Pile-O-Parts.....

What cartridge is that going to be?

I have to say, DANG you have good taste.
That new 6 PRC will sure look good.

Too cool...



DF

pretty decent

Who's got the nads to grind away with a Dremel to fit a Wyatts box......

I did it for a 7 saum and it works perfectly.

I even notched the fee lip

Pretty easy actually, you're not splitting the atom, take it slow & keep checking.....

I did my first wyatts with a dremel also. The biggest pain is the ADL tab screw hole. Still works just as well!😁
The real question is who got the nads to clamp their action in a vise with no soft jaws!😆😆😆

What Contour and length on this barrel?

Nice.

I figured that would help draw the answer out sooner - I almost went Creedmoor.

Sheet lead on the jaws.....


24" Barlein #3....

Hence the thread title......

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/13844226/shazam#Post13844226

Tell me about the 6 PRC.

Tic faster than a 6-284, better fit in a short 700, something different.....

Ha!

Very nice aalf!

Going SA this time! What are the dimensions of the reamer? What bullet are you going to shoot this time?

No, but I just did it on a vertical mill. Piece-o-cake.

Basically a guy who doesn’t have a friend that owns a Mill.

I bought his first 6 PRC and put it back on a long action due to bolt face size. I will be single feeding it until I do the mag trick that aalf did on his. Short action should take care of that issue for him this time

Thanks. Sounds pretty sweet.

The 1st go around, the 6 PRC was a switch barrel with the 6.5 barrel on a long action. This time it's 6 PRC all the way, so short it is.

Reamer spec is a .109" freebore, so about a 2.850" OAL in the lands 15-20 thou. I thought I could get by deep seating to 2.80", and run out of a factory box, but decided I didn't want to sink them that deep, and bought the Wyatts 6.5 PRC kit.

I may start with the 110 SMK again, as I still have a bunch. I struggled mightily with runout on my brass for the 1st barrel, so the learning curve, hopefully, will be considerably shorter this time.

Show off......

Fixt......

Or temporarily just loading them towards the front of the mag box seems to work too.

Kind of thinking we would have a range report by now. Another nice build.

Thanks Mike......

Been too busy with other things, haven't even put it together yet.

Scope base came today, scope coming tomorrow, and I still have to make 100 pieces of brass too.

15 below today, so I should be able to make some inroads.

Surprised no one has lost their mind over the barrel nut build

???

This is a gelding.......but not necessarily going to be calmer and/or better-behaved.....

After all the dust settled from the grinding & sanding, I finally got it all bolted together.

Weighs in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces as you see it. Pretty decent considering the stock is 35.5 ozs.

Even got creative with the Krylon in the flutes.

Scope was supposed to be in today, but this AM it was all of a sudden & mysteriously "running late".

Won't see the damn thing till Tuesday now.

Sexy...👍🏻😎

How did you do the flutes, can you get a close up picture?

Pretty low tech, a little masking tape at each end for the over spray, paint the barrel, let it dry overnight, and then sanded away the paint with 1/2" x 4" strips of sand paper. Gave it a couple coats of matte clear to protect it somewhat.

I took several pics trying get the flutes to show up better, but gave up and settled for the one posted. I need to wait for natural light to get the best shots. Snowing to beat the band today.

I do like the effect and will try that at some point.
Thanks

Get anything over the chrono yet?

I haven't....just when the snow piles get small enough to get into a couple of spots, we get more.

Finally have 100 pieces of brass detailed and neck turned ready to go.

Not sure what bullet(s) I want to start with.

Getting antsy too......

What bbl length did you go with? I've got a M70 SS Classic in 7WSM that sees 0 use since getting my 1:8 270Win shooting 150ABLR's @ 3050 from a 22" bbl. A "HOT" .24 might be a better use of the action.

The first gun had a 26" barrel, as I was looking for velocity, and not absolute portability. Regardless, with it being a Bartlein 2b, it wasn't a truck axle anyway.

