Several folks have talked about my pistol so I thought I'd share. I wanted to build a pistol that I could shoot for half-scale and BB in both AS and Unlimited classes. After looking I settled on 30BR and the Savage Target action then set out to put all the pieces together.
- Savage Target Action -- available undesignated from the factory & very stiff
- Broughton barrel -- 1:17 twist, 5 canted lands
I met Ronnie Long thru our mutual friend Robert Walker and Ronnie was one of the creators of the 30BR. Ronnie was interested in building IHMSA pistols and he agreed to chamber and barrel the pistol. There aren't many real Savage gunsmith's around but one of them is Nathaniel Lambeth up in North Carolina, Nat agreed to tune the action and rebuild the factory bolt (what a big difference that makes). Of course it's built to shoot in the only truly stable position - prone. And, being born and raised in Okla. it has a standard muzzle break.
I shoot 100gr Lapua "Cutting Edge" bullets over 31gr of H-4198 at around 3,300 ft/sec - zero clicks for Pigs or Turkeys and 4 clicks for half scale Rams (2"). No chicken damage, the bullet just evaporates.

The final product:


And with Open Sights:

NICE GUN!!! I have seen the results posted for your gun and was wondering about it. I'm guessing that switching from iron sights to scope and back doesn't affect the zero for either sights. I have shot my 260 Striker a lot and it still is very accurate. I also had two XPs in 30BR and loved that cartridge. Combining the 30BR with the Striker has proven to be a winning combination. Thanks for the info and the pictures and keep on shooting those great scores.

Nice work! And i bet their P/O when he beats them!

That funny to! The first tank brake that shot beside me was in 2002 Tusco! The man a contender with the stock made like a tank!

TD, I need one of those on my 260 Striker but it probably wouldn't work with my wimp loads!!

260 Striker wrote:TD, I need one of those on my 260 Striker but it probably wouldn't work with my wimp loads!!

"I'm just curious" Ive only been lucky enough to make 4 matches at Tusco,and I used 87 grainers and 105 grainers and have never rang a target.
What about the other ranges in Ohio are they that easy to knock down?
Then why 308's

Dave,
Did you mean to say 2300 fps velocity or did you really mean 3300 which sounds kinda fast for the cartridge. Especially when you say no damage to chickens. I have a hard time believing 3300 fps won't damage a target regardless of bullet type.

high standard 40 wrote:Dave,
Did you mean to say 2300 fps velocity or did you really mean 3300 which sounds kinda fast for the cartridge. Especially when you say no damage to chickens. I have a hard time believing 3300 fps won't damage a target regardless of bullet type.

sounds way off! and I noticed that it says a 1:17 twist barrel?

high standard 40 wrote:Dave,
Did you mean to say 2300 fps velocity or did you really mean 3300 which sounds kinda fast for the cartridge. Especially when you say no damage to chickens. I have a hard time believing 3300 fps won't damage a target regardless of bullet type.

True it's closer to 2,720 with 31gr of H4198, a compressed load and just over 2,800 with 33gr. It is a 17:1 twist 5C barrel and built specifically to shot the 100gr Lapua's with zero free-bore and the bullet into the lands. The bullet trajectory peaks between the pigs & turkeys so no sight adjustment. There is 2" of drop at the ram line. The benchrest folks shoot 118gr custom bullets for the most part over 33/34grs of H4198 at between 2,950 to 3,100 ft/sec. At Black Creek, NC you can't really shoot chicken sighters because the bullet doesn't leave a mark.

I think any other bullet might be a problem, the 100gr Cutting Edge is really a wad-cutter with a jacket and the truncated cone is empty. It's designed to make perfectly round holes in paper at 100 to 300 meters and not intended to penetrate or expand. It has a 1" bearing surface while other 110-120gr .308's have a little as 3/8", the bearing surface helps build pressures without barrel length. It also fills the cartridge neck town to the neck/shoulder junction, the entire lead part of the bullet is in the cartridge neck, most custom 118's only fill about 1/3 of the neck (that's why you can get more powder in the load).

Range (yards) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft.-lb.) Trajectory (in)
Muzzle 2720 1643 -1.5
50 2630 1535 0.3
100 2542 1434 0.8
150 2455 1338 0
200 2370 -2.2