If you were building a 300 WSM....

[ATH]

I'm getting ready to build an elk rifle; at this point I'll say 300 WSM. Primary purpose would be elk next year. Then some target shooting at ranges up to 1000 yds for fun. So I don't need the absolute, most accurate rifle ever constructed if .25 MOA improvement is going to cost $500.
What would you choose for:
Overall weight (minus scope)?
Stock? (not tactical like A-5)
Action (700 vs Sendero)?
Barrel?
Trigger (stay with stock?)?
Scope (don't break the bank!)?
Weight? (I'm in excellent shape but don't want to be miserable in mtns)
Blueprinting?
Action trueing?
Bedding?
Other mods?
Goal accuracy metric (ie 1 MOA, .5 MOA etc)?
Overall cost? (what would all this cost?)
Which gunsmith?

--As a last note, what's usually the best way to get the action to start with...and how old of a used gun would I look for in order to get the best deal on this starting block?

 

[davewilson]

buy a rem sendero or a savage with their heavy hunting barrel, put a nikon or sightron scope with burris signiture rings and make improvements one at a time as you feel necessary. cost 1k.

 

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

I've gone with this company on 3 rifles. Cant go wrong.

http://www.hsprecision.com/index.html

 

[reed mosser]

I agree with dave buy a sendero or a savage with a heavybarrel and accu trigger and the best scope you can afford and go from their. I agree that sightron is one of the best scopes on the market for the money. Good luck and merry christmas

 

[BountyHunter]

Action Viper Predator $695 fits rem SA pattern stock. comes tighter and cheaper than trued Rem but not quite to BR standards. Cannot buy and true a Rem for that cost. Rem bottom metal fits. With that action out now, not cost effective to buy and then true a rem SA. Long action due out in couple months.

Stock rem trigger off ebay or any smith for $35, add $25-50 for 2.5 lbs trigger job

Barrel- Broughton 5c or Krieger #4-7 contour depending on weight you want. 26" to max 28" cost with chambering $450

High tech has 20 oz standard pattern stock with cheekpiece.
$225 from brownells, note seveal others are in same price and weight range from Brownells.

Any wood laminated stock ($225-300, plus inletting and finishing which could be $150-400) will be 3 lbs finished, unless you have the barrel channel and butt hollowed out. At least glass bed or pillar bed $65-150

this gives you a 7-8 lb gun w/o scope. Great for carry, but hard on target range all day. Pick the heavier contours and lamininated or solid glass stock and you are in the 10 lb range at least. your call.

You could find a used Rem sendaro or PSS stock for under $150-175. Just skim bed it.

Would suggest Mark King or Bruce Baer in PA. Both are avid LR hunters, top 10 1k shooters and top smiths in the US. Go to www.6mmbr.com and look at recommended gunsmith section.

you can go for as little as $1000-3000, your call.

$1000 option, Rem SPS in 300 WSM (max $440)

Lap lugs, recrown, firelap, adjust trigger ($200)

New stock and bed can be had for as little as $400

Scopes, hmmm you said target shooting to 1000 so that means target knobs. Nikon 6-18 ($300), leupolds 4-14 ($500) or 6-20 ($600), Zeiss conquest $700) is another.

Use burris signature rings with 20 MOA inserts to give you the MOA to 1k and keep crosshairs centered.

Have fun.

BH

 

[Ian M]

Have a look at this fairly long session we had on just what you are asking:

http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=56830&an=0&page=0#56830

Only change I would do again would be to substitute a Winchester M-70 WSM action and the appropriate carbon stock from McMillan since they are doing the Winchester stock now. When George built the first NonTypical the Winchester was not an option or I would have gone with it.

I have another somewhat similar rifle built by GA in .325 WSM and it is a better feeding rifle than the .300 WSM built on the M-700 action. Matter of fact I would suggest that you consider the .325 WSM for the intentions you have, will do the heavier bullet better. I would definitely prefer it for elk. If you check out this issue of the NRA Shooting Illustrated there is an article on the .325 WSM at longer ranges that might be of interest.

Good luck on your selection - gettting info is part of the fun...

 

[wapiti13]

ATH, I agree with Ian M about the rifle and caliber choice. I have several friends with the new 325 WSM. If I was going to build an elk rifle, I would definitely go with the 325 WSM. Using the 200 Accubond, it shoots as good as a 338 without the recoil and much flatter. It shoots plenty flat to use on deer and ??. A very versatile caliber and using a Win M70, it wouldn't have to weigh so much so that you could chase elk over hill & dale! Good luck.

 

[davewilson]

Bounty, you mention 20MOA inserts from burris. these are not moa measurements on the inserts. they are how far in thousands you move from the centerline.the distance your rings are set apart will determine the MOA.

 

[BountyHunter]

Dave

you are technically correct, but it is very close normally in just about every setup I have done or seen.

BH

 

[davewilson]

i know what you mean and agree.