Heavy gun in the UK

[geordiesniper]

Hi folks. I am always amazed at the ingenuity of gunsmiths/shooters who make heavy guns of all calibres in the USA and thought it would be a good idea to shoot one.
Some of the heavy guns that I have seen photos of on this site look amazing, and here in England there are one perhaps two heavy guns used in benchrest competitions and most shooters are in light gun class up to 17lbs.
But hopefully things are changing and more heavies are turning up on the firing points for 1000 yards benchrest shoots. A fellow shooter at my club (Diggle ranges) offered to make one for me a stock out of aluminium with a barrel block so I could swap barrels. I had a barrel chambered already in 6BR and had it fitted and here are a few photos.
The completed rifle with scope weighs 56 lbs which I guess is quite light by some rifles in the USA, but is a joy to shoot with about 1/2 inch recoil.
I will eventually get my .284 Win barrel fitted to it and use a barrel sleeve to utilise the existing barrel block and give that a go at longer range.
Also a good friend of mine Bruce Lenton was also using his heavy gun chambered in .338 Lapua mag at the Diggle 1000yd shoot yesterday (photo attached with the laminated blue stock) along with a few more guys with theirs.
Good shooting to all.

 

[dkhunt14]

Anyone of those will work. It is pretty much what they shoot here. I wouldn't do a Lapua unless I wanted to shoot extreme range or long range hunt. I have an improved for longrange hunting. If I wanted to build a new one aluminum or wood would both be good. Maybe 35 to 40 pounds for a Dasher. 40 to 50 for a 6.5x47 or 50 to 60 for a 300Wsm. They would track good at those weights. The important thing is being done on a mill so the rails, block and all the stock is straight. That's important for tracking. For target shooting the 3 mentioned cartridges is what I would build. Those 3 win almost every aggregate here and break all the records.

I don't like a clamp block and prefer a glue in solid one. You still could have multiple blocks and just glue in a different barrel or do like I do and switch actions with one already to go. The reason I like glue in is because I have seen good shooting guns taken out of the block and when returned they wouldn't shoot as good. Even when torqued. Another reason is with set screws at 90 degrees front and back the barrel can be centered and checked by measuring before it is glued. Once the glue is dry, loosen the set screws or take them out so they don't put stress on the barrel when heating up. The glue is squeezed in through the he bottom with a syringe in a hole near the back in the bottom. The block has two O rings recessed front and rear to keep the glue from coming out. Slightly remove the front to let air out while filling. When full clean and push the ring back in. Also in my aluminum stocks the block is held by three 3/8-16 flat head Allen screws and two 3/8 inch Dowell pins to align the block. Matt

 

[dkhunt14]

Yes it is but i bet he don't take it out. My gunsmith does his guns and it could still be glued in. I would have to ask Mike or Mark. I didn't say they wouldn't shoot but it seems they are easy not as consistent. Also saw where somebody wanted to save it for the big shoots and took it out and it wouldn't shoot again. Almost no split blocks at Williamsport. Matt

 

[FrankLD46]

i was thinking of building a 30/.338 lapua magnum with a one in 12 twist to shoot 125 grain bullets ccomments?

 

[dkhunt14]

i was thinking of building a 30/.338 lapua magnum with a one in 12 twist to shoot 125 grain bullets ccomments?

What is the intended USE? Matt