So, I'm finally going to Boomershoot this year.
Thank god.
We've got about $9000 in remaining legal fees to deal with (including $3000 left of the !#$%@!@#$%$&&^*%&$^&!#$! court ordered $12,000 "custodial evaluation"), but I've hopefully got a decent bonus coming up; so although things are still tight here, we've got a little bit of money to play with.
Not a lot, but between now and April, I can squeeze out a couple thousand to load ammo with, buy gear etc...
Anyway, I haven't finished building my full custom 1000 yard rifle. In fact, at the moment I've only got parts and pieces, none of which are assembled onto the receiver (one of the parts and pieces I've got at least).
Boomers are laid out from 350 to 700 yards, with a maximum target distance of 875 yards (but Joe doesn't lay any boomers at that range).
I do have an Encore in .300 winmag (though I don't think the barrel I've got on it is adequate for 875 yards, but $400 fixes that), and a Winchester model 70 featherweight in .300 winmag that I need a replacement stock, trigger, and probably a rebarrel for, though I want to see how it shoots with a new stock and trigger (it's currently moa at 300 yards, but the trigger and stock are making anything longer range unworkable for me) so I don't think I'll have the rebarrel done before boomershoot.
Once I make the mods I plan to make though, either should get me out to 700 yards with some consistency and some work on my part, which is what I really need from them. The 875 would be a nice bonus, but I don't expect to able to get consistent hits at that range, until I finish building my custom.
I've already got decent midrange mid magnification 50mm scopes for both. Again, nothing that'll be good for beyond 800, but they should be good enough for 700.
Also, I've got a range finder, and a spotting scope lined up, for less than $900 combined (deep deep discounts on both)
Thing is, we've got three shooters with us for the shoot: me, my wife, and my neighbor. I'm not sure either of them are up to shooting 300 rounds of .300 winmag... and frankly I'm not sure my wallet is either (though my neighbor is of course paying his share).
What I need is a third gun; and I don't feel like buying and building from scratch if I don't have to.
I have a hell of a precision AR, with a Wylde chamber on it that'll drill holes out of the 4" center of a 600 yard gong all day long....IF there's no wind, and no weather, and I do my job perfectly etc... but it's still a 5.56/.223.
I'm going to use it for the short range boomers, to save a little money on ammo, and to spare my shoulder a bit; but frankly, even my hot 75gr 5.56 loads probably won't detonate a boomer much past 400 yards anyway; and there is no such thing as an April day in Orofino Idaho without wind.
I could buy a Weatherby sub-moa, or a Savage model 10 precision, both currently running between $700 and $800... and I might; but I think I want to try another option out.
I'm thinking about an upper for an AR-15, in one of the newer long range chamberings, that will actually feed from an AR feed ramp.
I don't care if it mag feeds. I can single load, as long as it'll pick up, chamber, and extract properly. Hell, I'd even be interested in one of the single shot bolt action uppers out there, if it chambers a round that will reliably hit, and detonate, a boomer at 700 yards; without TOO much recoil, muzzle blast, or insane ammo cost.
I don't think 6.8spc will do it past 600 yards... not sure if 6.5 Grendel will or not (at least not in an under $800 upper. It should be OK ballistically) ... or if I want to deal with Bill Alexander for that matter.
Also, I need it before April, and I need it to cost less than a whole new Savage model 10; otherwise why bother NOT getting a new Savage?
So, any ideas? Thoughts? Vendors? Chambering selection?
Can it even be done, given the parameters I've chosen?
