Couzer Report post Posted December 7, 2012 Looks awesome!!! Might go shoot it this weekend if time allows. I do have to give Steve Crooks a big THANKS for all the work he put into this difficult project. He has a lot of hours tied up in the rifle trying to figure out the 7mm WSM on a Remington short action with the PTG Mag system. There was alot of milling effort involved for clearances, and milling means a lot of extra labor. Lucky for me Steve took this project on knowing he was going to have to spend some time researching on how to accomplish this shortly after dropping the gun off. Sorry guys if your tired of my postings on this, but it has been a fun project. In this pic below you can see how much was needed to be milled out so the shell would eject. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted December 7, 2012 How much does that rig weigh and what are you going to put on top of it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted December 7, 2012 Well I don't have a great scale, so I weighed my self on the bathroom digital scale with and with out the rifle. Looks like I am around 6 pounds 3 ounces for the rifle. I need to go pick up some Talley rings so i can mount up the Vortex Viper 6-20X44. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted December 7, 2012 The barrel looks like it should weigh 6 pounds itself! That's a light rifle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AxisWorks LLC Report post Posted December 7, 2012 Devan, you can now use magazines that hold more than five rounds for hunting in AZ if that is your concern. I saw a company somewhere on the net that build custom aluminum magazines with the front cut out so you can load VLD's. I can 't find them right now. Are you going to change out the stock? I picked up a .243 for my son and was looking for a better stock for it. David Im a little late chiming into theis thread but FYI I believe the 5 round magazine capacity in the past pertained to semi auto centerfire only and there was never a magazine limit on bolt or lever gun centerfire or any rimfires. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's how it reads. The rifle looks awesome! Great job with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kooter Report post Posted December 8, 2012 I should have kept it when it was at my house Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted December 9, 2012 Well I stayed up until 2am do get some rounds loaded up and mount the scope on the rifle. I had some friends going out early this morning so I had to get some rounds loaded. The Sighting went fairly well with the load development. One mistake i did make though is that I should have load 4-5 rounds for each load instead of only 3. The first shot was a flyer with the other 2 touching. I was cleaning the gun every 3 shots and I am thinking thats why my first shot was always a flyer, the the next 2 shots always touching. Not bad, but there is definatley room for improvement, need to get down to at least .5". I think I also need to play with the seating depth. Best group was at .8"....... on this target you will see another hole to the right from a friends 6.5 creedmore he was sighting in, not from the 7mm. Speeds on the 168 Berger was about 2855 ft/sec. Also I need to work the trigger, tough to shot good at 3.5lbs. Casey, I lied the gun weighed in at 6lbs 10oz (bathroom scale lied to me), and finished toal wieght with scope is 8lbs 5oz. Not as light, but feels good and balanced real well in hand. Target were set out at 100yrds, but probably need to get out to 300 yds because i heard the bergers stabelize better at that range from a article from 6mmbr. I went with Talley Low rings but looks like i can go even lower if Talley made extra low rings? About 1/4" under the scope. Getting set up, next to my gun is southernexpress with his new 6.5 creedmore he built in his garage. Top right of this bottom target was my bet load, I need to do more load development. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catclaw Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Devan, you can now use magazines that hold more than five rounds for hunting in AZ if that is your concern. I saw a company somewhere on the net that build custom aluminum magazines with the front cut out so you can load VLD's. I can 't find them right now. Are you going to change out the stock? I picked up a .243 for my son and was looking for a better stock for it. David Im a little late chiming into theis thread but FYI I believe the 5 round magazine capacity in the past pertained to semi auto centerfire only and there was never a magazine limit on bolt or lever gun centerfire or any rimfires. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's how it reads. The rifle looks awesome! Great job with it. That is correct, the mag restriction only ever applied to semi automatics and shotguns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catclaw Report post Posted December 11, 2012 I'll make a couple of comments: You have a 1:8 twist barrel, right? Not sure why you would twist a barrel that tight and then settle for 168 grain bullets. Also, if you are going to use 168s, you should probably push them about 300 fps faster than what you report. Having just worked extensively with a 7WSM, I found that I can push 180 Bergers to 3100 but accuracy is better at 3020 fps. I could push 168 over 3250 but they never shot as well as the 180s so I quit bothering. With a 8 twist barrel, you can shoot the 195 Bergers; the 180s are a given. PM me if you want some load data that can help you stretch that thing out. I have been able to shoot about .5MOA to 800 yards, the furthest I have tested it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted December 13, 2012 According to Walt and Hart they both said the 1:8 will do well with the 168 and 180's. Trying out the 168's first to see how they do. I have a RUM shooting the 210's so i figure I would see how the 168 do, if not well they ill push some 180's through. I need to get back out to the range! Time is tough for me to find at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
c-ne-elk Report post Posted December 13, 2012 First of all, thanks for the updates on the gun build, I have been lurking since the start of this watching the progress as I am considering the same project. Looks like you are going to have a shooter! In the photo of you shooting I see that like myself you don't go to a formal range and like you have built myself a good sturdy portable bench but I see you shooting off a folding chair and looks like your buddy is sitting on a cooler. If you go to e-bay or Craig's list you can find what they call a "drum throne", a seat that drummers use. The seat spins around to adjust for height and the seat is cushioned. I found one about 2 years ago on e-bay for $20 and it's great for shooting off of and is VERY sturdy. The seat comes off the post and the legs fold up for easy transport. Just passing along what I found has worked good, take it or leave it. Good luck on your gun! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted December 14, 2012 Not a bad idea, I think that has always been a challenge is finding the right seat for the shooting bench. I like the idea that it also comes apart to transport. Formal ranges have to many folks that could be unsafe with thier firearms, we like driving out a little father and shooting with ease. The only thing we leave behind are footprints. Looks like I need to go shopping for a new seat, thanks again c-ne-elk! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
