New Bolt action rifle.

B

Bambi Basher

Guest
I have just picked this up off a US site, the company who makes the Thompson/contender single shot rifles have launched there own bolt action rifle called the Icon. It has a number of interesting features:-

A aluminium bedding block in a wooden stock secured by 3 Hexagonal stock screws (instead of the usual 2).

The barrel has 5R rifling (this is were the barrel looks like a 50p piece when looked at on the inside instead of the usual cut rifling grooves. This gives better velocity and leads to less fouling of the barrel.)

The receiver is machined with integral weaver scope mounts slots in the top.

It has a detachable magazine.

The bolt has 3 locking lugs and a 60 degrees lift, it is also a control feed action.

It has a extra safety lever that allows you to have bolt lock down or have the bolt operate with the normal safety on.

It is available in a new calibre “.30 TC” this gives 30-06 performance from a .308 length case.

And all for $800 so that will be after normal mark up £800-1000 to me and you UK riflemen.

B-B
 
Might have been dredged up from ancient history but it got me looking up 5R rifling

Living and learning ...
 
The Icon was too expensive to build and to sell, at the time, trying to break into the market at $1,100 USD with a recession coming on and everyone selling nice wood rifles to buy handguns and military semi-auto rifles.

But now the much less expensive Thompson Compass sells for about $300, has 5R rifling, shoots well. A friend bought a .308 Win for a bad weather rifle and has been stunned by groups with inexpensive Federal Fusion and Hornady Whitetail doing about 1/2 inch for 5 shots at 100 yards. He took three deer with it this year.

I bought a second-hand Icon this year, stainless, synthetic, with a corrosion proofing treatment on the metal, 5R rifling, 24-inch barrel, for $500 with a Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x40 scope. It shoots all my go-to .30-06 loads .75 inch or better, some match loads in the 0.4 or better. I have not really rung it out, but had it and the B78 to the range to test some ELD-X 178-gr at 2,850 fps from it and over 2,900 from the Browning. Shot them out to 400 yards, groups under 2.5 inches. I just zeroed it at 200 yards and have confidence to grab it for a hunt.

It is a heavy rifle, about 9.25 lbs with the scope and loaded, full bolt body similar to a Sauer 202, flat bodied action from forging, bedding insert in the stock, pillars, integral Picatinny type rails... I didn't need another .30-06, but it is an all weather rifle that shoots, and easy to swap optics.
 
I have just picked this up off a US site, the company who makes the Thompson/contender single shot rifles have launched there own bolt action rifle called the Icon. It has a number of interesting features:-

A aluminium bedding block in a wooden stock secured by 3 Hexagonal stock screws (instead of the usual 2).

The barrel has 5R rifling (this is were the barrel looks like a 50p piece when looked at on the inside instead of the usual cut rifling grooves. This gives better velocity and leads to less fouling of the barrel.)

The receiver is machined with integral weaver scope mounts slots in the top.

It has a detachable magazine.

The bolt has 3 locking lugs and a 60 degrees lift, it is also a control feed action.

It has a extra safety lever that allows you to have bolt lock down or have the bolt operate with the normal safety on.

It is available in a new calibre “.30 TC” this gives 30-06 performance from a .308 length case.

And all for $800 so that will be after normal mark up £800-1000 to me and you UK riflemen.

B-B
ive got one in .308. It’s the dogs licky bits.
 
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