My 6mmPPC 262NK BR rifle

[Virginian]

This post is for flyingirish04 as promised...

This is my first and last bench rest rifle I built with lots of help from some friends. What started me on this venue is my good friend had a terrible accident and is paralyzed from the waste down now. We built a shooting table that's hooked up to a trailer with an electric powered crane that can be managed solo by himself. We set up on the sides of the soy bean fields where known holes are and have at it. Over the years my friend started using BR rifles to hunt with. Amazing accuracy at very long distances. I'm showing up with mu latest 22-250 from Remington sporting some awesome tupperware for a stock, well you get the idea, a beater rifle...

My friend dripped on me till I caved in and set out to build this rifle. I'm proud to say I get 1/4" groups pretty consistent now but it has been a long journey to get there.

The bullets I'm using are made by Clay Spencer of http://spencerriflebarrels.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, This man builds 1,000 yard rifles and forgotten more about shooting long distance then I'll ever learn. His bullets are hand made and are perfectly balanced. I use two variations on the, a 69 gr. jacketed HP and a 67 gr JHP. The powder I'm using is N133 at I want to say 28.5 gr ***which is over max***. This is where my rifle shines.

Clay Spencer, one of VA's finest rifle builders, has told me that there is no more accurate caliber out to 500 yards then the 6mm PPC. This caliber continues to win BR shooting contests. So I blame Clay and my friend for putting me in debt about two years ago on this one! Clay is one of the few rifle builders that can make a rifle that shoots a mile. ATF & FBI visited him after 911 to ask if and suspicious people have come in to request a long distance rifle, his reply was, "if there is anyone suspicious, I'll be the first call you right after I take their money for the 50% deposit". lol

Here are the specs on my rifle:
- 6mm PPC 262 NK
- Jim Borden TPE receiver (story behind it's name TPE, more on that later)
- Scoville carbon fiber stock, I think it's the Alpine
- Jewell trigger set to 8 oz.
- Hart barrel
- Leupold 45 X Competition


This is my first bench rest rifle and have a lot to learn. Here's a few pics.




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[Virginian]

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[Virginian]

I get a lot of my bullets from Clay Spencer here in VA. All his bullets are hand made. I highly recommend you try them if you get a chance.


I use a Wilson bullet seater with an arbor press and make changes to loads in the field. I purchased a used Edgewood 3" front bag and small rear bag with heavy sand.

OK, the story on on the TPE action. Before Borden started making actions he was already financially well off, having perfected the process of "Quilting" for Bounty paper towels (worked for Proctor & Gamble). His adverteisements, in the shooting rags, was, "Have an engineer build your rifle". He was a regular contributer to Precision Shooter magazine and did an article where he explained how to fix a Stolle action. He claimed the bolts were sloppy. Jim was developing his "Borden Bumps" on Nesika bolts. George, the principal owner of Stolle actions, took offense to thje article and called Jim "a toilet paper engineer". There has been bad blood between them ever since. Thus he called his action TPE!

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[Virginian]

I wound up purchasing a Harrell's arbor press. So far, it seems to fit the bill.


I had quite a few problems getting my arms around the Redding Type S dies that take the different neck washers. I've never reloaded with these before and I wasn't willing to try and shoot this rifle till someone with knowledge was able to look over what I was doing. Finally! I'm up and rolling on reloading for this rifle.



Redneck benchrest shooting 101:

So I head out to the corn field and set up shop on the picnic table out there and realize that I forgot my BR bags. :o So I improvise and use my regular bags expecting terrible groups shooting this way. I should note that I'm fireforming the brass on this go around.

I know... pretty sad...

I took 3 shots at each target at 102 yards (paced it off and was too lazy to go back and bring in the target to exactly 100). Here's a couple of my targets, some not so good, some pretty good. This is assuming that you measure from the center of each bullet hole? I'm unsure about this?



This was my first groups with this rifle and how it's pretty boring. I'm not trying to be braggart here, the gun really does shoot that well.

So there you have it, probably a little too much information here. My friends accident turned my hunting in a different direction that I never would have imagined.

Thanks for reading...

Eric

[Virginian]

Parting shots (pun intended)


Head shot at 549 yards (my best shot ever!)

[Rapier1772]

That's a right purdy rifle ya got there! :drool:

[f3rr37]

Beautiful rifle... I've considered building a 6mm br myself, but don't have the $$$... maybe someday.

[blueorison]

Great post, really enjoyed you sharing

[SHEEPDOG]

Good job! Very Nice. Good shooting.

