Purpose built rifle to suit a Nosler bullet

[watrob]

Was a little bored so I thought I would build a rifle to shoot a specific projectile, rather then build a rifle and work thru different ammo to find what shoots best.

This is what happens when you have to much time on your hands.

So, the projectile is a 60gr Nosler Varmint oal 0.851" BC 0.270 (orange tip) in .224. The projectile is mated to a .222 case, that's right a .222, which gives me a total oal of around 2.210"

This length requires a .223 mag or a bottom floor plate internal mag may work, but rather than going around and checking different models of rifles I decided in a .223 mag version.

So I got a Defiance Deviant Tactical Short Action in .223 (rem 700 style) which will be mated to a trigger & mag base plate in 308 to accept a .233 mag 4 clip and added a Jewell trigger with top safety.

The barrel is a SS Krieger Rem Varmint style 26" 1:9" twist, chambered in.222 and a test brass case & projectile given to the gunsmith to work from.

The stock looks like at this point time as heavily altered Choate Tactical (photo below).

I have yet to determine what glass to use, so will it shoot well or will it end up a 8lb mantel piece?

 

[Thebear_78]

I'm building a fast twist lightwieght 270 Winchester solely to shoot the Nosler 150 LRAB.

Lightened and trued Rem 700 action
24" featherweight, fluted, pacnor 1-8 twist
Wildcat composites lightweight stock
Talley lightweight rings
Leupold 4.5-14x40 CDS
Wyatt extended mag box with 3.825" COL
TIMNEY 512 trigger


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[watrob]

That's a nice build, its good to see different calibre rifle builds rather than the usually.

We are limited a little here in Australia to build high end rifles, its just the time it takes to get the parts from the US, some items can take 6 months to get imported.

The cost is around three times the price to US prices and the wait due to our laws & licencing is a time consuming exercise.

Look forward to seeing your groups once you bed down the rifle, hope it meet your expectations.

 

[JD338]

Excellent builds fellas.
I built my 280AI with a long throat and initially shoot the 140 gr BT but am fortunate that it shoots everything very well.

JD338

 

[Polaris]

We have a Gent on one of the surplus rifle boards who built a .225 win 1:8 twist heavy barrel on a military P14 action over there. He says it really tags critters way out with .224 match bullets.

 

[345 kv]

Built a 22-250 a couple of years ago with 1/8 twist to use 75 gr AMAXs. Also put together a .223 bolt gun to use the same bullet.

 

[Guy Miner]

Interesting. When it came time to re-barrel my .308 Win Rem 700 - it was my SWAT duty rifle, owned by me - I had an outstanding rifle builder chamber the Krieger barrel to specifically fit Federal 168 grain Gold Medal Match ammo, as that was our issued ammo.

Worked great!

2.5" groups at 600 yards. I was pleased.

Guy

 

[baltz526]

I sent a Mark X Zastava action into pacnor for a new stainless match with 7mm rem mag chamber. Expressly had them set it up for 140gr Ballistic tips at max magazine length. It was a great idea, Too bad it will not shoot 140gr Ballistic worth a damn. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't

 

[Thebear_78]

I built this rifle around the 90gr BSB but it has shown a marked appreciation for the 100gr AccuBond as well.

It is a 277 wolverine, basically a 5.56 shortened and necked down to .277 caliber. It runs 90-100gr bullets 2600-2700fps and should be great for deer/caribou. I'm hoping my 8 yr old can use it to kill a caribou in the next few years.

Above is 5.56, 277 WLV, 300BLK


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[watrob]

These are some great rifle builds here, sorry to hear baltz526 that your rifle won't shoot 140gr Ballistic projectiles, certainty would p--s me off!

I am at the stage now of buying glass, now this rifle will only be shooting at 100, 200 & 300 yards so I need a scope that will show me bullet placement, fine reticle so SFP will be alright on high power. NightForce make a, ATACR™ 5-25×56 SFP ENHANCED MIL-R which has ED glass and Zero Stop or a NightForce NXS 8-32x56 MIL-R SFP Zero Stop, the NXS model does not have ED glass and the Benchrest NF Series Scope 8-32X56 NP-R2 reticle but has no Zero Stop or ED glass either.

I am just not sure the ATACR at 5-25 at the high end of 25 will not be powerful enough at the 200 to 300 yards range on paper targets?

