Rifle build ideas

[clintbailey]

I have an older Rem 700 in 243 that I have kept around mainly for a project gun, and still hunt with it every now and then. I have considered rebarreling it a few times, but never can decide on a cartridge. I have considered 22-243, 260, one of the Lapua's, or even a fast twist 243. I am seriously thinking just going 260, for ease of finding dies and brass, although I do already have dies for the 22-243 & 243. Don't plan to go wild, just a "budget" build/rebarrel.

The gun already has a Timney trigger, and I honestly don't mind the factory stock thats on it. I don't need or want a big diameter and heavier barrel, the standard "pencil" barrels are sufficient for me. Optics will need upgraded, but probably something in the PST range will be used for that. A rifle that will handle a 1000ish yard range trip on occasion, but be light enough to take coyote hunting is what I'm hoping for.

Thoughts on barrel manufacturers, cartridges, gunsmiths, etc will be appreciated

 

[thor447]

The first thing that popped in my mind is something in 6mm. Maybe the 6mm Dasher or a 6x47 Lapua. Either I think would work excellent for long range shooting and coyote hunting, and will work with that short action 700. I have no clue what it'd cost to build one, but those rounds intrigue me.

 

[dlbleak]

I’ve been reading up on the 6mm ARC. Might be cool in a long barrel bolt gun.

 

[swampratt]

Pencil barrels to 1000 yards i would keep the bullet diameter small that way you have a bit stiffer barrel.
My best shooting grouping gun is a pencil barrel .223. But i am not hunting deer with it past 250 yards and have only shot it to 600.
Hard to not like the .243 and a bullet like this.
http://www.davidtubb.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=159

Here is a little more reading for you from people with the same issue you have.
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/243-vs-the-260-rem.169795/

And more reading for you 6XC
https://www.6mmbr.com/6XC.html

 

[Huckelberry75]

For custom rifle builders, there is Jon Beanland in Gould,OK, Mike Luckett in LaVerne and Newman Precision in Elk City that I would use and in that order. There are others, but those gentlemen would be my top 3 in the state of Oklahoma. For a barrel, you need to determine if you want a button rifled or cut rifled blank. The button rifled blanks typically run about $275+/- and cut rifled blanks about $325+/-. The cut rifled blanks will last longer and typically are slightly more accurate, but button barrels will shoot well enough, that the normal person will not be able to distinguish between them. The gun smith will recommend that the Remington action be trued and blue printed to wring the most accuracy out of the rifle and he is correct, do it. Have him bed the action to the stock and install steel pillars as well if the stock doesn't already have them or the aluminum bedding block found in HS precision stocks. Personally, I prefer Manners Composite Stocks' EH1-A for my custom hunting builds and their T-6A for my comp rigs, but there are a myriad of after market stocks that are available. Foundation stocks made right here in Oklahoma are fantastic and they guy, John Kyle Truitt, that builds them is an amazing human being, but they are heavy for a hunting rig and typically run $1,200-$,1400 and are far from budget build friendly. You will find the Foundation stocks all over the PRS/NRL leader boards across the country, but I digress from your initial question.

As for what cartridge to build, you will get a multitude of answers for that. For what you have mentioned and in light of component availability, any of the Creedmoor's (6.5, 6, 25 or 22..yes, 22cm. it is a wicked little beast that punches way above it's weight class) will all do everything that you are talking about and brass is everywhere with it's popularity. Any of those same calibers based upon the x47 Lapua case will fit the bill nicely too. The .260 that you mentioned will be just fine as well and allow you to utilize the 243 brass that you already have on hand and will run just a smidge faster that the 6.5x47L and 6.5cm. If you were to stay with the .260 line of thinking, then you could load the 140 Berger hybrids or 140 ELDM for the 1000yd trips and drop down to the 95 Vmax/100 ELDM or 100gn Nosler Ballistic tip for coyote and those will scream. The 130gn Sierra Gamechanger or 130gn Berger VLDH / AR Hybrid, 129gn Nosler ABLR or 123 ELDM would not be bad options for a 1 load to do it all bullet either. That would keep you from having to do a ton of load development, unless you just love load development and have a ton of time to burn at the range. Blackjack Bullets have a .25cal bullet called "the Ace" that is making serious waves in the shooting community. At distance it will carry greater energy and have less wind deflection than a similar weight bullet in the 6.5 class and will have longer barrel life than the 6mm's. A 25x47L or 25cm running the 131gn Ace would be a one gun do it all rig like you are talking about, but you have to reload as there is no factory ammo option. The guys that own Blackjack are Okies too, one lives in Mustang and one out in Weatherford and are great guys to deal with.

For optics, the PST line is fine. For hunting the 3-15 is perfect, for targets at distance, the 5-25 is nice for the upper end and shooting groups but 5x I find is a little much for shooting coyotes especially of they come in close and are moving. A Burris XTR in 4-20x would be a good middle of the road scope, as well as the Leupold Mk5 3.5-18 to handle both sides of your shooting equation. The nightforce Atacr 4-16 is good as well, but that jumps you up to about $2k on glass and away from "budget build" territory.

Did that answer your question, or just make it harder to decide.

 

[clintbailey]

Thanks @Huckelberry75 I have considered the 22CM as well as the 6CM. Hadn't heard of the 25CM I guess, and probably won't go with the Lapua's. I actually had a 700 threaded and 6.5x47 chambered barrel, Bartlein or Krieger IIRC, a few years back from a trade, but ended up selling it back to same guy. If this was a LA, I'd probably just do a 6-06, since I already have a 6.5-06.

 

[Huckelberry75]

If it was a long action and I lived in your part of the world, I would build a 25-06. Had one for many years and it was a killing machine. 85gn Nosler BT's for coyotes and 100gn NBT's for whitetail/antelope etc.

 

[clintbailey]

If it was a long action and I lived in your part of the world, I would build a 25-06. Had one for many years and it was a killing machine. 85gn Nosler BT's for coyotes and 100gn NBT's for whitetail/antelope etc.

I've heard a lot of good on the 25-06, never owned one though. I forgot to mention, that Jerry Newman worked for the same company as I do until he retired a few months back, never was around him much though since he worked in the plant side and I'm a field guy.

 

[Jcann]

Bartlein has a new barrel material called 400MODBB. Pricing for this barrel material in standard diameters/contours etc...will be $555.

The material has been proven in lab testing and in outside real world testing to provide a barrel life that is 1.5 to 2 times longer.

In6.5CM ammunition pressure test barrels are normally pulled from service at around 1700 rounds. The new material doing the same type of ammunition test work the barrel was pulled from service after it had 3500 rounds on it. They’ve had several 6mm's in calibers that the barrel normally is pulled around 1500 rounds go 3000 rounds.