L Cazador

I've been doing this for more than 50 years! The last 25 years under the eye of a bore scope. What I learned the previous 25 years before the bore scope, forget that! Buying hundreds of custom barrels hasn't taught me anything either. What I did learn is some factory barrels can and will shoot very good. And some custom barrels can and will shoot exceptionally well! Every custom barrel can and will shoot better than any factory barrel!! Shooting any number of rounds down either barrel could and maybe will help. If you don't have a bore scope just go out and shoot it. A copper bullet down a stainless or chrome moly barrel is not going to do much to smooth anything out. Yeah maybe some pressure in the 60K range and some heat may help but the bottom line all that does is fire crack the bore. The best you can do is clean that barrel well and remove that machining fluid and metal shavings and just go shoot it.

In my 50 plus years of shooting and reloading I've never seen a change of bullets make such a change. I'd say you still have the problem. I recently had such an incident. I found that the base screws were too long. You could tighten them down and they would come loose after a few shots. The two screws on the front can be a problem because they can bottom out on the barrel threads. Tighten the front screw on the front base first and see if the base is tight. Do not install the other three screws if it's a one piece base. With the front screw only holding the base check to see if the base will move. Then back the screw out and check if the bottom of the screw is shiny.

That is for a Remington action. Click again and you'll see the trued action cost is $675.

Not sure where you saw a price of $380? PT&G has a good price but that one is unheard of.

One big factor you're leaving out is how long is your magazine? Those ELDX bullets are very long and you're going to be taking up a lot of powder room depending on how deep you have to seat them. Use magnum primers only. These will get your velocity spreads down. Fireform your cases first, then just bump the shoulder back one or two thousands. Use a Hornady headspace guage to check this. Hornady book says 55g max for IMR4350 and 57g max for IMR4831, both about 3000fps. Reduce these charges by 10percent to start.

You have your seating die improperly set up. Back the seating die out and then screw the seating stem in. That way the bullet is completely seated before the crimp starts. You don't have to do it in two operations!!

The 140gr Nosler Accubond is a great bullet for elk. With that said, the 140gr. weight will be best out of the 7/08 for any big game.

Whether you go with a 20 or a 410, choose a shotgun with a modified choke and a load with #8 shot. There is little difference in recoil between a 20ga 7/8oz load or a 3/4oz 410 load, FYI. If you choose the 2 1/2oz. 410 load (which does have lower recoil, another important factor to consider is pellet count. For size #7 1/2 shot vs. #8, the count is about 50 pellets less per oz. for 7 1/2. I taught junior trap and skeet in my younger days and a 20ga with a modified choke and #9 shot was always the best choice 9 out of 10 times. I don't think you'll find much #9 shot but #8 is a good alternative.

The Ruger Precision is not so precise, LOL!! It's a Ruger!!

I think it's an excellent guide for someone just getting started on a long range project. While this is nothing new, I can't remember who had something similar back in the 90's?? I just can't imagine the clutter this could generate. What size is this?

I believe your summit press has a black bushing installed where you screw your die in. If you remove the bushing your Neil Jones die(probably made on 1 inch stock) should screw right in. If not contact Neil and he can make a bushing that will fit your die. Neil's number: 814-763-2769

Rumor is that it's made in the Phillipines, by the same folks that make that wonderful scope that starts with a V.

An appraisal with such a disparaging spread as $400-600 to $6000 does not sound like an accurate assessment of your firearm. But in defense of that info, it sounds like there was something lacking in the solicitation of that appraisal. If there is documentation that could provide an actual ownership and provenance that could make it worth $6000, it would be wise to include it in your endeavor to determine an accurate value for your firearm. Without any documents, you are left with identifying proof marks and remaining condition to determine a possible value. With all that said, the folks that quoted you that value were doing so to the best of their knowledge. "Man at Arms" magazine is one of the best sources for information regarding valuation of militaria. Contact Stuart Mowbray at: stuart@manatarmsbooks.com

Three things you should never say when selling a rifle is: dime size groups, shoot's in the 2's all day, and it has a bright shiny bore!! LOL!!

Pretty sure it came out at the Shot show. 24 Nosler coming soon too!

I've shot coyotes with most of the cartridges you mention. While the hottest 22 I shot them with was a 22/6mm improved, the 22 never convinced me of good solid kills even with the heaviest bullets. Understand that I probably shot some at some very incredible ranges. My thought nowadays is to call them in close enough so as not to miss and educate them and my favorite firearm is a shotgun with #4 buck for close in shots and an Olympic Arms AR with heavy barrel in 243 WSSM with a 10 twist that can take them out to 500 yards. My back up gun is a 700 Rem repeater bolt in 6X47 Lapua, and my long range pistol is a Rem XP100 custom in 6.5X47 Lapua. If I do take a long range shot, it's only after a patient wait for a close in shot. I didn't have that patience when I was younger!! Just about all the cartridges you mention are excellent for taking coyotes!

Lap the rings and bed the bases, there is no better way to go. Then use a plump bob to verify your reticle is straight up and down!

I see what you're trying to do. Are the primer pockets loose? If they are it may not be worth the salvage. Generally when the head diameter exceeds the factory spec by more than .001", the pockets will be loose. Even a body die or full length die is only going to size the head a minute amount and a collet die may size just enough. Are you sure this brass is worth all this effort?

You're measuring head diameter at the belt and that's too large for your chamber? How did you measure this, with a micrometer I hope? Was this new brass when you started and did you fireform in your chamber? Chamber length is measured from the head to the end of the neck. Headspace is measured from the head to the shoulder datum. Then there is also head diameter and on a belted cartridge it's belt diameter. I'm confused at to how a feeler guage is going to work in figuring chamber dimensions.

That was great article that Green did and a lot of experience demonstrated in doing so. And the barrel maker that buys the biggest lots of steel isss Krieger not Bartlein. Frank Green mentions blank quality!! The bigger the lot the more consistent the barrel steel is going to be. I don't buy anything but Krieger cut rifle barrels. Yes they have 5R barrels and yes I have bought them but they don't clean easier or achieve any higher velocity. One thing we experimented with years ago in benchrest competition was gain twist or rachet twist barrels. I found no validity to higher velocity for those barrels either. Like Frank says there is no explanation why some barrels shoot much faster or slower or clean easier than others.

In the 50 plus years that I have been shooting, I've shot 2,3,4,6, as well as the 10 micro groove barrels. The old adage that the less grooves the easier it was to clean and that barrel life would be lengthened has no validity. After I bought my bore scope back in the 90's, I confirmed that all was a bunch of hog wash. Stay with a 4 or 6 groove. If you're going to shoot 168's in the 7/08, i'd recommend a longer throat and a long action for that combo. Avoid seating bullets past the neck/shoulder junction so you can take full advantage of the entire case cap on the 08, you'll need it with the 168g. I did the 7/08 improved, 40 degree shoulder and it's a definite improvement over the standard 20 degree shoulder.

Any collet type die is basically going to size only the neck. Is your chamber minimum spec or standard? The best die for a custom chamber is a full length bushing die where you can control your shoulder bump and neck diameter. You should also know what the maximum length on your chamber is, so if you don't have a blue print of the reamer used to cut the chamber, you should use a chamber length guage and measure length. You could be over length which could cause a tight close on the bolt. Probably brass just needs to be bumped.

In Tucson see Water Tec, they have great service. Ed if you have a bad brine tank, it's very easy to replace. You can buy one on Amazon. Don't buy anything bigger than one that will handle a few bags. Too much salt sitting for a long time forms a salt bridge and will not let the salt drop down in the water. If you buy a brine tank, be sure it comes with a float and bottom screen.