Cheap but accurate .408 platform

[MOAaccurateBob]

Hello all. I am brand new to this site as a registered user. I have veiwed these forums before and like what I have seen. Looks to me like there is a wealth of information available from people who really know their stuff. This said, I was hoping to get some good info and help on my latest endevor. I have always been fascinated with long range shooting. Probably my first spark of interest came after watching a informative video with G. David Tubb shooting at a target a mile away in heavy wind and hitting the X ring with ease. I had no clue that that type of accuracy was posible at those distances especially with a heavy wind. After that video, I was hooked. I owned a Remington 700 chambered in 7mm magnum at the time and decided to try things out at long range. Long story short, My factory rifle was not up to par and the best I could do was about 500 yards with horribly innacurate groups. After much research and reading I decided to have the rifle custome rebuilt at a local gunshop that had two very knowledgable gunsmiths who lived for building accurate F-Class rifles. The remington 700 was completely dismantled and was fitted with a PacNor 28" 6mm barrel with a 1 in 8 twist rifling. The action was trued and lapped etc. and was outfitted with a 20MOA picatiny scope base, HS Prescision fully adjustable tactical stock, badger ordanance magazine fed triggergaurd, and a burris tactical optic. After I found the results to be 120% better than what I had to begin with, the rest is history and I will never own a mass produced factory rifle ever again. Since the 6mm build, I have built three more rifles for long range shooting. They are as follows, 257 Roberts AI, 6.5X284 Norma, and 300 weatherby. These other rifles have done the job out to 1500 yards or so but I want something that will really get out there and touch something. I have been looking at something in the .408 cheytac chambering. I don't have $6,000+ laying around to be able to purchase a EDM M96 windrunner or other comparable rifle so I have been looking to get a single shot rifle like the Noreen ULR chambered in .408 Cheytac. I was unsuccsessful finding any reveiws on this rifle and can not seem to find anything else like it on the market that is chambered for the .408 round. Does anybody have any experience with this rifle or maybe know of something better in around the $3000 range? I bought a Bohica Arms .50 BMG upper reciever for and Ar-15 some time back, but found it to be really inaccurate and super hard recoiling even with the huge multiple side port muzzle brake on it. I have since sold that build and want something that will be just as accurate as the Cheytac M200 or M96 Windrunner but without all the frills. I just want something simple and accurate. Any Ideas or thoughts?

 

[adam32]

Stiller makes a 408 size action. Around $1200 I believe. Get your smith to spin a barrel on and bed it into a good stock and you'll be ready to roll.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I think the Noreen ULR is about the least expensive route. I would like to have one in .408 Cheytac someday, as well.

 

[Jud96]

Haha that Noreen ULR action doesn't look very attractive. I know it is made to work and not looks though.

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

I like the way you think. I have been talking with Mcreeseprescision and he also said that he would recommend a Stiller tactical action. he also said that they carry their machined aluminum stocks inletted for the xl stiller action and they already have the trigergaurd and magazine well machined into them. I do agree that this would be a nice setup but I have not been able to find a .408 barrel that is long enough and that is made for the tolerances of a solid machined bullet. From what I have read, not just any .408 caliber barrel will work for the cheytac bullets, thats just what I have heard but have not had any confirmation from any barrel makers yet.

 

[pyroducksx3]

Why not build a 338 snipe tac 408 necked down to 338. Better bullet selection than the 408 and you can get barrels.

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

I have heard of this wildcat but not had any expereince with it. I have never tried a cartridge that has to be necked down. I have always just gone with rounds that were either factory or the Akley Improved. Reason being was because I could easily find ammo and if it was an akley improved version, I could simply shoot the stock round through the gun and have perfectly fire formed brass. I have also used the pistol powder and corn meal method. I will have to research the cartridge you speak of and see what I would need to neck the round down. It does not seem to matter right now which direction you go because even reloading supplies are hard to find and it seems like everything is expensive now. The reason I was gearing more toward the 408 cheytac was because cheytac seems to have the ammo and reloading supplies readily available. That being said it is still extremely high priced, but then again so is 338 lapua and 50 BMG. Another few rounds that I have been interested in is the 375 cheytac and the 338 remington ultra mag akley improved. There are just to many great cartridges out there these days.

