Varminter Build or Factory buy

[bigfellascott]

Very nice MF, what does the stock feel like to hold and use? I really like the look of them but hate the price! I look forward to seeing how it shoots, should be a rippa with the Maddco screwed on it.

[<<Genesis93>>]

I do like the stock, and it looks like the hand would hold very comfortably with that contouring...

Also the brake looks rifled?? or is it the shadows......

[Gwion]

Mallee, now that i'm off the phone and on the big screen, i can see that one's gone 'straight to the pool room'!

Looking forward to seeing loads developed for it!

[on_one_wheel]

What a great looking rifle.

That barrel looks like it's got some serious length.

[bigfellascott]

Did you end up getting the trigger worked by Glen?

[MalleeFarmer]

Bigfella,
The Grip Feels real nice and comfy but a little odd since I'm mainly used to traditional style hunting stocks, the ability to adjust for LOP and cheek weld makes it feel even better although the forend is way to wide for freehold feels weird. Which doesn't matter as I've built it as a long range varminter so all is well. No I haven't had the trigger done yet as I just got the rifle home this weekend but I will send it off soon. I may take the trigger off my .308 and put it on this rifle while i send this one off to be done so once I have it bedded lapped and sighted in I can develop loads while I wait for the nicely tuned trigger to be returned.

Gwion, definately went straight to the pool room... Then promptly to the safe! I can't wait to start developing loads either even more to the point I can't wait to find a good load and start busting bunnies and foxes with it. Perhaps the odd long range "sighting in session"

On One Wheel, the barrel does look oddly long doesn't it. I think it's a combination of the shortish forearm (2" shorter than boyds) of the GRS and the almost seamless transition from barrel to brake. I never liked the big brakes with the wings out sideways. The barrel itself is only 26" +50 or so mm for the brake.

[MalleeFarmer]

Genesis, nah it's just the shadows I almost had to go have another look.

[bigfellascott]

Yeah definitely send it off to glen you'll love the trigger he sends back - they are chalk and cheese.

I used an unmodified one a few weeks back what a pile of s**t it was lol.

[MalleeFarmer]

Yeah definitely send it off to glen you'll love the trigger he sends back - they are chalk and cheese.

I used an unmodified one a few weeks back what a pile of s**t it was lol.

Was it the "HACT" trigger? The earlier ones I've used have this horrible "step" in them you pull in the creep then pull harder and think it'll fire but they had a weird step and then pull harder again and off they went. not the creep and then reasonably crisp break of the HACT trigger I don't mind my standard Howa trigger once I adjusted it, nothing like the timney on my Mauser but fairly good for a stock trigger.

[bigfellascott]

Yeah definitely send it off to glen you'll love the trigger he sends back - they are chalk and cheese.

I used an unmodified one a few weeks back what a pile of s**t it was lol.

Was it the "HACT" trigger? The earlier ones I've used have this horrible "step" in them you pull in the creep then pull harder and think it'll fire but they had a weird step and then pull harder again and off they went. not the creep and then reasonably crisp break of the HACT trigger I don't mind my standard Howa trigger once I adjusted it, nothing like the timney on my Mauser but fairly good for a stock trigger.

I've got pretty much all the diff versions of the Howa Triggers (I think there's 3 or 4 diff versions over the years?) the HACT was better from the factory so to speak, the original as I call it had more adjustability in it compared to the HACT but both are excellent triggers when worked, they really are fantastic after some Glen magic so to speak, as good as any quality rifle trigger I've ever used and they can be set real real light if you like em that way (not recommended on a hunting rifle) but I've had them set that light that you could quite literally set them off with a feather! Only problem having them that light was you had to remember not to touch the bloody thing at all unless you were ready to send it which is a PITA if you are out spotlighting/varminting so I adjusted it back up slightly to around the 1-1.2lb mark I guess and much better now, still light but more user friendly.

I couldn't believe how bad that trigger was on the Vanguard, I'm sure mine weren't that bad originally or maybe I'm just used to a good trigger now? I've tried my mates Sako with set trigger and I'd say most of mine are set just a fraction heavier than that now, I can make em lighter if I want but as I said it really is light enough without being too touchy if you know what I mean.

Glen sends you some info on how to re-install and adjust if needed or you can send it back to him to do if you don't feel confident in doing it yourself (trust me it's easy once you know what to do) - by far the best $$ I've spent on my rifles so far, really makes them a pleasure to use.

