MacAR
Member
(Inspired by @LoonWulf and his "Bad Idea" thread... Dang it!)
The other day, I picked up an old Stevens 110 30-06. Pretty bog-standard gun in fair shape, little rust, in a press-checkered stock. Best part, it was dirt cheap. I'm looking at going two ways with it; one a "quick and dirty" project, and the second more long-term.
The "quick & dirty"
I have a wonderful Rem 700 in '06; it shoots great. What I don't have is a "woods carbine". With that in mind, I'm thinking of lopping the factory barrel back to 17 or 18 inches and having the front sight re-installed. This will cost me about $100 from the local gunsmith. Will also have a scout scope mount installed on the barrel and put a peep on the receiver bridge while I'm at it. A 'la Col. Cooper's "scout carbine". While the action is out, I would shorten and re-shape the forend and refinish the stock. Probably get a 2.5x or 4x LER scope, too. Maybe just a red-dot since I'm not looking at shooting very far. I'm aware that a short-barreled '06 will bark fire and have pretty healthy recoil, however that's not an issue to me. I'm also aware that accuracy may suffer, but when considering the rifle will rarely be shot past 100 yards, that's not as big an issue either. All I'm looking for is "minute of critter". Am I nuts for even considering this project?
The "long term"
So, I have a desire to own a "middling" caliber rifle between the .222 and the '06. The 260 Remington really appeals to me, for some reason, as does the 7mm-08. However, the 260 has a better bullet selection thanks to the 6.5 sneezemoor. To that end, here's my idea:
1. Take the 110 action and fit a Shaw 260 factory contour barrel to it.
2. Have action and barrel finished in matching hot blue.
3. Order a nice Boyd's laminate stock in either blonde or pepper laminate.
4. Mount the Nikon Pro-Staff that's been looking for a home for over a year.
Again, am I nuts? I'm not really gaining or loosing anything by going to the .260 other than a bit less recoil. At the same time, I'd also be filling a perceived "gap" in my collection. (Sidebar: a .257 Roberts would fill it "better", but that's not likely to happen.) Would anyone care to suggest a "better" middle of the road cartridge that would be suitable for whitetail deer out to 300? Not interested in the creedmoor, either.
More than anything, this thread is to help me get my thoughts squared away. I'm about 99% certain I want to get the '06 barrel cut down in the near future, then begin saving my pennies to build the .260. Thoughts/opinions?
Mac
And yes, I know I'm crazy, but sometimes I need to be reminded just how crazy I am!
The other day, I picked up an old Stevens 110 30-06. Pretty bog-standard gun in fair shape, little rust, in a press-checkered stock. Best part, it was dirt cheap. I'm looking at going two ways with it; one a "quick and dirty" project, and the second more long-term.
The "quick & dirty"
I have a wonderful Rem 700 in '06; it shoots great. What I don't have is a "woods carbine". With that in mind, I'm thinking of lopping the factory barrel back to 17 or 18 inches and having the front sight re-installed. This will cost me about $100 from the local gunsmith. Will also have a scout scope mount installed on the barrel and put a peep on the receiver bridge while I'm at it. A 'la Col. Cooper's "scout carbine". While the action is out, I would shorten and re-shape the forend and refinish the stock. Probably get a 2.5x or 4x LER scope, too. Maybe just a red-dot since I'm not looking at shooting very far. I'm aware that a short-barreled '06 will bark fire and have pretty healthy recoil, however that's not an issue to me. I'm also aware that accuracy may suffer, but when considering the rifle will rarely be shot past 100 yards, that's not as big an issue either. All I'm looking for is "minute of critter". Am I nuts for even considering this project?
The "long term"
So, I have a desire to own a "middling" caliber rifle between the .222 and the '06. The 260 Remington really appeals to me, for some reason, as does the 7mm-08. However, the 260 has a better bullet selection thanks to the 6.5 sneezemoor. To that end, here's my idea:
1. Take the 110 action and fit a Shaw 260 factory contour barrel to it.
2. Have action and barrel finished in matching hot blue.
3. Order a nice Boyd's laminate stock in either blonde or pepper laminate.
4. Mount the Nikon Pro-Staff that's been looking for a home for over a year.
Again, am I nuts? I'm not really gaining or loosing anything by going to the .260 other than a bit less recoil. At the same time, I'd also be filling a perceived "gap" in my collection. (Sidebar: a .257 Roberts would fill it "better", but that's not likely to happen.) Would anyone care to suggest a "better" middle of the road cartridge that would be suitable for whitetail deer out to 300? Not interested in the creedmoor, either.
More than anything, this thread is to help me get my thoughts squared away. I'm about 99% certain I want to get the '06 barrel cut down in the near future, then begin saving my pennies to build the .260. Thoughts/opinions?
Mac
And yes, I know I'm crazy, but sometimes I need to be reminded just how crazy I am!