Feedback on custom .308 build

[Heetor]

Starting to look a little deeper into some higher quality stocks, I like the Bell and Carlson Medalist Tactical at Stocky's, looks like a nice setup.

Adjustable cheek piece and buttstock, nice grip, and a Anchutz rail, seems like a lot of stock for under $500.

Anyone have any experiences with one of these, positive or negative?

 

[Deleted member 48126]

I have had experience with three stocks. McMillian M40A3 with the adjustable check piece, the BC Tactical Varmint, and the BC M40. The mcmillian was the best ergonomically but was $700. The bc varmint was nice as well but I'm more conservative with my rifle stocks so the BC M40 was the best bang for the buck. I have them on two 700s and I love them...plus only $264 from stocky's.

 

[fitch5]

I am in the same boat as you started my build in nov with the bc medalist adjustable its a really nice stock for the money. I need to bed the anshultz rail (really a freeland rail by dimensions) to make up for depth differences but minor. It does take some fitting for a double stack box mag (which stocky doesn't recommend but bc said it would work) I've got the btm metal footprint fitted but waiting on my mags from alpha to fit depth but the numbers look right. Manners and Mcmillian will fit for your btm metal but their twice the price. I did go with a rem 700 aac 308 I actually got from a classified add here (two thumbs up for johncrow). Hope this helped!

 

[jsthntn247]

The bell and carlson A5 weighs 5lbs. If you plan on doing ANY hunting with this gun I wouldn't go that route. You have been suggested the b&c m40 and I'll will agree that this is the best stock other than a mcmillan htg or manners t3 for your intended purposes and a 24" barrel. One thing you must decide right now is what bullets you intend to shoot and let the smith chambering the barrel know. If you want to shoot 185-210's and he uses a Palma reamer you are going to be screwed. I would suggest the Bisley or Obermeyer reamer in the .090 freebore range so you could shoot the 168's - 200 hybrids. Another thing to consider is powder, I don't know how it is around where you live, but around here if your build is a year out, you better start looking now for powder and primers so your not scrambling when the time comes. Varget for the 168-200's and imr8208xbr for the 155's no matter what anyone else says, those combinations will work in any .308. Good luck with it.

 

[Heetor]

Thanks for the feedback on the reamer, I didn't realize I had options. This is my second custom rifle, the first I bought off a friend so I wasn't involved in building it. It is a 30-378 with the chamber cut without freebore, not sure which reamer was used to cut it.

Since I don't know much about this I assumed there was a spec that all reamers followed and my choice was freebore or no. I like the chamber in the rifle I have in that it is very accurate, but I have been pretty tentative with the load workup due to the higher pressure. My friend warned me i could not safely chamber factory amo with it. Really I don't have much to compare it to as it is a lot more accurate than my stock rifles, but not sure if that is the custom chamber or the better rifle.

I was reading about the reamers you mentioned and it looks like I have some more research to do. I like the idea of being able to seat them long, and with these heavy for caliber bullets the freebore makes sense.

 

[Michael Eichele]

When it comes to reamers, you can load a dummy round or two with the bullets you want at the COAL you want. Send them into PTG and they can grind a reamer to your specs. Of course you need to tell them how far into or off the lands you want to be. Tight neck or SAMMI or even no turn tight neck. The nice thing about owning your own reamer is that you can set the barrel back and you have the same reamer. You get a new barrel and you have the same chamber in your new barrel. Sometimes smiths die and sometimes you have a falling out but you'll always have your reamer for any smith to use.

 

[RobertB]

Since you reload you should go over to gaprecision.com and look at the xtreme hunter. It is an incredible rifle that George has killed out to 1300 yards with. I know several people with them and all have awesome success. You can afford to buy ammo bit if you load then its awesome. If your gonna go with a smaller round I would look into the 260. I hunt with a 308, 260, 6.5 cm, 6.5-284, 300wm, 7stw, and a 243. All are great but I think that the 6.5 saum loaded to their specs is great. Another thing, their load is on the lighter side so if bbl life wasn't super important you could load hotter. But the way they have it you get great case and bbl life plus awesome ballistic performance.

Good luck.

 

[deadlift]

Since your local , come down and lets talk. I can show you stocks, barrels and clear the air of any reamer questions.
Chris
Benchmark Barrels
3606522594

 

[Heetor]

Starting to get interesting on this build

I spoke with Chris at Benchmark a couple of times and decided to go that route over Pac-Nor. I think a lot of it was them offering to let me come down and talk about reamers and look at sample barrels etc, not that the Pac-Nor guys weren't very helpful as well, but local is hard to beat.

