Catch-22

👆this. Although if you have picatinny rails up near the forend of your stock/chassis, then treat yourself to a ‘MK’ Magnetospeed attachment as it allows you to have all the benefits of the chrono on full-time without the issue of altering barrel harmonics. Works a dream; Mount: https://mkmachining.com/product/mk-machining-gen-iii-magnetospeed-mount/ Adaptor (only required for SPORTER model); https://mkmachining.com/product/preorder-magnetospeed-v2sporter-bayonet-adapter/

£45...😂

I too use a S&B PMII 5-25x56. My rifle has a 6MIL (20MOA) rail and I use a Era-Tac unimount with a further 6MIL (20MOA). Lovely jubbly!

Edited my earlier post, forgot to add I use HbN, so my charges are higher than those with naked bullets alone.

Not a .338LM, but at only 6% less case capacity, my .338Norma Magnum is very similar (same 416 rugby parent case). The .338NM loves the 300gn Scenars. With a 27” Bartlein, 1-9.3” twist, Norma brass, Federal 215m GMM Mag primers, I use 94.5gn RS80 for a velocity of 2790fps. NOTE: I coat bullets and bore in HbN, so LOWER your charge by at least 1.5gn if using naked bullets. I believe RS80 is the PERFECT powder for both the .338NM and .338LM.

I’m not 100% certain, but I think if you do any milling of the action, it needs to be re-proofed. This isn’t an issue if you’re having barrel work or such done, as it all gets proofed in one. But if you’re not doing other work, the proof and handling fees might make this an expensive option.

I believe the rifle and barrel was sold a while ago. Dunno about the scope.

Yeah that was my initial thought too. If the extractor is ‘chewing’ the rim of the brass as you say, and you’re getting sticky cases, even after sizing (I’m assuming you’re now F/L sizing, not neck sizing) then I think there’s possibly some other issues afoot. Your brass shouldn’t be chewed up. If you’re already on your second extractor and the problem persists, there’s something not quite right. What pressures & velocity are you running? Any signs of over pressure (ejector mark, flattened or pierced primers)? Do you experience hard bolt lift AND hard extraction? Was the brass new in the barrel or recycled from a different barrel or gun?

I think one key reason you don’t see my F class shooters with unimounts is weight. The good ones are big, chunky and weigh a fair bit...being a single piece of milled aluminium. Whilst the weight isn’t helpful in F class, what is helpful in other disciplines is the extra rigidity unimounts offer, in particular additional stiffness to the action (especially so if the action has an integrated pic rail, not a bolted on one). Weight also helps towards dampening recoil. A unimount will also go towards protecting scope, rings and pic rail if dropped onto a hard surface more than just single rings. Rings on their own could bend or twist where they mount to the rail. Harder to do with a unimount. Some unimounts have a QD feature (like my Era-Tac), making it easier to take on and off repeatedly. I think you can get single rings that are QD, but I think it would be a lot harder getting things properly lined up and concentric.

Now sold. Thanks!

Brand new, never used or fitted on a scope. Unwanted gift as I already have Tenebraex. Includes Objective and Eyepiece covers. Unsure exactly the size but would fit Schmidt & Bender PMII 5-25x56. SOLD

Fair enough! But still not sure why you don’t just leave spigots (w. PodLocks) on the rails (per what you’ve said) and just remove the bridge using the built in QD leaver on the side. Refer to the last of my photos, top left of bridge (when looking at photo) shows the QD leaver. Surely you can then leave the podloc alone and avoid it sticking out the top, obscuring the target? Anyway, each to their own!

Not sure why you’d do that tbh, unless of course you’re using the 6 o’clock Fortmeier rather than the proper 12 o’clock version for over barrel shooting. Personally I find it incredibly fast attaching and detaching the bipod with the PodLock on the spigot, especially given there’s a QD leaver on the bridge that permits the bridge to separate from the spigot in a second or two...and it definitely doesn’t stop me from seeing the target 😂 Adjusting the bipod is perfectly fine and fast, not that it needs to be as it’s not a PRS gun or bipod designed for PRS use. I’d suggest the OP should be fine with the PodLock in its original place.

Not an MDT but I’ve a long forend with high picatinny rail. For clarity though, the Era-Tac one piece base is 20MOA and will add height for the scope. But I get zero issues with my Fortmeier.

That’s a weird placement for the PodLock. mine doesn’t look like that. My spigot has the PodLock, not the bridge. Looks like the bridge was originally a 6 o clock version, then the user switched the picatinny spigot upside down and placed the PodLock in the top where the proper torx bolt should go. Id say that if you had a ‘genuine’ 12 o clock bridge and picatinny spigot, then you should have enough clearance.

