Perfect caliber.....

[johnfred1965]

If you are going to build a beautiful custom rifle, I'd have to agree with everyone else and go with quality new brass. If you are going to assemble a franken-gun out of parts you have and a custom action, I'd say weight sort it into groups and give it a go. I had a friend shoot F-tr with a stock Rem VSF. Black Hills and FGMM mixed brass and he came in second. He outshot my 6.5x284. Of course everyone who saw him shoot that rifle thought there was something wrong with it because it shot so well!

 

[perry42]

Once you have shot enough to develop an accurate load ((both 600 & 1,000yds) you should realize that weighing brass, sizing brass, weighing bullets, finding ogive to bullet base measurement and bullet length, powder type, primer, and seating depth are just the tip of the iceberg. Shoot a lot and record what your doing. Persistence along with trial and error will help you become a better shooter. There is a bunch of good experienced shooters on this forum, read and learn from them. What I'm trying to say is there are no short cuts. Good luck to you.

perry42

 

[flatlander]

I've had some good results - along with a good deal of fun - shooting a 7-08 Improved 30* that I put together on a M700 with a 26" Krieger 1-9tw sendero contour bbl. It's no light hunting rifle, with an all-up wt of 13.5lbs, but it's very pleasant to shoot with Sierra 168MKs loaded to just under 2700fps. Sure, a straight 284 will out-perform it with 180VLDs at 2700+fps, but I built this rifle just to see how 7-08 would perform. Have been impressed & pleased with its accuracy at 600yds - will need to stretch it out to 1000 later this year after fall farm work is done. It's more of a tactical rifle, not something one would shoot in a mid or long range prone match, so I wasn't concerned about sticking with a 308 for F/TR - besides, I'm still a sling shooter when it comes to prone high power anyway. Going with a standard 7-08 chamber might be as good a way as any to use all that 308 brass....

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Don't see many around but I was told many years ago that 7mm was considered the perfect caliber ballistics wise. Not sure but the numbers look real good for some 7mm bullets. I really like shooting my old pre-war 7x57 Mauser but it is a really outdated round. At one time I was going to rebarrel my 243 into a 7mm08 but just sold the rifle instead. Would still like to have a good 7mm08 to play with.

 

[boltman13]

I agree with Hog Patrol why spend all that money on a custom action with trigger, barrel and high quality gunsmithing and use lesser quality brass. Get Lapua new and full length resize a few of the old and use them for barrel break in, then junk them or give them to someone with a rack grade 308 who reloads.

 

[flatlander]

The 7-08 Imp 30* I wrote about above is set up with PTG Stealth DBM, so I'm seating the S168MKs pretty deep in order to feed through AICS mags. However, the reamer I used was originally ground for use in a barrel for an AR10, so it's got a relatively short throat - which works perfectly with the 168s seated to mag length. I've shot a few Hornady 162 AMaxes out of it by single loading, and it's obvious that I could get better ballistic efficiency out of this rig with longer bullets (like Berger or JLK 168VLDs) seated out, but then I might wind up needing to throat the bbl., which would probably screw it up for the S168s...so I'm just shooting what works right now. Like I said, a 284 will out-perform this improved 7-08 easily, and since I've got a couple of 284s built for 180s, I don't really need to push the envelope very much with this 7-08 - if I need something with more punch/wind bucking ability at longer range, I'll just get one of the 284s out....lol

ETA photos - fully formed case next to fireform load with Hornady 162 AMax; M700 custom rifle in B&C #2015 stock with one of the new Athlon Ares 'brown' 4.5-30x56 mil scopes. Their anodizing looks very similar to NIC/CeraKote's burnt bronze; I need to get some air dry burnt bronze and shoot the scope rings with it to see how good a match it is.

 

[jmatters]

Chad, - As far as I know BIX-N-Andy has not yet fully developed a working trigger for the Barnard Action Line. - (and I could be misinformed) a Barnard Trigger is basically your only option on a Barnard Action, unless someone's adapted the Jewell Triggers to work.

The S is a little different; the P has a Bix and Andy available.
The S comes with a Remington type trigger hanger for any Remington trigger.

 

[LA50SHOOTER]

The S is a little different; the P has a Bix and Andy available.
The S comes with a Remington type trigger hanger for any Remington trigger.

