Budget F-Open Rifle - Omark 6.5x47Lap - Opinions

[Quinny]

Ever since I sold my Savage F/TR, everything I have had since then has not really cut it, so I am looking to build an F-Open rifle without spending a stupid amount of money. I am realistic about costs, I am not trying to do it for $3.50 or anything, but don't want to spend $7000 either....

I would love to build off a Barnard action, but it is just out of my budget so here is what I am thinking.

Omark action
6.5x47 Lapua
Maddco barrel - 26", .290" neck turn chamber
Geoff Slee style walnut thumbhole stock (just because I like walnut) glass bedded
Davies F-Class 2 stage trigger
Davies 20MOA scope rail
Sightron SIII 10-50x60 scope with fine cross hair reticle with .1MOA dot

Hoping that this should give me good performance at ranges out to 1000yd for F-Class and the occasional benchrest comp.

Would appreciate any thoughts on this - I have not seen an Omark 6.5x47 before. Any ideas on what might be done better?

[pjifl]

If you have an Omark (especially if you already have an adapter), and you can obtain any spares you may need, I think it is a very good use for an Omark and in the right hands there is no reason it will not win shoots and embarrass Barnard Owners. I would consider buying a few spare parts while you still can - Omarks are becoming rarer. Yes I would prefer a Barnard but the Omark can perform very well. I would still choose an Omark over Mauser clones or Remingtons but would prefer not to use large cases and definitely not a Magnum. A 6.5 x 47 or 6 x 47 or even a lowly 6 BR is ideal. Your combination makes full sense. That scope is usually reliable and a fair performer.

If you are moving from FS or FTR, it may not be your immediate thought. but consider how to build the rifle up to maximum weight of 10 Kg. This is especially beneficial if you want to entice new shooters or timid shooters because the difference in recoil and how the rifle handles will be substantial.

I would use a parallel barrel blank of 30 inch. It is heavier and with the extra mass coaxial with the boreline. If you think an Omark is not really up to supporting 30 inches maybe 28 inches but no less. This gives the option of rechambering down the line after 1500 - 2000 shots depending on how heavy your loads are.

I personally would not neck turn.

It will easily shoot out to 1200 y although may not be the most competitive rifle on the mound.

Peter Smith.

[williada]

I think the gear is really suited to the 6mm range of chamberings. The 6 Br is really sweet, but there has been a tendency in recent times to use the 6mm Dasher in big events because of the velocity edge, up to the middle ranges, then switch to a bigger 7 mm for the longs. Its up there with the big boys except for 1000 yards in rough conditions. It shoots tight, bag handling is superb and is a very efficient case in terms of velocity spreads. It can utilise a wide range of powders to achieve quick velocity that bigger bores require a longer barrel to top speed up with. The barrel dimensions Peter suggests, I fully endorse. With the dollar losing ground and the uncertainty of supply, the 6 mm is a more economic proposition and there is an abundance of projectiles in this calibre. What I would do, as a number of shooters do is buy a bulk supply of projectiles after testing a few different ones to see what it likes to munch because the barrels last longer.

[6602steven]

Hey Quinny, I think an Omark is an excellent base for any target build but I'd agree a 6mm is hard to go past. Unless you shooting beyond 600 regularly the little 105's just seem go where they're supposed to.

Mines shooting well at 300m with little load development and weighs just 5.6kg (it's a light varmint gun without a weight in the butt.)

You're welcome to have a shot of it at Mudgee next month if you want

Steve

[trxdick]

Hi Quinny, I've recently finished a "budget" build very similar to what you are proposing:

Omark action
Maddco adaptor
Maddco #7 HV 30" barrel in 308W
Gunstockz F-class stock
Davies trigger
Ken Farrell Savage scope base with Burris Signature Zee rings
Weaver x36 scope

I've only just run in the barrel and had one outing at 600yds at the range but it's looking very promising!
I've accumulated some of the parts over time so don't have the current pricing but would expect something over $2k invested. The 30" #7 HV barrel doesn't appear to be too heavy but I personally wouldn't be comfortable with much more hanging off the action. FYI my all up weight is 7.2 Kg for F-Std. Also I know a couple of mates who shoot 6BR with similar equipment and do very well.

