Fiftydriver
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Its been a while since I posted anything on LRH about my shops workhorse, my Raptor LRSS. As such, I decided to write up an article when I finished up the next customers Raptor LRSS rifle and here we are.
First off a bit of history. I started my business in 2001 and by 2003 I had my new shop built and started turning out rifles. These early rifles from my shop were new Rem 700 rifles that I would buy and then tear down, blueprint, install match grade barrel, new stock and the result was basically a custom built Rem 700.
In 2003 I also started on my path down the wildcat adventure. First offerings were the 257, 6.5mm, 270 and 7mm Allen Magnums. Soon after these came the 338 Allen Magnum, 338 Allen Xpress and 300 Allen Xpress. Eventually growing to a family of wildcats numbering over 30 members.
It was during this time of designing these wildcats that I started to want a new receiver. I had used pretty much every one of the top custom receivers on the market and while there were many great ones, all of them had one or two features that I felt could be improved upon.
All the machines I had in my shop were manual lathes and mills so I knew I would need the help of a CNC machinist if I were going to make my receivers a reality. I had contacted a shop in the eastern US and sent them the specs I wanted my "RAPTOR" receivers machined to. They agreed and in a few month a prototype receiver showed up for my review. It was a nice receiver but it was not made to the specs and features I had requested. when I asked the CNC machinist why this was, he simply stated, he had not made a receiver like that before so he was not comfortable doing it. So he made the receiver the way he was comfortable with.......
That was obviously the end of my relationship with that CNC machinist.
Around a year after that I got in contact with the owner of Defiance Machine company. In conversations with him about his new start up company I sent him the design specs of my RAPTOR receiver idea and he said he thought he could make them for me. Told him to go for it and several months later, a shipment of APS Raptor receivers showed up. They were amazing, exactly what I wanted and asked for!! Finally, everything I wanted in a receiver. Long thread length, long ejection ports, ability to use long detachable mag systems. Beefied up bolt and bolt head, very strong one piece bolt design and extra beefied up areas supporting the bolt lugs. Pinned recoil lug, pinned rail bases.
I quickly started advertising my new RAPTOR receivers as well as the new RAPTOR LRSS rifles which were to replace my old APS Xtreme Sporter rifles. The LRSS part of the name stood for Long Range Shooting System. And all my wildcats based on the RUM and Lapua parent case would be offered in it as well as all commercially offered RUM and Lapua class chamberings.
Other then using the new Raptor receiver, the RAPTOR LRSS rifles had a couple features that made then rather special. Namely the custom contoured barrel. The design goal of the RAPTOR LRSS was to provide a rifle platform that would be able to compete head to head with more conventional rifles that used 1.250" diameter, straight cylinder barrels. However, I wanted to maintain this level of rigidity but do so in a somewhat lighter barrel and also in a MUCH better balanced rifle design. With a 30" straight cylinder barrel, most factory and many custom receivers would have receiver flexing issues. As a result of this, you often would see these rifles made with barrel bedding V-Block designs which I also got into making as well.
I did not want this added cost, added bulk or weight. I designed my Raptor receivers with a very long threaded tenon for a couple reasons. The long threaded shank on the barrel would allow the receiver to support much longer and heavier barrels. The added length in the receiver would also dramatically increase the bedding surface area between the receiver and stock to offer much more support then conventional receivers. The special LRSS contour had a large 1.350" diameter shank that was 8" in length. Then taper down from there. Also used a custom unique dual flute pattern which also reduced weight and shifted center of balance back toward the receiver more for a more solid feel in the bags or bipod.
My choice for standard stock for my RAPTOR LRSS rifles would be the McMillan A5 adjustable cheek piece stock. They would be available in right or left hand and in repeater or single shot. Because of the internal design of my Raptor receiver and bolt, it is easily the strongest receiver design in the Rem 700 footprint class of custom receivers. In its single shot form, its strength will rival most receivers designed for the 408 Cheytac cartridges and surpass some of then in bolt lug shear strength levels. Really, the RAPTOR is far over engineered for the job its designed to do, however, I do not believe in such comments!!!
After a few years of building my RAPTOR LRSS rifles, I started dreaming of a new wildcat design, to be more accurate, a totally unique cartridge design. The 338 Allen Xpress based on the 338 Lapua case had been out and selling VERY well and the huge 338 Allen Magnum, based on an extensively modified 408 Cheytac parent case was also doing well.
The entire idea behind the RAPTOR LRSS was to offer the ultimate in performance and accuracy for this weight class rifle. As such, I felt it needed a new wildcat designed specifically for the Raptor receiver.
The performance of the 338 AX in the Raptor LRSS with its 30" barrel length would produce 3000 fps with a 300 gr Berger Elite Hunter. This using conventional long life throat designs, no magic designs here, just good design specs.
The huge 338 Allen Magnum, with that same bullet would produce 3300-3350 fps depending on barrel length 32-33", dramatically exceeding anything the 338 Allen Xpress could do. Basically, I wanted to split the difference in these two great wildcats. My design was to take the 338 Lapua as my basis of design. Then reduce the case neck length to one caliber in length and stretch the case body so that the case length was the same as the 408 CT case. A very large case design and would be extremely long in over all length but the RAPTOR LRSS was designed to handle it in single shot design.
