bewsher500
Well-Known Member
What seems like years ago I decided I needed a 6mm in my life
I feel the need for a 6mm.....
It took me a long time to choose one
something that ideally was going to replace my 300wm as a long range plinker but also be used on quarry (deer, fox mainly)
I wanted a sako action, possibly in a sporter, then completely u-turned and decided to go for a long, heavy barrel in a tactical style stock!
Stumbling across another component magpie I purchased a Bartlein 5r 1:8" Heavy Varmint blank, 200 lapua and Norma cases and all the redding dies one could possibly need for a bargain price!
all i needed now was an action and a riflesmith
This being my first semi custom I spoke to a lot of smiths and looked at costs and timelines and went to meet a number of them.
I was referred to Alan Maughan in Stockfield (Northumberland) and went to meet him.
My folks are only 15 miles away so it was very handy too
He had a well sorted workshop, meticulously organised and he had a Tikka 590 action waiting to be barrelled.
Having seen some of the work he had completed I was very impressed, some of the load testing targets that go with the rifles need to be seen to be believed.
Expected turnaround time was impressive also.
You can see some of his videos and work on here too: https://www.facebook.com/alanmaughancustom/
We agreed he would do the rebarrel on a 595 action and I would finish my AI clone stock for the project. (that bit sadly is still in progress!)
Alan helped decide on neck and throating for the 105gr AMax. (it will be mainly headshots at 300yds obviously.....)
In hindsight I should have got Alan to stock it as well. Too many projects!
Anyway!
Ignore the stock, that is temporary, just had to get it shooting!
This is a really nice touch
He cuts the thread protector to cover the crown
the join is so invisible that the proof house actually mistook the thread protector for the muzzle and stamped it!
I have the world's only proofed thread protector..probably!
Took me a while to get a scope that I was happy with.
Plumped on a 8-32x50 SIII Sightron. Really like Sightrons now
I did manage some load development before Christmas in the tunnel at Braidwood
Not ideal as the digital target always leaves me wondering about its accuracy....
but its gets you there!
lots of others were "there or there abouts"
The best were two loads 30.0gr and 30.2gr of N140 under the 105gr AMax
31.2gr was also good but showing signs on the brass
I shot the first load without a moderator as I was struggling to find one that either fit over the barrel or was what I wanted
I ended up with a DPT muzzle can in .22 (its a 6,5mm bore. Very quiet, so quiet in fact I did the whole session today without ear protection, not something i take lightly)
Hasn't been out of the cabinet since unfortunately.
Been invited to shoot at 600yds at the weekend at Ponteland so I pulled my finger out and tried to finish working up a load
5 rounds of two charges at 4 different OALs increasing from the initial OAL all the way to the lands
Not ideal conditions! sloping ground, forgot my rear bag, couldn't find a spot at exactly 100yds, started to snow, wind picked up!
dog kept sitting on me....I will think of some more ...
Tested one shot to get the zero with the moderator. interesting that there was no change with it on!
I am guessing a big big barrel and a super light DPT combination
Anyway groups started off very average and I wondered what was going on, other than me!
first group low charge short OAL started stringing vertically.
I decided to jump to the next charge level shortest OAL
Not great at all!
next one was much better but I was struggling a bit with the trigger. Can't quite decide if its too light or just unpredictable being new
next group was messy, possibly me
got better
last one, the longest OAL, touching the lands
first four shots in the same hole....pressure got to me and the last one screwed it all up!
came out at 13.1mm or 0.22MOA ...without the flyer! 0.5moa with!
back to the lower charge level
all the groups showed the same thing
4 in the same hole and one just outside!
The last one I really wanted too much as I could see it was small!!
should have stopped at 4 rounds!
10.4 mm or 0.13 MOA for four shots ....0.3 MOA for the five
Looking forward to working on this in the new stock with a decent platform!
I am no superstar when it comes to shooting groups or reloading so I have no doubt I am the weak link here!
all the bottom row show the same pattern, 4 in one hole and one out!!
One thing I am not used to as I have only had factory barrels before
SOOOOOO easy to clean!
6 patches and the last is barely showing anything!
All in all I am delighted with my first semi custom and the builder was a pleasure to deal with.
30gr of powder and no recoil is a shed load nicer to shoot 41 rounds back to back than it is with the 300wm at 80gr!!