One thing I really like is it's all Aussie made except for the scope, base and rings. I'm biased but I would recommend the Omark as a base for a budget build.

Cheers, Richard.

[John23]

I built a very accurate rifle using a Omark action.
There is some pics and info on it in the photo section.

Things to consider from my point of view.

Make sure you purchase one with a barrel adapter and also a scope mount.
These are two major cost for the Omark.

Barrel adapters are $300 of these days and will also require stock work at extra expense.
Scope rails are limited in choice but most of the rifle association stores have them as well as Davies and Lynx optics and tse though the latter two were too expensive in my opinion.
In the end I made mine from a blank to suit.


Once your score a rail you will need to have the action drilled and tapped to suit.

See how things can ad up!


Now on the plus side there is a lot of good omarks out there.
I put a wtb ad up here and purchased a nice rifle with adapter , good walnut stock with bedding block and kreiger barrel for $300 .

I could have fit a scope mount and went shooting just fine.
Instead I did a bit of a rebuild and although it cost nothing but my time it would have been costly to get it to the stage it is at now.
But still not Barnard ect costly.

Any Remington 700 trigger will fit with a quick file job on the bolts cocking tab .
I used a mark x 700 trigger and converted it to a 3 lever system "Remington 2oz trigger". Once again free but time consuming.

Tse has parts for them and at a fair price for the most part.

It will simply be a matter of finding the right rifle that needs the least work.


My only complaint is they have poor primary extraction and can get a little stiff with hot loads.
It's not a problem but more so of a quirk , when pushing the load boundaries i find myself giving the bolt handle a light tap tap at times to get the case moving out.

Simple solution is to have moderate loads that extract with ease.

I am at Silverdale from time to time and you are welcome to line up a test drive if you like and am still in the neighbourhood. I will be there on the 13th of feb for a fly shoot but can chuck a extra rifle in for the day.

[smlekid]

Hi Quinny I had the same idea I wanted a nice FO rifle but couldn't justify spending a whole lot of cash on a rifle that only gets used a few times a year ( I shoot a lot of different disciplines F class is about 4th on the list). I already had a FS Omark in 308 and was very happy with how it shot so I picked up a buggered Omark for the action and had Jerome Ziersch build me a very nice accurate rifle
I was leaning towards a 260 Rem but went with a 6.5 Super LR 42.5grs of 2209 140 VLD's jammed .010" runs 2950fps in a 30" Krieger LV Barrel the rifle is beautiful to shoot and way more accurate than I am!!!
here is a link to my rifle
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5702
I too found primary extraction a problem I noticed the bolt wasn't contacting the action on bolt lift hence no extraction a little tig weld to build up the bolt handle fixed that problem

[Quinny]

Thanks guys. I am a little curious why people recommend the 6mm over 6.5. I know the 6BR is a great little cartridge, but apart from being a bit cheaper to load for, and a little less recoil, what advantage does it offer over the 6.5x47 ?

There was also mention of not neck turning - I have read up a bit on this, it seems that some like to do it and some don't, but I see a lot of people saying that having properly formed necks is a good thing to do with this cartridge. Is there any reason that you would not do it (apart from it being a bit of a pain...)?

I did not know that the Remington 700 triggers fit, had I known that I probably would have gone with a different trigger, but I am sure the Davies will be fine, though I am not the biggest fan of the straight trigger pad.

The rifle I have purchased already has a stainless 308 barrel on it with an adapter, so that is one cost I do not need to pay. Also, it has a different stock, trigger and target peep sights that I will be changing out, so I should be able to get some money back on the sale of those to recoup some costs.

The costs I have is as follows:

Rifle - $650
Barrel - $860
Stock - $400
Trigger - $215
Scope Rail - $120
Sale of old stock/sights/trigger -$400 (approx)

= $1845 + cost to mount the rail.

