Pierce Engineering Titanium Actions

[indabush]

Have any of you used these guys or any experience with them? I'm considering building a new sheep gun and am seeking some advice regarding a Ti action.

 

[indabush]

I'm planning on chambering it in a 300 Wby. I want to use a Lilja barrel but would like input on barrel contour and twist rate and number of grooves you'd recommend. This gun is primarily going to be a sheep hunting gun (ie:light weight). I want a flat shooting gun that can take a grizzly if need be. That's the reasoning using a 300 Wby and I have a ton of ammo for it already.

 

[sinarms]

I haven't used the action yet but I am sure it would be a good start. I would go with a #3 fluted barrel and a brake of course. A Manners/McMillan light weight stock would be a good match. Cartridge is fine and if you really like it that is even better. I would assume you are shooting heavy and light bullets (168-200gr maybe heavier) so I would go with a 1/10" twist.

 

[varmintH8R]

I can't speak directly to the titanium actions, but I have a steel Pierce action and have been very impressed. Before I started my build I went there, walked through the shop, talked to the machinist, etc. they seem to care about what they make, pay attention to detail, and generally have their s**t together when it comes to making precision stuff. My bolt/action lock-up is beyond tight-tolerance and the rifle itself is a laser.

I am clearly quite biased as my experience has been totally positive, but thought I would share...

 

[Shooter264]

I've been around a couple. They are darn fine actions. I have a TI getting ready for a #3 Brux in another 6.5 SAUM.

 

[Edd]

I have a TI getting ready for a #3 Brux in another 6.5 SAUM.

A Pierce Titanium or some other brand?

 

[Shooter264]

Pierce titanium. I have 4 of their steel actions and wouldn't build on anything else.

 

[Edd]

Do they coat those actions with something?

 

[Shooter264]

They cerakote them. I'm told that my titanium will be one of the first ones to have nitride on the bolt. I always have them shipped without cerakote so I can do barrel and action at the same time.

 

[Edd]

Do your other Pierce actions have M16 extractors and do the empties hit the scope turret?

 

[Shooter264]

2 have sako and two have m16. They are left handed but the empty's do not hit the side focus knobs. It hasn't been an issue on the right handed ones I've been around either, at least that I'm aware of.

 

[indabush]

At what point do you get diminishing returns on a magnum cartridge regarding short barrel length? I was thinking of using a 22" #2 contour, 1:10 twist, 3 groove Lilja barrel. Do any of you know what contour Remington used on the first generation titanium? I'm basically trying to replicate a 300 Wby in a Remington 700 Titanium (1st Gen).

 

[Shooter264]

I look at it like this...... Some may agree or disagree but it works for me. If you are worried about weight and think that a shorter bbl will save a ton, you may be disappointed. I'm talking about a #3 or smaller. I've cut an inch of barrel off the muzzle end of a #3 and it weighed ~1.3 ounces. So if I was worried about weight but still wanted the added velocity I would go with a 24" bbl and flute it. It would be a wash between a 22" unfluted and a 24" fluted. Another place to shave weight on a bbl is to run a shorter cylinder length ahead of the recoil lug. My experience is that it is common to run about .800" cylinder. I will typically run ~ .400" cylinder on a lighter weight gun. Makes it harder if a guy ever wants to set the bbl back but I figure by that time I might as well throw a whole new tube on it. Don't know if that helped you but it works for me.

 

[Edd]

The difference between a .400 cylinder and a .800 cylinder is 2 ounces.