I could go with the Nightforce 15-55x52 COMPETITION Reticle FCR-1 which has ED Glass & Zero Stop but is it overkill and with the lowest min range being 15 and for a .222 cal rifle?

I have read that 36 power ideal for 200 & 300 yards.

Your views appreciated.

PS. I decided to buy the NightForce 15-55x52 COMPETITION and as a backup the ATACR™ 5-25×56 SFP ENHANCED, so I can use the rifle for hunting as well should it not shoot well.

 

[Guy Miner]

I am just not sure the ATACR at 5-25 at the high end of 25 will not be powerful enough at the 200 to 300 yards range on paper targets?

I could go with the Nightforce 15-55x52 COMPETITION Reticle FCR-1 which has ED Glass & Zero Stop but is it overkill and with the lowest min range being 15 and for a .222 cal rifle?

I have read that 36 power ideal for 200 & 300 yards.

Your views appreciated.

PS. I decided to buy the NightForce 15-55x52 COMPETITION and as a backup the ATACR™ 5-25×56 SFP ENHANCED, this I can use the rifle for hunting as well.

36 power is ideal for 200 & 300 yards? For what? I'd say that's only likely in benchrest competition.

Just my two cents. :grin: I may be out of touch with what the competitors are using these days, but personally, I never liked too much magnification.

Regards, Guy

 

[watrob]

Hi Guy, most likely the scope will sit at the mid 40 range but being able to dial up is an advantage. I have a meeting with the gunsmith in the morning to look at the purpose built reamer which has arrived, we are narrowing the neck a little and them altering the Die's to suit.

 

[Guy Miner]

Coo. Looking forward to seeing the results of this build!

Ought to be one heck of an accurate varmint-swatter!

Guy

 

[watrob]

Ok my rifle will be finished after Easter and the build is:-

Kelbly BRFB stock (black with Silver fleck), metal Butt plate removed, replaced with rubber.
Jewell HVT SS Trigger with top safety
Krieger 26" SS 4 groove 1:9" twist in .222, tight neck throat, medium/heavy Varmint profile
Defiance Deviant Tactical .223 Rem SA Style Action
Metal HS Precision DBM with 4 shot .223 plastic mag
NightForce Competition 42x44mm ED Glass Zero Stop
Titanium Scope rings

Weight comes in at just under 10lb 8oz, so I can shoot Light Bench.

With a 6x power scope it will come in under 10lb, so can shoot Centerfire Light Hunter Class as it has a working magazine.

I can also shoot Heavy Hunter Class and Heavy Bench, I have a NightForce 15-55x52 COMPETITION Reticle FCR-1 scope also which I can use for these heavier classes if needed.

The Nosler projectile loaded in the .222 case at just touching the Lands is 2.225" oal, which is set to just below the crimp mark on the projectile and held in position with .002 pressure. Chamber neck throat will have .0020 to .0015 clearance depending whether the case neck walls are .011 or .012 thick. Have noticed some of the Nosler projectiles have been measuring at .223 and not .224, .223 projectile I will test in both the .011 &.012 cases and still give me the .002 clearance.

 

[Thebear_78]

Sounds like you've thought everything thru pretty well. I bet it will be a tack driver


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[watrob]

My rifle is nearly ready but ran into a weight problem, I needed to loose around 4 ounces. The legal limited for Light Hunter Class with 6x power scope and working magazine is 10lb and I wanted to keep my heavy long length barrel, the same is for Light Benchrest with my competition NF 43x44mm scope with is 10lb-8oz.

I did not want to make the rifle front heavy by removing anymore weight out of the Kelbly stock so I built a 3 shoot magazine which is all polymer.

 

[30-338]

My rifle is nearly ready but ran into a weight problem, I needed to loose around 4 ounces. The legal limited for Light Hunter Class with 6x power scope and working magazine is 10lb and I wanted to keep my heavy long length barrel, the same is for Light Benchrest with my competition NF 43x44mm scope with is 10lb-8oz.

I did not want to make the rifle front heavy by removing anymore weight out of the Kelbly stock so I built a 3 shoot magazine which is all polymer.

I know little about IBS/NBRSA Hunter (H) and Varmint for Score (VFS) and I know the challenge of the 6X and this is my question. Since Hunter/VFS match are score match then you want to switch over to group, wouldn't it been better to build rifle to shoot VFS and below is rules it.

