I had a little time so I got pics of some of my favorite rifles to post. My 264WM is at the gunsmith's getting a new firing pin spring, but these are the others that get lots of use. They aren't real pretty or fancy, but they are all tack drivers and good using rifles.
Pictures of my custom 204, 6mm, 270WSM
- Thread starter mcseal2
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DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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Good looking rifles. Pretty is as pretty does. When a rifle is accurate, it is most handsome to the owner or to the one shooting it. I believe all of us have one or two rifles that may not be attractive to others, but it is only because they don't shoot them. Thanks for posting.
Very nice rifles MC! That 270 looks darned nice to me and I know what a great performer it is. Man, you have some great set ups. Can't wait to see your 264WM as well. I am really starting to get into the groove with mine and it is very impressive with 130gr AB's and 140gr PT's... Scotty
- Nov 4, 2004
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MC
Those are some nice looking sticks! Post a picture of the 264 WM when you ger her home.
BTW, did you join the 6.5mm club? :grin:
JD338
Those are some nice looking sticks! Post a picture of the 264 WM when you ger her home.
BTW, did you join the 6.5mm club? :grin:
JD338
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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Nice rifles. Really nice. I like the practical aspect of those three hunters!
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- #6
Thanks everyone, they fit the bill well for the hunting I do. I have a few other rifles that I didn't picture but these and the 264 are favorites. I have an older Ruger tang safety 7mm Rem Mag that was going to become a custom 300 win but shot to well to modify. It has my 3x10 Meopta with the 30mm tube and 50mm objective. I plan to use it stand hunting whitetail in low light. It's nothing to look at, I bought it for the action, but it shoots well under an inch with 160gr accubonds at 3050fps. I also have a Remington 760 30-06 thats a real early one. It was a beater to but I couldn't leave it alone so it got a 3x9 Leupold, limbsaver pad, matte blueing job, and 2lb trigger kit. It's my brush gun that can still reach a little if necessary with 180gr partitions at 2750fps. I hope to get the 264 back soon so I can continue load development and get turrets built before my muley hunt in October. The 264 is the one rifle I'm using other bullets in. I have an accurate load with the 140gr accubonds at 3000fps but I'm still experimenting with the 130 and 140gr Bergers, especially the 140's. This rifle weighs a shade over 10lbs ready to hunt and I want it for long shots and shorter walks, especially when the wind is howling. I don't plan to use it on anything bigger than muleys, and I think the bergers will be fine with careful shot placement on that size game. I've taken a couple whitetail does with it out to 450yds under ideal conditions. I plan on taking it and the 270WSM on my muley hunt and decide which one to shoot when I see how far we are walking each day.
I still want to add a lightweight 300 magnum for elk and larger game. I was wanting to build one around the 200gr accubonds in a 300WM with my ruger action, but I like my browning WSM so well I might end up making another one just like it in 300WSM. With the 300WSM I'd probably go with 180gr accubonds instead of 200's but with good shot placement nothing should be able to tell the difference. I've been debating this for a while and have posted about it before. Whatever I do will definitely get another Vias brake that thing is amazing. I don't want to go bigger than the 30 cal because I want to add a 375 Ruger someday when I hunt something large enough to justify it.
I still want to add a lightweight 300 magnum for elk and larger game. I was wanting to build one around the 200gr accubonds in a 300WM with my ruger action, but I like my browning WSM so well I might end up making another one just like it in 300WSM. With the 300WSM I'd probably go with 180gr accubonds instead of 200's but with good shot placement nothing should be able to tell the difference. I've been debating this for a while and have posted about it before. Whatever I do will definitely get another Vias brake that thing is amazing. I don't want to go bigger than the 30 cal because I want to add a 375 Ruger someday when I hunt something large enough to justify it.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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MC,
My 300 WSM shoots 200 grain better than 180 grain. Velocity on a 200 grain Sierra is ~2850 fps, and accuracy is ~0.3 inches. The ABs give me slightly more velocity, but they open to MOA, which is still good for minute of elk or minute of moose.
My 300 WSM shoots 200 grain better than 180 grain. Velocity on a 200 grain Sierra is ~2850 fps, and accuracy is ~0.3 inches. The ABs give me slightly more velocity, but they open to MOA, which is still good for minute of elk or minute of moose.
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- #10
Thanks everyone. I really like the stock on the WSM also, it points real natural for me.
Dr. Mike, what length barrel do you have on your 300WSM? I thought of trying the 200gr accubonds if I get a browning WSM, but was concerned about getting enough speed from a 23" barrel.
Dr. Mike, what length barrel do you have on your 300WSM? I thought of trying the 200gr accubonds if I get a browning WSM, but was concerned about getting enough speed from a 23" barrel.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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I have a 24 inch barrel. Realistically, I would estimate that you will lose about 25-35 fps with the 23 inch barrel contra the 24 inch barrel. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. Essentially, you will match the velocity witnessed with a 325 WSM and 200 grain bullet.
