A couple of years ago I sold a .300win mag that was built for me off of a trued 700 action, krieger barrel, B&C M40 stock with glass bedding, Timney trigger. This was going to be an elk gun (heavy, but I built it while still in my 20s). I never went elk hunting but used it on a few whitetails and coyotes. I also sold a .308win built by the same smith in a similar configuration, but had Stiller bottom metal with AI mags. This was built for range use- I had signed up for a 4 day precision long range class, which is probably some of the best money I've ever spent. I need to take a follow-up class, but that's another thread. These rifles were great, and I kick myself daily for selling them.
Today I have my deer rifle- a 700 action that started life as a 1971 .270win ADL model. I had the stock stripped, satin finish applied, and checkering recut. Then glass bedding to the action, which I had blueprinted and mated to a .270win Shillen match barrel (which I also had free floated) and then reblued the whole thing, and left it in the ADL setup. This is my favorite rifle ever- blued steel and walnut just feels like a deer rifle to me. The fact that it will shoot .25 MOA with Core-Lokt ammo doesn't hurt, either. I can't wait to see what it'll do with handloads, but I still have a boatload of factory Core-Lokt rounds that are going to take me forever to burn through.
Last fall, I picked up a BNIB 700 SPS Tactical in .308win because I got it on sale plus some additional mail in rebates for about $485, which I was able to pay for with store credit. I thought it'd be a great, cheap option for getting back to the range. I topped it with a Bushnell Elite Tactical 3200 Mil/MOA that I got on sale for $185, a 15 MOA Mark 4 base and Burris XTR rings. Out the door, I'm under $700 for the setup, which left me plenty of money to restock my components- Lapua brass, 168grain Amax, and I had plenty of primers and powder left from the last go around with this caliber. I am contemplating a new stock (HS takeoff or a Manners, or maybe even give the Magpul Hunter a try), but that would kill my original goal of this budget range gun.
Now for my dilema- I have about $700 in store credit at a big box store HQd in Sydney, NE. With that, I could pick up a 700 Long Range in either 7mm or 300win mag (I still have my dies, and 500 SMKs at 220 grains as well as some 180 Accubonds). I could buy another ADL and build up something in the 6.5 arena- I'm partial to Lapua brass so the 6.5x47 is probably the direction I'd take. I could buy better glass for the .308, though that would again go against my budget range gun concept. Or I could sit on the store credit, but that keeps the burning hole in my pocket getting hotter and hotter.
Oh yeah, I have two boys- 3 and a half, and 2 months. So, realistically, I'm probably not getting to the range anytime soon, but a guy can dream! I live in North Texas (DFW) and the range options around here are improving but aren't great yet...still have to drive a decent amount of time to stretch the legs of any rifle.
If you've read my novel above and are still here, THANK YOU!! What do the experts think I should do? Sit on what I have, or buy/build another toy, or something else?
-JP
Today I have my deer rifle- a 700 action that started life as a 1971 .270win ADL model. I had the stock stripped, satin finish applied, and checkering recut. Then glass bedding to the action, which I had blueprinted and mated to a .270win Shillen match barrel (which I also had free floated) and then reblued the whole thing, and left it in the ADL setup. This is my favorite rifle ever- blued steel and walnut just feels like a deer rifle to me. The fact that it will shoot .25 MOA with Core-Lokt ammo doesn't hurt, either. I can't wait to see what it'll do with handloads, but I still have a boatload of factory Core-Lokt rounds that are going to take me forever to burn through.
Last fall, I picked up a BNIB 700 SPS Tactical in .308win because I got it on sale plus some additional mail in rebates for about $485, which I was able to pay for with store credit. I thought it'd be a great, cheap option for getting back to the range. I topped it with a Bushnell Elite Tactical 3200 Mil/MOA that I got on sale for $185, a 15 MOA Mark 4 base and Burris XTR rings. Out the door, I'm under $700 for the setup, which left me plenty of money to restock my components- Lapua brass, 168grain Amax, and I had plenty of primers and powder left from the last go around with this caliber. I am contemplating a new stock (HS takeoff or a Manners, or maybe even give the Magpul Hunter a try), but that would kill my original goal of this budget range gun.
Now for my dilema- I have about $700 in store credit at a big box store HQd in Sydney, NE. With that, I could pick up a 700 Long Range in either 7mm or 300win mag (I still have my dies, and 500 SMKs at 220 grains as well as some 180 Accubonds). I could buy another ADL and build up something in the 6.5 arena- I'm partial to Lapua brass so the 6.5x47 is probably the direction I'd take. I could buy better glass for the .308, though that would again go against my budget range gun concept. Or I could sit on the store credit, but that keeps the burning hole in my pocket getting hotter and hotter.
Oh yeah, I have two boys- 3 and a half, and 2 months. So, realistically, I'm probably not getting to the range anytime soon, but a guy can dream! I live in North Texas (DFW) and the range options around here are improving but aren't great yet...still have to drive a decent amount of time to stretch the legs of any rifle.
If you've read my novel above and are still here, THANK YOU!! What do the experts think I should do? Sit on what I have, or buy/build another toy, or something else?
-JP
L!