This one is a 24" #3 Bartlein, and is 3 ozs lighter than the 24" 6.5 PRC 2b I had.

Another thought would be to load up some lighters bullets in the WSM and give 'er hell. Depending on particulars, it generally takes 400 yards or so before the better BC's start taking over.

Weather has been PITA here. More rain than snow it seems.

Got that scope mounted up yet ?

Snow missed us this time, just cold and windy. Mid 40's by Monday with rain......oh boy.

New hunting scope coming tomorrow, planning on using the 22X Nightforce in the 1st pic for load work.

Good stuff, as always. -Al

Sweet !

Got a little snow today... Hopefully I can get another coyote hunt in before its gone.

Hurry up,I want to see how this one turns out. If the weather and free time ever line up, I am going to get mine out and see what it will do.
Thinking about trying a 95 gr LRX Barnes out for deer, any thoughts?

Thanks Buddy.....

Got a new spot to give it a go this afternoon before our white turns to mud here shortly.

Wished I had a load ready for this one......

I've got the time, just don't have conditions to get the testing started. I believe I can get into one spot on Saturday as long as the wind ain't howling.



The bullet choice has been a minor roadblock for me, and I have been eyeing that exact bullet.

Ultimately, after more research, it appears the 110 SMK has been knocking down game pretty reliably, so I'm starting there, fueled by R-26, starting in the lands at a 2.940" OAL.

Aalf
I know a few guys are drilling tips on the 110s for better expansion and have been having great results on game.
What twist? Considering a 105VLD or Hybrid?

That should be a good platform for the 115s if they fit the Wyats. The 103 ELD-X is looking good in a 6 AI but a little softer than I wanted for closer shots. The PRC might just make this worse, but fine for longer shots.

Got a little snow Wed night and way to much wind Thurs. Did manage to locate a pair and get one killed.

Mud is coming....blah

The last 2 or 3 deer I've shot have been with pointed VLD's, as well as quite a few coyotes, so I don't expect issues with the SMK's.

This barrel is an 8 twist. The 1st one was a 7.25" that I ordered with the intent of shooting the 110's, but I bought this one off the classifieds.

I have plenty of 105 Vld's or Hybrids for backup.

Good for you. I went out last night, froze my ass off due to the wind that wouldn't die, and saw squat.

I cannot wait to see a range report on this bad boy. Should be an absolute laser!

Brings new meaning to levelling a scope.

Or....... like I usually say......

"Excuse Me While I Whip This Out"

Did you loose any cases this time, or do you have the process down pat?
They look good....

Thanks.....

This time, I cut the necks 1st when they were still 6.5, then did a 2nd cut after I necked them down to 6mm.

Seemed to have eliminated the worst of the runout issues I had on the first go around.

I did screw up several early on that cut too far up the neck and dug in a deep ring. I filed down the leading edge of the cutter to stop that.

Probably trashed after the first firing on those.

Finally, the first 50* day of the year let me get into one spot to get 'er out for initial testing.

Set the target up at 200, set shlt up, and commenced to making empties:



First up was R-26 with 110 Sierra SMK's. As I went up in powder, ES went down, but groups went up. As big as the BC's are, I was really hoping that these would perform, but it wasn't to be. I did get them to 3370, and pressure was starting to show.

Next up, R-26 with Hornady 108 ELD's. This combo was the best in the first barrel, and it didn't disappoint this time either.

Ran them to 3375, and that was the sweet spot, a 3 shot group of .395"!!!

ES was higher than I like, but you gotta like that group at 200 yards.

Nice to go home on a high note.....

Man that is a great group at 200!
How bad was the ES and SD?
Do you think the 2" in barrel length between the Shazam #1 and #2 changed vel by over 200 FPS with the 108's?

Thanks, I thought for sure I'd shank the third shot.


Those 3 shots had 27 ES, but I ran 10 over the screens later, 1st five had a 25 ES, all 10 bumped it to 29 for ES.

Hopefully once fired brass brings it down, we'll see.