Will the P model Bix Trigger work on a GP Model ? (GP model is Barnard's BIG Action)

 

[jmatters]

He might get lucky...Free Brass is just that...Try it & see.. I had acquired a #300 or so size lot of 6mmbr fired from a Savage Factory Barrel..I reformed it to BRX for my old Shilen BRX barrel...Some work, some not so well...For my Wife's new Brux Barrel I had the gunsmith Hydraform 200 pieces of Virgin Lapua Brass , More Better ..You will have to use em to find out..Mike in Ct

Will the P model Bix Trigger work on a GP Model ? (GP model is Barnard's BIG Action)

I do not think so, but you can contact the guys in New Zealand directly from their website to be certain. It may fit, but their website notes that the standard P trigger is modified for the GP action; although it does not specify what the modification is.

 

[LA50SHOOTER]

I do not think so, but you can contact the guys in New Zealand directly from their website to be certain. It may fit, but their website notes that the standard P trigger is modified for the GP action; although it does not specify what the modification is.

Thank You, - I'll give that a try but I have a feeling that the answer back will be No (No Bix Triggers for a GP). - The GP has a very strong spring in it as it is built around the 50 BMG cartridge.

 

[GSPV]

An existing supply of brass is a terrible reason to pick a cartridge.

Write down *your* requirements and pick the cartridge that best fits them.

 

[Pigdog]

the perfect calibre/cartridge well that would be the 6.5x47L of course!!!!!

 

[muleman69]

Once you have shot enough to develop an accurate load ((both 600 & 1,000yds) you should realize that weighing brass, sizing brass, weighing bullets, finding ogive to bullet base measurement and bullet length, powder type, primer, and seating depth are just the tip of the iceberg. Shoot a lot and record what your doing. Persistence along with trial and error will help you become a better shooter. There is a bunch of good experienced shooters on this forum, read and learn from them. What I'm trying to say is there are no short cuts. Good luck to you.

perry42

Would you have time to pm me on your procedures from weighting brass to final seating depth ?

 

[GSPV]

If you shoot F/TR, then you need to shoot a 223 or 308.

If you plan to shoot F-Open, can the brass and shoot a 284, straight or improved, a 7 short mag of some ilk, or jump up to a 300 WSM.

Bullet, reamer, and twist choice will be critical no matter what route you take.

But don’t go down a road over a supply of brass. Cart before the horse.

 

[Redrover]

Chad, - As far as I know BIX-N-Andy has not yet fully developed a working trigger for the Barnard Action Line. - I've heard talk that they were discussing it but I'm still waiting to hear more back. - As to my understanding (and I could be misinformed) a Barnard Trigger is basically your only option on a Barnard Action, unless someone's adapted the Jewell Triggers to work.

Barnard do make a kit that enables using a Jewell trigger on a Model P action. See the following link:

http://www.barnard.co.nz/jewel-trigger-conversions-model-p.htm

The problem with it is, as Barnard note, that the finger piece sits about 20mm further back than with the standard trigger. When I first read that B N A were making a trigger specific to the Model P, I was hopeful that this problem would be eliminated. Apparently not - the finger piece is still further back, but now, only by 15mm. Might be OK with some stocks and some shooters paw sizes. Or it might not be ....

 

[K9I449]

I had to bulid 204ruger cause a friend gave me a cleaning rod.

 

[okie]

I had to bulid 204ruger cause a friend gave me a cleaning rod.

lmao--i do the same things...

 

[270WinDude]

So a friend gave me over 1000 once fired .308 brass. I’ve been going to build a veritable multi-purpose long range gun. I have a brand new composite pull off stock off a Remington 5R. I’m fond of Barnard actions so I’m thinking of Barnard SM since it has the Remington 700 footprint with maybe a bix n Andy trigger.

So what can I do with the brass? Keep it at .308 or should I go Remington 260? What else can I do? I do want good barrel life as well.

What do I plan to do with it? I’m not a hunter but if I do ever go, well I’ll shave something to use. I most of the time will practice sniper skills, learning windage and elevation changes to make effective one shot success. Will likely shoot some FTR with it at 1000yds.

Thanks

Chad

Good excuse to build a 270-08 for matrix 155s.... or berger140 classic hunter