Got my boomstick threaded

johngalway

Well finally.

I've been talking about a list of "to-do" jobs on my rifles for ages now and this past while has seen a lot of them done. Having asked around I opted to bring it to Fergal White at Ireland Custom Rifle.

The list was to get it recrowned, pillar & glass bedded, a new extractor, and screw cut for a mod.

Unfortunately I never took a photo of the lovely recessed crown Fergal put on her first. I meant to, but like a lot of things it didn't get done! He was waiting to get in the mod so didn't cut it on the first visit, preferring to check out the mod and have it done exact with both rifle and mod at hand.

With the new crown, new extractor, and bedded action I took her for a zeroing session.

The first shot out of the clean barrel went low to the right. The next five went where I wanted into a 0.5" group.



Waited 10 minutes for the barrel to cool off then three more shots went into 0.4"



Niall and a friend of his invited me to shoot some clays the day after, so with my last box off I went. His mate has a Sako TRG .308, S&B PM II.

My first 3 .308 shots killed three clays at 353 yards in the wind. Then I got to dust some at 380 yards.

First shot with the .223 at the 353 yard clays was to get the elevation, spot on when I went 11 inches up from my usual inch high at 100.

Second shot I corrected 12 inches to the left and started dusting clays good-o

By the end of it Nialls mate wanted my .223 action & barrel in the Sako TRG stock, I'll admit to being a little bit pleased by that

Fergal rang me then, supressor is in, come up when you can. Off up I went yesterday and watched as he lined it up in the lathe to perfection. He takes his time and done the job right. Got a thread protector made up and the rear bushing on the T8 milled for the barrel and here she is...









I'm delighted with the work and the price! Fergal is by far the most helpful, genuine and approachable person that I've met who works in the shooting industry in Ireland. And a damn nice fella too!

virminhunter

nice lookin job i must get in contact with him...:)

It wasn't me!

Looks well John. Tidy threading job. You'll be amazed at the difference in noise and recoil. .223 with a mod on is like shooting a pre-compressed airgun.

Tackleberrywho

You'll get better out of her!

You zeroing on the high or low bipod setting.

I use the low and it deffo makes a difference.
If you use the bipod with no swivel you might get tighter too

She is looking well anyway!
Good to hear another success story!

johngalway

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Looks well John. Tidy threading job. You'll be amazed at the difference in noise and recoil. .223 with a mod on is like shooting a pre-compressed airgun.

I've shot with modded .223s and the .308 before. Always liked seeing the shot hit in the scope! Noise reduction is definitely important to me as I've done quite a bit of damage to my hearing clarity already.

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

You'll get better out of her!

You zeroing on the high or low bipod setting.

I use the low and it deffo makes a difference.
If you use the bipod with no swivel you might get tighter too

She is looking well anyway!
Good to hear another success story!

I will get better out of her. I'm not the best shot in the world. I zero laid down on a hillock, bipod and hat or jacket under the butt, nothing fancy. Made up a small bean bag out of a sock and some beads the last day. Actually someone who's a better shot would get a LOT better out of it than I.

I use the low setting when possible, sometimes I need to move up an inch to clear grass. My bipod has a podlock installed on it so there's zero movement once it's tightened up.

Tackleberrywho

johngalway wrote: »

I've shot with modded .223s and the .308 before. Always liked seeing the shot hit in the scope! Noise reduction is definitely important to me as I've done quite a bit of damage to my hearing clarity already.



I will get better out of her. I'm not the best shot in the world. I zero laid down on a hillock, bipod and hat or jacket under the butt, nothing fancy. Made up a small bean bag out of a sock and some beads the last day. Actually someone who's a better shot would get a LOT better out of it than I.

I use the low setting when possible, sometimes I need to move up an inch to clear grass. My bipod has a podlock installed on it so there's zero movement once it's tightened up.

I would not be good enough to consistently shoot 1/4 groups.

I sometimes find it's on a day where you could not be arsed if she groups tight or not that she groups the best.

The Fine tweaking/tuning is the hardest.
If the first shot does not look right i put up a new target.
I have noticed since I found a very comfortable place to zero, I'm getting much tighter groups.
It needs to be quiet with no background noise.
Thats why If I want to zero i do not go on the range to do it.