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- #13
Got my 264 back a while ago, finally got around to getting a picture of it. It's a Winchester M70 Classic action with a Mcgowan #3 fluted barrel, Timney trigger, and custom walnut thumbhole stock. The scope is a Leupold 4.5-14x40 with the Varmint Hunter reticle. I've played with it enough to use the reticle out to 600yds on my 10" gong. It started out life as a 7mm Rem Mag until a friend of mine went to gunsmith school and offered to rebuild it for the price of parts. He turned it into a 300WM and I shot it at everything for years, killing lots of critters and developing a heck of a flinch. When I burned the throat out of it I had it re-barrelled to the 264WM and really like the lower recoil and similar ballistics. Apparently in burning out the throat I wore out the firing pin spring also, so it has a new one of those too. If I had it to do over, I'd have gone with the 7 mag or 264 on the first re-barrel. It weighs an even 10lbs with scope, sling, & ammo ready to hunt so when I get into steep country I like a lighter rifle. It's a great whitetail, antelope, windy day coyote, and prairie muley rifle. it's heavy enough to be steady for long shots or stiff winds, but still points great for quick shots. It's taken my 4 of my best 5 whitetail and my best muley, I have lots of confidence with it. I played with Bergers in it, but it seems to like accubonds better and so do I. I use 140gr accubonds at 3000fps with a mid-range load to keep the throat from burning out to quick. I have a VX-R 4-12x40 CDS on order I'm planning to put on it and have a turret built for this load. I think the lighted reticle may be nice for last light whitetail or coyotes.
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- Thread starter
- #14
Thought of something I wanted to add, I'm still not a fan of Bergers for any gun I may want to use for coyotes. I shot a yote with the 168gr Bergers I'm playing with in my 7 mag 3 times a couple days ago, and drilled 3 holes in him. It was a small young dog and not real sure what was going on. I'd hit him and he'd run a little and stop. I had a steady rest on my rifle front and back with some bags of salt on my flatbed, so I'd range him and hit him again. The closest shot was 280yds and he went out to 370. He finally bled out but was on his feet for at least 45 seconds after the first hit and there wasn't much evidence of expansion on the exit wounds. The next day I shot a woodchuck with an AccuBond from my 264 and he was dead instantly with much more damage. I keep getting the same results in everything from 6mm up when playing with the two bullets. For anything smaller than deer/antelope the quick opening of the AccuBond is much more damaging than the delayed opening of the berger. Something to consider in a rifle like my 264 that will see use on both sizes of game.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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Good looking rifles. Been meaning to compliment you on them. Quite a nice arsenal there!
Re the Bergers on Coyotes, I'm using them in two rifles, the 35 gr HP from my .204 Ruger and the 115 VLD from my .25-06. I haven't taken any recent photos of dead yotes, sorry.
Hammered this one at about 160 yards as I recall with my .25-06 and the 115 Berger. Instant drop. Back side of this dog is mostly missing. Seriously nasty. Didn't take a photo. Too nasty. The Berger tore up the yote real bad. NOT a fur-friendly bullet!
The 35 grainer from the .204 on the other hand... It's going in, coming apart, and not exiting... Instant drops too... I hope to do more work with it this winter on some more coyotes. Found a buyer for the hides, at least if I don't use the .25-06 on 'em... :grin:
Re the Bergers on Coyotes, I'm using them in two rifles, the 35 gr HP from my .204 Ruger and the 115 VLD from my .25-06. I haven't taken any recent photos of dead yotes, sorry.
Hammered this one at about 160 yards as I recall with my .25-06 and the 115 Berger. Instant drop. Back side of this dog is mostly missing. Seriously nasty. Didn't take a photo. Too nasty. The Berger tore up the yote real bad. NOT a fur-friendly bullet!
The 35 grainer from the .204 on the other hand... It's going in, coming apart, and not exiting... Instant drops too... I hope to do more work with it this winter on some more coyotes. Found a buyer for the hides, at least if I don't use the .25-06 on 'em... :grin:
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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mcseal2,
That is a sweet looking rifle. I have certainly had good success with AccuBonds on game in a variety of cartridges.
That is a sweet looking rifle. I have certainly had good success with AccuBonds on game in a variety of cartridges.
- Thread starter
- #17
Hammered this one at about 160 yards as I recall with my .25-06 and the 115 Berger. Instant drop. Back side of this dog is mostly missing. Seriously nasty. Didn't take a photo. Too nasty. The Berger tore up the yote real bad. NOT a fur-friendly bullet!
How far was that yote Guy?
I've shot well over a dozen yotes with the VLD hunting bergers in 6mm, 264, and now 7mm and have yet to see an exit wound like that. Maybe I haven't had a sharp enough angle or hit enough bone, but they mostly just drill through them without much expansion. Most of them have been between 200 & 300 yds also with a starting velocity around 3000fps. They work real well if they have enough animal to expand in, but our KS coyotes don't seem to provide that.
I should have clarified earlier, I was talking about the VLD hunting bullets their varmint bullets should work great for yote size game. I don't shoot them much because their BC isn't better than the polymer tip bullets in the calibers I use. Glad to hear the 204 is working for you, I have all the components to load for mine but have been using up some factory 34gr Winchesters I bought on sale to get brass. They shoot real well but the BC is terrible. I have some 39gr Blitzkings and 40gr V-max bullets to try, my barrel is twisted for the heavy bullets. I need to pick up some 40gr Ballistic tips also.
How far was that yote Guy?
I've shot well over a dozen yotes with the VLD hunting bergers in 6mm, 264, and now 7mm and have yet to see an exit wound like that. Maybe I haven't had a sharp enough angle or hit enough bone, but they mostly just drill through them without much expansion. Most of them have been between 200 & 300 yds also with a starting velocity around 3000fps. They work real well if they have enough animal to expand in, but our KS coyotes don't seem to provide that.
I should have clarified earlier, I was talking about the VLD hunting bullets their varmint bullets should work great for yote size game. I don't shoot them much because their BC isn't better than the polymer tip bullets in the calibers I use. Glad to hear the 204 is working for you, I have all the components to load for mine but have been using up some factory 34gr Winchesters I bought on sale to get brass. They shoot real well but the BC is terrible. I have some 39gr Blitzkings and 40gr V-max bullets to try, my barrel is twisted for the heavy bullets. I need to pick up some 40gr Ballistic tips also.
