8x68S owner's opinions

[Gert Odendaal]

Members, after some lengthy deliberations/discussions with fellow members and opinions received from members I made use of all their inputs and this is the technical specs of the 8X68S barrel I am ordering from PAC-NOR barrel company for my 8x68S rifle build project:
CUSTOMORDERDEPOSIT
Pac-Nor Custom Barrel
Base Price 275
Caliber8mm .323
Chamber8 x 68 S
Heavy Sportster profile
Chrome Moly Steel
Grade Standard-Match
Twist 5 groove10 twist
Contour No. 4
A 1.2
B 0.85
C 0.65
D 3
E 6
F 26
G 28
R 35
Finished Length 26
Crown Recessed Floorboard
Finish Polished
Fluting no fluting
Type Prefit Barrel
Action

 

[nztimb]

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Von Gruff Sir, my please accept my appreciation for your assistance in assisting me to make the correct choice in regards to compile a custom barrel order , a barrel that will function quite well I am sure ...it really is great to know there are always members who stand up and take a step forward to assist fellow members and goes beyond what needs to be done to obtain an item like a rifle barrel..I therefore want to thank mdwest for all the assistance in ordering the barrel for me..Dave , thank you very much..it really is greatly appreciated... I hope to return the favor ....

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Good I got hold of a double set trigger for a Mauser 98 Action in a great condition: (courtesy of a friend )

One of these Buffalo boss grip caps will be fitted to my rifle stock..

I am looking for a butt stock magazine as well to really gives a classic look to the rifle stock.

Still some ideas about the rifle stock design:
I will be making a barrel band for the 8x68S as well to give a classic look , including two recoil lugs to strengthen the action stock part..another add on will be a block barrel recoil lug to strengthen the stock further ...at this stage I am currently busy contemplating the design of the 8x68S rifle stock. I still am working towards a design of a mix between the sleek fore part of a Mannlicher Schoenauer like my .458 Win Mag and the grip/butt stock part of a dangerous game design like my 404 Jeffery rifle.
I need to get to this design with the combination of the two rifles designs I mentioned above:

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Members, I had some time to work in the gunsmith shop. JohanGreyling assisted me to open up the Mauser 8x57JS bolt face to accommodate the 8x68S brass .The Mod 98 Obendorf Mauser action I am using to do the build with is really a nice piece ...it does not have a huge rattle fit as the usual military actions tend to have ...I will proceed to square up the rifle stock , getting all the lines of the blank square to commence working down the stock and figure out the design I need .... I will upload photos soon of today`s procedures...

 

[nztimb]

Ahhh, the wood comes next and after all the decisions on the metalwork have been made, the way it is all going to be held in the wood and how that wood is shaped to inflluence the hold for shooting is the most important of them all. It matters not if you have the very best metalwork if the stock is not configured to make that jump shot as natural as breathing or the long shot taken with deliberation. Of course having pretty wood with strength in the right paces is nice to have but a plain piece of wood that FITS and is shaped and finished "right" is a far more valluable stock that an xxxx grade stock that does not enhance the shooting capability of the shooter or the rifle itself.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Garry, I am fortunate to received a great piece of American Black -Wall nut to use as a rifle stock from my mentor and friend Johan Greyling. I will receive the barrel early next year if all goes well, so I have time to work on my design..It probable will be easier if I have the barrel fitted when doing the in letting but I have no other choice. There are still a few things to do like building a a magnum magazine box to fit the 91mm round . This will keep me busy as well as completing the Magnum bottom metal and trigger guard 3-D print /wax cast/lost wax casting process I still am busy with..I will know what progress was made when I visit my friend who assist me in this venture.
I really am looking forward to work on the rifle stock..to see if I am able to construct what I have in mind in regards to a sleek lined long rifle stock design like a Mannlicher Schoenauer rifle stock with dangerous game rifle stock features...straight back rifle stock to dissipate felt recoil of the 8x68S caliber ...

