New Toy

[.300winmag]

Well I stopped by my gunsmiths the other day to check on progress on my 6.5x47 Lapua. I noticed a bench rest rifle laying in the corner and he saw me looking at it. He said that he built the rifle for himself in 1997 in 6PPC and it had shot very well. He said due to medical issues he would sell the rifle as it lay for $1500. I asked about the barrel and he said it was a Krieger 1-14" twist. I was wanting to get an F-Class rifle and needed a 1-8" twist for heavier bullets. He showed me a Hart heavy varmint 1-8" barrel he had ordered but not received payment in a year on and said he'd part with it for half of what he bought it for. Long story short, the rifle is being chambered to 6 BR with the new Hart barrel and is to be delivered around Christmas. I'm excited. Not the ideal F-class rifle but it is a good start. Will be able to shoot some BR with it too.

Specs:
6mm BR no turn neck
Stolle Panda Right bolt left port action
McMillian BR stock (In one of our members favorite colors)
Hart barrel Heavy varmint contour finished @ 27" (.900" at muzzle)
Kelbly rings (going to put 20MOA Kelbly's on it)
Leupold strait 36X W/ AO
2 oz Jewell set at 1.5 oz

Paid about $2K for the rifle, scope, gunsmithing and new barrel, can't wait to see what she does with the 105 Berger Hybrids and Varget!

 

[DrMike]

Very nice; congratulations. Yeah, you undoubtedly will have hit a home run with BK on that one. Cool cartridge, too.

 

[FOTIS]

That is a nice gun.

 

[truck driver]

That it is, I like the Purple McSwirly stock.

 

[BK]

That it is, I like the Purple McSwirly stock.

Yeah buddy!

 

[sask boy]

That is a great Christmas present it will be a fun rifle to play with!!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[.300winmag]

That it is, I like the Purple McSwirly stock.

Yeah buddy!

I've always liked the purple Mcswirley's on BR guns! Could never bring myself to get purple on an A3 stock though!

Thank you for your comments fella's! I appreciate them and am excited. I had no intentions of purchasing the rifle when I got there (I'm sure you all can relate to the impulse buy). But, I saw it sitting there and was drooling over it and he knew it. My father has used this gunsmith since before I was conceived. On my 12th birthday, my father and I went scouting for elk (near where he lives). On the way home, he stopped at his shop to "check on a build". Well, when we got in his shop my father handed me an envelope, in the envelope was a check for $1200 dollars. The card within said for my first hunting rifle, I could build my own. My father and mother would provide a SA Remington 700 action and a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14X, I could spend the $1200 on any other components I wanted. I was in tears when I got the card (as was my gunsmith). I ended up building a .308 Winchester with and HS precision stock and a 24" Krieger Barrel with Talley rings. I have shot countless deer and elk with that rifle and would not sell it for anything. My gunsmith, father and I have a very close relationship. I always called him "Uncle Truman" while growing up and have a great deal of respect for the man and have spent many a days in the field hunting antelope, deer, elk and just simple range sessions with him. He has built my father countless rifles that are all tack drivers; and built two rifles for me (.308 Win and .300 Win Mag), if you include my 6.5x47 and this one, it pushes his builds for me up to four. Unfortunately I feel these will be the last rifles my good friend builds for me as he is near retirement and having medical issues. I understand his position, but it still doesn't set well with me that he will not be the builder of my rifles in the future. As he has provided nothing but top quality products, customer service, and a relationship that will last a lifetime. I will cherish his work as long as I can.

I apologize for my rant above, he and I go a long way back. His work has a lot of memories and sentimental value to me. I started asking him to put his initials in the side of my barrels on the first rifle I had built by him. When he asked why I told him "Because no one builds a rifle like you".

Thanks again for your comments, I am looking forward to see how this rifle performs. I have no doubts it'll shoot. Now I just have to invest in a front rest to make this rifle shine! :mrgreen:

 

[JD338]

Very nice.
Give us a range report.

JD338

 

[.300winmag]

Very nice.
Give us a range report.

