Single Shot Savage Target

[kir_kenix]

Well, I couldn't find the right place to post this but I wanted to show it off anyway. Finally got my Savage Target finished. This rifle was built by Kevin Rayhill of Stockade Gunstocks. Not the same kind of singleshot that appears in most of these posts, but it still counts right?...

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg12/kir_kenix/newgun005.jpg

This is a 260 savage improved built on the right port right eject 3 pillar target action. Kevin blued and trued the action recoil lug and locknut, cleaned up the already very respectable target accutrigger, and chambered a 27" Benchmark barrel in 260 remington with a 45' shoulder (throated for the 139 lupua). Kevin also makes his own stock, and this one is his target/prarie dog special with adjustable cheakpiece, sliding front rail with swivel for bipod, and 1" ventilated butplate. Only thing i need now is to have my friend paint the stock (I'm thinking gloss black w/ bright red cheek piece and yellow pin stripes right now).

I topped it off with a 5.5-22 Nightforce XS scope with Warne rings and 2 pc Badger bases. The scope is excelent and very clear. I like the "tactical" turrets better then the benchrest adjustments. I think I will have plenty of adjustment to shoot to 1k, but I might have to do the math and might need to buy different bases.

I had Kevin cut me the FL die, but I opted for the Forster micro-adjustable BR seater (I know, I won't need the adjuster once I get it set up, but i still like it). I'm a big fan of these Forster dies, and they are worth every penny. I also have a 6.5 hornady seater, and I'll compare them side by side for runout someday, just for fun.

Kevin is a class act guy. He set up my gun and fired a few fire forming rounds to verify his work and he says its a shooter. He is alot of fun to talk to and I would reccomend him to anybody. His prices are very, very reasonable as well.

I'm hoping to get some loads put together and get out and shoot a bit this weekend if the weather permits. After I get her tuned in the way I like her, I'll probably put together a usable cast load for some 100 yard plinking.

[garandsrus]

Looks like a great project!

[SCIBUL]

Yes !! :drinks:
SAVAGE are already very good guns and excellent platform for custom ! I hope yours will shoot as good as it looks !

[Doc Highwall]

Are you going to try cast bolits in it. I have this new Remington 40X in 7.62 NATO that I just mounted a 8.5x25x MK4 Lupold on that for condom bullets I will use Sierra 175MK. But I think I will try it first with cast boolits. I have the Lyman 311644 190 grain to use and I am waiting for the group buy on the 312190-FNGC

[kir_kenix]

I'll deff get around to trying cast in it someday, but I'm going to work on getting it squared away with jacketed first. I ordered some 140 A-max's, 139 Lupua (which is what I have always had good luck with in my other 6.5's and what I had the gun throated for), and some 140 Sierra Matchkings. bought 200 win 7-08 cases, 200 rem 260, 200 norma 260 (proven winners in other rifles), and I have a few hundred 7-08 lupua cases around to play with and see what shoots best. Got about 3 powders that I want to try, and 3 different primers (I use win primers for all my fire forming loads).

I'm sure others will disagree, but I like very little neck tension on my projectiles. I feel there is no way to get every piece of brass to grip the bullet with the same amount, so I've always felt that less is more. If my neck tension varies 10% throughout a given run of loads, then I would rather have my neck tension low (and vary little between each shot) then have a heavy hold (that has the potential to vary greatly). But thats just me. I also dont believe in orienting each case in my chamber or anything like that...maybe if I shot 100 yd BR with an unlimited gun I would give those practices a try.

I usually get a good load shooting, then substutite one component at a time till she is shooting exactly the way I want. I start powder, then bullet & seating depth/neck tension, then brass, and finally primers in that order. Each step I try and gain just a bit more accuracy, with the primer selection only affecting groups maybe .2 or so at 300 yards where I develop most of my loads. I'm usually not concerned about shooting zero groups at 100, because in my experience those loads usually don't shoot as tight at 600 yards as loads developed at 300.

It's alot of fun to play around with components and shoot bug eye groups, but at some point I always settle on a load that shoots well enough for my purposes and live with it. Otherwise I would burn out a barrel just trying to get that perfect combination put together. These Benchmark barrels are long wearing and ultra smooth out of the gate. They don't take 150 or 200 rounds to get them shooting the way that some other barrels I've used have needed.