Varmint for Score shall be fired with any rifle meeting the Light Varmint or Heavy Varmint rules as
described sections V.B.2 and V.B.3 of this rulebook. Records will be recognized for Light Varmint
and Heavy Varmint Rifles and both rifles may compete as an individual class within the Varmint for Score class. There shall be no distinction between Light Varmint and Sporter records. They shall be considered singly as a 10 ½ pound class.

 

[watrob]

You read my mind, I have started to build a second rifle after just finishing this one, it just squeeze in under the 10lb limit in the end.

The second rifle will be for the 10lb-8oz class (max weight), which is called Light Benchrest Class here, the Heavy Benchrest Class is 13lb-8oz (corrected, I did say 14lbs) (max weight) so I can shoot in both classes if I wanted to.

I have just got hold of a carbon fibre stock designed & built by a local which is similar to the competition BR Kelbly stock in design but only weighs 1lb-3oz (has a hole at the rear of the stock (butt plate covers it) to slide weights into for balance). The guy building the stocks has put a bit of thought into it, he has fill areas of the stock with energy absorbing materials for harmonics.

I am using a Krieger barrel again, #15 Palma Contour which will have the same neck throat size and calibre as the first rifle has (already have the special built reamer). Again using the same Defiance Deviant Machine action, same HVT Jewell trigger but because of the weight saving in the stock I can use the new version of the NightForce Competition 15-55x52mm scope with ED glass, scope weighs in at 27 ounces.

Also that polymer DBM with 3 shot magazine (will fit 4 cases actually) weighs in at just 3.2ounces, all up the rifle will weigh 10lb-4oz, so I will add just under 4oz to the rear of the stock for balance.

 

[30-338]

You read my mind, I have started to build a second rifle after just finishing this one, it just squeeze in under the 10lb limit in the end.

The second rifle will be for the 10lb-8oz class (max weight), which is called Light Benchrest Class here, the Heavy Benchrest Class is 14lb (max weight) so I can shoot in both classes if I wanted to.

I have just got hold of a carbon fibre stock designed & built by a local which is similar to the competition BR Kelbly stock in design but only weighs 1lb-3oz (has a hole at the rear of the stock (butt plate covers it) to slide weights into for balance). The guy building the stocks has put a bit of thought into it, he has fill areas of the stock with energy absorbing materials for harmonics.

I am using a Krieger barrel again, #15 Palma Contour which will have the same neck throat size and calibre as the first rifle has (already have the special built reamer). Again using the same Defiance Deviant Machine action, same HVT Jewell trigger but because of the weight saving in the stock I can use the new version of the NightForce Competition 15-55x52mm scope with ED glass, scope weighs in at 27 ounces.

Also that polymer DBM with 3 shot magazine (will fit 4 cases actually) weighs in at just 3.2ounces, all up the rifle will weigh 10lb-4oz, so I will add just under 4oz to the rear of the stock for balance.

I could be wrong but isn't Heavy Varmint max 13 1/2 lbs then you have Heavy Bench which can use Unrestricted rest. Light Varmint and Sporter are 10 1/2 lbs but have cal restriction on Sporter. I used to shoot BR so have pretty good understanding on making weight and I mostly used Right Bolt/Left Port Kelby actions

I shot 30 cal for Hunter on Kelby's Kodiak action and group used Panda's all single shot actions. Little easier making weight with 6mm and 30 cal bore dia and I did shot 222 couple years had .242 neck. Well good luck

 

[watrob]

Heavy Centrefire (Varmint) Benchrest (unrestricted Scope) is 13lb-8oz here.

Light Centrefire (Varmint) Benchrest (unrestricted scope) is 10lb-8oz.

Light Centrefire Hunter Class is 10lb with 6x power scope plus a working magazine with min 2 cartridges.

Heavy Centrefire Hunter Class is 14lb with unrestricted scope, no magazine required.

Sporter Benchrest (Centrefire) Class is 9lb with unrestricted scope, plus some restrictions like it must be a manufactures rifle (no custom builds), haven't really looked into it.

So I will shoot Light Centrefire Hunter Class (10lb) and Light Centrefire Benchrest (10lb-8oz)

All the above are on restricted rests.