I finished the rebuild on the bolt, changed the firing pin assembly to a GRE-TAN, pulled the ejector apart and it looked fine so reassembled but with a new retaining pin. I left the extractor alone it was one of those ones with the rivet so I didn't wan to mess with it, if it needs changing I will take it to a smith.

Loaded up some dummy rounds with the Berger 210 and 185 Hunting VLD with full neck engagement, and took the barreled action down to Benchmark. We discussed the project, more like Chris educated me, and decided to go with the following:

- Benchmark SS #5 contour, 26"
- 5 groove 1/10 twist
- Special Match reamer with custom throat (if needed for the Berger 210)
- Single point action truing package
- Nitride the action

Now the wait begins, they indicated it would be 4 months to get it back.

My other parts started arriving, I got the Bell and Carlson Tactical Medalist stock and added another sling swivel to the rail, the Timney Trigger went backordered so I should have it second week in June but not like I need it before then.

I also received my Lee Deluxe 3 die set (seating die, neck collet sizer and Full length sizer), 50 pieces of Nosler brass, and I was able to get me hands on 6 lbs of Varget. For bullets I was able to get 200 each of the Berger VLD Hunting 210 and 185 grain. So my stock pile of supplies is coming along. I hate having to be a hoarder before I have even tried the components, but these are the times.

The scope arrived but this one I was pretty disappointed with. I chose the Sightron SII Big Sky 6.5-20x50, and Burris Signature Zee Rings, with a Leatherwood 20 MOA steel base.

I mounted the scope on my .223 and took it out to the range to try it at 300. I have to say the glass was very clear, better than my equivalent Monarch and Vortex Viper, but the rest was down hill. The side focus was hard to get dialed just right and stiff to adjust. I had to monkey for 30 minutes trying to get the cross hairs even visible, finally I got them when I maxed out the retaining ring and ocular bell to all of the way in, but I don't have even a 1mm more travel so I guess this means no adjustment.

Zeroing the scope was a real pain, the clicks are so soft even trying to just dial one or two I would over adjust every time. Based on reviews from people that know a lot more about scopes than me, I hear these are supposed to be top notch scopes. My spotting scope is a Sightron SII, and I really like it, but this scope was a big disappointment, which really surprised me as I had high hopes for it.

I finally decided it was more important to love the rifle than to save a few bucks, and I relegated the Sightron to one of my hunting rifles that needs a new scope. I ordered a Vortex Viper 6-24x50, which of the ones I have is my favorite.

Anyway 3 months 3 weeks to go

 

[Heetor]

Finally got it put together and took it out, but not much to report yet.

Took it to the range twice in the last week, first was for pressure testing and the second was to do some shooting. When I was testing pressure I shot a 3 shot 0.4 MOA with the Berger 185 VLD over 42 grains of Varget, 0.015 off the lands.

Second trip out I loaded in .2 and .4 grains above and below 42 but 20 mph winds with gusts to 40 made for some ugly targets at 200 yards. I am assuming shooter not gun. Will try this one again.

Anyway, here she is in all her splendor:

- Vortex Viper HS 6 - 24 x 50 with 30 mm tube
- 20 MOA Leatherwood steel rail
- Bell and Carlson Medalist Tactical Stock (have not bedded recoil lug yet)
- Sun Optics 6 - 9" bi-pod
- 26" stainless fluted Benchmark heavy barrel with custom throat for Berger 185 grain VLD match/hunting
- Benchmark did the single point accuracy job on the barrel action
- Rebuilt bolt: New extractor and ejector, polished bolt body (was jeweled and painted), Gre-Tan firing pin assembly
- Timney nickel plated trigger
- Burris Signature Z rings
- Rem 700 long action nitrided (looks great)
- Added Rem 700 factory bottom metal and mag box, (was a blind well)

What a beauty. Did the assembly myself, except for the extractor, it was the rivet kind and I couldn't get the old one out so Benchmark did it.

I need to get the total weight on it, but with that long barrel and tactical stock it is heavy, shoots like a .223. Looking for ward to getting it out in some better weather to do some more load development.

Another interesting note is that their appears to be almost no copper fouling. I cleaned it after 10 rounds, then I cleaned it after 20, and did a 20 hour soak with wipeout, almost no copper. Cleaned again after 30 and 40, and did another soak last night with wipeout, still almost no blue on the patches. I heard the Benchmark barrels had very little copper fouling, but I have never seen anything like this, usually after a good soak the patches are pure blue.