JD338

Will do as soon as it has been rebarreled!

 

[DrMike]

Superb commendation of a true craftsman. Thanks for that.

 

[elkeater2]

A nice tribute for your family and your friend, & mentor....and a memory trigger for me and the riflery people who helped me along many moons ago. Thanks!
EE2

 

[SJB358]

Very nice 300WM.. That looks like it is going to be fun!

257 Ackley is going to really dig that rifle.

Sounds like an awesome smith though.

 

[IdahoCTD]

That it is, I like the Purple McSwirly stock.

Yeah buddy!

I've always liked the purple Mcswirley's on BR guns! Could never bring myself to get purple on an A3 stock though!

Thank you for your comments fella's! I appreciate them and am excited. I had no intentions of purchasing the rifle when I got there (I'm sure you all can relate to the impulse buy). But, I saw it sitting there and was drooling over it and he knew it. My father has used this gunsmith since before I was conceived. On my 12th birthday, my father and I went scouting for elk (near where he lives). On the way home, he stopped at his shop to "check on a build". Well, when we got in his shop my father handed me an envelope, in the envelope was a check for $1200 dollars. The card within said for my first hunting rifle, I could build my own. My father and mother would provide a SA Remington 700 action and a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14X, I could spend the $1200 on any other components I wanted. I was in tears when I got the card (as was my gunsmith). I ended up building a .308 Winchester with and HS precision stock and a 24" Krieger Barrel with Talley rings. I have shot countless deer and elk with that rifle and would not sell it for anything. My gunsmith, father and I have a very close relationship. I always called him "Uncle Truman" while growing up and have a great deal of respect for the man and have spent many a days in the field hunting antelope, deer, elk and just simple range sessions with him. He has built my father countless rifles that are all tack drivers; and built two rifles for me (.308 Win and .300 Win Mag), if you include my 6.5x47 and this one, it pushes his builds for me up to four. Unfortunately I feel these will be the last rifles my good friend builds for me as he is near retirement and having medical issues. I understand his position, but it still doesn't set well with me that he will not be the builder of my rifles in the future. As he has provided nothing but top quality products, customer service, and a relationship that will last a lifetime. I will cherish his work as long as I can.

I apologize for my rant above, he and I go a long way back. His work has a lot of memories and sentimental value to me. I started asking him to put his initials in the side of my barrels on the first rifle I had built by him. When he asked why I told him "Because no one builds a rifle like you".

Thanks again for your comments, I am looking forward to see how this rifle performs. I have no doubts it'll shoot. Now I just have to invest in a front rest to make this rifle shine! :mrgreen:

From the sounds of it I would almost bet he would show you the ropes. Get him to show you how to build your own. It's much more expensive then having someone else build them for you :mrgreen: . It's pretty rewarding though. I've been doing it for 21 years now and don't regret spending a dime.

 

[.300winmag]

That it is, I like the Purple McSwirly stock.

Yeah buddy!

I've always liked the purple Mcswirley's on BR guns! Could never bring myself to get purple on an A3 stock though!

Thank you for your comments fella's! I appreciate them and am excited. I had no intentions of purchasing the rifle when I got there (I'm sure you all can relate to the impulse buy). But, I saw it sitting there and was drooling over it and he knew it. My father has used this gunsmith since before I was conceived. On my 12th birthday, my father and I went scouting for elk (near where he lives). On the way home, he stopped at his shop to "check on a build". Well, when we got in his shop my father handed me an envelope, in the envelope was a check for $1200 dollars. The card within said for my first hunting rifle, I could build my own. My father and mother would provide a SA Remington 700 action and a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14X, I could spend the $1200 on any other components I wanted. I was in tears when I got the card (as was my gunsmith). I ended up building a .308 Winchester with and HS precision stock and a 24" Krieger Barrel with Talley rings. I have shot countless deer and elk with that rifle and would not sell it for anything. My gunsmith, father and I have a very close relationship. I always called him "Uncle Truman" while growing up and have a great deal of respect for the man and have spent many a days in the field hunting antelope, deer, elk and just simple range sessions with him. He has built my father countless rifles that are all tack drivers; and built two rifles for me (.308 Win and .300 Win Mag), if you include my 6.5x47 and this one, it pushes his builds for me up to four. Unfortunately I feel these will be the last rifles my good friend builds for me as he is near retirement and having medical issues. I understand his position, but it still doesn't set well with me that he will not be the builder of my rifles in the future. As he has provided nothing but top quality products, customer service, and a relationship that will last a lifetime. I will cherish his work as long as I can.