Best work with an experienced US Exporter. They’ll sort out an Export license you need and will arrange all the shipping. I’ve always found Mike and Addison at Reloading International to be excellent. http://www.reloadinginternational.com/ They also work with various shipping fright firms here in the UK as well as a lot of the gunsmiths here, so getting you stuff should be seamless, even if items are ITAR restricted and must be formally declared and exported - it does just take some time for the paperwork to be approved. Based on my previous experience of exporting all the bits for a custom rifle (chassis, action + spare bolt, 4 barrel blanks, trigger and other bits) which was built in the UK, and now more recently a complete custom rifle built State side plus several chambered spare barrels and additional barrel blanks, it’s fairly straightforward but worth getting help doing it. Try to do the paperwork yourself but get it wrong could be disastrous. In general, barrel blanks require an export license but aren’t restricted in the uk, so can be sent direct to you. hinting type stocks are fine and aren’t restricted but some chassis systems are (eg if used by US Mil). But again, best check the specific make/model you want. Actions definitely are restricted and you’ll need them on an export license, plus you need the authority to acquire on your FAC. This can be a bit of a minefield as a lot of our police authorities seem to have difficulties with listing individual components on an FAC. Believe me...they need a lot of educating at times which can be frustrating. Personally, I would also work with a smith UK side and also with Reloading Int’l US side. If I were you, I would compile a list of things you want (best include URLs or as much detail as possible) to help Reloading Int’l guide you with what is and isn’t restricted. You control the items you want, Reloading Int’l will sort your export and purchase everything you want on your behalf. You pay their invoice, they ship to your Smith here and they sign over to you, or build the gun for you. It’ll be easier for the smith to put said items on their open ticket than for you to have everything individually noted on your FAC. This is especially true if the smith will build you a gun, or part build one. Again, just make sure you have authority to acquire the end product (eg a 6.5x47 rifle with 2x spare 6.5x47 chambered barrels). I would also discuss what you want to do with your local FEO. Explain clearly what you want to achieve and that you’ll be working with a US Exporter and UK Smith. It’ll be easier This way and ensures nothing is a surprise.

That’s a shame you’re having to sell - looks like it would be a lot of fun. Have a bump on me!

I’d have thought a fast twist 22-250 would be about perfect to push those long/heavy 90gn bullets. I wouldn’t be so sure to down play that aspect - sounds like it could be a perfect long range varminter.

I would assume that everything you need is still available via Robert Whitley’s shop, like reliable mags, reamer, dies etc. All it really needs is a barrel chambering and a 6.5 Grendel bolt head for it. I don’t believe other mods are required, so I assume it should be fairly straight forward.

Stick it in an MPA Competition chassis - just about the best going imo! https://masterpiecearms.com/shop/mpa-ba-competition-chassis/

This is absolutely true. Sizing the neck (either FL or with bushing) forces brass inconsistentcies to the inside of the neck - the outside is nice and round. then the expander forces these inconsistencies to the outside again - the inside now being nice and round. By not turning the neck, the inconsistencies lie between the outside of the neck and the chamber (neck) walls. I however don’t compete and neck turning simply isn’t something I can be bothered to do. Maybe one day.

I never use the expander ball that comes with a die. Always gets removed. I do use the Sinclair Expander die and cal specific mandrel after F/L sizing my brass. That opens the necks just enough to give about .002” neck tension. Think about what the die with expander ball does. The case goes in, expander ball opens neck then die shrinks neck. Extracting case from die then pulls the expander ball through again, opening neck. So using an expander ball actually works the neck 3 times. If FL sizing without ball but using an expander mandrel, you size the neck, then open it a bit with the mandrel. Only works neck 2 times. Plus the mandrel pushes its way through, it doesn’t rip itself through the neck which has been proven to create issues.

Bill, that’s great - thank you! Ive sent you an email. Cheers

Might sound like a funny one, but what’s the length of your brass? If it’s too long should fit in the sizing die (unsure if there’s a shelf or inner lip in Redding dies that may contact the top of the case mouth or not?) but may not close in the action if the case mouth is contacting the end of the chamber. Trimming to the right length (if too long) might help,

For clarity, I didn’t assert that fat barrels don’t whip, of course they do, but I still maintain that a fatter (really fatter and shorter...but given two barrels of same length, the fatter is better) barrel will whip less and the extra rigidity is conducive to better accuracy. https://riflebarrels.com/a-look-at-the-rigidity-of-benchrest-barrels/ My point is that a lot of chassis systems out there are good and can help with accuracy as they usually negate any poor factory bedding jobs or flimsy flexible stocks. They’re also becoming more and more modular, allowing for greater flexibility for given shooting styles or switching between shooting styles. But given the choice between spending money on a good chassis, I would rather spend the money on a decent (and heavier profile barrel) if the current one is pencil thin.