rmp
Senior Member
I hope this thread can be useful and added upon as others contact manufacturers.
I'd forgotten the completion date on a Benchmark I ordered back in October for a Kimber Montana. It's a profile from Lilja called the mod84m, 6.5mm, 8" twist, stainless, and cut rifled 5R for another 6.5x47L. The one I'm shooting now is a Lilja and has made many a person scratch their head with how impressive it shoots... being such a flyweight. This one is for my brother.
Benchmark cut rifled barrels are running 6 months with button rifled being sooner. The one mentioned above has 4/19/22 completion on the invoice. Fingers crossed.
The .284 Winchester I'm doing next involves a Kelbly Atlas long action repeater. Bartlein #3 in a 9" twist. After shopping around for a suitable stock, I ended up ordering a AG Composites Carbon All Terrain with carbon black camo. M5 inlet with intentions of using the Hawkins Oberndorf bottom metal and a Wyatts box. Not that the additional length is needed now but who knows about the future.
I was shooting 180 ELDM's in my 280 AI but have since moved to 168 VLD's just because they were readily available when the 180's disappeared. The 284 will be throated around the 175 Accubond LR.
AG Composites is 3 months with fixed stocks and 4 months with adjustable stocks or anything other than standard LOP.
I've been kicking around the idea of doing a build on the BR case just to see what it's about. After a bit of deliberation, a 6 BRA is in the works.
While it's not a big secret to those who build on the regular, especially things not SAAMI, starting from brass and a sizer then working backwards has its advantages. Most any corresponding die will size the shoulder and neck without a problem. Ensuring the die is sizing at the 200 line is where some drop the ball. If not adequately sizing, one might experience simulated pressure problems via clickers/bolt lift. To me, this is the difference between a machinist and a good smith. I'm working with Whidden and JGS to get this worked out before proceeding.
JGS is 4-5 months on a reamer but they have some on the shelf. It's best to call to see what's available.
My original plan was to go around a #5 contour to get the compromise of precision and weight. Scratch that. I want a pack weight rifle, not a dust collector. Been there, done that.
As it stands, a Manners Ultra Classic stock, Bighorn SR3 short action, and likely a Bartlein #4 carbon. Out of the 3 smiths I've dealt with in recent years, all 3 continue to direct me to Bartlein. 2 of the 3 shoot competitively. One told me if I couldn't locate a Bartlein in a contour I liked, grab a Hawk Hill instead. (to be clear, I have no personal experience with Hawk Hill but I trust what he tells me.) I talked with the smith doing my .284, last week. He just put a Bart #4 carbon on his own rifle. I've no doubt any barrel being produced today is more capable of good groups than I am, but to me it speaks volumes about what they are seeing in the lathe and at the range.
Anyway, He's done quite a few BR repeaters and has been successful. Nick at Hawkins Precision has been extremely helpful with directing me to make this "Ackley" a repeater. The Hunter DBM accepts their mags of course, along with AICS mags. Hawkins is about 2 months away from introducing a BR spacer kit for their Hunter mags. It makes it nearly a flush mount mag that allows me to palm the rifle as I climb.
Manners is approximately 8 months for a stock not in inventory.
I'm waiting to hear back from Bartlein but am optimistic on getting one off the shelf at a distributor.
I'd forgotten the completion date on a Benchmark I ordered back in October for a Kimber Montana. It's a profile from Lilja called the mod84m, 6.5mm, 8" twist, stainless, and cut rifled 5R for another 6.5x47L. The one I'm shooting now is a Lilja and has made many a person scratch their head with how impressive it shoots... being such a flyweight. This one is for my brother.
Benchmark cut rifled barrels are running 6 months with button rifled being sooner. The one mentioned above has 4/19/22 completion on the invoice. Fingers crossed.
The .284 Winchester I'm doing next involves a Kelbly Atlas long action repeater. Bartlein #3 in a 9" twist. After shopping around for a suitable stock, I ended up ordering a AG Composites Carbon All Terrain with carbon black camo. M5 inlet with intentions of using the Hawkins Oberndorf bottom metal and a Wyatts box. Not that the additional length is needed now but who knows about the future.
I was shooting 180 ELDM's in my 280 AI but have since moved to 168 VLD's just because they were readily available when the 180's disappeared. The 284 will be throated around the 175 Accubond LR. AG Composites is 3 months with fixed stocks and 4 months with adjustable stocks or anything other than standard LOP.
I've been kicking around the idea of doing a build on the BR case just to see what it's about. After a bit of deliberation, a 6 BRA is in the works.
While it's not a big secret to those who build on the regular, especially things not SAAMI, starting from brass and a sizer then working backwards has its advantages. Most any corresponding die will size the shoulder and neck without a problem. Ensuring the die is sizing at the 200 line is where some drop the ball. If not adequately sizing, one might experience simulated pressure problems via clickers/bolt lift. To me, this is the difference between a machinist and a good smith. I'm working with Whidden and JGS to get this worked out before proceeding.
JGS is 4-5 months on a reamer but they have some on the shelf. It's best to call to see what's available.
My original plan was to go around a #5 contour to get the compromise of precision and weight. Scratch that. I want a pack weight rifle, not a dust collector. Been there, done that.
As it stands, a Manners Ultra Classic stock, Bighorn SR3 short action, and likely a Bartlein #4 carbon. Out of the 3 smiths I've dealt with in recent years, all 3 continue to direct me to Bartlein. 2 of the 3 shoot competitively. One told me if I couldn't locate a Bartlein in a contour I liked, grab a Hawk Hill instead. (to be clear, I have no personal experience with Hawk Hill but I trust what he tells me.) I talked with the smith doing my .284, last week. He just put a Bart #4 carbon on his own rifle. I've no doubt any barrel being produced today is more capable of good groups than I am, but to me it speaks volumes about what they are seeing in the lathe and at the range.
Anyway, He's done quite a few BR repeaters and has been successful. Nick at Hawkins Precision has been extremely helpful with directing me to make this "Ackley" a repeater. The Hunter DBM accepts their mags of course, along with AICS mags. Hawkins is about 2 months away from introducing a BR spacer kit for their Hunter mags. It makes it nearly a flush mount mag that allows me to palm the rifle as I climb.
Manners is approximately 8 months for a stock not in inventory.
I'm waiting to hear back from Bartlein but am optimistic on getting one off the shelf at a distributor.
