Long Range and Accuracy Gun

[beezaur]

Hi Guys,

I am tossing around the idea of building a dedicated cast bullet rifle.

I have a Remington Model Seven bolt action that used to be .30-06 laying around here somewhere. I would have it rebarrelled and restocked for something with the same bolt face.

I would use this with a scope for shooting targets out to as far as I could. I assume that would require subsonic bullets. They are relatively quiet too, which is a good thing for my neighbors. I don't hant to mess with paper patching or a lot of fouling if I can get away with it. Low recoil is a good thing too.

I have read a little bit about the .30 BR. That sounds like more or less what I am looking for, although its case capacity moght be a little large for subsonic ammo.

Any thoughts? What would you guys do for a dedicated long-range, cast bullet rifle.

Scott

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Long range and subsonic speeds are a bit opposite in application. If you want a very accurate cast bullet shooter then determine the range you wish to shoot at first then select a cartridge to push a suitable bullet for that calibre to the selected range.

My selection for an accurate rifle to 200yards would be either the 30BR or 7.62x39 (made from 6mm PPC) then you could select a bullet at no more than 1400fps in a suitable twist for that purpose.

I like the old target rounds 32/40 & 38/55 and built a Ruger No1 38/55 especially for 200yd shooting. With just 15gn 2400 a 300gn bullet starts at 1380fps and is very accurate. Curently I'm building a custom 32/40 with 1:12" barrel on a Winchester hiwall for the same purpose.

[Buckshot]

..........beezaur, welcome to the board!

.............Long range target shooting with subsonic slugs has been done for quite some time with muzzle loaders, but the slugs weigh 530 grains or more and there definately is some noise as they depart. The trajectory is also rather 'bent'. Possibly to an extent that the shooter would need to know what the jet stream was currently doing :-).

Subsonic ammo isn't necessarily quiet. While it may not produce the supersonic crack, you will still have the rather loud sound of the high pressure gas suddenly entering the atmosphere as the boolit's base clears the muzzle.

Even the 22RF Super Colibri ammo that propells a 20gr 22 cal conical lead slug at 600 fps makes a noticeable pop from a 22" bbl and the only propellant is the priming. It IS muted, but it's still a sound to be noted, as it's not one normally found in nature.

I know the 22RF isn't what you're looking for but as an example it's a magnitude LESS loud then any centerfire without a mechanical muffler. I do not offhand know if radicly back bored (counterbored) barrels can be considered 'silencers' or not as they have no baffles. Yet you can quiet a 22 down considerably by taping on 14" of 1" PVC. I also don't know the legalities of that.

I think you'd be better off concentrating on lower recoil. Now, as to recoil a bullet with the ability to travel any distance accurately without being blown all over nature's half acre will need some length. And with length we get weight. So at some point you have to rationalize the situation down to some specifics so you can see what you have to work with.

There are several rounds extant that may closely meet what you're trying to accomplish. The 30 cal Whisper's come to mind. However all is just conjecture as to what will suit. If you are in a position to legally have a silencer, then many problems melt away.

..................Buckshot

[redneckdan]

If possible, you are better off going with a sound moderator (its not a silencer damn it!). Even if you do shoot supersonic, the balistic crack as it passes a point will make the shot appear to come from a direction 90 degrees from the shooter. As far as accuracy, get an integrated moderator, more acurate than a muzzle can. As far as cartridges, the .30 or .338 whisper would be good. the problem with the .30 whisper is that its based off the .221 firebal. The .338 has two versions, one based on the .221 and another based off the .30 BR, which it self is based off the .308 cartridge, that will work with your bolt head. If you are feeling adventurous, there is the .510 whisper, based off the .338 laupa case. It is rated out to 800yds.:twisted:

[redneckdan]

As a side note. the most balisisticly stable shape as subsonic is a tear drop. THe 8mm 181gr spire point mold by lyman is almost perfect. is you could get the base beveled it would be perfect. To use it at subsonic, seat it backwards, viola, tear drop shaped boolit.

[beezaur]

Thanks, guys.

Probably this gun will get a can (don't have it yet, but theoretically there are no legal issues). I am having a .308 Win tac rifle built as my next project. The subsonic lead gun will be done locally and by myself while I wait on the tac rifle. It would be nice to use the same can as the .308.

By "long range" I mean around 300 to 400 yards, or wherever the end of my scope travel takes me. The gun will have a 20- or 30-minute rail, so that will be something like 70 minutes total elevation travel from the bore centerline. I meant "long range for a cast bullet."

One of my favorite pastimes used to be shooting a .22 rimfire at 200 to 300 yards. My hope is that the higher ballistic coefficient of centerfire bullets can take me farther with better accuracy. One of my best places to shoot is across a field to a rock pile on the other side -- 600 yards.

Where can I find info on these "whispers?"

Scott

[redneckdan]

SSK Industries has info on the whispers.

[versifier]

I have been researching .30BR, .308x1.5", and .30/.223, and would be happy to share load info if you PM me an edress. The difference between the first two is the size of the primer. The last has enough greater capacity than the whisper to move it from the "marginal for deer" into the .30-30 class. But the truth is, both the .30-30 and the 7.62x39mm will both do what you want without the added expense of custom forming and loading dies - basically, it would be cheaper for you to get another action and rebarrel the 700 to something cast-friendly like .358win.