Building an “optimal” vs a cool rifle

[Steve300xcw]

What are you hunting that 1.5 MOA wouldn’t kill?

You can do better than 1.5 outta a ruger. Takes a bit of tweaking to do so though.

 

[BLJ]

You can do better than 1.5 outta a ruger. Takes a bit of tweaking to do so though.

Absolutely agree.

But I think a 7.5” group at 500 kills a lot of animals to.

And I don’t think a Hawkeye would be bad if it “only” shot 1.4 MOA and not .9.

 

[BishBeCool]

the tikka really doesn't require "tweaking". will you have peace of mind with a rifle that's needed/had that much work done?

 

[Smithb9841]

From reading your posts it seems like you want the Ruger and have sentimental attachment to the Ruger brand so go with the Ruger. Either way your price lists you have listed both include doing work and not keeping the rifle factory out of the box so you might as well go with the one you really want. Most modern rifles are more accurate than what the shooter is capable of anyway. With all the factory ammo options for 6.5 creedmor I find it hard to believe you wouldn’t be able to find a few different options that shoot well in it.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Really? This is everything he does. Seems reasonable for $525 on a difficult to bed action.

Lock work
• Clean up and tune trigger and components

• Polish and tune fire control inside bolt for a crisper trigger pull and faster lock time

• Adjust handoff timing for easier bolt close (if needed)

• Lap bolt lugs as much as possible while keeping headspace in spec

Barrel work

• Deep clean bore and chamber

• Lap bore for smoothness

• Apply synthetic bore conditioner to reduce fouling

• Re-crown (single-point cut if possible)

• Add muzzle threads or brake (optional)

Stock work

• For stocks with bedding blocks: mill down and stress-free bed

• For carbon, fiberglass, and wood/wood-laminate stocks: pillar bed, then full epoxy bed with free-floated barrel

• Seal barrel channel for durability

1998 called in with that work order.

 

[Steve300xcw]

will you have peace of mind with a rifle that's needed/had that much work done?

Wasnt all that long ago that that was all stuff that need to be done.

 

[BishBeCool]

Wasnt all that long ago that that was all stuff that need to be done.

well said

 

[Steve300xcw]

Absolutely agree.

But I think a 7.5” group at 500 kills a lot of animals to.

And I don’t think a Hawkeye would be bad if it “only” shot 1.4 MOA and not .9.

You arent wrong. Most folks shouldnt be shooting 500 either...

 

[BLJ]

1998 called in with that work order.

That’s what I thought too.

Seemed like a lot of fluff for…..

“I hogged out the stock so it doesn’t touch the barrel and cleaned it.
That will be $525.”

 

[elsb0048]

Yeah I have a guy that works on them. $525 for everything you just said and more plus $100 to chop and thread it. Do you have experience with a Ruger that’s been done up in that fashion?

I have one in .243 I bought used and put it together largely as a kid gun. Action bedded, timney trigger, barrel floated, chopped to 18".
Mine typically shoots around 1-1.25 MOA for a 10 shotter so far. I only tried 1 factory load though and since it shot well enough I didn't look further. I paid about what you said: $400-500 for the work done although he didn't do any action trueing, timing, or tinkering

 

[BilboBaggins]

1998 called in with that work order.

Haha yeah how much of that is bs? Smoothing the bore seems sketchy too. Should I find someone else? There aren’t many guys that pillar bed Rugers because of the angled action screw. Also will any of that damage the rifle in any way?

 

[Steve300xcw]

Pillar bedding a m77?

 

[BilboBaggins]

That’s what I thought too.

Seemed like a lot of fluff for…..

“I hogged out the stock so it doesn’t touch the barrel and cleaned it.
That will be $525.”

I originally contacted him for bedding, not many people bed rugers and the one place I found other than him charges $350 and has some bad reviews. Seems like $175 more for making the trigger have no creep and smoothing up the action is fair. But some of the other stuff, lapping the bolt, smoothing the bore… would that be potentially damaging?

 

[Steve300xcw]

Floating a barrel takes nothing but a lil time.
Bedding the action? Epoxy of your choice and a lil time

Triggers arent bad to work on, though aftermarket stuff is also the easy button.

Theres a stickied thread over on 24hr about bedding a m77

 

[BilboBaggins]

Pillar bedding a m77?

Yeah he makes custom pillars

 

[BLJ]

I originally contacted him for bedding, not many people bed rugers and the one place I found other than him charges $350 and has some bad reviews. Seems like $175 more for making the trigger have no creep and smoothing up the action is fair. But some of the other stuff, lapping the bolt, smoothing the bore… would that be potentially damaging?

I don’t know about potentially damaging.
Just maybe not beneficial (IMO).

JARD makes a trigger kit for the 77/Hawkeye for $95. (No experience).

What benefit is “adjust handoff timing” and how many shots until the “synthetic bore conditioner” wears off?

Maybe my ignorance but sounds like gunsmith bull shit to me. IMO.

 

[TN2shot07]

My question is what are you planning as a thumper?

I would do the tikka in 6.5, against popular opinion not in a Rokstock.

For the thumper I’d order one of the new Hawkeye’s in 358 Win, already comes with a 16.5 in threaded barrel and do whatever work you want to on that one.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Haha yeah how much of that is bs? Smoothing the bore seems sketchy too. Should I find someone else? There aren’t many guys that pillar bed Rugers because of the angled action screw. Also will any of that damage the rifle in any way?

I guess I don't know much about Ruger's, but with Tikka's, the only thing you might need to do is chop and thread the barrel. I've never done any of those other things and I doubt many other Tikka shooters have either.

 

[BLJ]

I guess I don't know much about Ruger's, but with Tikka's, the only thing you might need to do is chop and thread the barrel. I've never done any of those other things and I doubt many other Tikka shooters have either.

I put a Timney in an old 77 I had.
Other than that, I’ve just shot my Rugers just like my Tikkas.

 

[BilboBaggins]

My question is what are you planning as a thumper?

I would do the tikka in 6.5, against popular opinion not in a Rokstock.

For the thumper I’d order one of the new Hawkeye’s in 358 Win, already comes with a 16.5 in threaded barrel and do whatever work you want to on that one.

You’re close, one of the Hawkeye Alaskans in 338 win mag. What stock would you put on the tikka?