GUN STUFF

[rgramjet]

Anyone have a Ruger M77?

http://www.ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/index.html

I like this Sctout version, never handled the M77 action

I have a 77/17.  Laminated stock, ss bull barrel.  Love it!

Ive had my eye on both the Ruger and Cooper Scout rifles.  They are spendy little buggers.  Id love to find one in .243.  Something my oldest son can carry and shoot comfortably.

http://www.scoutrifle.org/ is a good resource.

[RAT900]

The best .223 bullet heads I have ever run down my various 1:9 tubes are the Sierra Varminter 60 grain hollow point heads

They (IMHE) have out-shot and out-grouped any flavor of Sierra Matchking heads I have played with

and I have played with a LOT of .223 reloads

[ducpainter]

The best .223 bullet heads I have ever run down my various 1:9 tubes are the Sierra Varminter 60 grain hollow point heads

They (IMHE) have out-shot and out-grouped any flavor of Sierra Matchking heads I have played with

and I have played with a LOT of .223 reloads

My barrel has a 1:12 twist so 60 is max IMO, and not the best choice for that twist..

I did develop a 60 gr load for the Nosler Partition which stabilized fine in that rifle, but I did need to use the max load to get enough velocity to do it, and the accuracy was no better than minute of deer, which is what the exercise was all about. I ordered some of the 52gr  Sierra Matchkings to try. When those are gone I'll try some of the Varminters.

edit...the only other weight in hp in a varminter for .223 is 40gr. I've already got a pretty good load for Nosler 40gr Ballistic tip...maybe I'll try them anyway.

[fastwin]

Anyone have a Ruger M77?

http://www.ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/index.html

I like this Scout version, never handled the M77 action

Gave my step son my standard model 77 .223 (w/Leupold 3x9 scope) for his first deer rifle. Ran a TON of ball and hp ammo through it so it was well broken in and plenty accurate enough for hunting. Just standard barrel... no heavy bull barrel. Nice and light, easy to carry and worked just fine. Last time I shot it (before I handed it on) was at my friend's west TX ranch and we were all busting small rocks across his stock tank with xm193 ball... 120-140 yards easy. Nice little reliable rifle. Kid wasn't very thankful. Kids today...

[Monsterlover]

My friend and reloading mentor came by 4-5000 rounds of once fired mil 9mm and he gave me about 800 of them. I got all the primers punched out here and spent the day at his house today running them through the swedger and his home made tumbler.

We also cast a bunch of 9mm bullets which I ran through the sizer/lubricator.

I got to see some of his "experiments"

I can't remember the original caliber (.444 rem?) Bottleneck cases blown out to a straight wall case for use in a .410 shotgun.

It was a good day. We talked about guns a lot.

[ducpainter]

Nice score.

I was at the range last week and there was a guy shooting 300 Blackout made from .223 brass.

[Monsterlover]

Nice score.

I was at the range last week and there was a guy shooting 300 Blackout made from .223 brass.

300blk is an interesting round.  Fits an ar, check.  Subsonic for suppressed fun, check.

Expensive, check.

[DRKWNG]

.300 blk is just 5.56 brass opened up a bit for a 7.62 bullet.  Nice thing about it, all you have to do is a barrel change, assuming you have an upper (like the LMT MRP) that allows a quick barrel swap.  Same bolt, some magazine and everything. 

[ducatiz]

.300 blk is just 5.56 brass opened up a bit for a 7.62 bullet.  Nice thing about it, all you have to do is a barrel change, assuming you have an upper (like the LMT MRP) that allows a quick barrel swap.  Same bolt, some magazine and everything. 

I did not know that.  Swapping a barrel off an upper is pretty easy even without a QC barrel setup.  I may look into that, but then again, it's a non-milsurp caliber... $$$

[WarrenJ]

That Ruger Scout looks like a pretty good rig.  I wish they would have not put on a flash hider and just gave it an equal amount of barrel.  There is a fair amount of difference between 16.5" and 18 or 20" in the 308 as far as efficiency and performance is concerned.  You can make up some of the difference by reloading with a click faster burning powder, but you can never get all the performance out of the cartridge if there isn't enough tube to consume all the powder.  That being said, I really like the handling characteristics of the Scout concept, in certain circumstances, the slight loss in performance is worth the handiness and usability. 