Bring on the 600yds!
I feel the need for a 6mm.....
It took me a long time to choose one
something that ideally was going to replace my 300wm as a long range plinker but also be used on quarry (deer, fox mainly)
I wanted a sako action, possibly in a sporter, then completely u-turned and decided to go for a long, heavy barrel in a tactical style stock!
Stumbling across another component magpie I purchased a Bartlein 5r 1:8" Heavy Varmint blank, 200 lapua and Norma cases and all the redding dies one could possibly need for a bargain price!
all i needed now was an action and a riflesmith
This being my first semi custom I spoke to a lot of smiths and looked at costs and timelines and went to meet a number of them.
I was referred to Alan Maughan in Stockfield (Northumberland) and went to meet him.
My folks are only 15 miles away so it was very handy too
He had a well sorted workshop, meticulously organised and he had a Tikka 590 action waiting to be barrelled.
Having seen some of the work he had completed I was very impressed, some of the load testing targets that go with the rifles need to be seen to be believed.
Expected turnaround time was impressive also.
You can see some of his videos and work on here too: https://www.facebook.com/alanmaughancustom/
We agreed he would do the rebarrel on a 595 action and I would finish my AI clone stock for the project. (that bit sadly is still in progress!)
Alan helped decide on neck and throating for the 105gr AMax. (it will be mainly headshots at 300yds obviously.....)
In hindsight I should have got Alan to stock it as well. Too many projects!
Anyway!
Ignore the stock, that is temporary, just had to get it shooting!
This is a really nice touch
He cuts the thread protector to cover the crown
the join is so invisible that the proof house actually mistook the thread protector for the muzzle and stamped it!
I have the world's only proofed thread protector..probably!
Took me a while to get a scope that I was happy with.
Plumped on a 8-32x50 SIII Sightron. Really like Sightrons now
I did manage some load development before Christmas in the tunnel at Braidwood
Not ideal as the digital target always leaves me wondering about its accuracy....
but its gets you there!
lots of others were "there or there abouts"
The best were two loads 30.0gr and 30.2gr of N140 under the 105gr AMax
31.2gr was also good but showing signs on the brass
I shot the first load without a moderator as I was struggling to find one that either fit over the barrel or was what I wanted
I ended up with a DPT muzzle can in .22 (its a 6,5mm bore. Very quiet, so quiet in fact I did the whole session today without ear protection, not something i take lightly)
Hasn't been out of the cabinet since unfortunately.
Been invited to shoot at 600yds at the weekend at Ponteland so I pulled my finger out and tried to finish working up a load
5 rounds of two charges at 4 different OALs increasing from the initial OAL all the way to the lands
Not ideal conditions! sloping ground, forgot my rear bag, couldn't find a spot at exactly 100yds, started to snow, wind picked up!
dog kept sitting on me....I will think of some more ...
Tested one shot to get the zero with the moderator. interesting that there was no change with it on!
I am guessing a big big barrel and a super light DPT combination
Anyway groups started off very average and I wondered what was going on, other than me!
first group low charge short OAL started stringing vertically.
I decided to jump to the next charge level shortest OAL
Not great at all!
next one was much better but I was struggling a bit with the trigger. Can't quite decide if its too light or just unpredictable being new
next group was messy, possibly me
got better
last one, the longest OAL, touching the lands
first four shots in the same hole....pressure got to me and the last one screwed it all up!
came out at 13.1mm or 0.22MOA ...without the flyer! 0.5moa with!
back to the lower charge level
all the groups showed the same thing
4 in the same hole and one just outside!
The last one I really wanted too much as I could see it was small!!
should have stopped at 4 rounds!
10.4 mm or 0.13 MOA for four shots ....0.3 MOA for the five
Looking forward to working on this in the new stock with a decent platform!
I am no superstar when it comes to shooting groups or reloading so I have no doubt I am the weak link here!
all the bottom row show the same pattern, 4 in one hole and one out!!
One thing I am not used to as I have only had factory barrels before
SOOOOOO easy to clean!
6 patches and the last is barely showing anything!
All in all I am delighted with my first semi custom and the builder was a pleasure to deal with.
30gr of powder and no recoil is a shed load nicer to shoot 41 rounds back to back than it is with the 300wm at 80gr!!
Bring on the 600yds!
(((
