The Rifle Stock Is Here, or Maybe Not!

So Nick had ordered the rifle stock about a week ago, and had been tracking it online. The site indicated that the stock was on a local "The World On Time" delivery truck. Arriving home at around 7 pm, he found no package on the porch, or in the bushes nearby.(which he says is where the delivery drivers usually throw them)
Upon calling the local office, he was told the package was on the truck at the terminal, and he could come pick it up. Five minutes later Nick was standing at the terminal requesting the package he was told would be there. The guy behind the counter spent 15 or 20 minutes in the back looking for it, only to return to the service counter empty handed and scratching his head." Um, the driver said he already delivered it." The apologetic terminal manager told Nick."How Long Ago?" Nick Asked."Bout 45 minutes ago." The man replied."Yeah, I was just at my house 30 minutes ago, and there wasn't any package there." Nick explained. "Could be the driver delivered it to the wrong address." The man sheepishly told Nick. "You should go check the same house numbers on 14th and 16th streets." He instructed a now heated Nick. Some time later as Nick was searching his neighborhood for the lost package, his phone rang. "Uh, we found your package Mr. Hawthorne." The voice on the other end said. "Where is it?" Nick asked. "Well, it's here at the terminal on the truck that was supposed to have delivered it." Was the response from the phone. "We can get it right out to you sir." Came the man's half hearted offer. "No thanks, I'll come pick it up." Was Nicks reply before pressing the end button on his cell.

The exchange at the terminal was awkward for the shipping clerk, but un-eventful. Once at home Nick removed the stock from the box and began to test fit the action. Because the aftermarket trigger is a slightly different configuration than the factory trigger, the stock needed to be altered. A small amount of stock material needed to be removed just in front of the trigger opening. This was done with a very complex set of inletting tools. Some just call these tools, Vice Grips, and a Saws All blade! Only a small amount of material needed removed to allow the new trigger to function. The rail under the fore end is an odd setup, and the supplied bipod lug needed some work in order to be solid. Overall, we are happy with the style and quality of the stock, and we would like some feedback on what color the stock should be painted. Any suggestions???

The Savage Action Arrives

A Savage Model 110 barreled action which is currently chambered in .270 Winchester, sans a rifle stock entered Nick's gun room today! It's a very base model completely original, blued finish, right handed, pre-accu trigger, .270 Winchester.

The first order of business was to get the barrel separated from the action. Using the action wrench, and barrel nut wrench. Once the barrel nut is loose, the barrel unscrews fairly easily. When re-installing the new barrel on the action, head spacing can be achieved by using a go/no go gauge. With the "go" gauge chambered, thread the barrel in to the action with the bolt closed, and locked until the barrel is tight against the gauge. After the barrel is tight, and the "go" gauge removed, the "no go" gauge can be chambered. The bolt is then pushed forward. The bolt should not close completely on the gauge. Side note: If you don't have a "no go" gauge, you can place a piece of scotch tape on the back of a "go" gauge, and the thickness of the added tape should not allow the bolt to close completely.

We picked up an aftermarket Sharp Shooter Supply trigger for our project. It's a fairly simple swap, and took only a few minutes. A good trigger should be light and crisp, you should not feel the trigger move at all until it breaks and the rifle goes off. A heavy trigger with creep will make a nice shooting rifle very difficult to shoot with consistency.

The .307 Powder River Magnum

The .307 Powder River Magnum (.307 PRM) is a long range hunting cartridge intended to fill a niche, between a .308 Win. and the larger Belted Win. Mag/ Rem. Mag cartridges. I would like to stress that We are NOT trying to re-invent the wheel with this cartridge. The cartridge is just a small, but integral part of a complete shooting system. The end goal of the "System" is to have a, lightweight, inexpensive, Do-it-yourself rifle capable of consistent, reliable accuracy at yardages between 400 and 600 yards. The parent case chosen for the .307 PRM is the venerable .284 Winchester. It was chosen because of it's efficient design, powder capacity, and ability to chamber in a short action. The cases will be loaded with .30cal 155gr. high coefficient boat tail hollow point hunting bullets. Load data will follow the completion of the first rifle.

The rifle action chosen for the build is the Savage Model 110. Chosen for it's low cost, quality, and availability. You can hardly walk in to a pawn shop in my area without seeing at least one Savage 110 rifle on the shelf! However, the primary reason for choosing the Savage bolt action rifle is the fact that the average gun owner can order a barrel and install it themselves saving money on gunsmithing services.

Please be aware that this is NOT an illustrated "How To" on building your own custom rifle. It is merely a step-by-step accounting of how two country boys with an idea built a cheap long range hunting rifle!!