Project Deathstroke lives.

[ballisticxlr]

Here we go. The almost finished product. I have one small mod to make to the receiver so it'll feed from the AICS mag properly and then I need to pull all the fasteners and lock-tite them before torquing everything to spec. I'm not super happy with the Timney trigger but we'll see how it grows on me (or not). The scope that's on it is temporary. I think I'll take my US Optics 3.8-22x44mm and hook it up to the top. I still have to buy a new crush washer for the brake too.

Astute readers of my missives may recall that this 6mm Columbia River Arms barrel has already had 1800 rounds of snot rocket fast 115's through it when it was a .243AI. I had my smithy lop 1.5" off the back and re-chamber it to 6XC. Before that we did a full inspection. There was no fire cracking anywhere and it's all still mirror smooth all the way down. The rifling is polygonal so there's nothing sticking out to get worn down. When it was a .243AI I got 50% more life out of the throat than I would have with Enfield rifling. So let's see if I get 3000 rounds out of this throat.

Say hello to Project Deathstroke

It's sitting in a Postman Precision Rifle Chassis with PTG bottom metal, Harris 6-9" notch leg, JP tactical brake, Timney trigger and a UTG soft grip. Optic in the pic is a Nikon P-223. It's set up at zero headspace just like my other 6XC, Project Deadpool (shown below) and since both were cut with the same reamer to the same depth I can share ammo between the rifles and not bugger up my match brass even if I want to just neck size.

These are meant for NRA prone and PRS competition but I also do other competition formats with them and I'm seriously thinking about taking Deadpool to Africa hunting next year.

For those that don't know, Deadpool is a comic book character. Deathstroke is apparently the comic book character which Deadpool was ripped off from. They're super similar but have different color schemes and accessories.

 

[Ramblerman]

Howa-bunga, dude

 

[Twicepop]

What kind of accuracy do you get from that Columbia River Arms barrel? Is it on par or better than a button or cut rifled barrel?

 

[ballisticxlr]

I have half a dozen CRA barrels, mostly on match rifles. I get amazing accuracy with them every time. They seem to be really easy to develop loads on. I shoot matches pretty actively and I'm pretty demanding. I won't field a setup if I can't keep a 10 shot string inside .75". I need all the rest of the slop for me.

 

[300_whisper]

Are they a “cheaper” price wise barrel? I never heard of them until this thread. You have some cool posts!!

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have a 20 Practical AR barrel from Colombia river arms, it is marked Black Hole Weaponry (BHW). After diagnosing an issue with a scope/mount, I believe it will be easy sub moa barrel for 5 shots.

 

[ballisticxlr]

Are they a “cheaper” price wise barrel? I never heard of them until this thread. You have some cool posts!!

Cheaper? In some ways but not in others. It's complicated. If you get a drop-in barrel from them around one of their semi-annual big sales then you're getting a hell of a barrel that's ready to plug in for a SONG and they'll even cerakote it for you on the cheap ($75) and thread the muzzle for free. If you pay full price it's only 315 for a drop-in barrel so it's from competitive to a little cheaper but there's no sacrifice in quality over any other drop-in. In some ways they're better than most.

If you get a blank from them then you're not saving much over anyone else BUT if you get it during one of their sales or overrun blowouts you can seriously get a deal. At one point I bought 5 blanks for $60 each. Some deals you don't pass up and they do that stuff all the time. It's enough that it's a good reason to be on the mailing list.

Beyond these 2, I have a 26" CRA .223 1:7 on my Mossberg MVP, my former coach has my other CRA 6XC barrel on his Savage match rifle (which he refuses to return), I have a CRA 7RM barrel on a Winchester I use exclusively for mile+ shooting and a 6x45mm AR upper with one of their pipes. I used to use Hart/Shilen/Lilja/Douglass/etc... and they were all decent too. I just like CRA better nowadays. They have a wicked .243AI reamer with a no turn tight neck that's just magical too.

 

[ballisticxlr]

Updated pics of both. I'll be adding the Deadpool logo to the top rifle this weekend. I took Deathstroke out for a test run and it put in a 10-shot .7" group so I'm happy there. I've also decided to start over again with the ammo. I was using H4350 but only because my former teammate had so much on hand. I'm about to order a pile of new brass and since I'm doing that I'll get a pile of new powder with it. I think I'll go with RL-23. It produces velocities of IMR 4350 at the same charge weights with less pressure sign and does about identical to H4350.

