Finally finished my wifes 6.5mm Allen Mag 1K rifle....

Fiftydriver

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Joined
Jun 12, 2004
Messages
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Location
Fort Shaw, Montana
Well, its been awhile but I finally got around to finishing my wifes 1K rifle. I tried to talk her out of the 6.5mm Allen Mag chambering because this will be a relatively high volume shooter but she insisted and told me that I can change the barrel when needed just fine and that she wanted "only" a 6.5mm Allen Magnum!! So be it!!!

The componants include:

-Fully accurized Rem 700
-Converted to single shot with APS receiver insert
-Holland Comp Recoil Lug
-Stainlesss Lilja 30" #8 contour with heavy flutes
-Defensive Edge Inc muzzle brake
-McMillan MBR Tooley 1000 yard BR stock
-APS stainless steel pillar bedding
-RB trigger set at 1 lb(per customers request!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
-Gre Tan striker assembly
-Sako Extractor kit
-Nightforce 40 moa rail base
-Nightforce medium rings
-Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x 50mm MLR
-Scope level

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Nothing really new except for the Defensive Edge muzzle brake. This is the first one I am testing and I really like them so far. I just got the rifle finished and only have one shot through it but I can already tell Shawns brakes will do anything the Hollands will do. They also have some features I like better then the Hollands.

First, I actually like the design of the Defensive Edge brake a little better for my Allen Magnums, let me explain why. First off, when your dealing with a large capacity small bore chambering like all my AMs, you are working with alot of muzzle pressure.

Muzzle pressure is what makes a brake work. The amount of muzzle pressure along with the design of the brake determine how efficently the system reduces felt recoil. Most partition style brakes are pretty efficent at reducing felt recoil so they all pretty much behave the same.

I have found however with the Holland, as good as they are and I think they are one of the best brakes on the market, when using them with my Allen Magnums in bench rifles or in lightweight hunting rifles, there is enough muzzle pressure that the vertical ports on the Holland actually produce more down thrust then is wanted.

With lightweight hunting rifles this has really been the case. What this does is actually cause a reverse problem of muzzle jump, in fact muzzle drop. This has no effect on accuracy or consistancy as long as the shooter does not try to compensate for this down force which I have witnessed many times because they have not felt this sensation before. Just a natural reaction to some degree.

In a bench rifle it is not as big of a deal but I have noticed a few rifles that would be pushed down enough to change the sight picture for spotting your own shot placement.

Simply put, with a Partition style brake such as the Holland and Defensive Edge brake, there is really no need for top ports and in the case of chamberings like my Allen Magnums or even RUMs or the big Wby rounds, they can actually produce some unwanted forces.

Other things I like about Shawns brake are that they are made from true 416 stainless steel which matches most barrel steels perfectly or extremely close. It is always best to make a brake from the same steel as the barrel so the two componants "play well" together. Sometimes they will not if they are differnet steels.

Finally, they are fully machined, not cast and then threaded. As a fellow machinist, I just like the idea of a fully machined brake instead of a cast one. Is there any real difference, really only in thread quality I would say. The threads will be higher quality and with no taper on the Defensive Edge brake compared to most other brakes that are not fully machined.

Another nice thing is that Shawn makes a brake that is a perfect match to the muzzle on a 30" #8 Lilja barrel diameter wise such as the one on this rifle.

I will be fitting one of Shawns smaller diameter brakes to my lightweight 7mm AM here very soon and will be giving a full performance report on that design as well.

Back to my wifes rifle. I will be starting the barrel break in this week and hopefully have it ready for next week to start some serious testing. Hope to get some 165 gr class ULD RBBTs from Richard soon for testing. This is the reason I went with the 1-8 twist.

Hope to get into the 3250-3300 fps range with this bullet weight. Should not be a real problem, my 257 Allen Mag will top 3300 fps with a 156 gr ULD RBBT in this length barrel so we should be able to get there.

I will also be trying some 142 gr SMKs to see where they let loose at. I suspect this rifle will top 3500 fps with this bullet weight. We will have to see if this bullet will take it accurately.

More to come soon on the rifle and the Defensive Edge muzzle brakes. So far I am very impressed with them both.