[flyingirish04]

Very nice rifle. Very clean looking. I always make fun of my BR buddies because their guns look like they are going to the circus with their bright colored stocks. I like the carbon fiber polish look of yours. And you are right, they do well as a stationary varmint gun. You look at all the extreme distance rock chuck comp shooters. They are shooting 338 LM Imp or Allen Mag rifles that weigh about 25 pounds scoped and are hitting chucks over two miles away. BR style rifles are a solid platform.

I don't shoot BR competitively so I went the 6BR route for my BR to varminter project, just for the ease (don't have to convert the 220 Russian cases), and used one of my BR buddies tear off Krieger comp barrels. He gets rid of them when they start shooting in the high 2s. Snob .

For shooting paper, on the 1 and 2 hundred comps, everyone is shooting a 6PPC. Make the 6BR look silly at those ranges.

Never seen bordens on a gun before. Nice looking action. Everyone has BATs or Defiance (New Nesika Bay) around here.




What is the scope in the second to last pic? Doesn't look like the Leupy.

[fzr confused]

That's a very sexy looking rifle!

[Virginian]

What is the scope in the second to last pic? Doesn't look like the Leupy.

Don't laugh... It's a Hawke Tac 30 6,5-20x42mm Here's a review that I wrote on it. http://www.predatormastersforums.com/fo ... ost2267182" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Comp 45 Leupold is a great scope but with a fixed zoom, a real pain in the arse to use on a moving target.

I'll be glad to post that review on this forum but again, I don't this it will appeal to anyone here. lol My writing skills suck, so I tend to throw in a lots of pics to liven it up some as you can see.

Everyone, thanks for the very kind words.

[m1afolder]

That is a beautiful rifle man. My boss, R. Talley, shot very competitively in BR shooting out to 300 yards for close to 10 years and still does a little. the rifle I saw a couple weeks ago of his looked to have the same stock as yours, but I think he said it was a Krieger barrel and it had some kind of dampener on the end, a Leupold 36X, and I forget the action. He does his own rounds as well, and said if you can't keep a 10 shot (I think) group at 200 yds. in darn near the same hole give or take a couple thousandths than it's hard to compete. I couldn't imagine...Sorry for rambling. That sure is a nice set-up you have. Hate to know how much something like that cost =).

[flyingirish04]

If you shoot BR, you will have to do your own rounds. There is no such thing as 6PPC factory rounds. You have to size and FF from 220 Russian brass. BR comps are 100 and 200 with exclusively the 6PPC, LR BR are shot at 1000 yards, with a 6 Dasher. Krieger and Bartlein are the bbls winning all the matches now a days. Bartlein being the most dominant.

If you are able to build yourself or get discount lathe and mill time from a buddy, you can build a very accurate gun for around $2200, unscoped, and not counting brass and dies and bullets. Most big time BR guys have $7000 in their setup at least. And that doesn't include the dozen bbls they chamber up and try before coming to the one that shoots tightest. Not cheap when you remember that they are getting their bbl blanks for around $300 a piece. Very few get free bbls. Not a poor man's game.

[Virginian]

m1afolder, thanks for the kind words. What flyingirish04 stated is spot on in my opinion. If you are really interested in getting into this type of shooting. I would recommend purchasing a used rifle. They can be purchased for $1,200 to $1,800 (with optics sometimes!) ready to roll, usually if you get a chance to talk to the previous owner they'll give you their loading recipes as well to start from.

As I stated when I started this thread, this will be my first and last bench rifle. I never intended to compete, maybe when I retire... I don't have enough time to shoot what I have now let alone compete in any event.

Thanks for reading.

Eric

[Oldbindlestiff]

Beautiful! If I had money in the bank, I'd undertake such a project. If I had any money in the bank... Shooting anything for group off a bench is a healthy form of noisy meditation! Good shooting.

[flyingirish04]

If you want to get into a great rifle for not much money and work comparitively, find a BR guy around you, and see if they will take one of their used bbls and rechamber to 6BR. Not as efficient as PPC, but very accurate. If you aren't competing, you won't know the difference. A lot of times, the BBL will cost around 100 bucks, and most have old 6BR reamers from the days before the PPC's popularity.

I'm building one myself on a McMillan stock and a trued remington short action and all in will cost me about $850 unscoped. Lapua brass in 6BR is about $79 per 100 pieces. Doesn't need to be resized and FF'd like the 220 Russian to 6PPC. Guarantee you won't shoot worse than in the high 4s.

[Oldbindlestiff]

Thanks, Irish. I have too much money sunk in my 10-22 to consider another lil hole puncher at the moment. It is enough of a challenge to shoot it with reasonable precision. I appreciate the suggestions. Just more interests than I have the finances to support!

[flyingirish04]

I know the feeling. I spent a bunch on firearms this last two years. And it hasn't quenched my thirst. Have to focus on shooting what I have though. Well and maybe getting one more