SmallCaliberCentral

Hello, I don't post much but come here often for info on the 204R. This past spring with advice from Rick I had a Pac Nor super match barrel ordered for my Savage. I just got it back from the gunsmith the other day. I have not shot it yet as the wind has been crazy the last few days but thought I would report and share a pic anyhow.

It is a 1-11 twist as Rick advised. The reamer used is a no turn neck match with a shorter throat than the factory tube had. Also installed a Holland recoil lug and set this one up with no barrel nut. The stock is Hickory from a blank I made myself and then sent to Joel Russo out in Pa. to shape and inlet. Hope to start barrel break in today and at least get it on paper. TB

That is a nice looking stick!

Stock reminds me of a Mcmillan or similar, should feel just right when you hunker down and squeeze!!!

Post pics of targets!!!

Cool! Keep us posted on how she shoots. Gary

TOO builder--That is one nice looking rig you have there!! That barrel looks like it is huge. What contour is it?

Where is your gunsmith from?

No need to test it...if you follow Ricks advice I'm sure it's a shooter!
Nice lookin rig.

Thanks guys. The stock is an A-5 style. I really like how it feels as I usually shoot with a bi-pod laying down.

Silverfox, it was ordered as a Savage varmint contour but I did end up having to open up the barrel channel a bit. Seems it didn't start to taper untill about three inches from receiver. Joel Ackerman from Dickinson, ND did the work. If I am not mistaken you may be the one he has an exact barrel waiting for.

I did try some rounds I had loaded up with 32gr. BK's. After 15 rnds. of shoot/clean I was getting very little copper so I did try a couple five shot groups. Looks good so far and none of the wild flyers like I was getting with the factory tube. These rounds even keyholed in the factory barrel and I didn't get one now . I have some 39gr. BK's and 40gr. V-max to try so hoping they will even do better. TB

Interesting choice with the hickory stick, I bet it was fun to work with . I always had a lot of trouble with splintering when using it at work, even with new router bits I've gotten so I don't like to mess with the stuff, but now and then a job comes up and that's what they want, so that's what they get.

Glenn, yes Joel did say he had to go slow when shaping/inletting it. There was enough blank left for a second stock so he sent it back to me and I modified it a bit and ended up with this....


I cut it down and added some birdseye maple to both sides and used padouk for the tip. It really feels good shooting from the bench. Weighs in right at 17 lbs. as it sits.

I'll bet it's sweet to shoot, but I wouldn't want to lug it around very far My buddy did up a Howa with a 1.25" diameter barrel, in .221 Fireball, along with a Boyd's laminate stock, and that thing was pretty heavy, too. It recoiled almost as much as a .17 HMR and shot like it had eyes. He got tired of lugging it around, though.

TB--I was pretty sure you were the fellow Joel A. told me about. When your barrel was delivered to his shop, he called me and told me my barrel had arrived. WOW, I thought that was quick, it only took about a month for it to come in. A few days later Joel called me and told me he had made a mistake and the barrel was yours. He had just kind of forgot you had ordered one that was the exact specs as the one I ordered until he started looking at his paper work.

I'm glad you got it put together and that it is working out for you. I'm still using my factory barrel. The shot count is up to 2,250 rounds down the tube and it is still shooting very good for me. I might just hold off on the rebarreling job until after coyote season is over--or maybe longer!!!

Did Joel A. do some of your stock work? If so, are you pretty happy with his work? He seems to do pretty fair smithing work, at least for me. He has had my Pac-Nor barreled .17 Remington in his shop for over 2 months now. The throat seems to have gotten so rough that J4 jacketed bullets get ripped up and don't make it to the target. The old 25 gr. Hornady HP bullets shoot just fine and print a nice tight group. He sent my reamer in to have the leade shortened from .064" to .010" and that took almost 6 weeks to get the reamer back.

He's real busy trying to get his new shop built up north of town, so my project and alot of others are on the back burner for a while. I have plenty of rifles to shoot, but I wanted to work up a load for the 29 gr. Genco HP bullets and try them on coyotes with that .17 Remington. My main coyote rifle is the Savage 12VLP in .204 Ruger, but I still shoot coyotes with my Lilja barreled .17 Remington and 30 gr. HP Starke bullets. I thought the 29 gr. Gencos might work pretty good too.

Keep us posted on how that Skippy Snipper re-barrel works with the heavier bullets.

Glenn, my plan was to take it with doggin and set up for long range. It is a 6x47 Lapua. Now after shooting it from the bench I am thinking of doing up a different stock I can drop it in to and carry at the dog towns. Maybe another A-5 style but with some different wood. Not sure I want to mess with setting up a table and rest etc.

Silverfox, I remember when Joel called and related the barrel mix up story. I still thought I would end up waiting longer than I actually had to. I do all my own stock work other than the shaping and inletting. Joel A. seems very good to work with. Explains everything very well and has time for my many questions. I mentioned I always wanted to try a 6.5x55 Swede and he just happens to have a 6.5x55 Ackley reamer so that may be a project down the road as a switch barrel for one of my Savages. He was also telling me about his shop. Indoor shooting range sounded like it was in the plans. I'll keep you posted on the heavier 204R bullets. Had to try some 107gr. SMK's in the 6x47L tonight so didn't have time for the 204R. TB