Help needed

[bowhunter020]

I've been reading several post as of late trying to decide on a caliper to build a new rifle and after reading so many post I'm left wondering. If these stock Savage and Remington rifles are shooting sub moa even .5 moa at 500 to 800 yards is a "custom" gun really necessary. I know the answer is no, but are most guys doing so because they want to and can afford it or is there really a benefit?? I currently have a 300RUM and while I love the gun I'm really intrigued by the 26nosler. The needed help is in the decision of a caliper around that size and speed, or just get the 26nosler and second to by factory gun or have on built?

The guns made purpose would be deer sized animals 150-280 pounds out to 700 or so yards.

 

[Barrelnut]

You are right that a lot of factory Savage and Remington rifles can be .5 MOA and even make 800 yards shots. But can all of them do it? No. It is easy to get a factory rifle that doesn't shoot that well and has to be simi-customized to get there. So some folks just bypass the factory option altogether and go custom.

Even if the factory rifle is a shooter, the barrel will probably not shoot well until well fouled. Then have a short sweet spot where it shoots great before it is excessively copper fouled and needs to be cleaned. And it is often harder to get a factory barrel clean than a custom one.

Another benefit of the custom is that it can be made to fit you and your needs perfectly, instead of you have to adapt to the rifle.

I have a couple factory rifles that shoot really well. I also have a semi-custom and full custom that shoot really well. It's just easier to get the customs to do it.

 

[Rick Richard]

Savages do shoot well, however with any factory rifle getting one that shoots well can be a crap shoot.

I have two savages that are very accurate, however I have a few customs that I would not trade for all of my factory rifles.

Customs are exactly what is implied. They are built with the components that you and the builder specify, and fit your length of pull and etc. In addition, the builder will provide an accuracy gaurantee and include load data.

Caliber is really personal preference. I like the 6.5s for medium size game such as antelope and deer. For larger game such as elk, my choosing is in the 7s and 300s.

Once you get a custom of your desire, it is very difficult to go back to shooting factory rifles. So, my recommendation would be to go the custom rifle route. Initially, the cost my hurt, but in the long run you will be better off.

My $.02. Good luck!

 

[Plinker147]

Guns that truly shoot a consistent 1/2 MOA are not common and hard to find in a factory gun. I mean every time you go to the range you can duplicate 1/2 MOA. You will be hard pressed to accomplish this with a factory gun.

Most good factory guns with hand loads and a little accurizing (bedding/trigger) you can accomplish 1 MOA.

It just depends on your standards. Its also like driving a power stroke compared to a gas engine pulling a trailer. Both work, but one is a heck of a lot nicer and accomplishes easier.

 

[WildRose]

.5 MOA consistently is not going to be likely with the average factory rifle without a great deal of work improving on what you have and then a whole lot of careful load development.

For your needs a 7mm Rem would certainly do the job economically.

The .26 Nosler is certainly interesting but after 2 years of thinking hard on it I opted to put it off, probably permanently.

With the rifles I own already there's just no need for it.

If you want a 6.5 the .264wm will do what you need and give you much better barrel life. I've also learned over the years that maxing out overbores like the .26N makes for a very finicky rifle that you may never be happy with.

 

[ShootnMathews]

If you want a 6.5 the .264wm will do what you need and give you much better barrel life. I've also learned over the years that maxing out overbores like the .26N makes for a very finicky rifle that you may never be happy with.

I'll second that. I know from experience with my 6.5-284 that is really picky to load for. Compared to my other guns anyways. 243,308 etc. with the 6.5-284 everything has to be perfect with the load every time for it to shoot well, BUT it shoots one hole if I take my time and make those perfect loads. If I load them the slightest bit sloppy, skip a step here or there it's a 1 MOA gun.

My other guns are not picky at all. I can just size my brass and put powder and a bullet in it and the shoot 1/4-3/4 MOA. And that's using mixed brass, uncleaned, untrimmed. Just sized and thrown together. The weird part is I can do all the picky stuff that makes the 6.5-284 shoot one hole( weight sort, anneal, trim, clean, deburr, body and bushing neck size brass) to these other guns and still only shoot 1/2 MOA.

 

[geo4061]

Why a 26 when you have a 300 RUM. Workup a load for it with the 230 Bergers. Get a good brake. Then maybe a 264 0r 243.

 

[bowhunter020]

The main reason is to have a little more friendly gun for smaller shooters ie wife and kids and something not so destructive on deer.

I was told by a guy at work about the 6.5-06???

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

Just pick a cartridge that BRASS is and will be available in the future !!!

 

[WildRose]

The main reason is to have a little more friendly gun for smaller shooters ie wife and kids and something not so destructive on deer.

I was told by a guy at work about the 6.5-06???

There is no better round for that application that the .260 Rem or the venerable 6.5x55.

There's going to be significantly/dramatically more recoil with the 26 Nosler than either of those and considerably more than the .264wm.

Those extra fps come with a big price, you just can't stick that much powder in a case the size of the 26 Nosler without paying the price.