My hunting partners 300wm

[IdahoCTD]

I just got my hunting partners gun done about a week ago and have been trying to finalize loads so he can start banging some steel with me and get more comfortable shooting. BTW he was shooting a Browning BAR last year and would have been lucky to hit a pie plate at 300yds with it. I went out this morning with 77grs of H-1000, 77.5grs of H-1000, and 74grs of R-26. The 75grs of R-26 I tried last time had some ejector marks so I backed it down to 74 and I think it's still too hot but it shot good and he smacked my 12x12 plate twice at 625yds with it. I'll try to focus on the 77grs of H-1000 load. I didn't even shoot the 77.5gr load since the 77gr load was showing me all of the pressure signs I wanted to see. I shot the one shot out of the group with H-1000 first and adjusted the scope a bit before shooting the rest. Both groups are in the .26-.27" range.

He ordered a Zeiss HD5 5x25 and right out of the box it wouldn't hardly focus. He sent it back to Zeiss and they are sending him a new scope. That is the first out of the box failure I've seen with a scope. I do like the Varmint reticle a lot better than the one I have with the standard duplex.

 

[SJB358]

Wow, it looks like it will shoot!

That should be a hammer.

Picture of the rifle?

 

[DrMike]

Superb accuracy, to be sure.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Here are a couple pictures of his and one with my different colored clone in 300wsm. His is a Remington 700 SS action, Bartlein 3b contour (same as a #5 from the other makers), Jewell trigger, McMillan Game Scout stock, Kampfeld Hunter bolt knob, and one of my Lil Beast brakes. The only difference between our guns is mine is a Brux #5 and the color of the stock. Minus bipod they both weigh about 10.25lbs scoped.

They are both getting fluted bolts and Cerakoted in the next couple weeks.

 

[IdahoCTD]

BTW his gun has 48 rounds down the barrel now including 10 or so shooting at steel and I doubt I'll have to do much more, if anything, with the loads. It was a bit more finicky then my 300wsm, as I think I was done at about 30-35 rounds, but still pretty easy stuff. That's why I build custom rifles with top end barrels. Now I can spend the rest of the $$ and time I would of spent on load development banging steel or testing bullets on critters.

 

[DrMike]

Handsome rifles, to be certain. Great to see that your work has come together so quickly.

 

[OU812]

Excellent looking build, shoots as good as it looks.

 

[Elkman]

Great work Nathan, they are outstanding.

 

[SJB358]

Nice rifles Nathan. Weight doesn't seem horrible at all either. I'd imagine with a 3 or 4 contour and 24" barrel they could be even lighter too. Thank you for posting the pictures.

They shoot awesome as well. Can't argue with that. Great components.

 

[IdahoCTD]

A #4 contour at 24" would drop the weight to just over 9.5lbs. If you did a edge fill on the stock you could go down another 5 or 6 ounces probably. Personally I like to drop weight everywhere but the barrel. It is the single most important part of a rifles accuracy. IMO slightly muzzle heavy guns are better in the wind and offhand. A person could go to a slightly lighter scope too but your pinching ounces there. A 10.25lb rifle is light enough for me to carry a lot of miles without much effort.

BTW PTG just got in some 3.110" ID mag boxes for the Remington short actions. If they would of had those when I started this I might of built my 300wsm on a SA which would of saved nearly 1/2lb in weight. I'd have to seat the bullets nearly .150" deeper and I'd probably lose a bit of velocity but it would be shorter and lighter. If I ever get my barrel I will probably be doing a 270wsm on a SA and will use that mag box to seat the heavy VLD's way out there.