Plus scope - Sightron S3 10-50x is $1400, or 36x fixed is around $900...

[6602steven]

"what advantage does it offer over the 6.5x47 ?"

I'm not sure, but look at the number of matches one under 600 and what cartridges are used and at a guess I'd say (just guessing) it's 10:1 in favor of the 6mm over.

As I was looking for a 500m fly rifle originally I just looked at the equipment list of the top 10 and 6mm made up 8/10 spots.

Maybe it's ease of tuning I'm sure others will have an idea but when the 6.5x47 becomes more dominant I'm sure lots more shooters will go that way

Steve

[Barossa_222]

Just me two cents worth. I have a 6BR, Dasher and a 6.5x47. All of them incredibly accurate and easy to tune for. All of the rifles are chambered with no turn necks. I've found it isn't necessary provided you use an expander ball or mandrel if you are using bushing dies. I have friends who are running 6.5 and 6mm SLRs with good results also. Anything you pick will be fine and will shoot if your smith knows how to build a rifle and you know your way around the reloading bench. I have run into trouble with mine recently with the lack of both Berger 105gr Hybrids and Berger 130gr VLDs as everyone else has. My pick out of the bunch is the 6.5x47.

Personally I wouldn't build on an Omark again. I have nothing against them, but I've been down that track and ended up with a Panda F Class. The Omark cost me around $2500 to build without glass and I bought a second hand Panda with a 400 round count 6.5x47 barrel for $3500. I built the Omark when I really should have just waited and saved the difference. The Omarks are a great starting point, but the upside of using a "newer" action have more benefits.

[mongrel284]

I have a 6.5x47 with a savage stock savage action. for sale .Its on the for sale part on this web site. If you would to contact me on 0414733499.regarding what you would like and how much you would like to spend. Peter

[BATattack]

Just a thought. by the time you buy and omark action and an adapter you could buy a whole new howa, Stevens or even used Remington rifle. Omark actions are OK but as mentioned they are getting hard to find parts and many are getting worn.

even if you bought a whole howa rifle and sold the barrel and stock you would end up saving more money than you would starting with a "cheap" omark and end up with a modern action with avaliable parts and triggers and rails etc

[Quinny]

I did look at a few different options when I bought the Omark. I looked at second hand Remington/Tikka rifles, second hand benchrest/F-Class rifles, even looking to see if there was something suitable that just needed a new barrel, and I could not find anything of interest for a reasonable price. I ended up deciding that if I could not find something then I would build something, so an Omark seemed like the most cost effective way to start. I did look at Pierce and Barnard actions, but it all worked out too expensive. The whole rifle will owe me less than the cost of a Barnard action.

One advantage with the Omark is that the rifle cost me $650 with aftermarket trigger, stock, barrel and adapter - the only thing I am going to use is the action and adapter. The fact it has an adapter already means a $300 saving, and I will get a few hundred back on selling the other bits, so the action is effectively free...

I could just stick a scope on it and shoot it as a 308 in FS but the whole idea of this is to get exactly what I want.

[plumbs7]

After neck turning no turn necks and tight necks and not turning eg stock necks I can't see an advantage in accuracy in doing it , if ur gun is set up right . Other than in a tight neck one maybe able to anneal their necks less as they don't have to expand out 8 thou etc!
There are a lot of no turn necks going round that are doing quite well!

[John23]

I have turned and not turned, I am not convinced it is worth all the extra prep.
Same goes for neck tension I have spent a lot of time playing with that and then reverted back to a standard rcbs die and shot just as good with 0.004" neck tension.

I am not sure of the effects of neck clearance on accuracy?
I do know my 308 chamber reamer was made for lapua brass and has about 0.002" clearance.
Shoot better or not the brass gets worked a lot less which is a good thing for case life.




Omark tip I learned the hard way....

Don't dry fire them. It will split they bolt head retaining pin in two.
When making my Remington 2oz trigger I was guilty of dry firing a lot of times.
On the last fine tune the bolt behaved funny and the pin was in half.
I always drop in a fired case now.