Right now I am not shooting out to 1200+, however I would like to only build once. I have read the discussions on switch barrels, and while they serve their purpose, I want to learn my rifle, one caliber, and not be limited from taking 1200+ yard shots on elk in the future. I live at 8150 feet elevation in the middle of the Rockies, and over the next few decades or so I will only be growing as an outdoorsman, shooter, and hunter. I do not want to be limited in the future by my initial rifle build caliber choice.
Enough background...I am trying to choose a caliber that will be fully capable of repeatable loads, and taking an elk over 1200 yards. The shot angles, slopes, wind, and just sheer distances make caliber choice crucial. In the beginning I will most likely be using factory loads until I work up to handloading.
One thing to consider is; are there any factory loads I can use now for medium range, that when handloaded later in the same rifle can produce that 1200+ effective ballistics?
Additionally, I am under the impression that 30 cal is the way to go, however the 7mm also offers some impressive looking alternatives. What are the options here?
The 300 Ultra Mag, and the 7mm Ultra Mag, are the two logical choices if you will not be handloading. There are some real advantages to using Lapua brass, and learning to handload upfront. There are quite a few guys around here that can coach you to a pretty high level. You just don't have many good options in factory ammo for long range shooting with the really big Magnums. You need a bullet with a B.C. over .630 to make effective kills past 1,000 yards on big game.
The other thing that gets you at Ultra long range is vertical dispersion. To help control this we turn the necks on the brass to get very consistent neck tension. What this means is that if your chamber is set up to shoot turned necks, it will be way too tight to shoot factory ammo. There are big trade offs in accuracy giving up a custom blue printed chamber for the 6 months to a year you might want to shoot factory ammo.
Will you be going with a custom action, or a factory mass produced action?
That is definitely something to consider. SO essentially if I am going to go with somehting that shoots factory ammunition for now, I am screwing myself later? That really throws a twist in my decisions. I don't think i can afford to get into handloading and the rifle/optics at the same time. arrrrggrgr
I have a 700LA, is that something you can get results with or looking at a build like this would you recomend a different action?
You can build a Remington action to be very accurate, and it is a lot of work squaring things up, and truing up the action threads. By the time you are done doing that, you could have had a Lawton custom stainless action, that is a much better fit of the bolt and the receiver, already has a Sako extractor, and has excellent threads. The Lawton is much more rigid as well and comes with a thick recoil lug. The custom action will have a much higher resale value as well and be a bit more accurate across a range of temperature conditions. The bolts on the customs are also much smoother to operate.
What type of stock do you have, is it a wood, laminatied wood, or synthetic, or HS?
Lawton SS action sounds like the ticket. What is your recomendation on barrel fluting? I know it saves weight, but how much does it affect performance? I am thinking lilja.
Barney Lawton has set two World Records in the last two years with fluted barrels at 1,000 yards. Lilja makes an Awsome 30 cal barrel in 11 3 groove. We have 4 Wolfs being finished up right now with the Broughton 5C 11 twist, so we should have a good comparison to the Lilja in just about 10 days.
S1 built a 30/338 Lapua improved for me with a fluted Lilja 3 groove 1-11" twist barrel that shoots very well, .5 moa at 1000yds for 5 shots when I do my part, sometimes better. Wayne aka WAMBO
Posts: 94 | Location: Southwest Desert of the US of A | Registered: Fri January 16 2004
Nice, so it seems like the 30 improved offers better performace than any 7 improved can? Am I understanding correctly that to get the proper impact force past 1000y on an elk you need a 30 cal projectile?
I would love to hear how the broughton fluteds do. Thanks again fo rthe time and advice.
We have been shooting Lilja 3 grooves for years, every single Lilja three groove ever chambered with a 30 Wolf has shot smaller than 1/4 MOA at 600 yards. It is a tough act for Broughton to follow, but we will know in a couple of weeks.
With Lead bullets the 180 7mm VLD and its higher B.C, takes a little over a mile to catch the 30 caliber 210 in energy delivered to the target. At one mile, 6,000 ft. asl, they both are right at 1,000 ft. lbs.
The 30 cal PT bullets smoke the 7mm at exteme range, and everywhere else. I am excited about the heavier VLD bullet coming out in 30 cal, as I think they will be quite useful in the Rockies at ultra long range.
We tested two of the Broughtons in the 30 WOLF today, and the results were outstanding. The wind was nasty for 2/3 of the day, and we were still able to get under 1/3 MOA for 3 shots at six hundred seven yards. When the winds calmed down a little, Big Charley broke bad on us and shot 3 into less than an inch at 607 yards. We saved the targets and will put some pics up soon.
I have yet to see a Lawton action that did not shoot fantastic. Just pick the one that meets your size requirments.
In terms of different calibers and a switch barrel system. Could I have one stock, action,scope, with 2 barrels. (One barrel in a 7 ultra mag or 300 ultra mag) (one barrel in a 30 wolf) I am thinking I could shoot the ultra mag with factory ammo, and learn to reload on it, then once the experienc is up there with turning necks etc.. get another barrel for a 30 wolf. What other parts need to be changed out to change between the cartridges?
