Been meaning to share my baby with you guys for a while, but needed to get out so I could take some decent pics. Here she is:
And since I didn't have the mag in for those pics today, here's one from before I finished the stock:
Components:
- Pierce Engineering long-action repeater action.
- Pierce Engineering 20 MOA scope rail.
- Pierce Engineering 'tactical' bolt knob.
- Joel Russo 'Seekins Prototype' stock, not-so-professionally finished by me
- Adjustable cheek piece hardware from Master Class Stocks.
- McMillan butt-pad spacer system (custom fit by Joel ).
- Seekins Precision '.338 Lapua' style trigger guard/detachable magazine system, permits 3.910" overall cartridge length.
- Satern Machining 30" cut rifled hand-lapped .308 barrel, heavy palma contour with 1.350" shank diameter, 10 flutes, 1:10" 5R rifling.
- Straight Shot Gunsmithing 10-degree V-Port muzzle brake.
- Jewell trigger with top safety.
Work by Nate (SSG):
- Barrel chambered, crowned, threaded, and brake installed.
- Barrel/brake blasted with "snakeskin" finish.
- Trigger installed, tuned to 2.5#, adjusted for zero take-up and maximum overtravel.
- Stock pillar bedded.
- Action machined and bolt stop modified to accommodate magazine system.
Accessories:
- Harris 6-9" swivel bipod, notched leg model, with KMW Pod-Loc.
- US Optics rail-mounted anti-cant device (AKA bubble-level).
- SniperTools Angle Cosine Indicator with Badger Ordinance GEN I mount.
- Seekins Precision slimline, medium height 7075-T6 aluminum rings.
- Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50 with NP-R1 reticle and 1/4 MOA adjustments.
- 3" Nightforce sunshade, Butler Creek flip caps.
- TIS Quick-Cuff sling
Weight:
Just a hair under 16lbs with (including everything listed above). Coincidentally, 16 lbs happens to be the maximum legal hunting rifle weight in Idaho (where I hunt with Dad) -- components were chosen with the weight limit in mind, but did not intend to cut it that close (phew!).
Load:
Need to work up a 'hotter' load at some point, but my current load is:
240gr SMK seated .015" from lands
Rem brass
CCI 250 Primer
80.5gr H1000
~2760 FPS
Initial load development group with this load, 200 yards:
Today's group (hampered some by wind and me freezing my butt off):
Special acknowledgments:
- My wife: For not divorcing/killing me over my little (expensive) obsession.
- Mr. Nathan Dagley, AKA '.308 Nate': For making a gorgeous laser of a rifle, putting up with me, and being willing to go above and beyond to accommodate the customer.
- Joel Russo: For making an awesome, truly CUSTOM stock, being a huge help in coordinating things and getting parts where they needed to be, and being just a great guy to chat with.
- Glen Seekins: Aside from coming up with the overall stock design, and being the supplier of the bottom metal/mag/rings, helped a ton by coordinating things with Joel and John Pierce re: the bottom metal.
- Long Range Hunting and Sniper's Hide communities: For much of the knowledge and inspiration that went into this endeavor.
Lesson Learned:
Don't try to build a custom rifle with any kind of timeline, no matter how realistic that timeline seems when you start (or, at least have a 'backup plan' in case the rifle is not ready). I ended up cutting it extremely close. This wasn't anybody's fault, just a ton of stuff that all needs to be in place and happen for a rifle like this to fall together. Have yourself a custom built, but save yourself the stress and don't put yourself in a position where you need to worry about whether you will get it 'in time'. Huge thanks to Nate for pulling it out in the clutch for me.
-Matt
And since I didn't have the mag in for those pics today, here's one from before I finished the stock:
Components:
- Pierce Engineering long-action repeater action.
- Pierce Engineering 20 MOA scope rail.
- Pierce Engineering 'tactical' bolt knob.
- Joel Russo 'Seekins Prototype' stock, not-so-professionally finished by me
- Adjustable cheek piece hardware from Master Class Stocks.
- McMillan butt-pad spacer system (custom fit by Joel ).
- Seekins Precision '.338 Lapua' style trigger guard/detachable magazine system, permits 3.910" overall cartridge length.
- Satern Machining 30" cut rifled hand-lapped .308 barrel, heavy palma contour with 1.350" shank diameter, 10 flutes, 1:10" 5R rifling.
- Straight Shot Gunsmithing 10-degree V-Port muzzle brake.
- Jewell trigger with top safety.
Work by Nate (SSG):
- Barrel chambered, crowned, threaded, and brake installed.
- Barrel/brake blasted with "snakeskin" finish.
- Trigger installed, tuned to 2.5#, adjusted for zero take-up and maximum overtravel.
- Stock pillar bedded.
- Action machined and bolt stop modified to accommodate magazine system.
Accessories:
- Harris 6-9" swivel bipod, notched leg model, with KMW Pod-Loc.
- US Optics rail-mounted anti-cant device (AKA bubble-level).
- SniperTools Angle Cosine Indicator with Badger Ordinance GEN I mount.
- Seekins Precision slimline, medium height 7075-T6 aluminum rings.
- Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50 with NP-R1 reticle and 1/4 MOA adjustments.
- 3" Nightforce sunshade, Butler Creek flip caps.
- TIS Quick-Cuff sling
Weight:
Just a hair under 16lbs with (including everything listed above). Coincidentally, 16 lbs happens to be the maximum legal hunting rifle weight in Idaho (where I hunt with Dad) -- components were chosen with the weight limit in mind, but did not intend to cut it that close (phew!).
Load:
Need to work up a 'hotter' load at some point, but my current load is:
240gr SMK seated .015" from lands
Rem brass
CCI 250 Primer
80.5gr H1000
~2760 FPS
Initial load development group with this load, 200 yards:
Today's group (hampered some by wind and me freezing my butt off):
Special acknowledgments:
- My wife: For not divorcing/killing me over my little (expensive) obsession.
- Mr. Nathan Dagley, AKA '.308 Nate': For making a gorgeous laser of a rifle, putting up with me, and being willing to go above and beyond to accommodate the customer.
- Joel Russo: For making an awesome, truly CUSTOM stock, being a huge help in coordinating things and getting parts where they needed to be, and being just a great guy to chat with.
- Glen Seekins: Aside from coming up with the overall stock design, and being the supplier of the bottom metal/mag/rings, helped a ton by coordinating things with Joel and John Pierce re: the bottom metal.
- Long Range Hunting and Sniper's Hide communities: For much of the knowledge and inspiration that went into this endeavor.
Lesson Learned:
Don't try to build a custom rifle with any kind of timeline, no matter how realistic that timeline seems when you start (or, at least have a 'backup plan' in case the rifle is not ready). I ended up cutting it extremely close. This wasn't anybody's fault, just a ton of stuff that all needs to be in place and happen for a rifle like this to fall together. Have yourself a custom built, but save yourself the stress and don't put yourself in a position where you need to worry about whether you will get it 'in time'. Huge thanks to Nate for pulling it out in the clutch for me.
-Matt
