As I posted elsewhere I picked up "The Monkey Blaster" and have it fitted out.
It's a Remington 700 long action, heavy recoil lug, Schneider Sendero contoured 26" barrel, cannibalized Remington Sendero stock, Badger bases and rings, Leupold Vari-X III M3 Long Range (3.5 x 10), Eagle Stock pack, Harris bipod, Turner Saddlery sling.
It's a solid feeling gun and in my hands feels light @ 12lbs 12oz.
(My other rifles;
416 Rigby CZ 550 @ 9lbs 8oz (no scope or bipod)
300 WSM Rem 700 G-A Precision @ 16lbs 4oz
308 Win Rem 700 G-A Precision @ 14lbs even
243 Win "Gumby" Rem 722 G-A Prec @ 14lbs 4 oz)
First few rounds out of the rifle were at 42 yards to "zero" the scope. This was with some old loads from a previous 375H&H.
I ordered some brass, bullets and a three (3) die set from Sinclair, they arrived yesterday (06Aug2004). I made 5 rounds using the 260 Nosler Accubond, 73gr of Reloder 15, Fed GM 215M primers and set OAL at 3.600 (slight crimp too). A quick trip to a local field and I fired from the bipod onto the target 200 yards distant on the side of a hill. I was parked in a patch of Poison Ivy so I shot from the pickup bed, a little bounce for the bipod and I cushioned the legs with some work gloves. I shot a three (3) round group that was 1.76" tall and .36" wide with the group center .5 inches low and 2.7 inches right of Point Of Aim (POA). This about works out to a .9 MOA tall x .2 MOA wide first group with the rifle. I reset the scope windage (there was no wind when I was shooting) and reset the elevation figuring the 200 yard "zero" was better than the 42 yard quick setup.
I figure to load up some more of those 73 grains of RL-15, 260 Accubond loads and shoot for group and trajectory (I'll setup the chronograph too) tomorrow. So far I'm right pleased with this rifle.
The trigger has just a little creap in it, might be a little oil on it. The recoil is not of any concern to me but I imagine a recoil sensative person might not like the rifle. The palm swell is small (relatively) and makes the rifle feel "handier/quicker". The M3LR I have on it is a duplex reticle model that I got in the Bargain Cave at Cabela's (USD $580 IIRC), I miss the MilDot and will probably send the scope to Premier for a fix-up.
Unless something drastic happens I'm going to use this rifle on my long/er range fall elk hunt in Colorado. I do believe a 260 grain 375 diameter bullet should kill one of those critters (too bad Sierra don't make a MatchKing for the 375
)
I'll post some more group and load info as I get it.
It's a Remington 700 long action, heavy recoil lug, Schneider Sendero contoured 26" barrel, cannibalized Remington Sendero stock, Badger bases and rings, Leupold Vari-X III M3 Long Range (3.5 x 10), Eagle Stock pack, Harris bipod, Turner Saddlery sling.
It's a solid feeling gun and in my hands feels light @ 12lbs 12oz.
(My other rifles;
416 Rigby CZ 550 @ 9lbs 8oz (no scope or bipod)
300 WSM Rem 700 G-A Precision @ 16lbs 4oz
308 Win Rem 700 G-A Precision @ 14lbs even
243 Win "Gumby" Rem 722 G-A Prec @ 14lbs 4 oz)
First few rounds out of the rifle were at 42 yards to "zero" the scope. This was with some old loads from a previous 375H&H.
I ordered some brass, bullets and a three (3) die set from Sinclair, they arrived yesterday (06Aug2004). I made 5 rounds using the 260 Nosler Accubond, 73gr of Reloder 15, Fed GM 215M primers and set OAL at 3.600 (slight crimp too). A quick trip to a local field and I fired from the bipod onto the target 200 yards distant on the side of a hill. I was parked in a patch of Poison Ivy so I shot from the pickup bed, a little bounce for the bipod and I cushioned the legs with some work gloves. I shot a three (3) round group that was 1.76" tall and .36" wide with the group center .5 inches low and 2.7 inches right of Point Of Aim (POA). This about works out to a .9 MOA tall x .2 MOA wide first group with the rifle. I reset the scope windage (there was no wind when I was shooting) and reset the elevation figuring the 200 yard "zero" was better than the 42 yard quick setup.
I figure to load up some more of those 73 grains of RL-15, 260 Accubond loads and shoot for group and trajectory (I'll setup the chronograph too) tomorrow. So far I'm right pleased with this rifle.
The trigger has just a little creap in it, might be a little oil on it. The recoil is not of any concern to me but I imagine a recoil sensative person might not like the rifle. The palm swell is small (relatively) and makes the rifle feel "handier/quicker". The M3LR I have on it is a duplex reticle model that I got in the Bargain Cave at Cabela's (USD $580 IIRC), I miss the MilDot and will probably send the scope to Premier for a fix-up.
Unless something drastic happens I'm going to use this rifle on my long/er range fall elk hunt in Colorado. I do believe a 260 grain 375 diameter bullet should kill one of those critters (too bad Sierra don't make a MatchKing for the 375
I'll post some more group and load info as I get it.