 

[nztimb]

If you have the option Gert, I much prefer to inlet for the action before the barrel is installed as it allows for concentration on that one critical area first and then with the barrel installed the barrel channel with the need for accuracy in the barrel reinforce area can be a seperate project but it does make for a more accurate finished inlet.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

If you have the option Gert, I much prefer to inlet for the action before the barrel is installed as it allows for concentration on that one critical area first and then with the barrel installed the barrel channel with the need for accuracy in the barrel reinforce area can be a seperate project but it does make for a more accurate finished inlet.

Thank you Garry, I think it makes perfect sense by focusing only on one element , complete it and move to the next phase..this is what I did with blue printing the action up to date. Garry, I am going to build a die to form the magnum magazine box around it. A magazine box is only to hold the rounds , I think using a 1.2 mm sheet metal will be good enough.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Members, a few photos regarding the process to open up the 8x57JS bolt face to accommodate a 8x68S round. This procedure really went well, the extractor hold on tight to the 8x68S brass , so extraction will be smooth.
Setup of machinery:

 

[Gert Odendaal]

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Members, I planed down the layer on the rifle stock/bank I want to build the 8x68S rifle on. Here are some photos of the grain structure and contour...this is nothing fancy but definitely strong and straight through the pistol grip of the rifle stock..

Something to enjoy:
Beautiful Olien wood that is use to make knife handles/scale with..not ordinary wood at all..

 

[ZG47]

Beautiful wood, Gert. Both lots. Excellent choice for the rifle stock. I can never understand, why people who recognise the need for straight grain in the dining chairs that they sit on, want weird swirling grain in sporting stocks which will be fitted to rifles chambered for cartridges with significant recoil and ... which will be inevitably knocked around in the field.

 

[nztimb]

With the classic shape you are intending for your rifle stock you have a classic piece of wood to do it from. I have always though that it is the shape of the stock that is what makes it fancy not the wood that is used.
That Olien certainly is a lovely wood with very pretty grain and colours.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

ZG47/Garry, yes I really am of the opinion that the straight grain in this blank I am using will ensure a real strong rifle stock that will be able to handle any felt recoil ...The Olien wood in the photos are exceptional closed grain wood..Garry I believe there are a few pieces of this wood on their way to you...although it seems the parcel is taking one month just to get out of the country,,,,I hope the parcel will be on a fast traveling ship with no pirates holding its crew and cargo hostage along the coast of Sudan...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Garry: Question:
Looking at this photos of this Mannlicher Schoenauer rifle stock..will it be possible to work out detailed /correct measurements while using this photo??

 

[nztimb]

Yes as that is how I got the dimensions for the 404 Jeffery stock (from a Beretta Mateo pic in the Beretta catalogue) . Take the picture to a printers and get them to scale it up till the LOP is what you want and there you have it. Glue the pic to a piece of light board (6mm customwood sheeting) cut it out and you have your pattern.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Thank you Garry, much appreciated , I still think this is the ultimate 8x68S rifle stock design ..I will still keep enough wood around the action including two recoil lugs and maybe a barrel lug..will see if it is needed...the bedding will provide a lot of stability and strength..the scope mounts/scope looks very high above the action...since I will be mounting a dedicated scope I need to bring the cheek weld up and still make sure the bolt clear the part behind the grip..

 

[nztimb]

most combs are about 12-20mm wide so if you got a piece of 20mm scrap wood and cut the stock shape out of it having the barrel centerline as the top line of the stock. Round the comb section which you would have left higher than the pattern and make a mock up of the centerline of the scope with a couple of wood blocks and you can get a fair idea of whether your projected comb line is going to work befor you cut it on the good blank wood. Not a perfect solution but one way to check whether that comb line you want (from your pattern) is going to work in a cheap and fast manner.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Garry , thank you for the advice , it is much appreciated. Here are two photos of what I like my rifle stock design to be...I took this photo on a usb to a printing company to get this photo enlarged in the correct ratio ..I used the 13.7 " inch LoP as a staring point Garry..they will do a design based on this dimensions to see how near we can get to the end result I want.. this will be done on a cnc flat bed cutting machine ..I will use the inner and outer parts as a templet /design