I built a pseudo-scout on a Springfield 03-A3 action with a 20" tube in 30-06, with a Burris scout scope.  It is handy and powerful and works well out to 300 or so.  I cannot get screaming velocities out of it due to its short tube, so I go for momentum and load 200 - 220 grain bullets at about 2400 fps.  (The Hornady 220 RN load runs 2390 according to my PACT chrono)
3" high at 100 yards puts me right on at 200 and about a foot low at 300.  I really like the ability to load from stripper clips in these types of actions.

The scout scope setup is one of the fastest, friendliest optical systems out there.  I have found it is one of the easiest systems to use for introducing women and children to shooting with optics.
The generous eye relief and the non-critical head position in relation to the optics makes it super easy for people unfamiliar with optics to immediately get a sight picture.  It does have a few drawbacks, its low powered and doesnt have the low light performance of some other optics, but for many practical situations, the scout system works great.

[zooom]

I saw a cool rifle that I kinda sort want but have no earthly justifyable reason for having...

when watching Wild West Guns on Discovery Channel, their "Co-Pilot" lever action .457 Magnum....though I'd want one set up for standard cowboy 45/70...the way it breaks down and everything just looks way cool to me!

[ducatiz]

I saw a cool rifle that I kinda sort want but have no earthly justifyable reason for having...

when watching Wild West Guns on Discovery Channel, their "Co-Pilot" lever action .457 Magnum....though I'd want one set up for standard cowboy 45/70...the way it breaks down and everything just looks way cool to me!

Levers are awesome, you'd be surprised how much joy you can get out of a more common-caliber like .357 or 44 mag.

[ducatiz]

That Ruger Scout looks like a pretty good rig.  I wish they would have not put on a flash hider and just gave it an equal amount of barrel.  There is a fair amount of difference between 16.5" and 18 or 20" in the 308 as far as efficiency and performance is concerned.  You can make up some of the difference by reloading with a click faster burning powder, but you can never get all the performance out of the cartridge if there isn't enough tube to consume all the powder.  That being said, I really like the handling characteristics of the Scout concept, in certain circumstances, the slight loss in performance is worth the handiness and usability. 

I like the Ruger setup, but it's too pricey for me.  It's just very handsome and I have heard the M77 action is very solid.

I built a pseudo-scout on a Springfield 03-A3 action with a 20" tube in 30-06, with a Burris scout scope.  It is handy and powerful and works well out to 300 or so.  I cannot get screaming velocities out of it due to its short tube, so I go for momentum and load 200 - 220 grain bullets at about 2400 fps.  (The Hornady 220 RN load runs 2390 according to my PACT chrono)
3" high at 100 yards puts me right on at 200 and about a foot low at 300.  I really like the ability to load from stripper clips in these types of actions.

The scout scope setup is one of the fastest, friendliest optical systems out there.  I have found it is one of the easiest systems to use for introducing women and children to shooting with optics.
The generous eye relief and the non-critical head position in relation to the optics makes it super easy for people unfamiliar with optics to immediately get a sight picture.  It does have a few drawbacks, its low powered and doesnt have the low light performance of some other optics, but for many practical situations, the scout system works great.

I have an Enfield 2A, one of those Ishapore rifles built by Gibson that I think would do well as a scout setup, except that the rear leaf sight is exactly where one would mount a scope.  It is very compact and handles very well despite the less than smooth action -- the Indians used .303 tooling and created a .308 out of it.  The 2A receiver is really stout though.  I am not sure much can be done about the floppy bolt in those old Enfields.

Can't get my eye off that Ruger though.

[zooom]

not debating the joy factor of any specific caliber over another...there is something about the slow burning thwooosh of a 45/70 in a sort of weird romantic kind of way that is attractive to me...that paired with a good lever action mechanism and you get sweetness.... though it'd be nice to have the .357 magnum because I could then share ammo with my revolver I think...

[ducpainter]

I like the Ruger setup, but it's too pricey for me.  It's just very handsome and I have heard the M77 action is very solid.

I have an Enfield 2A, one of those Ishapore rifles built by Gibson that I think would do well as a scout setup, except that the rear leaf sight is exactly where one would mount a scope.  It is very compact and handles very well despite the less than smooth action -- the Indians used .303 tooling and created a .308 out of it.  The 2A receiver is really stout though.  I am not sure much can be done about the floppy bolt in those old Enfields.

Can't get my eye off that Ruger though.

How about something like this to mount the scope?

http://scopemounts.com/index.html?main.html