[MalleeFarmer]

Why I'm waiting for my bedding compound to show up.

[MalleeFarmer]

Finally realised why people bed their rails and Why I'm waiting for my bedding compound to show up.

[Gwion]

That doesn't look right at all, mate. I'd be looking for a replacement. My rail sits nice'n'tight on my Howa action.

[MalleeFarmer]

I thought that too but if you only firm up the front screws it may be the same. When I sat it on without tension it sat perfect and it took no pressure from the rear screws to get it to seat. Having said that I'm not overly experienced with mounting rails so I might put this out there to those in the know in the gun smithing section.

[Apollo]

That is what happens with this type of Action design .. ie Howa / Remington with the rear being lower. Mass produced actions aren't exactly all the same and nice and true. The advice is all over the net to check the alignment of the rear by just installing the front screws.

I put a rather expensive high quality Steel Ken Farrell Rail on my custom Remington 700 and the instructions that were supplied said exactly that..use the front screws to check the alignment of the rear and mentioned that in the majority of cases it will need bedding otherwise you will pull the rail out of shape.

I used JB Weld for my bedding compound, Kiwi Clear Boot Polish as the release agent and WD40 to remove surplus compound before it set. It was fiddly but was all worth the effort.

I had a much stronger Ken Farrell Rail on my Tikka T3 .. ie no cutout for the port. I found that the machining of the top surface of the action was not perfect and when the rail was tightened it pulled the action out of shape so much so the bolt was difficult to cycle.

[Gwion]

Bloomin' heck. Better check mine and bed it if necessary. All looked good when I installed it, though.

[MalleeFarmer]

Pillars are done just need to fit them.

[bigfellascott]

Nice one mate - a friend of mine is machining up 3 sets for my howa/boyds

[MalleeFarmer]

Getting close.. I have glass and pillar Bedded the rifle now and glass bedded the rail. Just need to get some lapping compound so I can mount my scope.

[Gwion]

That bedding looks great, Mallee... Can't wait to see some groups from a tuned load!

[bigfellascott]

Very nice job mate - match grade bedding is it mate.

[crows2332]

You'll be moonlighting as a gunsmith in no time with that bedding job champ.
The rings look rugged on your build. I had seen the EGW rails for sale before, but never noticed they did rings as well (just don't pay enough attention sometimes when tunnel visioned onto something else).

[MalleeFarmer]

You'll be moonlighting as a gunsmith in no time with that bedding job champ.
The rings look rugged on your build. I had seen the EGW rails for sale before, but never noticed they did rings as well (just don't pay enough attention sometimes when tunnel visioned onto something else).

The standard rails I've heard mixed reports on but this is my second HD rail and I'm very happy so far. The HD rings are great I've found them to be very uniform and well finished. They are made in a single piece and then cut in half to ensure they are perfectly symmetrical and then both halves of both rings are numbered the same but one ring will have a decimal point to ensure the correct top goes with the ring. They all come with torque specs for fitting.

[crows2332]

That's what I get for buying standard then There's usually always a reason for the extra coin!
Wondered how the matched rings came about. Makes sense if they are just two halves of the same/original piece
.
Any idea if those rings would go okay on a mil spec picatinny rail, Nightforce level of rail? (not top self like yours looks).
Your HD rings, just look like they were made for the setup you have there. Schmick!

[MalleeFarmer]

Crows I think you'll find that a Nightforce rail is probably better quality than my EGW HD rail the rings should work fine on a NF rail.

[crows2332]

Howdy MalleeFarmer, ahh, no probs, thanks for that, good to know, as a set of rings like that would look mint as yours does.
Cheers

[MalleeFarmer]

Rings Lapped... Used medium valve lapping compound By Holts seemed to work well but I should have used fine seemed too coarse and was very harsh while lapping. The triangle shapes in the middle of the rings is shadow not an inconsistency in the rings. All ready to mount the scope.

[MalleeFarmer]

Scope is mounted and squared with the bore. Eye relief is set. LOP and cheek weld is set. First loads are ready to go. Here's hanging out for my leg to be usable again..
Here is some pics of the rifle ready to go.

[Mongrel]

now thats a nice looking gun...love your eye for detail mallee....

[bigpete]

Hmmm you've got me wondering what I can do with the weatherby vanguard 22/250 my late best mate left me !