Just my preference.
Some guys shoot better on the range, I hate zero'ing from a bench

It wasn't me!

I found it really interesting to try shoot from a different position. Unfortunately, where I typically zero, the grass is usually very high, so at best I'm shooting off the bipod's highest setting, and often off the boot of the car, both of which are feckin' useless. However, it does force you to pay attention to breathing control and trigger technique when your hold is a good two inches, and you can still shoot 3/4" groups at a hundred yards if you pay attention. That said, off the bench, my Sako hunter does that at two hundred yards happily enough. I'm going to go out, change my zero to account for the lack of moddy, and do some practice dropping into kneeling positions and sitting positions, as well as shooting off a stick or a fencepost. As a practical shooting exercise, 3/4" groups are pretty meaningless, but if you can break a clay at a hundred yards from whatever position you're obliged to shoot from, you can be pretty happy that you'll kill everything you encounter, cleanly.

gunhappy_ie

johngalway wrote: »

With the new crown, new extractor, and bedded action I took her for a zeroing session.

QUOTE]

Sorry I have to ask .. was there somethig wrong with the old 1 ? Where you having any FTE ??


Maybe its the angle ... but is that a tool mark left on the barrel ??

patsat

Looking well John, if ya don't mind me asking what extractor did you fit to the rifle and what benefits do you get from doing this?

Glensman

I have to agree with everything John just said about Fergal. I should be getting a new rifle in the next month and it will be going stright to athlone to get a crown and probably bedded.

clivej

John I'm not talking to you 'cos you closed my Kats Thread.:(

Anyway that Remington is shooting the best for you now. .5" groups is good in anybody's book and you seem to be able to do it all the time, better still. Aim small .

I was in with Sean Harding of Stakelums in Thurles today and managed to get you a box of VMax 40gr moly ammo. Sean said it was the last box so your lucky to be getting any. You may make sure every one counts from now.

johngalway

gunhappy_ie wrote: »

johngalway wrote: »

With the new crown, new extractor, and bedded action I took her for a zeroing session.

QUOTE]

Sorry I have to ask .. was there somethig wrong with the old 1 ? Where you having any FTE ??


Maybe its the angle ... but is that a tool mark left on the barrel ??

Dunno where that mark came from, it wasn't on it coming off the lathe cos I had a good perve at it yesterday. Maybe I over tightened the mod on it, can't think how else a mark would get there. I always fancied a new crown, have heard for years Remmys benefit from them so I'd nothing to loose really. The extractor was never ever right, broken would be a good word for it really, at the end it'd hardly extract a case from the chamber :rolleyes:

patsat wrote: »

Looking well John, if ya don't mind me asking what extractor did you fit to the rifle and what benefits do you get from doing this?

Just fitted a standard Remington one again, nothing fancy needed. The benefit I got was, err, extraction

clivej wrote: »

John I'm not talking to you 'cos you closed my Kats Thread.:(

Anyway that Remington is shooting the best for you now. .5" groups is good in anybody's book and you seem to be able to do it all the time, better still. Aim small .

I was in with Sean Harding of Stakelums in Thurles today and managed to get you a box of VMax 40gr moly ammo. Sean said it was the last box so your lucky to be getting any. You may make sure every one counts form now.

Don't need to be reading about that shower here Clive :P

Thanks a million for picking that up for me I'll get the other thing off in the post to you ASAP.

medicman

thats a nice job there john, i'm stuck, who to go to?, help help help, either fregal or john greene for my custom work?

Cass

Nice looking job there John.

Tighter groups, threaded for the mod, no extraction problems and more confidence in the performance of the rifle.

Cannot really ask for more.

johngalway

medicman wrote: »

thats a nice job there john, i'm stuck, who to go to?, help help help, either fregal or john greene for my custom work?

That, I'm afraid, is a decision we all go to make for ourselves I sent plenty of PM's and done plenty of reading over a period of time, which did help make up my mind. Geography was another factor for me in that Fergal is just over two hours from me, and according to AAIreland (which is probably driving slower than me..) Greene would be 4 3/4 hours from me, I'm not a fan of long distance driving TBH.

