Saubier.com  



Go Back   Saubier.com > Saubier.com Forums > Project Guns

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-28-2019, 01:24 AM
csterner csterner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Posts: 1,904
Default Granddaughter's new rifle

Boy, ole DocEd really helped me out big time. Ordered a Wilson barrel from Ragged Hole 3 weeks ago Monday, had it that Friday, dropped it off to Eddie last Sunday. He rented the reamer and turned it around in a week. Picked it up tonight. Turned out great. Absolutely perfect balance. It will make a nice little deer getter for my granddaughter Lillie. And she'll have it for Christmas!

The rifle started as a Model Seven laminate 223. New in box, unfired. I had it built into a 17-204 long neck that have me fits. Couldn't keep the bullets together with the junk Shilen barrel. We rechambered it to 17 Rem to slow it down and see if the bullets would hold together, but they didn't, and Shilen inspected it and said it was in spec. I unscrewed the barrel and it is now a 'mater stake or pry bar.

Lillie is almost 8 and at legal hunting age, but just isn't quite mature enough to kill a deer, and she has not fired anything more than a 22 shooting CBs. I had this rifle built, figured next year we can practice all summer with reduced loads and then come hunting season, I'll slip in the full power loads and she will be none the wiser.

Specs on the rifle:

Remington Model Seven J-lock action that has been trued
Timney trigger that I just tweaked to about 3 lbs with no creep
Wilson barrel SS Match #2 contour finished at 21"
Rem synthetic stock
Leupold based and rings

The rifle is chambered in 7 TCU, an old IMSHA silhouette cartridge. I have 200 pieces of factory Federal Nickel brass head stamped 17-223 International Handgun (IHMSA) I stumbled across awhile back. You can use 223 opened up but it comes up short. I plan on using 120 Ballistic tips or 130 Sierra single shot pistol bullets for deer and assorted 115-120 gr bullets for plinking.

Mom got her a Leupold 2-7x33 scope for the top of it. I just might load up a few and mount the scope tomorrow and break in the barrel. If I have time, I might just try to fill a doe tag in a few weeks, if I can get a load worked up, just to see how it performs. I have a 10" Contender barrel, dies and brass and always thought this would be a great PA whitetail gun. Most shots are 50 yards or less.

Looks good as is, but I think Lillie would like a pink gun. I think I'll order some pink krylon paint and black webbing paint and give it a makeover. I have a factory walnut stock a friend from another board donated, but it's an inch longer and I can't bear to cut it off. I'll let her beat up the plastic stock for a few years, then swap it out for the walnut when she gets bigger and it fits, and more protective of her rifle.




Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-28-2019, 02:07 AM
Johnly Johnly is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Eugene, OR
Posts: 953
Default

What a sweet rifle.
She'll keep it forever.
Nosler LRAB are designed to expand down to 1300 fps according to the manufacturer.
The 7mm LRAB might be a bullet to explore for her rifle.

John

Last edited by Johnly; 11-28-2019 at 03:30 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-28-2019, 01:34 PM
Tparrish Tparrish is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leavenworth Kansas
Posts: 536
Default

Fine looking rifle for sure. I bet she is one happy granddaughter.

Tom
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-28-2019, 02:17 PM
csterner csterner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Posts: 1,904
Default

Thanks for the tip Johnly, and thanks for the bullets Tom! Hopefully next year about this time I'll be posting a pic of her with her first deer!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-28-2019, 03:24 PM
csterner csterner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Posts: 1,904
Default

Here she is with a scope on her. Leupy 2-7.



i cleaned it after he test fired and had 3 shells loaded with H322 and nosler 120 BTips. Took it out back at 50 yards to get it on paper. Wow, this thing is QUIET and zero recoil. I don't think I'm going to have to mess with reduced loads. Going to load the same load and get the scope zeroed and break it in. Here are the first three shots at 50 yards. It is very windy today and I wanted to see how it grouped. I'd say it shows promise!!! May load a few and try at 100. Nothing else to do until 4pm


Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-28-2019, 04:09 PM
ray h ray h is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: central Md
Posts: 2,854
Default

Looking good Charlie, Lillie will be happy for sure.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-28-2019, 04:39 PM
Bill K Bill K is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: N.E. Kommie Kalifornia
Posts: 6,304
Default

I would say you have it correct and that young lady of yours will enjoy that rifle for a long time. Bill K
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-12-2019, 12:27 AM
csterner csterner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Posts: 1,904
Default

Was it wrong of me to want to see how Lillie's new rifle performed before I paint it pink and wrap it for Christmas?. Got to my farm today after work, bundled up for a cold sit and when I crested the hill I saw a doe and 2 fawns laying in the field I was going to watch. Circled around to get away from the barn and she winded me. She stood up and started walking but stopped just a second too long. At 140-ish yards a 120 gr ballistic tip thru the heart put her down shortly. She only ran maybe 75 yards into the thicket.



I didn't even get a load worked up for the rifle yet. Loaded 5 rounds at the starting load to sight in then loaded 15 test loads working up in charge weight. It has zero recoil. I saw the impact in the scope and my buddy over the ridge never heard the shot. She was 100 pounds on the nose hanging
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-12-2019, 04:55 PM
218bee 218bee is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 415
Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by csterner View Post
Was it wrong of me to want to see how Lillie's new rifle performed before I paint it pink and wrap it for Christmas?. Got to my farm today after work, bundled up for a cold sit and when I crested the hill I saw a doe and 2 fawns laying in the field I was going to watch. Circled around to get away from the barn and she winded me. She stood up and started walking but stopped just a second too long. At 140-ish yards a 120 gr ballistic tip thru the heart put her down shortly. She only ran maybe 75 yards into the thicket.



I didn't even get a load worked up for the rifle yet. Loaded 5 rounds at the starting load to sight in then loaded 15 test loads working up in charge weight. It has zero recoil. I saw the impact in the scope and my buddy over the ridge never heard the shot. She was 100 pounds on the nose hanging
No, it wasn't wrong. You had to make sure it would work
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-12-2019, 11:12 PM
dungheap dungheap is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Newton, WI
Posts: 1,641
Default

My ex-wife shot a whole lot of 7TCU ammo doing IHMSA silhouette through the 80's, almost exclusively with W-748 powder and various Hornady bullets, mostly 139 grainers and 162 grainers for those pesky rams. It didn't take a lot of work to come up with some incredibly accurate loads. All of our cases were formed from .223 brass, and the guns (XP-100 and TC Contender) were not fussy as to what kind of brass was used.

Good choice for a short range deer rifle, IMO.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.