Thought I'd throw up the starting point for my new custom .308

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Thought I'd throw up a picture of the starting point of my new .308... I've already removed the scout scope base, & rear sight, put the rings where they should be on a rifle that's not machined for stripper clips...

the over all look is going to depend on particular scope availability... it's getting a new stock, from Boyd's, with a longer length, as I have long arms, either a walnut stock with some figure, if that's the case, it'll get scoped with a silver Nikon Prostaff 5 in 4.5 - 14X, or a black Burris Preditor Quest 4.5 - 14X... however if I can still get one of the now discontinued Burris Preditor Quest camo scopes in 4.5 -14, it'll get a camo laminate stock... a few other variable may effect things one way or another in the final decision as far as looks...

the exceptionally long factory 10 round magazine will be regulated as a back up, & several new stainless Teflon coated Alpha mags ( double into single stack ) will replace the stock Ruger magazine, as they are only 2/3 as long as the factory mag, & hold the same amount of rounds... I still have the factory flash hider on the gun, that will likely have the stainless thread protector on it, or a custom compensator of my local builder buddies design... ( he builds them, with the ports angled away from the shooter, so they don't increase the noise level to the shooter at all... plus I don't want holes on the bottom kicking up dust if I'm shooting prone...

anyway... I thought this a good starting point for a custom .308 bolt rifle...

BTW... when I took the picture I only had the rings on finger tight, & I later noticed they are different lengths to allow for the different heights on the receiver... that has since been corrected

BTW #2... I bought the gun used, from Cabelas, on clearance... I honestly don't think it had more than one magazine's worth of ammo through it, & it was discounted $300.00 from new

[cw308]

Did the rings come with the rifle, from the picture the rings should be switched,the front ring looks high & the back ring looks low.When the scope is on it should be as low as possible without hitting the barrel and clear on your bolt lift. Cheek weld is also important, have you fired the rifle.

[SaxonPig]

Yup, rings are swapped.

Funny how the "Scout" is a factory model based on a custom design so now an owner is reverting it back to the more traditional design for hunting rifles and calling it a custom.

Round and round...

[gman3]

I have several, and like them a lot...but has a Ruger ever been a good starting point for a custom 308? Again, I like them, just never thought of using one for the base for a custom build.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

CW... yes, the conventional rings come with the rifle, as well as a stainless thread protector, if I chose to remove the flash hider... & I didn't notice at 1st that the rings were different lengths... but it was quite noticeable once I hung it on the wall, & I got those switched around right after the pictures... I haven't shot it yet... 1st thing I'm buying is the scope... I'll shoot it then... before changing the stock... it's looking like I'll be putting the matt black Burris Predator Quest 4.5 - 14X scope on it, & will be ordering an extra grade walnut stock for it... which will have the raised cheek piece for use with the scope...

[cw308]

Nice project, once it's put together get alot of bench time. I love shooting my 308 20" brl very accurate. are you reloading.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

yes, I reload... but don't have a lot of .308 brass right now... think I'll start buying Prvi match ammo & save the brass to reload...

most of my shooting is done informally on my range at home, from the bench, or prone, at distances from 100 - 300 yards... have many bolt action rifles I play with... the .308 will be my biggest bore of my short actions... seems like I enjoy shooting the short actions more... seems the barrel doesn't get as hot, as fast, with the shorter cartridges...

I'm also looking at a shorter bipod for this rifle as well... haven't made that transition yet... shooting prone I just usually use my sand bags off the bench, or a rolled up jacket, from my shooting mat

the Ruger Scout Rifle now sits at the bottom of this rack

[cw308]

Very nice collection. I reload, for my 308 IMR 4064 40.5 gr. using federal brass wich is thicker then most with a Sierra 168 gr. HPBT bullet is very accurate for me. I shoot 200 yards.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

thanks... I find it to be just a relaxing afternoon trying to shoot as accurately as possible ( letting the barrel cool a few minutes between shots ) & to be quite enjoyable... I do the same with my long actions, however it borders on taking too long to let everything cool down... more challenging for the 17 Fireball at 300, than I'm sure the .308 will be...

I'm also trying to find a way to stretch my distance out... thinking portable shooting bench, I can move back, & to the side of my current shooting bench, that I could use, when the crops are out of the field... I think I might be able to stretch it to 600 yards to my backstop...

I reload around 75 different calibers, & I've been building up a supply of brass for all my calibers, by mostly buying range brass, & then the brand I end up with the most of ( unless it's really ugly ) I keep, & sell the rest at the local gun show... I was skeptical when people were telling me the Prvi brass was good, but as I've sorted 10's of 1000's of cases lately, there are some calibers, where I actually think Prvi is the best, but they do seem to be consistently good on everything I've checked... I've not gone through .308 brass to get matching headstamp... with the Prvi I could buy 500 rounds of brass at one time ( assuming that would likely get me all the same lot )

[HKFan9]

I would have left the scount mount on... or bought a M77 Compact or something similar. As someone else suggested you are taking a factory gun that is based on a custom design, and converting it backwards to a standard rifle.