The accuracy load in the first barrel shot them at 3425, but with a half grain less powder, and the 2" longer tube.

Not sure what, if any, increase I may see when I get a few more rounds down it.

Day two, went to my other spot that I could finally get into. Thought this spot would work better with the west wind of the day, as I shoot mostly a west to east direction.

But of course the wind was an annoying right to left quartering away, that would let up, or reverse, occasionally if you weren't paying attention. I did tie flagging tape on a couple of sticks for wind flags, and stuck them in the snow, 1 at 50', the other at about 75 yards.

Target was at 200 again:



First up today was H-1000 with 105 Hybrids. Best results were at 3440 fps, with a flat 1" group, and 7 ES. Another grain showed pressure , and tickled 3500 at 1.2".

Next up was R-26 with the Hybrids again. Ho hum results, and not worth the effort.

Last test was the winner from day one, the R-26/108 load, with two 5 shot groups.

On group one, 1st shot went right in a letup, last four went into 1.2".

Last group I tried to watch the flags closer, but still lost one to a quick letup I thought I could shoot through. Five went 1.4", four went .75", three went into a tidy .350".







I've got 18 more loaded to test further out to see how they hold up, and five more of the H-1000/Hybrid combo to see if they can repeat.

Night before last, I took it out to try and smack a coyote before our dwindling snow disappeared for good.

The bigger Nightforce wasn't a hindrance, as I went to a fairly open spot, and could have been an advantage if I had a hanger upper.

Unfortunately, despite over an hour of persuasion, I couldn't convince Wile-E something was dying in the ditch, or join his friends in celebration.

The Spot:



On Point:

Some good shooting and a sweet rig !

That is one good looking rig, and it looks like your loads are coming together nicely as well

Very NICE! You'll get on a coyote soon.

So yesterday, I mounted up the new Leupold XV5 HD 3-15x44 with the Firedot duplex to replace the NXS. Set the target at just under 100 yards to bore sight it and shoot one round. Dialed the scope, then moved the target to the 225 yard mark for a zero.

After spending some time on JBM, I settled on the 225 zero rather than my normal 200. With that, it gave me even 100 yard increment MOA numbers out to 1K, all except 700, which is 7.5 MOA. Also, it kept the bullet's highest point to 225 yards at 1.4", which was a consideration for calling coyotes.



The light wind was kind of fickle, and mirage was a bitch. I shot 2 rounds, and couldn't see the impacts, so I put it away and concentrated on loads for the other gun. On the next break, I went down to check the target, and both shots were side by side, a little high and right. Went back, set the gun back up, moved the scope two clicks down & a click left, and fired a shot. I thought I could see it at 3:00 o'clock in the bull? Took a 2nd shot, and it looked like the hole got bigger through the mirage. Wow, really? 3rd shot I was sure I could see it dropped a little from the 1st two, but just wasn't sure.

After walking down, it confirmed what I thought I was seeing......

Good shotin Al. That one should get to come to Montana in November

That is a sure nuff shooter at 225 yards.
What bullet did you settle on, I know you were playing with 105,108, and 110s and maybe others

Thanks Mike.

It just may, except I'm re-doing my 6.5-284, so it'll be a toss up on who gets to go.

Settled on the original load that shot so good right out of the gate, R-26 with the 108's.

The barrel is picking up a little speed, and extreme spread is going down.

Original speed was 3366, then each time gained a little, 3373, 3374, 3376, 3386, 3393, 3404, and finally 3405. Last 6 shots had a 10 for ES, vs mid to upper 20's at the beginning. Not sure if some can be attributed to shooting brass now on it's 2nd firing. Groups size has not been affected.

Once the weather straightens out, I'll be able to stretch it's legs.

Cool. What tripod rest is that?

Thanks.....this one, without the center column, with a Hog Saddle on top.

https://www.leofoto.com/products_detail.php?id=227

Not tall enough to stand and shoot with, but not needed for my coyote hunting, as I'm always seated.