Kirby Allen(50)
 
Finally, somebody with some good taste when it comes to stock color. That is just about the best looking McM stock I have seen.

Let us know how Shawn's break works on the 7mm Am. Some of us might be interested /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
 
Kirby:

That is one fantastic looking rifle and I bet I know who picked the colors /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It must be nice having your own personal gunsmith that also happens to be wrapped around your(her) little finger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif She obviously knows she doesn't have to worry about barrel life like the rest of us might be. She just sends it to the shop with her "smith" and gets a new barrel. And......thats the way it should be at home. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Looks like a very impressive list of components and we know the workmanship is the best so I'd say she's all set up. You Allen guys better look out now. It looks like there might be another Allen doing some long range shooting. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Tell her she did gooood, and has a gun she can be very proud of. Keep us posted with pics and results.
 
Don't be dis'sin the color scheme /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Kirby -- VERY interested to see how this works out for ya...keep me updated...

JB
 
I think we are ALL interested in ANY of Kirby's projects, look forwards to the range reports, colour scheme spot on /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Buffalobob,

I think I am really going to like the Defensive Edge brakes. The one for the smaller diameter barrels is a totally different design, smaller in diameter, a bit longer and with large round ports on the side instead of elongated ovals. Also the top of each port is releaved slightly to offer just enough vertical muzzle control. I really liked this brake design the first time I saw it and suspect it will perform extremely well.

Shawn knows his stuff requarding all aspects of building a rifle, far more advanced then I am but I am learning from the best in my opinion.

Kirby Allen(50)
 
SS7mm,

Yep she picked out her own colors on that one. If your looking for a stock to stand out and catch your eye, this one would be very hard to beat. I actually have grown quite fond of the color scheme.

There is no doubt about her shooting ability. She will put me in the dirt if I do not really pay attention. She is very deliberate, even what I would call slow to shoot sometimes but when that tigger does break, you can bet the shot is on the money, that is if I have things set up and tuned correctly.

Once we get her broke in and the load developed I have no doubt she will be in the 1K club very quickly!!

Kirby Allen(50)
 
JB,

Nice looking rig,

What receiver is that?

I am pretty excited about Richards heavy bullets. Have been waiting a long time for these. I am not really looking to run them hard. I want to keep pressures good and comfortable and still try to get to that 3250 fps range at least with the 165 gr class bullet. There may even be a 169.5 gr ULD RBBT if the jackets are long enough.

Try to keep pressures relatively low but still with an efficent powder burn to keep things as clean as possible. Like most other 6.5mm bullets you do not need alot of velocity and they just seem to keep on going. I am excited to see what a true heavy long range match bullet will do, not like the old 155 gr SMK which were very accurate but for their weight, BC was pretty low. These new bullets should play with the .800 BC range easily. If so they will be impressive at anything over 3000 fps.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)
 
Looks awfully nice Kirby,

Man I wish i could get my wife to shoot, I think i have her talked into shooting my little 6br when it comes in. That is a great looking gun, and that stock is pretty slick lookin'!!!!

Lets get a close up of the muzzlebreak so we can see the difference between it and the holland's.

take it easy
steve
 
[ QUOTE ]
I tried to talk her out of the 6.5mm Allen Mag chambering because this will be a relatively high volume shooter but she insisted and told me that I can change the barrel when needed just fine and that she wanted "only" a 6.5mm Allen Magnum!! So be it!!!


[/ QUOTE ]


I can just see the list of "honey-do's" at the Allen household:

1. change the oil in the car
2. change the barrel on my gun
3. reload some ammo for my gun
4 order some more bullets & powder

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Gonehuntingagain,

Thats pretty close!!

No not really, she has been very patient. This rifle has been about a year in the making. She always tells me to do customers work first.

I decided if I kept doing that all the time she would never get her rifle so I took a few nights and finished it up.

Kirby Allen(50)
 
Lerch,

There will be a full report on the Defensive Edge brakes coming soon I promise. I am going to switch to these exclusively unless a customer wants a different brand though. I guess that tells you a little of my opinion of them so far.

Kirby Allen(50)
 
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