New lightweight build

[Rich Coyle]

What contour did your pac nor start at. They have a really thin one.

I asked them to match the factory Weatherby and then add 2". I think it is a tiny bit lighter than their normal lightest one. I called all the barrel companies I could find on the 'net. Pac-Nor was the only company which would match Weatherby's contour.

 

[snox801]

Hey thanks a lot wildcat. I'm assume the Weatherby contour must be very thin? I e been looking at all the thin contours and try to see where they are different I have all the stats right next to each his other with drawings. They all seem to shave some weights in different spots so I'm gonna see if I can use all the different ones together. I'm glad to here you are getting yours to shoot. I assume you could as I've seen some pencil thin barrels on axis and others shoot well. Thanks for the help really appreciate it I wanna do it right once.

 

[snox801]

So after much digging and calling this week I think I might have to get the proof barrel. After making many charts and phone calls. I may be able to get a bit lighter using a number 1 contour and twisted to flute it. After comparing contours and weight even the lightest are only a few ounces light and this is not a for sure as all barrel companies say about. Where proof assured me it would be 2lbs 10 ounces before chambering which is how I compared them all. Some even came in heavier. Then after walking to twisted we think we can take a bit more off by some fluting on the shank an shorting the crown by a bit. Plus I feel this barrel will outshoot the others. Plus it looks cool. What do you think.

 

[engineer40]

I think this is going to be a sweet rifle!

 

[Rich Coyle]

So after much digging and calling this week I think I might have to get the proof barrel. After making many charts and phone calls. I may be able to get a bit lighter using a number 1 contour and twisted to flute it. After comparing contours and weight even the lightest are only a few ounces light and this is not a for sure as all barrel companies say about. Where proof assured me it would be 2lbs 10 ounces before chambering which is how I compared them all. Some even came in heavier. Then after walking to twisted we think we can take a bit more off by some fluting on the shank an shorting the crown by a bit. Plus I feel this barrel will outshoot the others. Plus it looks cool. What do you think.

From what I'm seeing with my lightweight Weatherby it is about a 1MOA rifle. I've been to the range four times with the near final load. The groups have been 3/4", 1 3/16", 15/16" and 15/16". I will try a different over all length, but I think it's there. The velocity is 3,174 feet per second for the twelve shots firing a Nosler Accubond 140.

 

[snox801]

From what I'm seeing with my lightweight Weatherby it is about a 1MOA rifle. I've been to the range four times with the near final load. The groups have been 3/4", 1 3/16", 15/16" and 15/16". I will try a different over all length, but I think it's there. The velocity is 3,174 feet per second for the twelve shots firing a Nosler Accubond 140.

I'm starting to lean back towards the really light contour. I'm just glad I'm to busy right now to make it to pierce so I don't have to decide yet. Few more weeks maybe just spending to much money on my new garage to skip work for a day.

 

[snox801]

Ok made the trip to pierce today to start the build. I ended up going with the proof barrel. After talking with pierce it seemed like the best way to go given that a small enough contour we would have to use to save weight(1) may not give good accuracy. So we went with a proof and are gonna see where we can shave weight from it. They had a few barrels action I got to hold with 28" tubes and they seemed pretty nice. Not sure I like the price tag though.

 

[Hired Gun]

Sorry I am late to the party but just saw this thread.

A couple years ago we built a 7-08AI on the light weight Pierce action in a ADL configuration. We used a 23" Krieger barrel and a Pendleton Carbon Fiber stock. It has a nice safe shank on the barrel and a decent forearm on the stock. Some outfits will cut both these features to the bare minimum. The finished rifle weighs 5 pounds even. It is scoped with a VXII Firefly 4-12 CDS illuminated scope and the finished rifle weighs in at exactly 98.2 ounces ready to load. This was not a cheap or easy to build rifle as the light stocks lack much substance and took a bit of reengineering to get it to work. I could probably shave another 3 ounces off this rifle with a plastic shell holder and aluminum swivel studs. There are much lighter scopes but we wanted to see some finer detail than what the lighter scopes are capable of.

Now that fire forming is complete it has settled down to a solid 5/8 MOA rifle shooting 150 grain LRAB at 3000 fps. It has proven to be a very capable 600 yard minute of soda can rifle.

It is detailed on our site.

 

[engineer40]

Ok made the trip to pierce today to start the build. I ended up going with the proof barrel. After talking with pierce it seemed like the best way to go given that a small enough contour we would have to use to save weight(1) may not give good accuracy. So we went with a proof and are gonna see where we can shave weight from it. They had a few barrels action I got to hold with 28" tubes and they seemed pretty nice. Not sure I like the price tag though.

Are you saying you didn't like the price of the Proof barrel or the barreled actions that Pierce had? Just curious.

 

[snox801]

I was referring to the barrel. Man they are proud of them but if they work well and save weight I'll be ok. Now I have the barreled action decided on now I'm on to stocks. I'm looking at the manners eh5 cause it comes in really light for a thumbhole 27 ounces.

 

[Shooter264]

I was referring to the barrel. Man they are proud of them but if they work well and save weight I'll be ok. Now I have the barreled action decided on now I'm on to stocks. I'm looking at the manners eh5 cause it comes in really light for a thumbhole 27 ounces.

Your manner will only weigh 27 ounces w no recoil pad, pillars, or sling swivels. They completely misrepresent the weights of their stocks. All of them I have ordered have been 4-7 ounces heavier.

 

[snox801]

Correct I'm getting it without that stuff. Doing a micro cell thin pad and to swivels. Should bump it up just a bit. I may also be able to loose that weight somewhere else in the stock. Thanks again for all the help guys. I've been beating my head against the wall over which stuff to use. Amazing him many companies don't return phone calls within a week. Still waiting for some returns about other stocks.

 

[Hired Gun]

Are you intending to shoot this recreationally? Meaning more than verifying zero and killing big game.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Correct I'm getting it without that stuff. Doing a micro cell thin pad and to swivels. Should bump it up just a bit. I may also be able to loose that weight somewhere else in the stock. Thanks again for all the help guys. I've been beating my head against the wall over which stuff to use. Amazing him many companies don't return phone calls within a week. Still waiting for some returns about other stocks.

I don't remember if I posted this or not. The factory sling I purchased from the store came with metal swivels. It weighs five ounces. I went to the cloth yardage store and picked up a couple yards of some lighter material that was about the same. Also I picked up some plastic swivels and made the strap at home. Then l cut off all I didn't need. It weighs one ounce. There is another benefit. It doesn't squeak.