New Toy (or at least rebarreled one)

[DZelenka]

The big brown truck brought one of my hunting rifles back to me on Wednesday and I finally was able to play with it today. I am pretty sure I am going to like as much as I did when I first got it in 1988.

The rifle is a McMillan Signature in .280 Remington. It now has a 24" Bartlein barrel in what amounts to a heavy Remington Magnum taper in a McMillan Remington Classic stock (total rifle/scope weight is 9 lb 3 oz). The scope is a Leupold 4.5-14x40 CDS with a CDS windage knob. The trigger is a Jewell. I had PTG make the reamer with a .315 neck (no turn) and .082 freebore. A 140 Accubond touches at 3.415" OAL (base of the bearing surface is at neck shoulder junction).

William Roscoe of Louisiana Precision Rifles chambered and installed the barrel and finished it with black cerakote.

During break in and after zeroing it I shot the attached group using a 140 Accubond over 57.0 gr RL 19 in a new Nosler case with a PMC LR primer. OAL was 3.400". The group is .88" at 300 yards. Shot number 3 is in the same hole as shot number 1 on the right. These were the 7th, 8th and 9th shots through the barrel and I cleaned it after the first shot of the string.

Here are a few pics.

Dan

 

[DZelenka]

Finished load development. The load averages 1/2 moa at 300 yards with the best group of .75" at 300. The load is 60.0 gr RL 19 under a 140 Accubond in a Nosler case with a PMC primer. Average velocity is 3120 fps. OAL is 3.400" Quickload says pressure is around 63,000 psi. Bolt lift very easy and no ejector marks.

The bullet is light for LR work but it should do the trick on deer out to 500 or so.