[J]

I hope someone has a spare for you as I'm guessing Beretta will want a ridiculous amount for a new one, or worse, will only supply a new trigger unit complete.

[J]

Nope, that's just the way it is. You will get used to it in time and it's not a big problem.

[J]

Good on you. I have them all too and I'm a better shot, better informed and better at getting the most from my rifles. He knows what he's talking about alright.

[J]

Boyds stocks are good value for money, but they need to be bedded to get the accuracy out of them. I bedded one on my .25-06 Lite and it goes well. They are heavier, esp when bedded than the factory stock.

Factory stocks are actually very good and are supposed to have barrel contact like yours has. If you take the stock off you will see two small lugs half way down the barrel channel, which is likely where your dollar bill is sticking. If the rifle shoots well, don't worry about it. If not, you could try removing the lugs and run a round dowel wrapped in sandpaper up and down the channel to ensure good clearance then see how it shoots. Be warned, it could make accuracy worse.

[J]

Personally I'd steer clear of Barnes for anything but close work. I have used the TTSX quite a bit, but they like to be driven fast and are really not for anything past 300 yards.

For .30-06 (which I have owned) I went with 178 grain A-Max, which is a very good long range bullet. At close range they can cause lots of damage, but I'm not concerned about that.

For 6.5×55 (which I haven't owned), my choice would be either 140 A-Max or VLD (in that order).

Sorry, no mention of the Accubond, but for LR I prefer non-bonded bullets like the A-Max as they need to break up to deliver energy and secondary wounding when moving slowly. Bonded bullets won't do that.

[J]

Interesting stuff – thanks.

Watch some of Nathan Foster's vids on YouTube. He runs a business in NZ called Terminal Ballistics Research and he really knows what he's doing. Follow his advice and you can't go wrong.

[J]

I agree with Larkin that NF glass isn't a match for Zeiss, Swarovski and S&B, but it's still pretty good. I have no experience with the scopes or reticles so you mention, but I got an NXS in 5.5-22×56 for my .300 WM T3 build. I have the MOAR-T reticle, which is illuminated. The turrets are good, with positive clicks and 1/4 and you get what you dial every time.

I had my T3 action faced off and an LRI recoil lug fitted with a Bartlein barrel and an integrated muzzle brake. I bedded it in a McMillan A3 and I shoot 208 A-Max at just over .5 MOA most days.

My chamber was cut for 3.5″ OAL, so the loaded rounds don't fit in the mag and have to be single loaded, which is no problem. I went for 3.5″ as that is the max length where chambered rounds can be extracted without the end of the bullet head snagging the front end of the ejection port with the bolt fully back. Any longer and you would need to remove the bolt to extract a loaded round.

Happy to offer any other advice from my experience if it would help.

Look at Long Rifles Inc for details of the recoil lugs (and other top quality work).

[J]

I tried weighing it on a scale, but it was too heavy and maxed my scale out, so I also did it by eye and never had a problem.

[J]

They did mine a few months ago no dramas. While its there, get them to face off the action and fit an integrated recoil lug.

[J]

Yup, it's as easy as that. I think some of the bolt stops are skeletonised, so are not so suitable for filing down. Check the back of yours to see if there's enough meat there to file some away. If not, Brownells have long and short bolt stops.

[J]

Here you go:

http://riflebarrels.com/wp-content/uploads/tikkat3.pdf

.625″ at 24″
It's a pretty light barrel on a magnum.
I swapped my 300 WM to a Bartlein light Palma – .776 at 26″.
It has a brake (from LRI) and is pretty tame now.

Terminator Products T3 titanium brakes are superb too.

http://www.shoot-long.com/products/long-range-accessories/terminator-muzzle-brakes/

[J]

Here you go blokes:

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Resources/Discussion+Forums/x_forum/17/thread/3925.html

Lots of good info elsewhere on this site on terminalballistics, maintainence, chamberings, shooting technique, as well as detailed bedding advice.

Follow this bloke and you will learn something whoever you are.

Cheers

[J]

I bedded a T3 in a Boyd's stock last year. Use the Dremel to take 60 thou depth off the stock from an inch in front of the lug, all around the lug, through the side walls to the tang. It's very important to leave a section at the rear of the tang as your rear height reference. Wrap electrical tape round the barrel to support the barrel and action at the right height before you start and that will be your front height reference. Use modeling clay to block the mag well, set a dam in the barrel channel to hold the Devcon in the bedding area, and tape the stock to prevent overspill sticking to it. Now use Kiwi neutral shoe polish everywhere you don't want bedding to stick – barrel, action, top of modeling clay. I use 6mm bolts with the heads cut off to align the action in the stock. Wrap these with masking tape so they just fit in the action screw holes in the stock and leave a quarter of an inch untaped to screw them into the action. Use Kiwi on these screws and the screw holes. Smear Devcon 10110 into the bedding area then set the action in and squeeze it down gently to your height reference points. You should get squeze out along all of the area. Use tape or bungees to secure the action in place, but not too much or you will stress the action. Clean any squeeze out off with q tips and leave it for at least a day. Break it out and clean up the top of the stock and the mag well area with Dremel and sand paper.

I keep saying this, but the best advice is to watch Nathan Foster's vids on YOuTube or his Terminal Ballistics Research website in New Zealand. All you need to know is there. Follow his advice and you cannot go wrong.

[J]

The lug should be tight in the stock, and ideally bedded in, but should have some play in the recess on the bottom of the action. Devcon 10110 or Nathan Foster's bedding kit from terminalballisticsresearch will do well.

[J]

Yup, FLS or just use a bump die to bump the shoulder 2 or 3 thou back. I use Redding collet neck sizing dies and a bump die to bump the shoulder 2 thou after every firing.