I have a two taller Innorels for that if need be, just move the Hog Saddle to either.

Fighting weight....8 lbs, 15 ozs.....

That'll hunt for sure! My boys are both dialing that same Leupold a lot and have been happy with tracking. How about you?

aalf that looks great!

Tracking has been just fine. I've ran it up and down all around, and it returns to zero just fine. Last adjustment at 225 needed a hair over an inch down and a bit left, 2 clicks down and one left moved impact as expected.

Last three shots proved it.....

Thanks....I'm in love......

Al, why did you choose the PRC over the X47?

Dave, I'm certainly not getting out of the 6x47 game, still have 3 or 4 around here.

I was always a 6-284 fan, so I figured this was the "new" version, so why not?

It adds an easy 300 fps over the 6x47, so it's more than a just a step up in performance, with no loss in accuracy.

Win/win.......

Unf'ing real today.......

I was out testing a different gun today, and threw the big six in the truck with the intent to shoot a group at a little further distance to check drop and accuracy.

I had to hump the target up the hill to set it at the top of the waterway in the middle of the cornfield, then drive up the other side of the hill to shoot from. Got all set up, right at 500 yards:



Check my drop sheet, and found 5 MOA needed. Wind was a 90* cross wind, 2.4 MOA, or 12.5" for a 10 mph. I guessed about a 3/4 value and held on the right side of the target, and sent one. Got up to get the spotting scope, and immediately remembered I forgot to dial for distance, being too focused on wind. Wasn't till I put the frame in the truck that I saw the impact on the lower 2x4 brace. Made a pretty good wind call:



Sat back down, dialed in 5 MOA, and noticed the 2 ribbons on the target frame weren't hardly moving, plus I couldn't feel any wind at the bench, so I held dead center and ripped one off. I quick look through the scope didn't show me anything. Conditions were holding, so I quickly sent two more before they changed. When done, I could just barely make out one hole at 10:00 o'clock, hoping the other two were in the blue.

Got everything back in the truck, drove down the hill, and humped it back up the hill to retrieve the target.......

HOLY SCHITT HOUSE BATMAN !!!

Gotcha, 300 fps is a good jump...and nice shooting!

Dang nice shooting!

Yeah, Scotty, he’s Mr. Wizard with a long gun. 😬😎

Oops, I’m sorry, I was looking for x47 Lapua thread. My bad 🙄😎

That's some great shooting aalf.

Thanks.....sometimes it comes together....

I'll see your 47.......




And raise you a new Dasher.....

Yep, he is a legend in these parts. Set up in one county and hit targets in the next county.

aalf,

What I would like to see, and I am sure others as well, is a tutorial on loading your ammo, providing of course, that it is not proprietary.

Nice rifles Men!

Glad I'm not the only one that forgets to twist a dial now and then.

Great shooting Al, I too would be interested in reading a thread on how you go about load development.

New Dasher!!! Looking forward to hearing more about that one too.

Thanks all.....

It's probably more attention to details than actual load work, although that's a big part as well.

A few thoughts come to mind.....

I anneal every time, I use Wilson inline bullet seaters, I always seat in the lands, I check & straighten every round.

This brass, I FL sized out of the box, deburred/beveled flash holes, annealed, neck turned, necked down, turned again, neck sized, and annealed again prior to loading for the 1st time.

Al,
I just picked up a annealer from a buddy. What’s your thought on annealing every time versus maybe every 3rd or 4th loading?

😎

If you do it every 3rd or 4th, you won’t be doing it every time.

It’s a game of reducing variables.

Man that is a fine group at that distance, there are several that would be happy with that at 100 yards.

I too would love to hear about your annealing process. Do you use a machine or just the drill and socket type set up, temp sticks, or?

By the way this is a great thread......

I don't need an AMP, I don't need and AMP, I don't need an AMP.

You sonsabitches!!!

I believe for best consistency, every time is the way to go.

You'll have to readjust your full length die after annealing as well.

Like a lot of guys, I started out with the drill & socket, but figured out a way to speed it up.

