My budget quasi custom 260 AI build.

[xsn10s]

@xsn10s keep your results coming! I'm only somewhat offended that your rifle costs a fraction of mine and is performing just as well.

Thanks but mind you I'm a fisherman so......lol. I took the rifle out today to reconfirm my zero, breezy conditions with 5-9 mph winds. Felt cold even through it's 47 degrees out. Shot at 750 yard coyote steel target and was around a mil high! So I noted my dope changes and checked my last chrono reading. Well IF my zero is correct, which it is today, then the BC is more inline to G7 .350 at 750-800 yards. We got some rain coming in this week which makes it harder to get out on blm lands. But I'll check th trails through the week because the rats are out early this year. That means the coyotes will be more active.

 

[xsn10s]

I might have found why there was such a difference today. I forgot to change the shot angle. But that doesn't account for .4-.5 mil or so. I'll have to check again. I could be alittle high on my zero but it seems less than .1 mil. It could be shooter error so I'll have to check again another day.

 

[xsn10s]

I got out for an hour to do some load development. I settled on 145 gr Match burners (still the damaged lot), 46.0gr Ramshot Hunter, Nosler 2nd's brass, Rem 9.5, COAL 2.940" around 0.020" off the lands. Group was .490" with 22 fps ES and SD of 13. The primer pockets where very tight, so much so that some primers were .010" exposed. I reamed the pockets by hand but might need to mount my reamer in a drill. I think the high primers were causing some ejector marks since the primers still had a decent radius on the edges. If or when I get the primer pocket issue solved I'll try Federal or Winchester primers as I've gotten more velocity with them and RS powders. Or if it doesn't get resolved I'll start using the Starline SRP I have in stock with WSR primers.

 

[xsn10s]

Barely missed some sagerats at 588 yards. Left a inch and a half and maybe that high too. Makes sense because my zero was left and high about .300. The higher velocity shifted my zero. I'm loving this rifle.

 

[xsn10s]

Update: This past Sat the "Budget Build" got it's first kill. Cold bore at 533 yards using the Barnes MB 145 gr that I have. I dialed in the dope and held for 1 mph wind. Aimed for the head and caught it under the chin. I also got a Magpul detachable magazine bottom metal. But I'm not so sure if I'm going to install it yet. If I do I think I'll cut the bottom metal rather than grinding on the stock. Anyone install on of these on a H&S Precision stock?

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

Thanks xsn, for sharing this build.
And all the Fun,Blood and Sweat you put into it. I don't have any Full Custom rifles.
All are budget builds, using donor rifles.
I find a lot of satisfaction in creating
something no buddy else has. Good for you brother. David

 

[xsn10s]

Thanks xsn, for sharing this build.
And all the Fun,Blood and Sweat you put into it. I don't have any Full Custom rifles.
All are budget builds, using donor rifles.
I find a lot of satisfaction in creating
something no buddy else has. Good for you brother. David

Thanks K.E.C! I'm trying to do this with minimum load development, or balancing budget load development while also using it. It's not a ding on those who can spend more dollars towards their rigs. But it's help out those who cannot spend a lot on their rigs. I would like to spend more money on glass though. While the SWFA would be fine for yotes, it's lacking in clarity for smaller varmints. And this rifle is turing out to be the easiest rifle to shoot accurately at longer distances. I was going to switch back the Leopold VariXIII LR Tactical back on the 260AI. But a cold bore hit on coyote steel target vitals area at 750 yards with my PSS 308 win kept me from switching lol.

 

[xsn10s]

New load for the summer 100 plus temps. 140 ELDM Staball 6.5 going 2835 fps. Here's a 3 shot group at 550 yards. Winds started off at around 5 mph left to right so I held left edge. Then on the third shot it switched to right to left, so I held right edge.

 

[xsn10s]

Well unfortunately my brass developed loose primer pockets. So, I'm fireforming Starline brass.

 

[xsn10s]

I spotted two coyotes 1420 yards away from me this weekend. But I didn't trust my new fireforming loads for that distance. I tried them out at the 800 yard range again and my velocity must be off. I got the trajectory to match 2860 fps and tested it at a mile. I couldn't see my hits but I could hear them. I finally spotted the hits at 1217 yards and 1356 yards. Spot on, this rifle shoots really good.

 

[xsn10s]

Well after three weeks of sneaking up to that rockpile the coyotes were on there's no sign of them. Dialed in for a 1405 yard shot with the fire forming load. First shot was off for windage but on for elevation. Adjusted for wind and nailed the rock for the next three shot. Better luck next time.

 

[xsn10s]

I found the pack again on the same rocks. They spotted me at 1750 yards away. These yotes are very well educated and wary. They picked the tallest plateau in a valley to observe from. So I took the shot, swing and a miss. But boy is was **** close. I'll hunt a different area for the next couple of weeks and see if I can stalk them using a fence as concealment.

 

[xsn10s]

I reviewed this thread and I guess I forget to post pictures of the cold bore hits I got last year. Not sure how I did that but here they are. All of them are with 145gr Barnes Match Burners. Rock chuck was at 533 yards and the badger was at 659 yards.

 

[xsn10s]

The rock chuck was running from right to left and stopped quartering to me. I was concerned that it might start running again on the shot so I aimed at the head so if it moved forward I'd still have a chance of a body hit. The shot took the back of the head off. The badger was the largest one I've seen so far. I had to spend some time glassing it to make sure it wasn't a dog or something else. Once confirmed it dropped on the shot but kept it's head up. It didn't move but I sent another one in him to be sure and stop the suffering. I was late for an appointment so I didn't have time to examine the badger. But those 145gr seem to hit hard. The "wop!" is pretty loud from the hits.