lightweight BR accurate Barrel blanks

[sonier]

Im trying to find some really lightweight accurate barrels out there. Ive been looking and it seems no one displays the weight of there barrels. Im working on a concept of mine that is an extreme accurate yet lightweight rifle for hunting sheep in the mountains type deal. Hunting sheep tends to cause long range coldbore shots, and im trying to creat a rifle that will make these shots upward too 1000 yards. The caliber is a ACK. IMP 6mm/06 aka 243/06.

Any help into pointing me into some 6mm Barrel blanks that are lightweight yet accurate enough for these shots would be appreciated.

the est. rifle weight finished im shooting for is 6.5-7.5 lbs

 

[Cheechako]

All of the barrel makers furnish blanks in different profiles. Many advertise here on the Home page. You should not have trouble finding one that meets your weight limits.

Even the skinniest barrel should provide the accuracy you are looking for, for one or two quick shots. Heavy barrels are best for shooting groups of several shots.

As far as 1000 yard shots - have you done that much?? I shoot 1000 yard Benchrest, with a Benchrest rifle, the best money can buy, and I would not bet a nickel that I could hit the middle of a target with my first cold-bore shot on any given day. In fact, I would not bet that I could do it after firing a sighter, something that you can't do when hunting.

JMHO. End of sermon.

Ray

 

[Big Al]

I think you would do much better going to a wrapped barrel, there are barrel makers that make the profiles that are needed by the company that does the wrapping. Do a web search. Try carbon wrapped barrels. Krieger/Cartensen carbon wrapped barrels. This might help you find what you need.


http://www.christensenarms.com/services-2.html

 

[brian roberts]

If you are hunting Sheep.............

in the mountains, the air currents up there are VERY UNpredictable. The last thing I would try is a thousand yard shot under those conditions. A 2-300, maybe 350 yard shot, no farther, but that's just me. Now, maybe with a 7.869503'645.6MM Super Snotlocker Improved Pekkerczech Mag; You 'kin scare off the sheep, then fire a shot ahead of it into a sheer rock wall, dislodging some head sized rocks and high-speed fragments at JUUUUuuuuussssst the right moment, so that poor, unfortunate buzzard runs into the wall of FLAK & succumbs to that pin-point placement. Then, you can get a write-up in: Sports Afield; PS, BS, Soldier of Fortune, Outdoor Strife, Shi'Shootin' Times, an' Guns and Blammo! Come to think of it, wouldn't a Solothurn be a better choice?? After all, it DOES have a high-quality 'scope on it. Lordy, sometimes when I get caught up in the meaty example, its hard to pull back on th' mixture!! Anyhow, I know a retired DNR Officer that uses a Ruger Ultralight and all he shoots is Remington 180 Cor-Lokt in the '06, and he has sheep, goats, lions, BIG bears, and ANYthing else on the North American Continent, and he told me he never feels UNdergunned.

 

[Gary M.]

carbon wrapped barrels...

I remember when the first 22's came out with a wrapped barrel, the big problem was that the wrap acted as insulation and the barrel got VERY hot and the wrap stayed much cooler...taking a long time to cool down and sometimes getting the barrel hot enough to be rendered useless for accuracy. Haven't heard much since.

 

[Hal]

Sonier

Check out the barrel makers home pages for barrel weights. I think Lilja also has a weight formula on his site.

Ultra Light Arms makes a VERY good light weight rifle, check out their site.

There is a lot that comes into play in making a long shot on a hunt. Your not shooting from a benchrest a a target. You shooting from a make shift rest a target that can take a step just a you fire. You have thermal winds to deal with. Your heart is hammering from the thin air and the thrill of the hunt.
Your firing a shot from a cold barrel.

I guess what I'm saying is that I would practice more on my stalking skills to get closer than I would a trying to make a 1000 yd shot.

Practice and see how far away you can shoot under field conditions and keep your shots (from a cold barrel) in a 5" kill zone.

I don't have a reloading book handy. Would your bullet have enough retained energy to kill cleanly at a 1000 yds.
And what bullet would you choose that would hold together at 100Yds and still retain enough velocity at long range to open up and not just punch a hole?

Have a great hunt and be sure to post a picture of your ram.

Hal

 

[alinwa]

I'll go on record as a NO vote for the carbon wrapped barrel. Useless IMO, WORSE than useless. (BTW I live about 10mi from GLoomis and Lamiglass)

Sonier,

May I suggest a larger cartridge? Energy aside, for ETHICALLY shooting long range I think it's vitally important to be able to see your sighter impacts. You CANNOT consistently achieve first-shot kills without sighters. I've got rifles which are capable of 2" groups at 1000yds, several of them in 6mm as you describe, but I absolutely would NOT expect to hit a goat first shot at that range.

I can't agree more with Hal, if you're taking cold shots w/no sighters than actually go out and SHOOT to find your maximum effective range, the range where you can 99% of the time keep your shot on a 5" or 6" spot. IME this will be more like 400-450yds. Shots beyond this require more information than you can gather from just looking around.

Equipment will only get you so far, but you should easily be able to find equipment capable of 8"-10" accuracy at 1000yds and stay within your weight restraints. Krieger, Shilen, Lilja, PacNor, Hart....... you name it, any of the good barrel mfgrs can get you a capable barrel. There are a number of gunsmith's capable of assembling the rifle.

But I question your choice of chambering and as a long range shooter I question the ethics of simply shooting at the animal without first dropping some sighter shots around it.

al

 

[Dave Tooley]

I'm not a fan of wrapped barrels. To many things can and do go wrong with them. Can't tell you how many I've worked on or replaced. It's a marketing gimic as far I'm concerned.

Dave

 

[Don]

"I've got rifles which are capable of 2" groups at 1000yds, several of them in 6mm as you describe"


"I question the ethics of simply shooting at the animal without first dropping some sighter shots around it."

 

[alinwa]

NOTE that I said CAPABLE of .2moa accuracy....... and I should have clarified that these rifles ARE NOT configured like the OP's goatgun, in fact Gonad The Bearbarrian would have a bloody shtruggle schlepping my shtuff up the schlope undt t'rough die schnee to engage yonder horn'd geit.

al

 

[Rustystud]

My two cents worth..

I have never hunted above the tree line that the wind was not blowing.

I alway hunt with a rifle that will shoot 3." or better at 600 yards under ideal circumstances. My 300 win mag has a number 2 taper barrel that is light as on can go safely. This rifle will shoot sub .5 moa. It weighs 7.5 lbs. I built a 300WSM for a customer 3 years ago that weighed 5.5 lbs. Yes, it smacks the hell out of the shooter. But Jack Kreiger makes fine hunting weight (#2 taper) barrels. This rifle shoots sub .5moa.

I have never taken or had to take shots over 450 yards on goats or sheep.

There is a thing call the stalk. This is the most exciting part of hunting sheep and goats. I have seen both sheep and goat taken at less than 30 yards many times. Most shots have been at less than 200 yards when guided by a competent guide

If you are hunting in AK, the YC, BC, NWT and hunting sheep or goat there will be more eyes on you than you know.

Safe ethical shots will be the norm. Outfitters will not risk their license over some cowboy wanting to take pop shots at sheep or goats at excessive ranges. Non residents require licensed guides for these species.

I have been surprised by hearing when I was back in Whitehorse, Anchorage and other remote area hubs that when I and others were hunting that we were being obsevered either by folks on the ground and/or in the air.

Good Luck

Nat Lambeth