Funny, but my idea preceded the Anneal-Rite guy's by several years......so much for fame & fortune....

Since I was a carpenter, & not a machinist, I worked with what I could scrounge up around the house. I built the 1st "prototype", with the idea to modify later if need be. As it turned out, I'm still slumming my original redneck version:



First, I built two cradles for the bottles. Then found a piece of 5/8" tubing that I drilled 2 holes about a half inch down from each end, cut off a 16 penny nail, & peened the end to keep it in place. That was my cartridge holder. Then I drilled a hole through the middle, and screwed a bolt through it into a 1 1/4" piece of dowel for a handle. Presto....an annealing machine!

I have never used a temp stick, just do it in a semi-darkened room, and look for the dull orange to show on the necks, turn and dump them in water, set on the next case, etc. Takes 2-3 seconds depending on the case. I don't dunk them to stop the heat, I do it because I believe the seating is more consistent vs not quenching. I also use warm water, which helps speed up the drying. I dump them in a strainer and dry them with a blow dryer while shaking, stirring, & flipping the brass. 5 minutes and they're done.

Dump them in a bowl, and off to full length sizing.

Good stuff Al...Especially the warm water quenching suggestion. 😎

Thanks Al, you are the man.

Random pics trying to get this thing broke in on a coyote.

Can't seem to persuade a willing participant to join the festivities.

All you need is a volunteer or 12 to come join the party. That is one sweet looking rig

The 'yotes must be practicing "extreme" social distancing.

aalf is that a Hog Saddle?

Gotta be, it certainly can't be anything I'm doing wrong.....

Yes it is.....

Definitely more jingle than the Pig Saddle, but the Pig is half again heavier. Pick your poison.

Looks like a nice accessorie, do you prefer them over a good bipod?

For dedicated calling, yes.

Like most, I started with a tall Harris bipod, but eventually found it too short for setups on steeper hillsides, and tough to keep up on a moving coyote.



So then I went to a Bogpod tripod, and added ethafoam wedges on both sides of the U-shaped top, and wrapped them with black tape to get a snug fit on the stock. Fairly light, easy to track moving coyotes, easy to grab & go if need be, ability to splay out the legs for shooting prone, but somewhat lacking for holding steady for longer shots.





A couple years ago I made the switch to the new tripod with the Hog Saddle. A little heavier, more money, but certainly sturdier & steadier, and not have to chase balance as with the Bogpod.

Good info aalf thanks!

After I pulled the stock off for checking fitment on another barreled action, I thought I best check zero.

I fired a couple at 100, made an adjustment, then moved to 225 yards, and fired this group:




Close enough.......next......check at distance.......

Next morning I got out before any wind showed up, drove the target out to 603 yards, and got set up.

Dialed in the scope, and launched the first shot.

A little right, and a hair high, so I dropped one click down & one to the left, and fired off two more:




Damn Leupolds........

The only constant is change.........

I ended up selling one of my other 6x47 Lapuas that I had a Manners EH2 on, but because I liked the ergos of that stock so well, I traded out the Game Scout on this gun for the EH2 on the other.

Added bonus was dropping almost a half pound off the fighting weight, now at 8 lbs, 8 ozs.

While I had it apart, I re-did the paint on the flutes, changing it out from the tan to a flat black.

I like it.......

Man that is pure sex right there.....
I like the black flutes better than the tan ones, They stand out better.

After the fact, I wished I had done a little darker tan the 1st go around.

But I'm with you, looks mo better with black.

Now for the cool part........

After switching out the stocks, I bore sighted the scope out the living room window, and it looked pretty close.

At the quarry, I took one shot at 100 yards, and it was a hair left, about an inch high.

I dialed in one click right, moved the target to 225 yards, and shot a 3 shot group.

Close enough:

With all the changes, what is the all up weight on the rig as it stands?

As pictured, it weighs in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces empty.

Looks amazing in that EH2! Got my gears turning again.....

Bad azz.......