Just completed 338 Lapua for Customer

[Rustystud]

The attached pictures are of a Customized Savage 110 in 338 Lapua. The barrel is a SS #6, 26FL, Fluted, 338, 1:10, 5R, chambered for 300 grain bullets, and wearing a Harrell's radial muzzle brake bored to .358' and turned to barrel diameter. The action, sear, bolt handle, PT&G .701" fluted bolt body, front baffle, and PT&G bolt head, barrel, and muzzle brake have been melonited. The barrel was cryo treated prior to meloniting. The bottom metal is the factory Savage detachable box magazine. The Scope base is a Ken Farrell one piece steel 20 moa picatinney rail. The Stock is a McMillian A3-5, with 3 way adjustable but plate, adjustable cheek piece, Weatherby fill in the action area, 1/2" aluminum pillars, and picatinny bi pod rail, in green black and grey. The recoil lug has been glass bedded and barrel is free floated. I fired the rifle 10 times and cleaned it well before meloniting. I cleaned is well after meloniting. Fired 10 more rounds and cleaned it well. I fired it 5 rounds and made final scope adjustments. Then shot a 5 shot group at 100 yards, conditions were cold and windy. I was using a Seb Neo rest and saddle rear bag. The group measures .5845" outside to outside less the bullet diameter 0f .338". The rifle recoils about the same as a 270 Win. Much more pleasant to shoot than expected. I was shooting Norma 338 Lapua Magnum brass, Federal 215 GMM primers, and 86.0 grains of Retumbo, and 300 Sierra HPBT, running 2642 fps. Yes, I am very pleased with the outcome of this rifle. It will be shipped to the customer this afternoon.

Nat Lambeth

 

[BCoates]

Nice! It looks like you put a shoulder on the barrel and did away with the barrel nut. Was that by customer request or do you prefer to do it that way?

 

[Rustystud]

I don't rebarrel any Savages with the nut anymore.
Just not Safe or Strong.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Ggmac]

Nice looking and shooting set up. Barrel nuts and long threaded stress risers on big boomers is not a wise choice . Again a very nice package .
Gary

 

[rudysts]

that is one nice setup

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I don't rebarrel any Savages with the nut anymore.
Just not Safe or Strong.
Nat Lambeth

Just curious on your reasoning here?

 

[Danattherock]

That's a fine looking rifle

Tried calling the shop but I missed you. Sent a PM.



Dan
NC

 

[Outrider27]

Nice work Nat; I really like it.

Mike

 

[Rustystud]

The reason I quite doing re-barrels with the Savage Barrel nut. It is engineered to be used one time, by Savage. There is less than an 1/8" of metal where the barrel nut grooves are located. Every time a barrel nut is tighten it stretches. I have a very experienced customer that had a barrel nut that had been used on numerous barrels. He tighten up the nut and during firing it slipped loose. The barrel loosened enough for a catastrophic case head separation. No one was hurt but stock in the shooters and his squad partners underwear went up that day.
I only use premium grade barrels and their is no reason for me not to do a shoulder fit barrel. Barrels used on the same action with the same recoil lug will headspace the same every time. After more than ten years doing barrel nuts and shouldered barrels I have come to the conclusion that barrels with a shoulder, more specifically long target barrels are more stable and accurate with the shoulder fit. Because I have no control over barrel nut fits after they leave my shop, I have decided it is in my best interest and my customers best interest to only offer shoulder fit barrels.
Nat Lambeth

 

[savagedasher]

I don't rebarrel any Savages with the nut anymore.
Just not Safe or Strong.
Nat Lambeth

Just curious on your reasoning here?

The nut I have is 1.300 the replacement barrel unless special ordered is 1.250 . If my math is correct the nut is +.050 larger. As long as I have ben twisting wrenches I never seen a nut stretch .
Larry

 

[Rustystud]

Two questions Larry, 1. Do you re-barrel for customers or others? 2. Do you carry liability insurance?

If you answered yes to number 1. There is a good chance one day all of what is yours will belong to someone else.

I re-barreled hundreds of customers barrel nut Savages, for about fifteen years. The year before last I had a very experienced High Master Shooter who has a barrel nut wrench and gauges take a couple short cuts and bang he had a catastrophic case failure at Camp Perry.

I feel it is not worth the risk. I no longer do barrel nut barrels and have never used prefit barrels.

Just my Choice.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Camaro80z]

Nat I had heard once upon a time that there were claims of savage actions twisting or warping from the meloniting process. I'm assuming that since you have clearly done it that the claims were crap. I'd like to hear your input on this because I've always held back from having it done for fear of the unknown but would like to try it out.

 

[xswanted]

Looks great!

If I had a place to shoot 1000+ yards I'd have a big boomer in a heart beat.

 

[savagedasher]

Two questions Larry, 1. Do you re-barrel for customers or others? 2. Do you carry liability insurance?

If you answered yes to number 1. There is a good chance one day all of what is yours will belong to someone else.

I re-barreled hundreds of customers barrel nut Savages, for about fifteen years. The year before last I had a very experienced High Master Shooter who has a barrel nut wrench and gauges take a couple short cuts and bang he had a catastrophic case failure at Camp Perry.

I feel it is not worth the risk. I no longer do barrel nut barrels and have never used prefit barrels.

Just my Choice.

Nat Lambeth

I don't re-barrel for customers. If I did I would not put 1.250 barrel on a large shank savage Without a nut, A 1.250 barrel is fine on the small shank savage and Remington and their clones.
Large shank Savage the barrel should be 1.350.
The reason for his failure wasn't the nut on the barrel. It was the nut who installed it wrong..
That is no different then when someone puts the wrong powder or charge in a case.
And a nut don't stretch it shrinks when tighten.
The nut could expand but more then likely it would crack and then you couldn't Tighten it.
I respect what you have done for Savage.
I wish someone would make a barrel 1.350 at the chamber for the large shank savage.
Larry

 

[Rustystud]

Just wanted to say Larry is a hell of a nice guy. He called me and we talked for and extended period. He has some great ideas and opinions. I feel like I learned something this morning. He thought he may have offended me and called to apologize. I told him in no way had he offended me. I explained after having worked 30+ years for the Justice Department dealing with lawyers on a daily basis my skin was much thicker then most. Accurate Shooter is a great forum and I am thankful for posters with the knowledge and experience of Larry.
Nat Lambeth

 

[savagedasher]

Just wanted to say Larry is a hell of a nice guy. He called me and we talked for and extended period. He has some great ideas and opinions. I feel like I learned something this morning. He thought he may have offended me and called to apologize. I told him in no way had he offended me. I explained after having worked 30+ years for the Justice Department dealing with lawyers on a daily basis my skin was much thicker then most. Accurate Shooter is a great forum and I am thankful for posters with the knowledge and experience of Larry.
Nat Lambeth

Thanks Nate
The pleasure on this end was the same. Just remember I was reloading when you were in dippers.
Larry

 

[Rustystud]

Larry if we combined our ages and went back, Oliver Winchester would have still been making shirts. An smokeless powder would be on the horizon.

Nat

 

[sbhooper]

That is a fine-looking rifle. What kind of barrel life do your big rifles get?