I apologize for my rant above, he and I go a long way back. His work has a lot of memories and sentimental value to me. I started asking him to put his initials in the side of my barrels on the first rifle I had built by him. When he asked why I told him "Because no one builds a rifle like you".

Thanks again for your comments, I am looking forward to see how this rifle performs. I have no doubts it'll shoot. Now I just have to invest in a front rest to make this rifle shine! :mrgreen:

From the sounds of it I would almost bet he would show you the ropes. Get him to show you how to build your own. It's much more expensive then having someone else build them for you :mrgreen: . It's pretty rewarding though. I've been doing it for 21 years now and don't regret spending a dime.

I've thought of that! My father is a machinist by trait and has a small lather and a mill in his garage that I could use. I've always liked to build and tinker; and building a rifle sounds like a lot of fun! I probably could get my gunsmith to show me a few tricks as well.

 

[Vince]

It's nice to see loyalty from the customer side of things, as you so eloquently display, and friendship. I can sense a bond between you and your Gunsmith that runs deeper than a mere transaction or three. That is a testament to the quality of person you and he are, as well as your Father.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Very nice looking rifle too by the way.

 

[.300winmag]

It's nice to see loyalty from the customer side of things, as you so eloquently display, and friendship. I can sense a bond between you and your Gunsmith that runs deeper than a mere transaction or three. That is a testament to the quality of person you and he are, as well as your Father.

Vince

Thank you for your comments, Vince. I appreciate your kind words. You are correct, my gunsmith and I have a unique relationship. I've known him for the better part of 18 years and he was a good shooting coach back when I did a lot of smallbore shooting. I grew up in an excellent home with loving parents. Yet he was another father figure to me, which I was extremely blessed to have. He'd go out of his way to come coach and watch me shoot at the state championships in high school and I always feel like a thief when I get his bills. I'll overpay because of this, and a few weeks later I'm receiving a check in the mail for the difference. . . I can't win with him. He treats me very well and I know the relationship will last even when he retires. He's a good, honest, hardworking individual, who I have the utmost respect for.

 

[wildgene]

...dang nice score, but now you need a hat like BK's...

:shock: :lol: :wink: :mrgreen:

 

[FOTIS]

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guy Miner]

Very cool thread in several ways.

Congrats on the new rifle, it should prove to be a tack-driver!

Does BK know you've got one of his stocks? :mrgreen:

A lot of rifle buffs don't get this - but buying a used match rifle is often an OUTSTANDING way to get a REALLY accurate rifle at a bargain price. I've seen rifles that should go for $2,000, sold for $600 - $800, particularly if it helps someone get into competition shooting. If anyone buys a good used match rifle, consider buying all the dies, brass and even loaded ammo if available... Might as well start where the last owner left off.

Re F-Class, I've seen some 6mm BR rifles dish out some absolutely incredible accuracy in F-Class/Prone matches. Like almost all the shots in a string of 20 actually hitting the spotter, not just the X-ring... Wow! Accuracy potential of a 6BR, or the 6mm PPC, is phenomenal.

I like and understand your thoughts about your gunsmith. The fellow who built my "Green Machine" was never real close with me, though I respect him tremendously, and he's retired. Next barrel for it will be chambered, threaded and crowned by someone else. Doggone it.

Best of luck with the new rifle. It should be very satisfying to shoot, though I dunno 'bout that purple stock.... :wink:

Regards, Guy