Hope to post some photos of my groups this weekend if it warms up some.

[kir_kenix]

Nice looking rifle Doc.

Well, got my rife out yesterday and shot some 100 yard groups using a fire forming load of 37.5 gr of Varget with the 139 gr Lupua and CCI br primers. Was very pleased to shoot several consecutive .21-.24" groups. Hoping to develop that load some, add maybe 2 more grains with fireformed brass.

Anyways, went out today to form some more brass, but do it in a cheaper manner (those lupua bullets and cci primers are expensive). Assembled some loads with Winchester Large Rifle primers 37 grains of varget and 140 gr Sierras. Shot 15 rounds at 200 yards with the wind mainly at my face. For whatever reason, the Sierras shoot about 3 inches higher then the Lupuas...

I was pretty pleased with the results:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg12/kir_kenix/200yardsavage001.jpg
Put the first 5 on top of eachother after the elevation adjustments, took a break then to call my wife and the conditions were never right again.

Might have misread the wind, but that one shot to the right in the 9 ring was probably my fault. I'm pretty content to shoot slightly less accurate fire forming loads, but save $.08-$.10 per shot. The NF really tracks well, and is a great piece of glass.

I'm very happy with my purchase. Its a real good shooter, and I can't wait to get her out and try her out at 600.

[Doc Highwall]

Kir_Kenix, I have a Browning 1885 Low Wall in 260Rem and I am trying RL19 with Hornady 140SST for hunting. I also have 6.5mmBR, and 7mmBR pistol and rifle barrels for my Encore that I am looking for boolit moulds for playing around with. Here is a picture of my Browning, I hear they made less then 200 of these.

[kir_kenix]

Sharp looking low wall, especially in 260. Really like the wood. Is she a tackdriver?

N-165 is another great powder, 47.5 grs under the 139 Lupua is the best load in my other improved 260 (with fireformed cases). I would be loading this one with n-165, but I'm all out, and no way to get anymore without paying a hazmat. I would also like to try a stout load of RL19, maybe I'll pick up a pound to try next time I make it to Cabellas.

I just wish somebody like Sierra or Hornady would put out a 160-165 target style bullet. I would love to push a 160 gr high bc 6.5 at 2700 fps. Oh well, maybe someday somebody will wise up and make such an animal (hopefully affordably), if one does not already exist. Until then I'll stick with the 139-140 gr boat tail bullets that are currently available for this caliber.

[Doc Highwall]

Kir_Kenix, remember you can have too much of a good thing. Take 6mmBR for example, the heaviest bullet you can drive with it for distance is about 107-108grs. I Have a 6XC so I can drive them and even use the 115gr bullets. Also when the military asked Sierra to give them the best bullet for the snipers that would beat the M852 with the 168gr Sierra and M118 with the 173gr bullet the best that Sierra could come up with for a case capacity of a 7.62/308 is the 175gr Sierra which is now the M118LR. Even though the bullet is better you cannot take advantage of it's high BC unless you can drive it fast enough. I have shot 308 with the Sierra 190gr and you can only get about 2500fps with a 26" barrel with out shortening case life because of pressure. With the 175gr Sierra the higher velocity will allow it to out perform the 190gr sierra's. That is why some people went to the 300Win Mag with 200gr bullets, the trade off is recoil,muzzle blast and cost. If it was me I would stick with the best bullet around the 140gr range that has the highest BC, 30 points of BC is worth 2-300 fps MV.

[kir_kenix]

I suppose your right about the 260 running out of gas as far as heavier 6.5's are concerned. I would be willing to put together a 6.5-375 ruger, or similiar, if the right combination of bullet weight and velocity could be reached lol . Oh well, guess we can't have everything. I've been considering building a 6mm for the 200-400 yard shooting that is done on our local range.

Your 6xc is a pretty cool cartridge too. My friend here shoots the original Tubb 6mmX, which i understand is just an unimproved version of the XC (improved 22-250 to 6mm right?). Comparing the BC's of some of the better 115 6mm's and heavier 6.5's, the 6mm doesn't give up a whole lot at all. Given the higher speed atained with some of the 6mm's, they should shot just about as flat at 1k as the mild mannered 6.5's. Persoanally, I just feel more comfortable lobbing out a heavier slug as opposed to a lighter, zippier one.