Rebarreling and Home-Shop Machining

Caldwell “The Rock” Front Rest

I went to the range to Chronagraph some loads. Some new additions are the Caldwell Front Shooting Rest in Photo 1. Also note the Otto Rear Bag Stabilizer from Sinclairintl.com . Both of these devices worked to my satisfaction. The front rest allows vertical adjustment which allowed me to use the rear bag at Bayleys House of Guns in Houston without resting the stock on the tips of the rear bag. The benches slope downhill toward the shooter a bit. The adjustments are sloppy until you tighten the locknuts on the leveling feet and the lockscrew on the ram. Then it’s nice and stable. The Otto Rear Bag Stabilizer reduces the side to side rock of the rear bag on its rounded bottom. The Otto Bag is basically a small tube of sand that surrounds the bag. The center portion is one thickness of leather. I liked it. Photo 2 shows the three shot group today out of my Hart barreled .308 including the cold barrel shot. The group was .145 inch center to center. The well developed load Chronoed 2880, 2889, 2875 feet/second for three shots with an average 2881 feet/second for 46.2 grains of Varget under a 155 Sierra Hollow Point Boat Tail Match King at a 2.830 inch cartridge overall length (into the lands slightly. This is not that good for long range practice as the accuracy deteriorates as carbon builds up. 2.825 inch is better for a 20 shot practice session). The barrel is a 1 in 14 inch twist Hart 26 inch long Maximum Heavy Varmint taper stainless steel barrel. The Remington 700 P DM has had the lugs lapped and front face squared and the action checked for good contact with the HS Precision stock. This rifle is in photo 1 with a Leupold 6.5 x 20 long range target scope.

            Photo 3 shows first shots, # 2-10, from the Douglas 30/06 Barrel Below at a maximum load of 57.5 grains of H 4350 under a 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. Three shots in one group chronoed 2884, 2886, 2916 for an average 2895 feet/second from the 27 inch barrel. The three groups averaged .7 inch center to center and will profit from some load development in the future. Note that Hodgdon list the maximum load for the Winchester Short Magnum at 3059 feet/second with a 180 grain bullet. Not much higher than the 06 although it is with a 24 inch barrel.

Shooting Bench

            The shooting bench is made from 3 thicknesses of plywood on a steel sawhorse. It is rock solid. Comfortable to shoot from a folding stool. Note that it is made to minimum dimensions to hold a standard rest with the rear bag farther forward than you would use it on a bigger bench. The handle side of the bench underside is countersunk so that the standard sawhorse handle can be used to carry the bench from the truck with the sawhorse folded. The Sawhorse is height adjustable and has enough flex in the twisting mode that leveling feet are not required.

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