 

[Bravo 4]

I just started down the .408 Cheytac road and can tell you one thing...It is NOT cheap to run this thing! Most people would say the .338's are expensive to run, not compared to this thing. I have a bit of experience with the .338's as well. You pay for performance. Bullet selection for hunting kinda sucks, if there was a Berger VLD or Sierra Matchking in this caliber I would be all over it. For now the 415 Cutting Edges are being ran, but I have yet to shoot anything and see what kind of terminal performance they have. Might go shoot a doe at extended range this Christmas hunt to test it out.
I had contacted Noreen a while back to get a price on just an action and couldn't believe they wanted as much as a custom action like the one mentioned above.
Send Joel Russo a message, he is very knowledgeable on these chamberings...and a good guy to boot.

 

[Jluck]

Zel Custom Tactilite and Spartan Upper Receivers in .50 BMG, .416 Barrett, .408 CheyTac and .338 Lapua

 

[cowboywhorses]

Well nothing is cheap with the big guns. But I have a Stiller TAC 408 action for sale with a Mc Cree stock for sale. It would be a start for you. Also this is a 1.6 diameter action , reapeater would include 1 mag.

$1750.00 plus shipping.

I am building single shot so this one is laying on the wayside. I am getting 2 in 375 Snipe tac and 1 338 snipe tac for a switch barrel gun.

Good luck

Jeff

 

[Joel Russo]

Using the word cheap, and .408 platform in the same sentence is screaming "compromise", "compromise", "compromise".
Did I say compromise?
You need to define what your intended purpose of this rifle is. If all you're after is "minute of school bus", and you want to buy factory loaded ammo, then perhaps the cheapest semiautomatic platform out there may fill that purpose. Know that the factory fodder is not cheap, and you'll be stuck with accepting the level of accuracy that it provides...along with your cheap platform....
Now on the other hand, if your purpose is extreme accuracy at extended range, then you need to re-think your quest for a "cheap .408 platform. I would suggest a custom action, match grade barrel, good stock(of course), and hand rolled ammunition that is tuned for the particular barreled action. Read (do competent load development) to see what bullet the barrel really likes, not just what you want it to shoot. There are numerous threads/posts giving information about the different bullets available for the .408 based wildcat platforms. There are commercially available bullets, that offer exceptional accuracy, and don't cost $2.00 each. You may want to squeeze that .408 case down to avail yourself to those options. I have found exceptional accuracy in the .338 platform.
In summary, if you are after cheap, then by all means find the cheapest platform and stuff it with expensive loaded factory ammo. Be prepared to compromise in accuracy.
If you are after accuracy, then spend some money, buy the right components, have them put together by someone who has knowledge with these combinations, conduct good load development, and enjoy the capabilities of your build.
If all this is too much for your plate, then stick with the factory offered calibers that have some muscle in the .338 variants.

 

[royinidaho]

What Joel said!!!!

The URL rig is a 2" receiver.

Bat M is 1.56" or so depending on who's inexpensive calipers you are using...

A 375 CT improved (375 SnipeTac/375 Allen Magnum) is about tops. In actual shoot ability all that is gained is 50 grains of bullet weight.

A 350 class bullet @ 3250 FPS ain't no slouch.... Plus at under 16 pounds with a decent brake it is flat fun to shoot.....

I think the 338 versions are a more practical offering.

 

[Hired Gun]

A 408 based rifle need not cost much more than a 338 Lapua. I have done the 375 Chey Tac and the 338 Chey Tac Max. The 375 CT is really simple due to the fact the brass is readily available for less than Lapua brass and a 338/408 CT Max isn't much harder. One pass of 375 CT brass through the dies and you are there. The main difference is the approximately 140 grains of powder they burn. Both have SMK support.

After playing with both I think I like the 375 Chey Tac better. I have yet to shoot anything with it but can't help but think at extended ranges is going to put a bit more hurt on the target being it's larger in diameter and heavier. Splitting hairs for sure but that's what my gut tells me.

 

[mitch260]

I would not go .408 unless you can get a 1-11" twist barrel, 1-13" is too slow to stabilize the 419gr Cheytac bullets. With currently available barrels and bullets .375 is definitely the way to go.gun)