F Class pilgrimage, BAT action arrives, stock choices.

[stubbicatt]

After much thumb twiddling and waiting, I received my barreled action from Lester Bruno of Bruno's Shooter's Supply in Arizona. It arrived at the FFL last night. It is a custom 3L BAT Machine, RB, LP, RE, action with a Brux 1 in 8 twist 6.5x47 Lapua barrel with a .293 neck. ---Actually, Bruno's installed the barrel and chambered it very quickly, much more so than other well known gunsmiths indicated that they would be able to do with their work load, so I am happy with the quick turnaround. --- I guess I just thumb twiddle alot! LOL.

It is a handsome arrangement, and I am still soaking up details about it. Thanks go out to Bruno Shooter's Supply... {Photos will follow at some point}.

The barrel is a 1.25" straight contour at 29" in length. Together with the action this is a heavy rifle! There are many little cool aspects to a custom action like this, and this is my first custom bolt action. One of the cool things is the 3 lug action, with a very short bolt throw. There is a little roller on the cocking piece to ease the force required to lift the bolt! Very cool.The firing pin is really tiny, and the clearance around it in the bolt face is very tight. This should prevent primer piercing and the cratering sometimes encountered in countersunk firing pin holes. The linear fluted bolt major diameter is the same as the inner dimension of the receiver so it rotates and reciprocates very readily, it is tight without being constricted. The 3 bolt lugs are smaller in diameter than is the bolt body, so they do not touch anywhere except against the locking lugs in the receiver. It makes for a very smooth bolt.

This is my choice for F Class Open competition, which I may be able to begin late in the Fall, but most likely next year, as I still need a scope and a stock and to do load development. I guess there are a few well tested loads in this cartridge which just plain work, so I won't have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but I must still cull out those that don't work "as well" from those which are "screamers." More on that as the situation develops...

I've slowly been amassing components etc. to shoot in this rifle, so I have a few hundred bullets, a recent and unexpected boon in primers and brass and powder. (I think maybe the shortages are easing up...) I purchased Whidden bushing dies, 21st Century neck turner lathe and concentricity gage, a RCBS Summit press, and I am re-learning reloading for precision cartridges. There is much to learn, but near as I can tell it is a few extra steps and a great deal of patience.

So on to the stock choices. I've narrowed my choices down to:

1) McMillan F Class fibreglass stock. Handsome stock, good quality, a known product.
2) Masterclass F Class Stock I like the looks of the stock if it can be made to be lightweight. Many neat features and options.
3) Some sort of modular stock, maker unknown.
3) Other...

So I wonder, which of the "other" offerings is something you think I should look at? I think I prefer the feel of wood, but altogether including stock, scope, and all attachments to the rifle I must "make weight," which as I understand is 10kg, or roughly 22.4 pounds. --I haven't weighed the barreled action, but it really is pretty heavy already. I'll make a point to weigh it soon.

Will fiberglass be lighter than laminated or solid wood do you suppose?

I am only beginning the path towards F Class, and what I don't know will fill the room! LOL. I really appreciate any pointers, helpful suggestions, and ideas that will help along the way.

Thanks for reading, and any suggestions.

 

[taliv]

man, those are nice actions! 60* bolt short bolt throw kinda cracks me up on an f-class gun, but it's still really cool improvement. do you think the bolt lift is a little heavier than normal? people often say that on the 60* (since you're doing essentially the same amount of work cocking the spring in 2/3rds the travel) but the roller probably makes it much better.


btw, you know .293 is a pretty tight neck, right? minus the .264 bullet, that leaves you 29 thou so if you take just 1.5 thou on each side that means you have to get your brass down to 13 thou thickness. if you have a set of calipers handy, i'd be curious what the thickness of the necks are before you start turning them.

sounds like a cool project! keep us updated on your stock and build

 

[USSR]

btw, you know .293 is a pretty tight neck, right? minus the .264 bullet, that leaves you 29 thou so if you take just 1.5 thou on each side that means you have to get your brass down to 13 thou thickness. if you have a set of calipers handy, i'd be curious what the thickness of the necks are before you start turning them.

When I had Terry Cross build my 6.5x55 F Class rifle, I sent him a dummy round with a 142SMK loaded to the OAL I wanted in a Lapua case so he could set the neck and throat accordingly. Simply no need to turn Lapua brass; it's that good.

Don

 

[taliv]

yep, Don, i do same thing. measure loaded round and then buy a reamer to match it so i don't have to neck turn.

