I'm curious as why you need a back up rifle? I only have one light gun but carry parts to fix things that might go wrong. Unless you have two identical stocks, you'd also have to have extra bags/tops etc. I would never discourage someone from buying another rifle, but it sounds like you already have a Cadillac and now you're wanting to build a used Taurus. No disrespect meant, just curious.
well back home again so I can answer. Here is a tentative list of guns that one might want to build or get built to enjoy the long range BR game and some that have been of interest:
1. main gun built by the best in a dasher for Montana and elsewhere if I enjoy the sport DONE
2. back up gun in a nice stock that should work IN PROGRESS so that you can take more than one gun to the range and use a light gun and a heavy gun to see and LEARN what works and what may not, yes it may not be as good in the stock or barrel department but until one tests the barrel on the first gun who knows which shoots better or what bullets may need to be used, Bat 3 lug action melonite for speed in a dasher
3. another Borden in a Tooley MBR as I have the action trigger and barrel as a spare right now, all I need is the stock so another build perhaps on a 6.5 by 47 with the stock you can hang onto, never had a 6.5 by 47 and it looks like fun as our new 1000 yard range 4 hours away can get very windy and tricky as it sits on the side of a mountain at altitude,
4. would like to try a Borden DROP PORT in a dasher, not sure of the stock yet, perhaps I could get a stock modified for the switch barrel and the stock could work for both the dasher and the drop port, yes I know one may wish to glue in the gun but only AFTER IT HAS BEEN PROVEN ON THE BACKUP OR TRIAL GUNS, experimenting with glue ins can be very expensive as you need separate stocks and actions for each experiment,
5. lastly for the light type guns I would like another BAT 3 lug melonite as I really liked my 100-200 yard BR bat,
so in sum for the light type guns it would be nice to have 3 yes THREE good guns capable of winning from time to time and be able to take the 2 guns you are fond of at the time to a match that you travel to, sorry to tip my hand as I do not want to be seen as an easy mark when I pull up to the range next spring, oh there is the guy with money or at least a wish to accumulate more guns,
and so what if you lose 500 beans on a gun, I am older somewhat retired, somewhat nuts, and wish to try to be able to COMPETE with the big boys or living legends on a level playing field, and wish to what is that word ENJOY MYSELF by trying a few guns, NOW if you can lend me those guns for a weekend I will pay you as it is cheaper than building one to decide it is not for me at this time,
now onto one last gun
the real heavy and not so fun gun to pack up the hill to the bench, a monster 80 pounds of living aluminum, 42 inch wide and so on,
well how about taking a maxi tracker to a cnc machinist and carving the stock down to 4 inch wide and less length on the sides, and slimmer on the butt but not the tracking area to reduce the weight down to say 20 pounds without barrelled action on a Borden or bat, then wait for SEB to breed a MAx and Neo for the new rest to take on the 1000 yard game, (then I can use a SEB for everything and not pull my back out with the MAX or aggravate my stomach hernia much, and then perhaps more interest in the sport, why you ask, it seems somewhat hard to buy rests that work in a three piece, or heavy front like a viper (had 2 of them) without having to be able to change the front bag width 6 times in a day for those of us who have a few guns to take to the range,
silly perhaps to build or buy a BIG gun but would like to try a hundr3ed rounds on one and nobody seems to be stepping forward to let me experience this, even though it is near Christmas,
so a long explanation and not a terribly good one as it may be smarter to just build 2 guns on a deep creek type stock and be done with it, but what happens when I finish last for 2 years what fun did I have,
later eh
Jeff
