Building a rifle...

[gc4895]

At my local club there is a very active rimfire silhouette group. I was thinking of using one of my rifles for the competition. I have an Anschutz free-rifle (1413) which has the Model 54 action. If I obtained an anschutz silouette stock would this be a good rifle to start with? I figure that I can swap it back into my free rifle stock when I want to compete in 3 position matches. Thanks!

[GTKF]

I used a 1413 to have my standard rfile built and I'm very happy with it. However, making weight (10 lb 2 oz) is a challenge. I used a McMillan silhouette stock and Leupold 6.5-20 EFR scope with BKL aluminum rings and was over the weight limit. The only way to reduce weight was to cut the barrel to 21".

I had always heard, and seen, from a friend's experience, that cutting the barrel at the muzzle (easiest way) will reduce accuracy of an Anschutz barrel. Mine was cut from the breech and re-chambered, a PIA due to the angled ejectors, but the gun shoots as accurately as it originally did.

Ken

[yankee]

Talk with your match director. See if he will let you shoot with a rifle that is heavy MOST WILL What I am saying is try to shoot a few matches with what you have. See how you like the game and see what is available and what is being shot. Chances what you are planning to do with the anschutz silhouete stock and your action will be a bit heavy. You might see if someone will take their anschutz stock and weigh it. Then you can add that weight to your barreled action and scope and be real close to you shooting weight which should be under 10.2 lbs. Have fun.

[ShooterP14]

When I run my monthly match, it's "run what ya brung". The only restriction I have is .22LR standard velocity ammo.

-Pat-

[Quonset Hut]

Unless you have the stuff around already, it is $700+ used -$1000+ new just for the scope and stock. I don't think there are that many used McMillan Silhouette stocks for sale? Then you have the $$ for rings and the barrel slicing/rechambering. So I suggest you don't do it. If you have an active silhouette program, there will be folks to let you try their guns - since you already own an Anschutz, they will trust you with theirs.

It actually works better the other way around - getting a silhouette gun to shoot position. A shooting pal long time back got a 64 Silhouette from Neil Johnson, and had them install a rail in the forestock to shoot position indoors with a scope. I had alredy been shooting indoor for four years and silhouette for two, so I upgraded from my Marlin 2000 (with extra cut down silhouette legal stock) to a 54:18 with rail installed.

[doceaux]

Hey guys I've got a 1807 action that I was planning to have cut down to 21-22 inches for a standard rifle. The gunsmith I use was doing this as well as a re-crown the barrel but what your saying is that this will hurt accuracy. Has anyone had this done and been satisfied with the results? I also heard that the 1807 actions could be converted into repeaters, has anyone had this done and but whom? Can't wait for your feedback.

[Evelio Mc Donald]

The Anchutz 1808 and 54.18 barrels have a tight spot ( choke ) close to the front end of the barrel, if you remove this section, you practically ruined the barrel. If you want to cut it down, do it in the chamber end, and re-chamber.
Neil Johnson can convert a single shot to a repeater.
Evelio.

[psteiger]

I had Joe at Neal Johnson's convert my 54 to a repeater. it works flawlessly. Then I had Evelio bed iin an HS precision silhouette stock and it fits perfectly. Now if I could learn to shoot...............

[gc4895]

I am still working on this rifle building project. I am having my receiver grooved forward of the chamber. This will allow me to slide a base on this rifle. I have a base with a Leupold 6.5/20 efr scope mounted on it with Leupold quick change mounts. I slide this setup on to my 1411 for prone matches if I want to use a scope. Generally I'm a iron sight only shooter.

My Model 54 is single shot and I don't plan to have it modified to be magazine fed. I think I'm better off to keep this rifle as is. I'm also not rebarreling it.

At this point I have not been able to find a stock. Consequently, I'm going to shoot this using my hook, though, I'm not going to use the adjustable front handrest. I think I'm going to be overweight due to the heavy adjustable equipment plus hook at the back of the stock but I don't have an alternative right now. I am still looking for a silhouette stock.

My hunter setup is a WW Model 75 sporter with a 2.5x Weaver scope. It weighs in at 6 lbs. 9 oz.

[malinois]

I used to shoot my heavy as a prone gun also..but I had a 30 inch bloop tube barrel that made it eazy to make weight with...I only slid the fixed sights off and then changed stocks and clamped on the scope to the grooves on the receiver....change o presto a silhouette rifle in about 2 minutes. But since I do not shoot prone anymore I had evelio swap the barrel out and now its a sporter rifle.

[gc4895]

I have a 24x Leupold with a 1/4min target dot that is sitting around with nothing to do. I also have rings that fit the Anschutz groove on the receiver. Is this scope too strong for silhouette? I really don't know what the power of scope is generally used. I have the 2.5x Weaver on my hunter and this seems plenty strong. I hold on the critter and squeeze. But I read that some shooters mount 6.5/20x scopes. Stronger power magnifies gun movement.

When I'm shooting smallbore prone I generally don't use higher than 16x. It seems a good balance of seeing the aimpoint and gun movement. How does one cope with magnified movement offhand? I'm thinking 2.5x is plenty.

[malinois]

I started with a 4x scope when I started and gradually worked my way up from there...key to success ,shoot what you are comfortable with....then move up from there. I shot a 40x back in the day...now I shot a 30x just a bit more field of view as well as a brighter image....I usally do not have a spoter working with me...so the lower magnafication aids me to see the conditions as well as my hit or misses...One thing though the higher mag helps you select a spot on the animal instead of the whole animal to shot at.