Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 6.5 GAP 4S?

Thats Awesome!!
What was your load?
Also a hunting story please.

RS

George got the shipment of brass in, just put it for sale on the GAP website today. Cheaper than the first batch!

140 Berger, 61.5 H1000 ~ 3020fps. Awesome hunt and back country experience. I could write a book, "All the things they didn't tell you about sheep hunting".

Short shot, only about 150 but very downhill. Steep and deep country, awesome horse and mule experience (even after rolling one down the mountain - but he made it), grizzly fight in camp (at night).

Couldn't ask for much more.

Awesome! Sounds like a great hunt.

How did the Berger do?

Kimber7, yes, I already bought some today, but thanks! I only got 120 cases 'cause a) it's not for sure this is perfected brass yet and b) I'd just spent myself into the fun-money poorhouse buying a bunch of parts needed to do this build, like the APA RTG bottom metal, the bolt shroud & pin, M16 extractor, etc. But 120 will get me up and rolling and hell, by the time I get the stock and barrel in February 2017, GAP will probably have another batch in hand anyway!

Awesome job again my friend !!

Thanks gents! Jeff - Berger was awesome. I made a good shot and pinwheeled him right there. We found the largest part of the bullet thru far side shoulder. I put it in a ziplock with my lunch in the saddle bag. That night's whiskey celebration plus the previous nights bear fight (that's two bears) in camp has us burning a bunch of trash. My buddy didn't know that's where I stowed it and the bullet was lost. Dang shame too. But, that's hunting, right (?) and a pretty good story.

Lots of great help (and patience) from Scott, Pat and others here on 24 over the past several years. My original plan was a 260 thanks to Pat's incredible thread 308 vs 260. I had also thought Creed was an option. I didn't want another mag that didn't get shot much. Reading and learning about George's theories on pressure and case design really pushed me to the SAUM. Something also cool about it still being not quite mainstream and different. I still have a bunch of questions about some advanced reloading stuff that I've never been a part of (bushings, neck turning, etc) but look forward to that as well.

I hope you enjoy yours as much as I have already mine. Antelope and a couple elk planned yet this year with the SAUM.

I took this photo for my good friend and knife making savant, Rick Menefee:


Lanyard by yours truly and horns thanks to the Wyoming backcountry...

Hi Gies,

Adventures are awesome, hunts ok. Grin! Congrats on the sheep.

Can I please ask you to share the blueprint of your rifle?

Many thanks,

Bob

It's a gorgeous rifle. Pretty sure that's the GAP pattern- Manners SL, Bartlein #3 fluted twisted 1:8.7..... I won't lie, it makes me doubt my decision to go with the Xtreme Hunter pattern which has the DBM. Very clean-looking rifle.

Gies, what's your take on that Nightforce Compact on there? Enough X's? I've got a 3-10 NF SHV on my 7 WSM kimber and am liking it very much, but was thinking of going with higher X's on the top end for the 6.5 SAUM. Such as a 3.5-15 NXS if I can swing it.

Bob, my pleasure. I went with the GAP NonTypical in 6.5 SAUM, plus fluted the barrel and muzzle brake at 24". Slightly longer LOP. http://www.gaprecision.net/ga-precision-2016-custom-rifles/ga-precision-non-typical.html

Jeff, I really love that compact scope. They've discontinued the 2.5-10x32 (with 30mm tube) and think it is a great, all around scope. I didn't want a 2# scope on this gun. You can still find these on close outs like Europtic. I was also considering S&B fixed power. This scope I have has the zero stop and velocity reticle. They work well together. We've shot steel to 1150. As I said before, I'm no shooting prodigy.

If I ever save again, I'd like a heavy rig with more magnification for paper and steel. There are many opinions and I'm no expert, but I don't think you can go wrong with NF or S&B.

Yeah... I have a 5.5-22 NXS on my heavy rifle, also a 7 WSM. It's nice to have the magnification on tap. I'm also no great rifleman-- I'll take all the help I can get!

I'll report this- the tracking on my 3-10x42 SHV matches exactly with the NXS; same dialed input on either gives 900 yard hits on 11" steel gongs. Both rifles are 7 WSM's, same load. Anyway the SHV is a very good scope. Doesn't have the illumination, though.

I'd be very surprised if you didn't end up liking the DBM. Not as clean, but feeding and convenience are great and the extra COAL is nice too. Didn't think I would like it, but after using a PT&G/AI mag setup, I really like it.

John

Geis,

Many thanks. I didn't realize that was a straight up GAP. Damn good lookin rifle regardless!

John (Hondo), I'm torn over a DBM for the 4S that I will be building. I think a Wyatts box might also be an option. Good feeding and a bit more room over my stock Rem 700 box.

Bob, I did a Wyatt's extended in my heavy 7 WSM on a Rem short action. It feeds like butter, but you only get 2 rounds down. A little finicky to load with the flat follower. 2.925" max COAL which is shorter than the DBM is going to give me.

I am intrigued by DBM. Also wary of becoming tacticool.

DBM is cool but not what I wanted for an all Wyoming, hunt anything rig. If I do build another for paper/steel/prairie dogs, I'll go the DBM route. Mine feeds great and if I do what I'm supposed to, I only need one shot anyway.

I'm planning on shooting the absolute crap out of it, as I have been my 7 WSM's. Once I have the 6.5 GAP reamer and 7 SAUM go/no go gauges a new Bartlien is only $480... no labor charges... so that helps a lot. As I've started building these things myself it's changing my thinking about a rifle: it's now a chassis that holds a replaceable barrel <grin>. The Manners/ DBM setup appears to be a worthy "barrel holding chassis" and hopefully the Rem action and PTG bolt will prove worthy as well. They should.

Anyway, I do think the DBM will be nice for what I intend to be a high-volume rifle.

But, that ADL (blind) magazine setup sure looks clean and low-drama. And, having just bought the bottom metal for $275 (w/o mag) going blind or just using factory BDL bottom metal, which I have on hand as a spare part, I can attest would've saved me considerable dough.

Edit: I just zoomed in on the pic and damned if that isn't a BDL, not blind, setup! Still nice and clean, though a blind mag would be REALLY clean. I'm leaving my comments above so we can laugh at them.

I'll only go blind magazine if I am really concerned about weight. It's just not worth it to have to shuck shells to unload. BDL or maybe detachable mags....will have to see.

New one is in the house. Not enough time to prep it for my WY trip but it's here!



Next to my XH: