A little "Build" of a 308 I just finished.

[cphilip]

I use the term Build a bit lose as all I did was change a stock out and put a scope on but... customize might be more accurate. Turned out real pretty. And hopefully will shoot well too.

Sort of on the cheap project I am doing for a longer range Deer rifle I want to have in my stable.

So I started out figuring I would go a bit higher in Magnification and doing that cheap(er) but still trying to get reasonable optics I narrowed it down to Leupold VX-I or a Nikon Buckmaster. Those two I find to be reasonable but still "good" in my opinion. The Buckmaster won out once I started shopping around (even though I have all Leupolds VX's on everything else) I found a 3-9 X 50 for $215 shipped so I simply couldn't beat it unless I went with a smaller magnification Leupold and... since distance shooting is more key here for this build, I just went with the Buckmaster 50mm. I guess thats sort of Nikons second tier level, the Buckmaster? Well... its not the bottom anyway. This one is a BDC model. Might like that feature or might not. Looks useful for this long range rifle set up anyway.

Then I was out looking for a base action to use. I knew I wanted a compact or Carbine length gun. For handling. Had sort of settled on the Weatherby Vanguard 2 model but the problem was I really wanted a good wood stock of some sort and not the synthetic so I was determined to find something I wouldn't mind changing the stock out. I was close to buying this when I ran into a Thompson Center Venture "Compact". Have you seen one of these? They are really nice. I then was determine that was going to be the cornerstone but decided to keep looking for something used I wouldn't be so much into a stock I didn't want. Well, ran over to my favorite small town LGS and ran into a Marlin X7 used in 308! So here we have a two stage adjustable trigger but a cheap plastic stock. Nice action. Fluted bolt. Trigger on this one is breaking at exactly 3 pounds consistently. Nice short total package with about a 22" barrel. Has a rail and rings on it. $260 (about $100 off a new one) and $275 with sales tax.... so half the price of these others almost. And this is a stock I wouldn't want to keep anyway so that makes that easier. Nice shape... little use... so I bought it.

Now... the Boyd stock is easy enough. They make them for this gun so its a stock item. Cheap really. I went with the laminate and had them do their Stippling to the thing. Its practically just a drop in unless I decide to bed it later. $166 was the total on that after shipping. I think it was like $96 for the finished stock and the stippling added $55 to that. And it was like $14 shipping costs.

I got the scope and did have time to mount it and bore sight it and it did fit with the rings that came on the Marlin so score there.
Here are some file photos from Boyds stocks on the stock I am using. The first one shows the contour and color of the stock best... then a couple of the stippling done to that... then there is one picture the gun as is with the Scope just on and before stock had arrived.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[cphilip]

Now the finish...

Finished...











A LOT more detail and ramblings of my research in doing this one (lengthy and boring perhaps)


The original stock was rather flimsy I thought. Better than some though I have to admit. So I bought the rifle just for the action. Most of these "entry level" rifles have a cheap stock on them. Its certainly not as solid feeling as the one on my Browning but that was a more expensive rifle. That seem to be where they cut most of the cost on these lately. They are hollow and they sort of flex a lot. So, as long as the action is good they are all good candidates for this I think. Or even just for cosmetics or adding weight. And this one lent itself to this sort of project pretty well. Good strong action with a nice trigger.

I also wanted to add just a bit of weight for recoil control too so wood does that. I still have to weigh it and see what this added.

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/

It was a drop in for me. The fit was wonderful. This one action they seem to have down perfectly. Their tooling is spot on. Its uncanny... it really is. I was somewhat skeptical for sure. But... was proven wrong... so far

Bedding the action remains to be seen. I will have to shoot it some first to see if I want to...or need too. I won't hesitate if I can't get near 1 MOA at 100 yards sorts of success.

I have shot the action in the original stock and actually got the scope sort of initially dialed in but stopped there until I got the Boyds stock. But this week I should get started trying to dial it on in so it remains to be seen if its consistent enough without bedding the action. The free float on the barrel of this one and the gaps are almost custom perfect out of the box. I can pull a piece of paper out without tearing it but I can't slide it down as the interior grain is a tad rough. So I can take the action out, lay a piece of copy paper in there and then install the action and wiggle the paper and withdraw it. I am pretty sure its clear all the way. I was kind of astounded. I couldn't be happier about that part. So that looks good. Remains to be seen if it proves out to be true.

As to the action and the Marlin X7 here is some detail and research on that:

The trigger is really sweet on this thing. Its basically an accutrigger of their making more or less. But they put there own name on it and it is unique. And this one breaks at exactly 3 pounds time after time.

Here is an older review on these. http://www.shootingtimes.com/2010/11...market_102910/

And Marlins propaganda on it http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firear...on/default.asp

This review does go into great detail about the action and does find some similarities to the Savage 110... Worth a read as it also goes into the differences and unique things employed http://www.longrangehunting.com/arti...7-review-1.php

And to the BDC scopes...

They make this BDC generic and they do make a M308 that is more intended for the AR platform.... but that doesn't mean you really can't use this generic one on a 308 as good as the one specifically "pre" bubbled for 308. In fact you just have to use their calculator for each caliber and then each loads to determine what each bubble really means for your situation. So it is as accurate as you can determine and then you just make your little cheat sheet up for your use.

I didn't really buy it for that though. I bought it for the size of the size of the optics and the price. And since I didn't know if I would like the bubble in there I certainly didn't want a caliber specific one. I might put it on something else later. And... as chance would have it, thats not one I found a deal on. One of the criteria here was... good but CHEAP. :D

As I stated earlier, I am unsure and skeptical of the BDC being of much use to me. Its the new fad I know. I can see it "could" be useful. I got some time to mess around with Nikon's BDC calculation software...

http://www.nikonhunting.com/spoton/

It pretty cool really. You plug in all your parameters.

First your scope size and type from a pull down menu. Then Bullet style and weight you chose also from a pull down menu. But you can also chose to go into a custom load section for hand loading. Then third thing you chose your sighted in distance and target distance. This parts a bit confusing but you chose a typical 100 yards for both in order for it to generate all the bubble distance meanings.

So when I plug in my scope, 3-9 X50 and this box of Remington Core Lokt 150 grain Soft Point I find that the first bubble is 197 yards, second is 287 and so on... and then I can go into print mode and print out a little cheat sheet (and select the size of that sheet down to like 1 by 2 inch if I chose) of each of these variations I want. So I don't have to remember all this. And it even gives me the top of bubble and bottom of each bubble distance too. Kind of cool.

And you can even order special Turrets to be able to dial your scope to center these figures if you want. You can plug in the exact load, style and scope and you can match it up to either short of long turrets you can buy to put on to have complete control of distance drop if you chose to go that way. Like $99 a set but... still.. you can do it. Also kind of cool

[OldVet]

Super nice. Never been a fan of lightweight syn stocks. They kick too durn hard. I like the weight and looks of wood. People who complain about carrying a heavy gun would probably benefit more by losing a couple pounds from the waist than from the gun.

[cphilip]

Me too! I particularly am becoming fond of this new Laminate stuff. It supposedly has the stability of plastic while giving you the "purdy" too... and notice how well it also then blended in with the leaves? So it also becomes a natural cammo too I think?

I still have to determine the weight gain. I am anticipating it to be no more than a pound. Perhaps only a half pound. Just have to get it on a scale.

[ANGLICO]

Sweet!

[mkh]

That is an awesome looking stock.

[oneshot]

Nice job~!!

[kapnketel]

Very nice, great looking stock.

[cphilip]

Best I can calculate is the rifle gained one pound from the stock alone.

I weighed the Factory Black stock and it weighs 1.8 pounds. Boyds literature says the wood stock averages 2.8 pounds. And so the difference is one pound for the Wood stock.

The Marlin web site spec says that the X7 Short action is 6.5 pounds factory stock so I would expect this one to now be 7.5 pounds.

Add the Buckmaster 3-9 X 50 BDC scope weighs in at 18.2 ounces and the rings should add perhaps 2 ounces.

Then add the sling and I have no idea of its weight.

So I would then expect the entire Rifle to weigh in at just over 8.5 pounds unloaded and, loaded with five rounds, just under 9 pounds.

[Sig35seven]

Very good looking!

[HotGuns]

Good looking rifle.
I use Boyds quite a bit. They have the best stocks for Milsurps on the market and for the money they are hard to beat.

[exdee40]

That's a sharp looking stock! Nicely done.

[goldshellback]

Very. Nice.

[bmcgilvray]

A great exposition on your neato rifle and the reasons behind its fabrication. That's a great compact all-around rifle.

Rifles are the greatest firearms.