 

[stubbicatt]

man, those are nice actions! 60* bolt short bolt throw kinda cracks me up on an f-class gun, but it's still really cool improvement. do you think the bolt lift is a little heavier than normal? people often say that on the 60* (since you're doing essentially the same amount of work cocking the spring in 2/3rds the travel) but the roller probably makes it much better.


btw, you know .293 is a pretty tight neck, right? minus the .264 bullet, that leaves you 29 thou so if you take just 1.5 thou on each side that means you have to get your brass down to 13 thou thickness. if you have a set of calipers handy, i'd be curious what the thickness of the necks are before you start turning them.

sounds like a cool project! keep us updated on your stock and build

I guess I don't understand why the short bolt lift on a F class gun cracks you up? Is it something about F class that is funny, or a short bolt throw that is funny? To answer your question Taliv, it feels firmer than other bolt actions I have used. The effort is a bit more, but it is quite smooth, and linear, no stacking or anything like that at the top of the bolt throw like I've experienced on Mosin Nagants. (Seems funny to discuss a M/N in the same paragraph as this BAT, but it is the best example of stacking I can think of for an example.)

I see no disadvantage to it, and it should be fairly quick, I would think. If you want to crack yourself up, go further and ask why a left hand loading port, and right hand ejection? The way I saw it was, having run 3 gun with a Remington 870, and tossing slugs from the sidesaddle, over the receiver, and into the loading port with my left hand, I had often thought it would be cool to have a port on the left as well as on the right for such occasions. I'm not using a strap or anysuchthing, and the left hand is not constrained, so it can be used to manipulate the cartridges, the front rest, etc.

I dunno. It is all new to me.

I am still waiting on the brass to arrive. From what I have read on the all knowing internet, however, the neck of a loaded round comes in at .289" or thereabouts. We shall see. Sort of like salt on potatoes, it is easy to add some, but impossible to take it away. If the neck is too snug, I understand it is a relatively simple operation to have it opened up a couple thou...

I opened a box of the Lapua 136 grain bullets, and boy those are some long skinny missiles.

I installed the trigger on the hangar today for a function test, and boy is it sweet. I've always enjoyed Jewell triggers, and this one is a dandy. I went ahead and had a low safety installed... it didn't cost any more and it offers an option, granted an option which in competition is never used. I still like knowing that there is a mechanical safety on the weapon. --Heck if for no other reason than introducing new shooters to the rifle and saving an unintentional discharge before they are on target... very little I know of will destroy confidence any quicker than that...

In all it is a lot of fun to plan out a project like this. The only thing that would be better is were I able to run a machine and cut my own chamber, my own crown, etc. But even so, it is still fun to learn all that I can about something I've never done before, and slowly put together the plan to make it all happen.

It is my hope that the low recoil combined with the anticipated extreme accuracy will give my 14 year old daughter something to sink her teeth into. She has shown a keen mind for the geometry of neck turning, shoulder setback, and other issues of precision reloading. It has been fun working with her on this project, and today is a good day.

 

[taliv]

I guess I don't understand why the short bolt lift on a F class gun cracks you up? Is it something about F class that is funny, or a short bolt throw that is funny?

oh no, just the combination. don't get me wrong, i like it. the advantage to it is that you can operate the bolt faster and with less movement so you don't disturb your position as much. you just rotate your hand a bit. it's just not that important for f-class cause you have slow-fire hand-feed everything while you're waiting for some dude to pull your target and you've got front and rear support so moving your hand isn't a big deal at all.

I see no disadvantage to it, and it should be fairly quick, I would think.

oh you're absolutely right

If you want to crack yourself up, go further and ask why a left hand loading port, and right hand ejection?

no, i'm totally with you. i run left bolt, right port on my match gun.

I opened a box of the Lapua 136 grain bullets, and boy those are some long skinny missiles.

i haven't got to handle any yet. heard great things though

The only thing that would be better is were I able to run a machine and cut my own chamber, my own crown, etc.

i always wanted to do that too.

It is my hope that the low recoil combined with the anticipated extreme accuracy will give my 14 year old daughter something to sink her teeth into.

now that's very cool. my daughter shot an f-class match (3x600) when she was 13. it was a very enjoyable experience. i had to help her in the pits but she did great on the line! she's got other hobbies now though

 

[stubbicatt]

my daughter shot an f-class match (3x600) when she was 13. it was a very enjoyable experience. i had to help her in the pits but she did great on the line! she's got other hobbies now though

Awww dude... that really did just bring a tear to my eye. My baby has been through far too much nonsense in her short life. She's living with me now, and I hope from everything I hold sacred that I can improve her lot just a little bit.

Thanks for any help or suggestions you might have. What sort of stock did your F classer have on it?

 

[taliv]

i don't have a dedicated f-class rig. she just shot my old bighorn 260AI with macmillan A5 stock. i built her a 260rem on a badger m2008 action also with a macmillan a5 since then. both are kind of at a disadvantage because they are set up like F-TR guns but have to shoot in FO due to caliber, but i don't care.

take a lot of pics/video when you go. good memories