I've moved a US Optics 3.8-22x44mm ERGO to the top of Deathstroke. I'm actually thinking about flipping the scopes so the big objective bell would go on Deathstroke and the small one on Deadpool. Then the objective bell width would match the chassis width. They're otherwise the same model of scope with different main tube and bell sizes. I will also be going out today to find thumbscrews for the butt pad and cheek rest set screws.

Deadpool (top), Deathstroke (not top). Deadpool is a Savage 10FPSR in MTD LSS, XLR and Magpul furniture. Deathstroke is a Howa 1500. Both wear Columbia River Arms pipes of ~25.5" and shoot 6XC.

Finally got a good shot of the bubble level in the Postman Precision chassis. No head movement necessary at all. The hole that the bubble level goes into is actually the datum point from which all other dimensions are indexed so it's perfectly level and square to the stock right out of the gate. It looks like the tail section attaches behind the level but it's actually all one piece.

 

[ballisticxlr]

All kinds of new action on this project...

Just ordered 24lbs of Reloader 23, 3K 115gr DTAC's and 300x small primer Peterson 6XC cases. With that and the the bullet & primer supplies I have on-hand I'm good to go for about 4K rounds. I know the RL-23 will work and work well based on some earlier experimentation. It likes the 6XC and makes great velocities and I just don't like H4350 and IMR4350 being in my cabinet at the same time nor do I like dealing with tons of 1lbs cans which seems like the only way I'm ever able to find either of those powders.

All of my rifle powders now (Benchmark, IMR4895, BL-C(2), RL-23, IMR3031) are in 8lbs jugs and each powder is visually distinct from each other powder which is an issue that came up recently. It appears that somehow I poured what looks like ~100gr of IMR4350 into a can of H4350 with about 1000 grains of powder still in it which I caught while weighing out the very first charge. I know from prior experiences of some fellow match shooters that mixing powders, even powders that have similar burn rates, bulk densities and energy contents is a good way to expose the insides of a receiver to the outsides of the world. So, I got curious though about what would happen I made a few of those rounds with just one granule of IMR4350 in the 39.5 grain charge of H4350 and went to range test the ammo. It was very enlightening!

1 single granule of IMR4350 in 39.5 grains of H4350 took pressures from just fine with nice round primers to straight up blowing primers out of the brass, hard bolt lift and ruined brass on every one of 5 shots. A SINGLE GRANULE. I've taken the remainder of that polluted can and poured it on the back porch and lit it on fire. It will not be around to harm any other brass.

I've taken the neck bushings for my Exact Shooting custom die set over to my machinist and had him open them all up .0020. That will stop me neck turning and I'm doing it because I've had a lot better luck not using neck turned brass. I think I'm just not very good at that operation. I didn't find any benefit to tinkering with neck tensions on neck turned brass but I think I'll probably find it on unturned brass.

Making the switch to small primer brass and moving away from Norma to Peterson is really about economy and identifiability. I have a TON of match grade small primers that I got for a song and with burning less than 40gr of powder I don't really need the large primer. I also don't want to be mixing up old brass for new brass so the different head stamp will prevent that.

There's a UTG pistol grip on Deathstroke which I actually like. It's comfortable. I think though that I'll swap it for the PSG-1 grip that's on my AR-15 and pop the UTG grip onto the AR. It looks weird having a PSG-1 grip on an M4 profile AR anyway and I like the shelf on it for prone shooting.

Since someone gave me the flu I can't go to TG dinner. I think I'll use the free time to take care of some detail work on the paint jobs for both rifles. I'm going to do the Deadpool face logo on Deadpool and tinker a little with some accent fills on Deathstroke.

 

[ballisticxlr]

First groups. 115 DTAC's .010 off, RL-23, Peterson SRP brass, CCI 400s (lots of piercing from the bottom up at known safe pressures, changing to thick cup primers). Found a nice .5MOA grouping load at 39.5. Backed that up with a tall target and box test and all shots stayed within about a bullet's width of the POA. Will tweak with seating depth to see if I can pull that group size in at all but if it don't, I'm happy enough with it. 30 years ago I couldn't have bought a rifle that would print like that much less build it at home. I was a little trembly that day but I'm not inclined to blame myself for anything but a little windage on the 39gr set.

 

[beemanjohn]

Like you, my poor-boy custom is built on a Howa 1500 action. I had a terrible time with cratered primers and pierced primers. I sent my bolt to @Grimstod and had him put a bushing in it. Made a huge difference. He is one of the few people who has a fixture that will work for a Howa bolt. In fact, if you go to his web site you will see a picture of my bolt in his fixture. (just google Grimstod Desh) I wish I had done it sooner.

 

[ballisticxlr]

Reached out to @Grimstod. Thanks much for that!