ltrshooter
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 26
I just thought some readers might like to have some information about my experience with my first carbon barrel. I had John Whidden build a 308 using an ABS carbon wrapped Rock Creek 24 inch 5r rifled blank. He used a Stilller TAC 30 action, Jewell trigger and one of his v-block stocks. I put an Atlas bipod and a March 2.5-25 scope on it.
First of all the rifle is very accurate. I shoot only off the bipod and it shoots sub 1/4 moa at 100 and sub moa to about 1/2 moa at 200 with me shooting which means it really shoots better than that.
Some of the things I have learned from this rifle is it is lighter as expected, but that lightness make it less-forgiving. If you do not hold the rifle the same and use the same spot weld, pressure etc. it does not shoot the same. Duh for some of you experts but for me, I did not realize how important every thing you do affects the rifle. It is really more like shooting a bow than I realized.
The barrel does not heat up. I probably have shot 600 rounds in the last few months and it has never gotten hot enough where I couldn't hold it. I look at it as a great teaching tool as it is very accurate, but not forgiving. My Remington SPS 308 sometimes will shoot as well but it is a lot easier to manage the recoil pulse consistently with the heavier barrel it has. In short, I have been practicing more and now realize how well the Remington shoots. In retrospect, I might be shooting better now if I spent my time and money on lots of commercial ammo an shot the Remington more but then I wouldn't have this cool teaching tool rifle.
The Whidden rifle seems to have two accuacy nodes. Shooting Lapua brass which has been trimmed and neck-turned using redding neck 335 dies and body dies and digital scale, it likes around 40 and 44.5 grains of Varget with VLD 175 hunting bullets jammed. The heavier load gets about 2760 fps.
I highly recommend ABS barrels noting they are lighter, cooler, but relatively unforgiving about shooting technique. I also, recommend John Whidden who incidentally makes CNC milled turrets for Dillon 550 reloaders like mine. He makes a version that screws into the press that has floating dies for the bullet seating and resizing operation. I consistently get less than a thousanth runout which puts to rest the myth of using a progressive reloader for accurate ammo. John uses Dillon also and I note he just took third in the Palma and won Camp Perry a month or so ago.
I hope this information is useful to anyone thinking of ABS, Rock Creek, or John Whidden
First of all the rifle is very accurate. I shoot only off the bipod and it shoots sub 1/4 moa at 100 and sub moa to about 1/2 moa at 200 with me shooting which means it really shoots better than that.
Some of the things I have learned from this rifle is it is lighter as expected, but that lightness make it less-forgiving. If you do not hold the rifle the same and use the same spot weld, pressure etc. it does not shoot the same. Duh for some of you experts but for me, I did not realize how important every thing you do affects the rifle. It is really more like shooting a bow than I realized.
The barrel does not heat up. I probably have shot 600 rounds in the last few months and it has never gotten hot enough where I couldn't hold it. I look at it as a great teaching tool as it is very accurate, but not forgiving. My Remington SPS 308 sometimes will shoot as well but it is a lot easier to manage the recoil pulse consistently with the heavier barrel it has. In short, I have been practicing more and now realize how well the Remington shoots. In retrospect, I might be shooting better now if I spent my time and money on lots of commercial ammo an shot the Remington more but then I wouldn't have this cool teaching tool rifle.
The Whidden rifle seems to have two accuacy nodes. Shooting Lapua brass which has been trimmed and neck-turned using redding neck 335 dies and body dies and digital scale, it likes around 40 and 44.5 grains of Varget with VLD 175 hunting bullets jammed. The heavier load gets about 2760 fps.
I highly recommend ABS barrels noting they are lighter, cooler, but relatively unforgiving about shooting technique. I also, recommend John Whidden who incidentally makes CNC milled turrets for Dillon 550 reloaders like mine. He makes a version that screws into the press that has floating dies for the bullet seating and resizing operation. I consistently get less than a thousanth runout which puts to rest the myth of using a progressive reloader for accurate ammo. John uses Dillon also and I note he just took third in the Palma and won Camp Perry a month or so ago.
I hope this information is useful to anyone thinking of ABS, Rock Creek, or John Whidden