Best advice I can give to you is do your homework and ask people you think know a thing or three about shooting. I've put my experience on above

ezridax wrote: »

Nice looking job there John.

Tighter groups, threaded for the mod, no extraction problems and more confidence in the performance of the rifle.

Cannot really ask for more.

Pretty happy with how she turned out Ez Not having ammo is driving me bonkers though. Next job on the list for this rifle is to get the stock sliced and diced to make an adjustable cheekpiece and I hope to get one of Tubbs adjustable butt plates as well. After all that, she'll do me for a fair while

medicman

yep, getting very good advice from the likes of ezridax, looked up the same aa route planner and john is 2 hours away and frergal is just a bit over 3 hours, both men seem like good guys to do buisness with and great craftsmen, phoning fergal and john, will be traveling somewhere thursday.

thanks.
medicman

poulo6.5

nice job john.. its shooting as good as a tikka now:D:D:D:D:D:D;)
only messing
well wear

johngalway

poulo6.5 wrote: »

nice job john.. its shooting as good as a tikka now:D:D:D:D:D:D;)
only messing
well wear

Do a search for my last Tikka

Tackleberrywho

johngalway wrote: »

Do a search for my last Tikka

Remington
http://www.remington.com/~/link.aspx?_id=868530152D1D491C8283E469E44654A8&_z=z

They know their stuff

declan1980

johngalway wrote: »

The list was to get it recrowned, pillar & glass bedded, a new extractor, and screw cut for a mod.

if you don't mind me asking how much did all the work cost?
i got a tikka supervarmint today and i want to get the barrel threaded for a mod and i might get it pillar and glass bedded if it doesn't cost too much

johngalway

declan1980 wrote: »

if you don't mind me asking how much did all the work cost?
i got a tikka supervarmint today and i want to get the barrel threaded for a mod and i might get it pillar and glass bedded if it doesn't cost too much

Click the link in my OP and ask the man himself He's very approachable and won't take ya for a ride price wise.

Tackleberrywho

declan1980 wrote: »

if you don't mind me asking how much did all the work cost?
i got a tikka supervarmint today and i want to get the barrel threaded for a mod and i might get it pillar and glass bedded if it doesn't cost too much

Tikka supervarmint won't take a bed job well, Injected molded has very little grip for glass bed (similar to my Remmy VTR)

It will take a McMillan Stock really well though
http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-stocks-hunting-stock-list.php?subnav=branch2f

Or Contact EDI

http://site.pse-composites.com/Home_Page.html
For a Germanic/Irish Made Stock

saying that. Fergal may be able to custom your stock to suit!!

johngalway

I handled one of Edi's stocks yesterday. Truth be told I didn't like the look of them on internet photos, but they give a much different impression in the flesh. Rigid, stiff, the thing simply DOESN'T flex. Nice grip and very very well made from what I saw.

patsat

johngalway wrote: »

I handled one of Edi's stocks yesterday. Truth be told I didn't like the look of them on internet photos, but they give a much different impression in the flesh. Rigid, stiff, the thing simply DOESN'T flex. Nice grip and very very well made from what I saw.

I was talking to a man today who reckons they have more strength than a mcMillan! I will be investing in one in the near future but I reckon those stocks will be very popular at this side of the ocean if not farther!

johngalway

That wouldn't surprise me at all Pat. By chance met another lad off here yesterday and he done his best to flex the thing and wasn't having much luck. It's also remarkably light.

Tackleberrywho

patsat wrote: »

I was talking to a man today who reckons they have more strength than a mcMillan! I will be investing in one in the near future but I reckon those stocks will be very popular at this side of the ocean if not farther!

+1 on that!
A PSE (Edi) Remington VTR .308
Before you ask, Edi gave me permission to try it out before i buy,And i will buy as she looks deadly in it!

patsat

Tack is that the one designed for a leftie??

Tackleberrywho

patsat wrote: »

Tack is that the one designed for a leftie??

no, Edi is not back from Hols to make the lefty one, i was just trying it out

patsat

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

no, Edi is not back from Hols to make the lefty one, i was just trying it out

I see! make sure to give a full review of it when you get your hands on it!