F-Classer Wins State Title with Home-Built Savage
Kudos to Forum Member John Dunbar (aka JD12)! Just this past weekend John won the Wisconsin State F-Class championship shooting a “home-built” .284 Winchester with a Savage target action. John designed and fabricated the aluminum stock himself. It features a central barrel block clamping a 32″ Brux barrel. Get this — John completed the rifle only 5 days before the match: “I finished machining/assembly on Monday night, did load workup Wednesday and Thursday nights, loaded rounds Friday night, and headed to Lodi at 4:30 on Saturday morning.” John also made his own co-axial front rest. He reports: “The rest worked really well this past weekend but as always there’s some small tweeking to do.”
John tells us: “I want to thank Jim See from Center Shot Rifles. He did the barrel chambering and installation and action work — he does excellent work. I also want to thank Ken and Norm from Brux Barrels. Their barrels shoot — no questions asked.”
The rifle is chambered as a straight (non-improved) .284 Winchester, with 32″ barrel. At the match, John shot 180gr Bergers pushed by a stout load of Hodgdon 4831sc. John notes: “Most of the experienced shooters at Lodi, WI told me when barrel gets a few hundred rounds through it, I may have to drop the powder back as they found the barrel might speed up. The gun only had about 80 rounds of development loads through it before [the Championship match at Lodi]. I have some RE17 sitting here to try but now i’m thinking why screw with something that’s working!”
John’s rig features a Savage target action (with factory Accutrigger) trued up by Jim at Center Shot Rifles. On top is a Sightron SIII 8×32-56 scope (Hey we told you they were good). Take a look at the rear bag in the above photo. Notice that the ears are set off-axis? John explains: “The rear bag is a SEB from Ernie in Gillette, WY. It has the twisted ears on it so you can rest your hand right along side of stock. I really like it this way — it’s very comfortable.”
Wow, 3100 out of a straight 284! Is this correct?
By the way, I recently purchased 10 Brux barrels. I have to concur that Norm and Ken have been doing nice barrel making, and their cut rifled barrels are as good as any of the best custom barrels.
Robert Whitley
Congrats are in order. Great job! However, 58.2 grains of H4831SC in a straight 284? 3100 with H4831SC? That is a first for me. I have shot as much as 60 grains of H4831SC in a 284 Shehane (more capacity) just for test purposes with a 31.5″ Broughton and never approached 3100 fps. RL-17 got me to 3100 in one barrel but blew primers in another before I got there. Both of these barrels were screwed into three lug actions (Gilkes-Ross and a Barnard). About 53 grains of RL-17 took Robert Whitley’s straight 284 to 3003 with some stiff bolt lift.
In short, I have never heard of a straight 284 that would do this or even come close. My 284 Shehane will not do it with H4831SC. 57 grains gives me 2951. Charles Ballard’s straight 284 does not come close to 3100 as he is running around 54 grains of 4831SC. Bryan Litz runs around 52 grains of H4350.
I can’t even imagine the load work development where you would even attempt 58.2 grains of H4831SC in a straight 284. You 284 is shooting in the area of a 7mm WSM running a hot load.
Hold on to that barrel and the action. It is unlikely that you will EVER find another combo like that. Just an unreal accomplishment. You have schooled more than a few of us who though we knew what a 284 would do. Just Damn!
Congrats again,
Jim Hardy
I am having trouble accepting that 3100 fps is realistic out of a 284 Win with the 180’s. Either you have a “one in a million” barrel (literally) or the chronograph is broken and not giving correct readings.
If your rifle is giving that kind of performance, don’t touch anything and use it until it’s dead as your chances of getting another to do that are – well – “one in a million”.
Robert Whitley
Congrats again John, I’m happy your rifle, and you shot so well!
Thanks for the great contribution. Who makes that barrel block type stock?
Cheers
Rod