The are nice guns none the less, and to each his own I suppose. I like a scout mounted scope for wood / brush hunting. I wanted a Ruger Frontier before they were discontinued as well before these came to be.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

these things take time, but I was finally able to get one of the discontinued Burris Predator Quest 4.5 - 14X scopes... love the reticle on these ( this is my 3rd ) & the ARD is a nice feature for potential uses of this gun... BTW... I was looking for something with changeable magazines... can't see the scout format, unless the receiver was machined for stripper clips

I'm now wrestling between a nicer grade of walnut in a classic stock format, or a thumbhole laminate in brown or black... I have a couple thumbholes on other rifles, & find them easy to carry & use...

my buddy will be starting on the custom compensator in the next couple weeks, to replace the factory flashider, will look at the crown, & see if that can be improved on, before the new comp is installed... will find a pic as soon as I can make the time, with the scope mounted, & the rings switched around

BTW#2... this will be my 1st rifle with a set of bipods... looking for a shorter set of legs, stable yet versatile... could use some suggestions... thanks

[cw308]

I had a Versa-Pod bi -pod for awile, did not like the way it rocked with recoil, changed to a Harris BR 1A2 6-9" works well for me.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

thanks for the suggestion... still doing my research, since I pretty much know nothing about them

[Magnum Wheel Man]

is an extra sling swivel the best way to mount, or am I better off putting a section of p-rail on the forward bottom of the stock for the bipod???

a sling stud would seem to be a weak attachment point???

[DaleA]

Seems like the rail would be more versatile. Both for moving the mounting point back and forth and maybe mounting other things on it.

Some folk just don't care for the 'look' a rail puts on a gun and I understand that point of view.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I don't like the "look"... also mine was actually sharp in some spots & I'd suspect could cause bleeding under recoil???

I may stick a small piece of rail down under the front, on the stock for a bipod though???

[cw308]

I have mine attatched to the first sling swivel stud, that's why the have 2 studs. Try it first, you can always install one later.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

science guy in me, thinks there should be an advantage in a rail mounted bipod, but Harris brand, is in general, very highly regarded, & I think all theirs are stud mounted... I also looked at the Sinclair brand, & at least the "more normal looking" non competition model is also stud mounted, so I have to assume then, that the rail mounted units were done that way for AR type gun mounting... & the stud mounted bipods are in essence for bolt guns???

I see I have a fair amount to learn here...

[dwwhite]

MWM,

I've got an identical rifle, well, a mirror image, as mine is left handed.

I was able to find a 3" piece of rail that attaches to the front swivel. It uses a pin and screw arrangement to capture the swivel base and cinch down against the stock. I did have to grind the base at an angle to make the rail parallel to the bore. Unfortunately, I can't remember the brand, only that it was cheap.

ETA: further research indicates it was a Weaver product

I like it because it's non permanent.

I use it for mounting a light for nighttime varmints, but I suspect it would work fine for mounting a bipod. Because it is short, I don't worry about it cutting my hand, but I have noticed that it will sometimes hit the knuckle of my support hand during offhand shooting.

I wouldn't worry too much about the strength of your swivel stud though, the Ruger laminated stock is pretty dang solid and there have been plenty of bipods mounted to much lesser quality stocks with no problems.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

new muzzle break is done ( well machined anyway ) it's on the rifle, for testing, & if everything is good it'll get Duracoated flat black... in the white it makes it look like a ray gun, as we tried something a little different... it's looks will tame down quite a bit when it's black... there are no ports on the bottom of the break, & all the ports are angled ever so slightly towards the muzzle ( to direct the sound more away from the shooter... to lighten the break, ribs were machined in ( actually material removed from the body of the break, to create the ribs, which are just behind the ports ) which are angled at the same pitch as the ports... should even further move the noise away from the shooter... I took some pictures last weekend, but been to busy to get the picture chip from the camera into work to get it uploaded... hope to be able to do that tonight

next is to get the Boyd's stock ordered... I've been going back & forth on that, & still not positive what I want yet... it's between a conventional stock in extra grade walnut, or the light weight thumbhole stock in either black or brown laminate ( they don't do the thumbhole in walnut ) the laminate stocks are much more reasonable priced, but the walnut stock would be really nice...

[cw308]

I have a muzzle break on my 308 , makes it a pleasure to shoot. Witt Machine makes a nice break, screw on type. I have a custom break threaded & timed to my barrel $250. for the break & $100. to install, the $95. Witt Machin break on my friends rifle works just as good.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Here's those pictures...

over all... still needs custom stock



better look at the scope...



The muzzle brake still in the white...

[cw308]

Nice set up, Scope hight is perfect. Let us know how it shoots with the break. 308 will feel like your shooting a 223. Be Safe Chris

[Magnum Wheel Man]

thanks... they got the farm planted this week, so I should be good to shoot on my shooting range as I have time now... this weekend is MRS cousin's black powder shoot, so I won't have time for another week or so... but hoping to get the gun sighted in soon...

[cw308]

Sounds like you have a nice life, on LI NY it's 48 miles to the closest range, and max. 200 yards. Enjoy your rifle. Chris