Left to right: 338 Allen Magnum, 338 Raptor and 338 Allen Xpress.
338 RAPTOR headstamped cases
Brass was a long story filled with some ups but mostly extreme lows. However, in the end it appears that we have a steady source for this brass. Back to performance.
The 338 AX with 300 gr. will do 3000 fps in my RAPTOR LRSS 30" barrels. The 338 Allen Magnum will do 3300-3350 fps with same bullet weight but will need a 32" barrel to get it. Using RL50, the 338 Raptor will do 3170 fps , roughly splitting the difference between the AX and AM wildcats.
Again, in the 338 and 300 Raptor chamberings, we must go with a single shot design simply because of the length of these rounds, which in my opinion is certainly NOT a disadvantage to the long range precision big game hunter or shooter.
Being designed to run head to head with a rifle weighing as much as 25 lbs and doing so easily, the RAPTOR LRSS easily meets its design goals. And with a finish weight in the 13.5 to 14.0 lb range as well. I have tested these rifles out to 2500 yards and they do their job very well. This customers rifle, with the Vortex Razor HD mounted weighs in at 16.5 lbs.
This particular rifle just happened to be a RAPTOR LRSS chambered in the 338 Raptor also.
In this picture, you can see the unique 1.350" very long shank on these LRSS barrels and special dual flute pattern. The reason for this is because a huge amount of a barrels stiffness and rigidity come in the first few inches of barrel where the bullet begins its extreme acceleration. once the bullet has generated most of its velocity, the stress on the barrel is dramatically reduced as the bullet travels down the last half of the barrel. As such, the LRSS barrel contour reduces from the 1.350" diameter shank down to roughly a sender contour over the tapered section of the barrel.
All RAPTOR LRSS rifles come with my medium PK muzzle brake. Recoil is NOT an issue at all. Even with a 300 gr berger launched at 3170 fps, very comfortable to shot.
The APS RAPTOR LRSS was designed to offer the ultimate in precision and performance in a Rem 700 class sized rifle and it meets these design goals easily. Adding the 338 RAPTOR to this combo really takes things to the next level.
For anyone wanting extreme performance, or those not wanting a bigger bulkier rifle to get into the Cheytac class wildcats, the RAPTOR LRSS is nearly impossible to beat. Teamed up with the Raptor chamberings and you really get the best of all worlds for long range shooting.
Hope this refresher on the APS RAPTOR LRSS was interesting. Thanks for your time.
If anyone would like more info on the RAPTOR LRSS or my wildcats, please contact me by the email in my signature.
Thanks for your time.
First off a bit of history. I started my business in 2001 and by 2003 I had my new shop built and started turning out rifles. These early rifles from my shop were new Rem 700 rifles that I would buy and then tear down, blueprint, install match grade barrel, new stock and the result was basically a custom built Rem 700.
In 2003 I also started on my path down the wildcat adventure. First offerings were the 257, 6.5mm, 270 and 7mm Allen Magnums. Soon after these came the 338 Allen Magnum, 338 Allen Xpress and 300 Allen Xpress. Eventually growing to a family of wildcats numbering over 30 members.
It was during this time of designing these wildcats that I started to want a new receiver. I had used pretty much every one of the top custom receivers on the market and while there were many great ones, all of them had one or two features that I felt could be improved upon.
All the machines I had in my shop were manual lathes and mills so I knew I would need the help of a CNC machinist if I were going to make my receivers a reality. I had contacted a shop in the eastern US and sent them the specs I wanted my "RAPTOR" receivers machined to. They agreed and in a few month a prototype receiver showed up for my review. It was a nice receiver but it was not made to the specs and features I had requested. when I asked the CNC machinist why this was, he simply stated, he had not made a receiver like that before so he was not comfortable doing it. So he made the receiver the way he was comfortable with.......
That was obviously the end of my relationship with that CNC machinist.
Around a year after that I got in contact with the owner of Defiance Machine company. In conversations with him about his new start up company I sent him the design specs of my RAPTOR receiver idea and he said he thought he could make them for me. Told him to go for it and several months later, a shipment of APS Raptor receivers showed up. They were amazing, exactly what I wanted and asked for!! Finally, everything I wanted in a receiver. Long thread length, long ejection ports, ability to use long detachable mag systems. Beefied up bolt and bolt head, very strong one piece bolt design and extra beefied up areas supporting the bolt lugs. Pinned recoil lug, pinned rail bases.
I quickly started advertising my new RAPTOR receivers as well as the new RAPTOR LRSS rifles which were to replace my old APS Xtreme Sporter rifles. The LRSS part of the name stood for Long Range Shooting System. And all my wildcats based on the RUM and Lapua parent case would be offered in it as well as all commercially offered RUM and Lapua class chamberings.
