I agree with a lot of the OP’s criteria, except as follows:
#1: I’ll take accuracy, but I can accept 1.5 MOA with a premium bullet IF the rifle holds a zero. I find that a lot of the time and money required to get sub-MOA loads is much better invested in plain old trigger time.
#3: Gotta have a scope. I wish someone would make a bomb-proof 4x with an illuminated reticle.
#11: Probably the most important criteria on the list. I’d flex on a lot of the other criteria to get this exactly right.
Brad is getting really close to what I consider the ideal. (So is rgrx, I just haven’t been following him as long.) In my quest to become more Brad-like, I’ve arrived at this:
[img]
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12408175/m-70[/img]
Stainless Model 70 Classic, G-prefix/five-digit serial number, factory 24” barrel, excellent trigger, pillar bedded into a Bansner stock. Cheap Winchester 180-grain ammo is good for about 1.5 MOA and clocks exactly 2,700 fps at the muzzle, which is a nice touch. Haven’t had time to work up a load yet, but I’ll likely start with 180-grain Partitions when that day comes.
Weight as shown is 8.23 pounds. I’ll probably swap the variable for a Leupold 4x scope in Weaver rings as on Brad’s 308 for any hunts, so it will be field ready at just under 8 pounds. Balance is just about perfect, which is the ONLY reason I haven’t cut the barrel to 22” yet.
The scope shown is a Leupold VX-R 3-9x40 with the Ballistic Firedot reticle. The ranging ability of this reticle makes it easy to ring the 2-MOA 400-yard steel but I’m just starting to work out with the illuminated reticle, so I don’t have a fully formed opinion on it yet.
Another thing I like about this one is that it uses plain-Jane parts. If I felt the need to have a rifle for some specific nook and/or cranny of North America, then I could easily duplicate it in any of a dozen or more cartridges.
I’m pretty sure that the rifle is about perfect for my needs—now I just need to find the perfect optic(s).
Also, if anyone can explain how to get an actual image to show up in a post instead of link, I'd be eternally grateful.
Okie John
