tactical rifle

[atvracer]

ok 1st I've been out of the rifle seen for about 20 years well i found my new Sako AV action i got it back in the 80's well now i want to finish it and make a long range tactical rifle for long range target shooting and have some fun

i ordered a A3-5 tactical stock from McMillan i have a new 7mm 1-9 32"long barrel blank on my shelf i can use

i want to build the best rifle that i can doing all of the work my self so i have a few question

should i keep the 7MM barrel and make it a 7MM RM or ? or get a .308 barrel and make a .300 RUM? I'm limit to a 3.6" long cartage
what barrel length ?
use a muzzle brake or not ?
what size and type of scope ?
any input would very appreciated

thanks Atvracer

 

[jpd676]

I wish I could help here, but your questions are too general. What is long range to you; 500 yards or 1500 yards? What do you want to shoot, steel at 1000 yards or golf balls/prarie dogs at 700 yards? How much do you want to spend on a scope? Is this a hunting stick or a back of the truck type gun.

I don't like brakes as they are loud and can throw junk in your face when you shoot prone, but if you plan to shoot 50 rounds or more in a day it may be necessary.

I like 7rm and 300 win mag. These calibers can get you to 1000 yards or so and don't cost a ton to load for. A 28" barrel would be a good choice for either caliber, or even the 300 rum. A scope in the 5-20 or 6-24 range covers quite a bit. I would only get higher magnification if I wanted to shoot small things at longer ranges. If cost is a big factor I would use the barrel you have and put more money into optics (assuming it is a quality barrel).

Reloading is the key to long range success for any rifle. Just my opinion, good luck.

 

[atvracer]

thanks

i would like to shoot a golf ball size at 700-1000
i will be doing my own reloads
money is no problem i like a little over kill
my current barrel is made by Bartlein Barrels
when i go to the range i'll plan on shooting round 50 give or take

my biggest thing i love to building things then used them to their full potential

 

[trebark]

Here's an example of a good tactical rifle (be sure to read it all the way to the end as the rifle starts out as a single shot hunter and transforms...)

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f53/my-260-mcr-59628/

For a 'tactical' rifle, the big magnums are not very well suited for that. To me, 'tactical' means the rifle is stable enough to shoot longrange yet nimble enough to be carried and shot off-hand and in various other positions.

As an example, here's my 300RUM. It is an awesome longrange rig, but I would not consider it 'tactical'

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f53/my-300rum-mcr-70809/#post494570

Since you have a 7mm barrel, look at 7SAUM and 284Win. Both terrific cartridges that will send high BC bullets fast (especially the 7saum as it will shoot the Berger 180grain hybrids at 2900+)

My recommendation would be to put a brake on it.

 

[jpd676]

I would have to agree a large magnum isn't really a tactical rifle if you intend to shoot it a lot. To me, a tactical rifle needs to deliver a precision round the first shot. Repeatability is very important. I have a chassis system from XLR industries that has significantly helped me learn to get behind the gun the same way every time. I can't say enough good about it. For shooting a lot of rounds at long distance I love my 260 with 140 Amax's. That would be great if you don't need a sledgehammer for whatever you are shooting. For optics, I would suggest a nightforce 8-32 as a minimum if you are shooting at small targets. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

 

[Nomad]

The 260, or 6.5 creedmoor would be a good choice for most of your shooting.
The 308 has been a great standard for many years and with the new powders
like RL-17. You can shoot heavier bullets.......
A friend built a 6.5 br a very surprising how very well it shoots.
The 260, 7-08, 308 all have good barrel life and easy to fine ammo as well as lots of load data.
Luck to you.....

 

[atvracer]

thanks for your input like i said I've been out for 20years and went in full speed and blind! thats why i stop and ask some questions

my bolt face is .537 so i got to stick with it
I'm not 100% on a 7mm but for now i'll try it i can always change it later
so the 7mm SAUM sound good unless you guys prefer something else or more user friendly even a different barrel size is in order

the 260 looks cool also i'll have to read up

trebark your guns looks awesome thats the look im going for now i just need to get it preform like your looks

thanks aging for all your guys i have a few weeks till i can machine my barrel so i'll wait till i order my reamer and start doing some reading
atvracer

 

[trebark]

An obvious question I missed...I assume your have a long-action...yes? (made that assumption given you were originally considering long-action magnums.)

Continuing with the assumption that your rifle is a long-action, building a short-action cartridge on a long-action is a great idea. By doing that, you will be able to seat your bullets pretty far out and still be able to cycle them.
In terms of cartridge choice, look at 7saum and 7wsm. Both are great cartridges. The wsm has a slightly larger case capacity and a result will shoot faster. A buddy of mine has a 7saum and he shoots the 180grain Berger Hybrid at 2900+....badass! Make sure you put an efficient brake on the barrel though as the both of these cartridges have considerable recoil that can make it difficult to spot your own shots without a brake.

 

[teflonhunter]

I love the 7 SAUM , have one myself , but brass is ridicuously hard to find.