NRA Sporter #2 with pics

[Char-Gar]

After a bunch of bad weather and visting family I was finally able to get to the range for the second session with my feaux NRA Sporter. Since the last time, I have installed the barrel band and a few other small touches.

I loaded 30 rounds of cast bullets loads.. 18/2400/Rem 9.5 with twenty rounds of 311284 and 10 of 311467. Both bullets were sized .311.

All groups were round and very consistant. Three 5 shot groups of 311284 averaged .90. Two 5 shoot groups with 311467 went .75. Range was 50 yards.

To smooth the barrel and get some custom cases I fired some of my Garand stash. 48/4895/165 Nosler BT/LC 54 cases. Again all groups were round and consistant. two 5 shot 50 yard groups averaged .78 and two 5 shot 100 yard groups averaged 1.38.

Here are some pics. The wood has had final shaping, sanding and finishing. Still just raw wood. The metal is still in the white and will be blued.

I also took my Browing T-Bolt out and mounted a Weaver K 1.5 scope. I cleaned the barrel as it has been in the save resting since 1974. First groups ran 3" at 50 yards, but by 30 rounds, those groups have shrunk to five shot groups you could cover with a dime at 50 yards. All this proved is what old rimfire target shooter have known for generations...Don't clean your 22 barrel and if you do it will have to be reseasoned before it will get back to giving your winning scores.

[Char-Gar]

Ooops... The wood has NOT had final shaping, sanding and finishing. It is still just raw wood. It will have to be slimmed through the forend and grip.The wood is still proud around the action and trigger guard. The comb will have to be lowered a mite because the sear on the bolt drags on it.

Even though the rifle is shooting as well as I could expect, I am going to go ahead and glass bed the front action lug and barrel chamber.


I am going to use some glass around the rear action tang. I am not going to remove any wood there, just use glass to fill in any loose spots.

[Bass Ackward]

I also took my Browing T-Bolt out and mounted a Weaver K 1.5 scope. I cleaned the barrel as it has been in the save resting since 1974.


Chargar.

Nice wood on the T-bolt. Is that a T-2 model?

I have two. I have a left handed T-2 made in the last year of production and a right hand T-1. Both tend to shoot well with everything and no salty wood. I also own a Winchester custom shop single action 52 with a 28" mid-weight barrel that I have never seen on any other Winchester made 52s. The most accurate 22 is the LH T-2 believe it or not. It eats anything.

Nice rifles. And don't be afraid of glass. At the worst it makes little difference. But I don't like to bed under the chamber unless you have a real heavy weight barrel that needs to take some stress off of the action as this is where major expansion occurs upon firing smaller diameter barrels. If you bed there, the tendency is for the gun to try and seperate itself from the stock and the screws can work lose over time.

[Char-Gar]

Yep that is a left hand T-2 and no salty wood either.

I will glass bed the front lug and receiver flat behind it to the same depth it is now. I do that by installing two flat head brass wood screws in the flat flush with the wood. I then crank them down a turn or two into the wood and remove wood until it is again flush with the top of the screws. I then back out the screws to the original position and the receiver sits on them while the glass cures. This gives me exact control on where the metal sits in the wood.

The bottom of the front receiver ring and bottom of the barrel one inch in front of the ring bears firmly on the wood. I am not going to remove any wood there and just smear some glass. This will just fill in any loose spots and give full contact with the bottom still bearing on the wood.

The barrel also has some firm contact at the forend tip. The front band is in contact with the top of the barrel, but doesn't seem to be exerting any significant downward pressures, at least as far as I can see.


The above glass beding method won't change anything other than fill in some voids and give a nice even bearing surface for the back of the recoil lug and the flat behind it.

The glass will just add some strength and help guard against wood compression and oil soaking over time.

The rifle is a good honest 1.5 MOA rifle now. With some load development and barrel break in I can reduce that some, perhaps to 1.25 MOA, maybe more. At age 64 that is all the accuracy I can use out of a rifle. It could be 1/2MOA and I wouln't know, as I am no longer a 1/2 MOA shooter with a receiver sight.

I thought I would stick with the miliatry trigger, but this rifle is proving out to be so consistant, I will have to put a better trigger in it. Some nice crisp 2 pound gizmo.

Speaking of Winny 52s, back in the late 50's when I was deep into rimfire target shooting I had a 52D Bullgun. Now that was a 22 that could shoot.!!!

[threett1]

Really nice classic styled piece there Chargar. I am a fan of those low powered Weaver scopes too. Have one with a post and crosshair that is primo.

[PatMarlin]

Nice looking shooters there Charles.

You've got a lot of flat shootin' land down there... :drinks: