New Guys Needs Advice on Rifle Build

[300magman]

I'm an avid hunter/shooter and I've been reading enough around here to have a head full of idea's about what rifle I want to build and in what caliber. But I also have a few questions.

1) Is a switch barrel rifle practical for me? I hunt coyotes from Dec- Sept. In November I hunt deer. And from May-Aug I shoot 1000 yard target events once a month (just for fun, not competitively)

I would like to build a rifle with 3 barrels, which I don't think would be too inconvenient because I would only put the "deer barrel" on (and leave it on) for the month of Nov. All winter I could keep the "coyote" barrel on. And in Summer I might swap back and forth between "coyote" and "target" once a month.

2) What is the quickest, safest, most repeatable way to switch barrels, & will it eventually cause harm to the rifle?


3) I'm thinking of going 243 WSM for coyote, 7mm SAUM for target, and 300 RUM for deer. I believe they share a common case head size. But if I wanted to use case heads of different size, say 300 Allen Express instead of 300 RUM would that be achievable without a large hastle or expense?

4) What repeater action, bottom metal, and clip should I start looking at?

5) Is an integrated recoil lug proven to be much more effective than a pinned recoil lug? ... My gut tells me to go integrated because one piece has to have advantages, but I do see SO many high end actions using pinned lugs that it makes me wonder.

 

[sinarms]

Savage would be the easiest and cheapest to do. I would do 22-250 for coyotes, 260 for Target and either 260 or 280 for deer.

 

[300magman]

Savage would be the easiest and cheapest to do. I would do 22-250 for coyotes, 260 for Target and either 260 or 280 for deer.

I really don't want to go that way. I had considered it, but animals tend to be large around here and shooting opportunities present themselves at virtually unlimited distances at times. I also don't fire too many competition rounds so I am not worried about the bit of extra barrel wear from the SAUM compared to say, a .284win. I really do want the larger cartriges, and if I only build one rifle in my lifetime I want it to be the best and strongest that I can afford. I'm not knocking Savage, I just had other actions in mind.....but in the end, if its the only practical way to go with a switch barrel, I may give it a shot.

 

[ewallace]

sounds like a good plane to me the switch barrel is a good way to go and if you stay with the same bolt face you are good with a custom or Rem action

 

[hypersonic]

I really don't want to go that way. I had considered it, but animals tend to be large around here and shooting opportunities present themselves at virtually unlimited distances at times. I also don't fire too many competition rounds so I am not worried about the bit of extra barrel wear from the SAUM compared to say, a .284win. I really do want the larger cartriges, and if I only build one rifle in my lifetime I want it to be the best and strongest that I can afford. I'm not knocking Savage, I just had other actions in mind.....but in the end, if its the only practical way to go with a switch barrel, I may give it a shot.

Just curious how large is large in your area?

 

[groper]

sounds like a hell of alot of hassle mate... heres why...

1. Easy enough if you keep a common bolt face, but otherwise your up for a new bolt or bolthead aswell.

2. Your POI will shift everytime you switch barrels and have to rezero your scope each time.

3. Youll have to pay for not just the barrels, but also muzzle brakes if you want them, a go guage for each barrel to headspace it when you switch barrels, muliple sets of dies and brass for each caliber etc... add all this up, its alot of money. Why not just go with the single largest caliber, in your case the 300RUM, and use it to shoot everything??? You can use all the money you saved on barrels, dies, brass etc to pay for bullets and powder? Youll be miles in front financially despite your using the most expensive caliber all the time.

I would spend good money and build super accurate custom rifle in the largest caliber you might ever need, then you will never need another long range rifle for the rest of your life... i have reduced my gun collection to essentially 2 rifles that covers 99% of all the hunting i do. A big *** 375cheytac that covers all my long range hunting of ANYTHING out to some stupid distances, and a cheap 308win pump action with a 10shot mag (we not allowed semi autos here) with an Eotech sight for short range stalk hunting in thicker bush or forest type stuff... or i can pull the Eotech off the picatinny and drop a scope on it if the likely shooting distances are gonna be a bit longer, like 100-300yds etc... 2 rifles covers every type of local hunting situation i could be in and im willing to bet cost less than trying to run a 3 swtich barrel setup.

I could understand running a 2 barrel setup, like a 300RUM for hunting big stuff way out there, and maybe a 6.5mm or similar switch barrel for target/cyote use because a target rifle and LR rifle are physically very similar, both need high accuracy components and you can save a bit of money by sharing the scope, action and stock etc. But 3 just doesnt make sense...

 

[barthmonster]

The only way to do this is with 1-gun, the 300 RUM. Reduced-Loads I'm finding are fun and accurate...

Or get a Thompson-Center single-shot Encore (Pro-Hunter) With some tricks, and / or special barrels, these are accurate as can be... This would rule-out the fat-cartridge idea though, you'd need 300 Win, .243, & .280 or some such...

 

[300magman]

Ok, guys...I know you are trying to help and I appreciate the effort but

barthmonster a Single shot is NOT an option. My coyotes run in packs, and on good days, crows come in waves.
I also like a repeater for big game (I should have said big game earlier instead of saying deer) because moose, caribou, & bear are all on the menu as well...although very infrequently as hunts are hard to come by.

groper All areas are not the same, some have MUCH stricter laws; mine include minimum and maximum caliber restriction in some cases. Though I admit, using a RUM on coyotes isn't a bad idea if only it was legal.

I also won't be switching barrels very often, so I don't think I will feel overly hassled by the process. - and perhaps one day far far down the road I will expand my arsenal to 2 long range rifles each with only different 2 barrels.

Again guys, thanks for the suggestions, I don't mean to sound like I am dismissing them.

 

[300magman]

Just curious how large is large in your area?

The coyotes have bread with wolves at some point in our history - they travel in packs, communicate, and grow in excess of 100 pounds, in some cases I believe 120lbs has been reported.....they also don't particularly care if they make a meal of a deer or a man...though local media/government downplay that last part. (usually blaming it on one of a dozen excuses why the attack happened, but will never happen again...BS I say)

 

[groper]

like i said, i can understand a 2 barrel setup, but not 3 barrels... So, a 300RUM and a 6.5x284, not sure on this bolt face, but a 270WSM will share same bolt for example... explain again why you need 3?

Oh, the 300 allen express uses a 338 lapua case and therefore you would need an action that would accomodate a 338 lapua chambering. So you have to step up in action size if you were to go this way, and also definately cannot share boltfaces with the smaller calibers your thinking of.

If i were considering your needs, i would be considering the 338 cartridges such as the 338edge or 338 lapua instead of the 300RUM, and somthing along the lines of the 270WSM switch barrel. I cant see what you couldnt shoot with these 2 calibers alone.

 

[bigngreen]

I like gropers idea of a RUM and a 270 WSM switch barrel, the RUM will rock any game in north America at a fair distance. The 270 WSM can be loaded for LR target shooting with a 150gr bullet and then a coyote load with a 110gr TTSX, the 110 TTSX flat ends coyotes, I've shot them in the pelvic and they dropped dead, I've never had a coyote move after shooting one with the 110TTSX and it works real well on the big dogs, if that fits the cal restriction!
This wouldn't be bad to make a switch barrel on any action as you stay with the same bolt face and don't have to have a second or third bolt. I switch barrels on my Savage 270 WSM all the time with no problem at all, one bonus is the stock and optic all stay the same and you really get settled in with that one rifle. I've seen switch barrels on a bunch of actions using the barrel nut, Pac-nor even has a Rem nut kit.

 

[hammertyme]

One of my Savage Strikers is now set up and indexed correctly for the following barrels.

6.5 WSM, 7WSM,300WSM, 338WSM and 458Lott- The gun weighs right at 7 pounds with 4-16 rifle scope.

The scope and stock are set up so that I replace the barrel without removing anything. I have a cheat sheet which tells me how much elevation and windage from caliber to caliber I must move the scope to bring things back on target.

The WSM's are rather easy on the scope adjustment. The Lott has a lot of scope adjustment but the data is there if I so choose to move it.

If you have a smith run the reamer deep you will have a cartridge design which holds the same amount of powder as a 300 Win Mag. My barrels with the long chambers are named 6.5 Stretch, 338 Stretch etc!

I use the same dies for the WSM's just screw them out .050 to compensate for the longer chamber.

Neal

 

[300magman]

For those "why 3 barrels" people > here it goes again. 243 is max for small game, and I refuse to use such a small caliber for long range big game. I would like to try the highest bc bullets I can for target shooting, so that means 7mm and for rigidity, velocity, and recoil reduction I want to use a Very long, heavy barrel > making this barrel unsuitable for hunting...hence, barrel #3 for big game.


I will look into the suggestion of the pac-nor barrel nut.


A question regarding rem 700 style actions or other popular aftermarket actions. > How hard is it to change bolt faces, for example if I wanted to use different sizes to accomodate .243win sized, 7mm SAUM sized, and .338 lupua sized bolt heads?
I know, pretty impractical, but I would just like to know.

 

[groper]

thats odd, ive just never heard of a maximum caliber restriction like .243 on small game etc... but anyways, your easiest option for a remington action is this -> Rem 700 Replacement Bolts from PT&G « Daily Bulletin

Aftermarket actions, you will have to contact them and find out, theyre all different, but at worst you simply buy an entire bolt. Some will sell just a bolt head, some wont, depending on the design.

PS, i wouldnt build on a factory sloppy *** remington action... by the time youve had it accurised and bought the new bolts etc... youve already paid for a nice custom action anyway, which could be shipped to you with all the bolt faces youve specified and everything CNC fits perfect and square with no slop. Your building 1 rifle to do 3 jobs, you might aswell make it a **** good one or youll end up with 3 crap rifles instead of 3 good ones...