newbie w range report, and a ?

[learjet]

hiya everyone...been lurkin for a while, reading and learning a bit. my current rig, isnt really anything that fits in well here, but does get me some good LR experience. its a M1a topped w badgers and a super sniper. not a true LR hunting rig by most standards, but it shoots pretty well, although ive got a few issues left to deal w on it. the trigger pulls horrid(fix underway), ive added a cheekpiece, and im contemplating a change to the buttplate, that flip up metal thingy is tough to use prone. oh, and i dont shoot w the bayo attached

im from central/western Md, not many places to shoot LR, esp hunting, here, but i am planning to buy/build a bolt gun to complement my m1a, and to use for target shooting, and hopefully some day some LR hunting.

anyways i consider myself an advanced reloader, 20+yrs, so nothing much bothers me there

my question is...ive got a post 64 win mod70 in 270 that just plain wont shoot straight. ive tried tons of loads, bullets, powders scopes etc etc, and its barrel time. is it worth building something on this action for a budget rifle, or just sell it and buy a savage. im tempted to put a 6.5-06 barrel on it, but i dont want to mess w blowing out cases etc. im also tempted to stick a nice 30-06 barrel on it, and set it up to shoot the heavier sierra match kings, that the m1a cant handle. im interested in hearing what everyone thinks of my options, and get some guideance on barrel length, etc. i really dont want to change to bolt or mag box, but im open to suggestions. also ive got no real attachement to this rifle, and selling it and buying something else is an open option for me



heres a range report from friday w my m1a...

got to get up to our 1k range and work out a few loads.

ive got good dope now w 175smks and 155 snecars to 1k,
and 165hp SGKs to 500. the pix below shows the range, everything betw 500-700 has grown up and cant be seen, need to get up there w a weedeater and a chainsaw. anyways w the help of an experienced spotter hittin a ram at 730 was np, and we shot 12x16'' steel out to 1k. some highlights were hittin 2 bowling pins 1 shot each at 500, quick dialin in 20 mins total elevation an taggin the ram at 730, goin to 34 up and missin the 1k target in a swirling wind, but taggin it w the next 2 shotsa after a GREAT wind correction call by my buddy playin spotter. these shots were using the 155 snecars, im starting to really like this bullet. just feels less abusive in my m1a than my 175smk load. but, i havent chronyed it yet, and it does jam from time to time, while the smks are operate perfectly

lowlights..the lapua 155 bullets held a rough moa anywhere i shot them, but now and then id get a jam w the empty brass hangin up betw the oprod, chamber rear, and the scope mount. the dirtier the gun got the more it happened, i need to clean her up and try them again.

my cheap piece of junk super sniper scope tracked perfectly, up and down side to side and it was funny to crank in 40 moa of elevation to get the 175 SMKs to 1k, and realize i had 40moa up remaining.

THIS SCOPE ROCKS!



i got lucky, w my sadlak mount, i had to come down 20 moa from optical center to get zeroed at 100yd.

heres a pix of the range, cant see any of the longer targets, but u can see the 1k berm anyways

thx! for the great forum, and all the info!!

lear

 

[Buffalobob]

That is Mifflin. Do you ever go up for the ground hog shoots?

You should drag that clunky thing down to Quanitco on August 19, and shoot some F-class with it. Of course you will need to bring a towel to wipe all of the slobber off of it after the jarheads get through handling it.

At one time in my life I knew some stuff about M14's but can no longer remember any of it.

 

[learjet]

yep, miflin, 2.5hrs from home, i only get up there now and then. great place! never been to quantico, will someday, but im not into match shootin

hehe

lear

 

[41mag]

Learjet,

Welcome to the forums. You have a nice piece there for sure, and I know about the drive to the range as well. I have one on our property that my daughter and I built up but the drive is about the same. I get up there pretty often, but this time of year shootig is hit or miss. Between the grass that needs cutting around the house, and depending on how tall the hay is, depends on if we get to use the range or not. LOL

On the 6.5-06, if your chamber is good, you should be able to simply neck down standard '06 cases and have some good shooting ammo. I used them with my 25-06 all the time and didn't notice much if any difference from once fired loads. In fact the 100gr loads shot just a tad tighter. I simply sized them down so that I could just feel the case when the bolt closed and went for it.

Good luck on which ever you choose, thats part of the fun of it.

 

[blackco]

I don't mean to ask the obvious but it is usually what I overlook first...is there anything mechanically/physically wrong with the 270? Is the crown good, bedding good, trigger, and is it CLEAN?

If you want to rebarrel...I have a 30-06 pre 64 action that I am planning on doing the same thing with. I want a 6.5-06 or variation made. It is for my daughter (ok, both of us) so I'm not sure if I want to go with a straight 6.5-06 or maybe a AI or Gibbs and then load it down a little if it is too much for her.

I recently got my 22-250AI back from the smith and am currently going through the "blowing out" process. This is the first time I have done it and I find it to be NO problem. I just load standard 22-250 loads and shoot 'em; pull the bolt back and VOILA! 22-250AI brass. And some nice groups to boot. I have heard of the other ways but that seems like a lot of work and mess.

 

[learjet]

ahh...the 270 story...ill keep it short. the thing wont shoot any bullet / load ive tried near 1.5 moa except s110hp varminters and s140g game king hps. ive fiddled w powders, primers, charges till i was sick. the bullets above will approach 1.5 moa IF i seat them long, nearly touching the lands. velocity doesnt affect this. im pretty well setup, w 20+yrs reloading experience, a chrony, and a 1k range, but just over the past 2 yrs have i started working my rifles out at LR. the 270 is stock, walnut, and not bedded. the barrel is free floated however, and i check it regularly to see if it has shifted. ive been able to take any bolt gun thats came my way and get it shootin sub moa ez by simply floatin the tube, and load development. this rifle has consistently shot only 4moa or worse w any other bullet than those listed above. ive tried 3 different scopes(redfield 3-9, weaver k4, ssniper) and no change. the bases are tight, and ive tried a mix of rings, from weavers to badgers. i actually gave up on her a couple years back, and dhes been sitting in the gun cabinet since then.

got talkin w a new employee at work the other day, seems hes a long time shooter as well. he described a similar situation he had w a 1980s win70, that had the same problem. he installed a 7mm barrel he had lyin around and all was well.

the guns clean, w no apparent visible damage to the crown/bore. ive thought about sellin the durn thing, and buyin a savage tactical, but thats the ez way out

<G>

my last gripe w the 270 is the lack of high BC match bullets. i do more long range gong ringin than anything else, and ive takin a likin to lapua snecars. the 155s are freakin awsome outta my m1a. which, btw, will shoot rings around the 270, and always has.....and that just aint right

im actually leaning back to having a nice 30-06 barrel installed. not sure im interested in a 1500 rnd barrel. just not sure....

anyways its a long term project, my m1a serves me well, but someday im gonna do something w it

thx guys

lear

 

[lazylabs]

another option

6.5/284 would fit nicely in that action and give you plenty of room to seat the bullets out. Then there is no messing with brass just buy load and go.