new build

[stagpanther]

Yet another beauty barrel courtesy of Northland Shooter's Supply. I had barely hung up the phone from ordering when an e-mail notice was posted that it was on its way. Since I was never happy with my vanguard first light--decided to try and make a Savage in 300 wby mag.

 

[stagpanther]

Et Viola! as we like to say in Germany.

Actually I goofed and had originally prepared a a nice wood stock for the action--but overlooked the fact that none of the regular 110 long actions magazines accommodates the 3.560 COL--so I went the MDT/AICS route since the 300 wm magazine that fits their savage long action chassis goes out to 3.715." Weatherby themselves is coming out with "tacticool" hunting rifles so I guess this won't look too out of place.

 

[stagpanther]

A new Mark 5 300wby that I got to use this weekend. I can't tell for sure what model it is--but I think it's a custom Weathermark with stainless fluted barrel. It also features a fiberglass stock. I'm lucky enough to know some fairly well-off hunters and they let me try out their new rifles--the trend definitely is towards carbon/fiberglass lightweight rifles. They are beautifully made--and generally very expensive, but I've yet to fire one in any caliber that I didn't think was "jumpier" than the same caliber in a slightly heavier more traditional wood stock. A cartridge like the 300 wby you're also going to feel an obvious difference in felt recoil in a lighter weight rifle. This rig is only 8 ounces lighter than the one I just put together. It does shoot very well--Weatherby is putting out some very nice in-house barrels now.

 

[taylorce1]

Have you seen their new 307 rifle? Weatherby has jumped into the M700 clone market with it. I think you can also buy the bare action for a custom build for less than $1000.

Whenever I've delt with NSS, the service was always top notch. I'm assuming that's one of his Criterion barrels he has on clearance? I do know at one time Savage did chamber the .375 H&H, if you can find one of those magazines you can make your wood stock a viable option as well.

 

[stagpanther]

Have you seen their new 307 rifle? Weatherby has jumped into the M700 clone market with it. I think you can also buy the bare action for a custom build for less than $1000.

Whenever I've delt with NSS, the service was always top notch. I'm assuming that's one of his Criterion barrels he has on clearance? I do know at one time Savage did chamber the .375 H&H, if you can find one of those magazines you can make your wood stock a viable option as well.

I haven't seen one in the flesh--I have heard a few grumbles from the hard-core radial bolt hunter set that they are not entirely pleased, but it makes sense to me now that they have a major production facility in Wyoming. The howa 1500/vanguard is more or less a 700 clone (with a flat bottom) anyway.

I just got back from doing some initial barrel break-in--conditions continue to suck here but I was just interested in getting a little wear on the bore. You are of course correct--the barrel is a Criterion prefit--which was on clearance for $250 so I jumped on it immediately (I think James told me there was one other available). The bore comes delivered hand-lapped and in my opinion probably doesn't need breaking in anyway--but I try to follow the directions of the people that make them. After stop-and-go shooting to clean the barrel after each shot, I decided to use the last three handloaded cartridges--which were straight out of nosler's handbook for 168 gr custom comps--to see how well they would pass the Weatherby test for 3 shots at 100 yds at MOA or less. I was actually shooting at 183 yds into a stiff quartering headwind gusting to 20 mph--and to make things even more interesting it was lightly raining.

 

[stagpanther]

I do know at one time Savage did chamber the .375 H&H, if you can find one of those magazines you can make your wood stock a viable option as well.

I've struggled with this issue because I have other big cartridge magnum bolt head builds that end up being single-shot rifles due to magazine restrictions.

The accustock for my 338LM that comes from Savage is brilliant IMO--not only is it a lightweight tupperware stock (historically a piece of flexi-ware that has always needed replacing with something rigid--but they finally got it right with this iteration IMO)--but due to their full-length one piece aluminum bed it actually works, and works very well for their 338 LM.

I've been eyeing it longly as a possible conversion base for other big cartridges that go beyond 3.6" COL. But savage has chosen to go the large-shank shouldered barrel route with this and the recoil lug and bedding are more narrow than that of a typical 110 LA. Could probably machine that easily to get it to work with standard 110 LA large shank lugs and barrel nuts--but I'm not so sure the bed would retain the same rigidity and support of the action in the process. After hemming and hawing about it for quite some time, I decided to get an MDT XRS chassis that accepts AIC's .338 LM magazine. Why MDT doesn't make their own magazine for it is a curious mystery to me--they do make a 338 LM magazine--but it doesn't fit their own chassis.