultimate Sniper stock, action TBD. This will be a mid range target/varmint fun rifle (non competition). I am open to other calibers if they are better than above, I want minimal recoil. I am just learning about this so be kind. Cost is a factor, I read a article in Rifle that did this Under $1000.
Short Remington 700 ADL, I find complete rifles in the local pawn shops for $200 to $250, some with scopes. Strip the gun for the action. Put in a stock with either a ADL type magazine or install a blank in the receiver magazine opening and use a solid stock. True up the receiver ring, true up bolt nose, true front and back of bolt lugs, recut receiver threads and lug seats if you are ambitious. Drill & tap for no. 8 scope base screws. Use a pinned Hollands lug, chamber snug with a tight reamer that is smaller than SAAMI specs. 26 to 27 inches is enough for a 22-250. If this is a walk about gun, use about a no. 6 contour barrel and a McMillan stock. The heavy varmint barrel is very heavy. And the Choat stock is very heavy. Using both you will be 16 to 18 pounds depending on scope and mounts. OK for a bench gun but a pain when walking up that hill for a peek over the top.
Install Stainless pillars in the McMillan, and bed the receiver and first 2 inches or so of the barrel tight, float the remainder, using either Steel Bed or Pro Bed 2000. Put a 11 degree crown on the muzzle. Top the rifle with a good Leupold 6x18 in heavy all steel weaver style mounts made by Warne or Leupold.
A rifle built this way, properly of course, will consistently shoot 1/8" to 1/4" groups at 100 yards, maybe less. The reamer specs are important, you gotta have a snug base and neck to fit the brass and a one degree or 1-1/2 degree throat so the bullet, when seated with the base of the bullet at the neck/shoulder junction, is about 0.005" to 0.010" from the lands. (Load development will tell you where to seat the bullets). For ultimate accuracy use neck turned brass and a chamber cut with a tight neck reamer to fit the neck turned brass.
Where are you located? I may be able to steer you to a gun plumber.
[ 08-18-2002, 06:57: Message edited by: John Ricks ]
Posts: 1055 | Location: Real Sasquatch Country!!! I Seen 'Em! | Registered: 16 January 2001
I was getting Turkish Mausers at BIG5 Sports for $54 out the door. Then after buying a lathe, a mill, oxyacetalene, building tooling, ect, It would have been cheaperf just buying Dakota, Sako, and Remington actions.
John, you better hope dem pawn shops in the New England area never, and I mean never talk to their sack dragging thief cousins in the Houston area. Remington 700 will go for a tad more than a couple hundred dollars down here.
