Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Meet the fauX

He says 9 lbs here. He later switched it to the 42mm version of the scope.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/new-gap-extreme-hunter-6-5-saum-112973/index2.html

Looks like a keeper rifle, for sure. Very nice!



How does this fluted barrel compare to the Rem factory barrels in weight and balance? Is it slightly more muzzle heavy?

Yeah, the balance is pretty divine- one big reason I just copied a well-respected rifle builder's recipe! Slightly muzzle heavy at the front action screw.

The Bart # 3 is heavier than a Rem magnum profile and lighter than a Rem Sendero barrel... I'll try to quantify that better with some numbers. In the Manners SL stock, it's perfect.

I'm also pretty naive about high-end stocks; just haven't owned any and have only handled a few McMillans. . I do own multiple 'glass stocks from HS and B&C and they are nice; the Manners is in another category, which it should be at almost 2x the price I guess. It feels more refined and lively than the McMillans I've handled. The grip area is perfection incarnate for my hand/wrist position from prone. The slightly beefed up fore-end is likewise great from a rest or bipod. I'd build on this stock again in a second- I really like it.

It's almost like GAP and Manners know a thing or two!

Well done! If my kids didn't keep me broke, I'd like a sporter weight rife in that chambering. I'd consider building it off a Win WSM action as they can be had pretty reasonably, have more mag space, and all my other "serious" rifles have a 3pos wing safety.

PS- For the dough you have in that rifle you could have taken one of your others on one heck of a hunt!

Can't think of much not to love there man!

Ha!

You are like this tangible voice in my conscience, I kid you not.

(Pointer has been, correctly I might add, making that point for YEARS...)

It was not a cheap build. Over $2k in parts. Point conceded. I'll stop building rifles... after the next one... haha... and I hear you on the kids. My oldest graduates college in a few days... youngest will be a sophomore in college next year... we live in fear of texts from them <grin>...



Actually, what I've been trying to do, is to start looking at rifles as a barrel-holding chassis, and so I'm putting my main "chassis" together in a high-quality fashion, which is expensive the first time, but after THAT since I own the reamers and go/no go's and do my own work, they are just a ~$500 barrel away from being reborn... so far I have my heavy 7 WSM and this rifle built to that standard. That one has GOT to be reaching the end of that (superb) Pac-Nor barrel, I mean it's over 1500 rounds at this point, but it's putting 180 ELDM's into tiny groups so who am I to argue... but when it finally pukes I can just spin a new barrel onto that particular collection of parts for relatively cheap. Same now with the fauX. My Kimber 7 WSM was a worthy chassis right from the factory... but it's also getting up there in round count, though it's still also shooting lights-out (Pac Nor has really impressed me the last 2 barrels).... however I can't help but think what a KILLER package a 6.5 SAUM Kimber Montana would be. A nice drop down in recoil but essentially the same flight ballistics as a 7 WSM... and so it goes....

I had a Kimber MT 300WSM that I got used for a very good price with the intent to rebarrel it to the 6.5 4S. I ended up selling it to help defray the cost of drawing two limited entry tags in Idaho that year...

Might still go that route someday. Until then, I'll just take the clunker(s) I have after elk and mule deer in Montana this fall.

I wouldn't go that far

The 180 ELD at 3000fps still outpaces the 147 ELD at 3075fps, albeit at the cost of additional recoil.

Rifle looks great. You should make a dupe for me to shoot in next year's match season

I almost added a disclaimer about the 180 ELD-M. For those that don't know, it is a game changer with a G1 BC of .796... yeah.... Just came out, though Midway released a bunch of 2nds incognito a few months ago. I've been shooting those in my heavy 7 WSM and they are awesome.

180's in a Kimber might be a bit much for me as far as recoil. My rifle loves the 162's and I haven't even tried the 180 in it. Guess I should. But, since it's a pure hunting rifle, I'm more inclined to "almost" match the best 7mm flight ballistics, with say the 6.5 147 ELDM, but at a significant drop in recoil.

Mr. Gardner @ GAP has sure done well in matches with the Xtreme Hunter! I can see why. The Manners SL is just a superb stock from prone.

Yup. Gotta be the stock....

You just point it in the general direction and let 'er rip and the dang thing takes care of the rest!

Helluva stock.

What type of layup is the stock -does it have the Carbon Fiber option?

What does the stock weigh?

Probably won't make 3000 without tearing up brass but I'm liking the 180's , tough choice between the 7 mag and 6.5 Saum there both a lot of fun!

Tell me about that rifle Ackleyman.

It"s a Borden Timberline in a MCM Classic with a Bartlein 8.2 twisted 2b @24"
Metal work done by. Jon Addis of Area 419!
Stock work done by GA Precision!
Just pulled the scope and am trying to decide on some new glass!

Rifle looks great, AF. I'm about to start load development with the 180 ELD, and I'm getting 2915 fps in one 7WSM with the 195 Berg, with 9 firings on that batch of brass so far, so I expect to hit 3000 with the 180's.

I am getting 3060fps with the 180 eld-m in my 26" GAP 7WSM and R 26. Brass looks great, primers still round, new primers seat smooth and tight. I won't push it any further as Accuracy is superb at that load and oal.

I wish I could find R26 a little more reliably. I'm using 7828ssc simply because I can always find it. The best I can do with R26 is a few odd pounds every once in a blue moon.

Wow. I need to try some '26.

Jk16, yes, the Manners SL is carbon-fiber. Their website says 27 oz and gives some layup info too.

http://mannersstocks.com/hunting-stocks/

Jordan your getting some good speed and brass life with your short 7 and I agree 3000 should come pretty easy , I too would like to give RL26 a go as soon as I see some on the shelves, but I'm pretty happy with the way it is shooting with Retumbo for now!