Other then using the new Raptor receiver, the RAPTOR LRSS rifles had a couple features that made then rather special. Namely the custom contoured barrel. The design goal of the RAPTOR LRSS was to provide a rifle platform that would be able to compete head to head with more conventional rifles that used 1.250" diameter, straight cylinder barrels. However, I wanted to maintain this level of rigidity but do so in a somewhat lighter barrel and also in a MUCH better balanced rifle design. With a 30" straight cylinder barrel, most factory and many custom receivers would have receiver flexing issues. As a result of this, you often would see these rifles made with barrel bedding V-Block designs which I also got into making as well.
I did not want this added cost, added bulk or weight. I designed my Raptor receivers with a very long threaded tenon for a couple reasons. The long threaded shank on the barrel would allow the receiver to support much longer and heavier barrels. The added length in the receiver would also dramatically increase the bedding surface area between the receiver and stock to offer much more support then conventional receivers. The special LRSS contour had a large 1.350" diameter shank that was 8" in length. Then taper down from there. Also used a custom unique dual flute pattern which also reduced weight and shifted center of balance back toward the receiver more for a more solid feel in the bags or bipod.
My choice for standard stock for my RAPTOR LRSS rifles would be the McMillan A5 adjustable cheek piece stock. They would be available in right or left hand and in repeater or single shot. Because of the internal design of my Raptor receiver and bolt, it is easily the strongest receiver design in the Rem 700 footprint class of custom receivers. In its single shot form, its strength will rival most receivers designed for the 408 Cheytac cartridges and surpass some of then in bolt lug shear strength levels. Really, the RAPTOR is far over engineered for the job its designed to do, however, I do not believe in such comments!!!
After a few years of building my RAPTOR LRSS rifles, I started dreaming of a new wildcat design, to be more accurate, a totally unique cartridge design. The 338 Allen Xpress based on the 338 Lapua case had been out and selling VERY well and the huge 338 Allen Magnum, based on an extensively modified 408 Cheytac parent case was also doing well.
The entire idea behind the RAPTOR LRSS was to offer the ultimate in performance and accuracy for this weight class rifle. As such, I felt it needed a new wildcat designed specifically for the Raptor receiver.
The performance of the 338 AX in the Raptor LRSS with its 30" barrel length would produce 3000 fps with a 300 gr Berger Elite Hunter. This using conventional long life throat designs, no magic designs here, just good design specs.
The huge 338 Allen Magnum, with that same bullet would produce 3300-3350 fps depending on barrel length 32-33", dramatically exceeding anything the 338 Allen Xpress could do. Basically, I wanted to split the difference in these two great wildcats. My design was to take the 338 Lapua as my basis of design. Then reduce the case neck length to one caliber in length and stretch the case body so that the case length was the same as the 408 CT case. A very large case design and would be extremely long in over all length but the RAPTOR LRSS was designed to handle it in single shot design.
Left to right: 338 Allen Magnum, 338 Raptor and 338 Allen Xpress.
338 RAPTOR headstamped cases
Brass was a long story filled with some ups but mostly extreme lows. However, in the end it appears that we have a steady source for this brass. Back to performance.
The 338 AX with 300 gr. will do 3000 fps in my RAPTOR LRSS 30" barrels. The 338 Allen Magnum will do 3300-3350 fps with same bullet weight but will need a 32" barrel to get it. Using RL50, the 338 Raptor will do 3170 fps , roughly splitting the difference between the AX and AM wildcats.
Again, in the 338 and 300 Raptor chamberings, we must go with a single shot design simply because of the length of these rounds, which in my opinion is certainly NOT a disadvantage to the long range precision big game hunter or shooter.
Being designed to run head to head with a rifle weighing as much as 25 lbs and doing so easily, the RAPTOR LRSS easily meets its design goals. And with a finish weight in the 13.5 to 14.0 lb range as well. I have tested these rifles out to 2500 yards and they do their job very well. This customers rifle, with the Vortex Razor HD mounted weighs in at 16.5 lbs.
This particular rifle just happened to be a RAPTOR LRSS chambered in the 338 Raptor also.
In this picture, you can see the unique 1.350" very long shank on these LRSS barrels and special dual flute pattern. The reason for this is because a huge amount of a barrels stiffness and rigidity come in the first few inches of barrel where the bullet begins its extreme acceleration. once the bullet has generated most of its velocity, the stress on the barrel is dramatically reduced as the bullet travels down the last half of the barrel. As such, the LRSS barrel contour reduces from the 1.350" diameter shank down to roughly a sender contour over the tapered section of the barrel.
All RAPTOR LRSS rifles come with my medium PK muzzle brake. Recoil is NOT an issue at all. Even with a 300 gr berger launched at 3170 fps, very comfortable to shot.
The APS RAPTOR LRSS was designed to offer the ultimate in precision and performance in a Rem 700 class sized rifle and it meets these design goals easily. Adding the 338 RAPTOR to this combo really takes things to the next level.
For anyone wanting extreme performance, or those not wanting a bigger bulkier rifle to get into the Cheytac class wildcats, the RAPTOR LRSS is nearly impossible to beat. Teamed up with the Raptor chamberings and you really get the best of all worlds for long range shooting.
Hope this refresher on the APS RAPTOR LRSS was interesting. Thanks for your time.
If anyone would like more info on the RAPTOR LRSS or my wildcats, please contact me by the email in my signature.
Thanks for your time.
