Tag Archives: Suppressed

Fast Twist and Quiet Shooting: The 8.6 Blackout

May 22, 2025blog300 blackout, 300blk, 338, 338 arc, 338arc, 450 bushmaster, 450bm, 8.6 Blackout, 8.6 BLK, 8.6blk, subsonic, Suppressedcoldboremiracle

Introduction

Every so often there are new cartridges that break onto the shooting scene, most of the time it is part of a marketing campaign, but sometimes there is a higher purpose. Some new cartridges offer a marginally better performance like some extra feet per second, or a faster twist for modern bullets. But today we are looking at a bit of an oddball, in that to some folks it seems like a step in the wrong direction. The subject of discussion today is the very popular fast twist and quiet shooting: The 8.6 Blackout. A relatively new cartridge brought to us by the folks at Q LLC.

athlon Rangecraft velocity pro chronograph, Garmin Xero C1 chronograph, chronograph, comparison, review, garmin, athlon, 8.6 blackout, — the Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Chronograph was used to measure velocity

Blackout Background

The bigger blackout, the 8.6 follows the same line of thinking as the popular 300 Blackout. *Record scratch* The 300 Blk has been around for a long time, first as the 300 Whisper. The cartridge has done well particularly in AR15 platform rifles. Its main idea is contrary to popular trends in ammunition; slowing bullets down to reduce the sound signature. Of course with slower velocities the only way to keep energy on target up is to increase the bullet weights used in these situations. The heavier bullets typically shot at these slow speeds, require faster than average twist.

the **CGS Group Hekate 338 suppressor** was a fantastic option to keep the 8.6 quiet

Slowing bullets down to below the speed of sound is by design with Blackouts, doing so removes the supersonic shockwave produced. And when coupled with a suppressor to remove the muzzle report of the firearm, the result is near movie quiet shooting. This is where both Blackouts shine, when they are shot suppressed with subsonic bullets, there is a level of anonymity that is appealing to many hunters.

The 8.6 Blackout

It should come as no surprise that the boys at Q came up with the 8.6, carrying on from their previous work. The cartridge is based off of the 6.5 Creedmoor case, that is opened up to accept .338 caliber bullets. Bullets typically weigh between 200 and 350 grains, again, using heavier bullets is part of increasing energy on target when increasing velocity is not an option.

Loading the 8.6 Blackout is usually done with faster burning powders typically used in pistols and cowboy cartridges. Again, this is because velocity is not the goal of the 8.6. It has a very specific purpose, to propel big bullets right up to the speed of sound but not exceed it.

I was turned onto the 8.6 Blk a few years ago, when I sat down to speak with Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons. As nerds often do, our discussion quickly went to numbers and the science behind 8.6 ballistics. A brilliant part of the 8.6 design that departs from the 300 Blk predecessor, is the barrel twist. Taking the fast twist for heavy bullets to an extreme, has more than just stabilization benefits. The 8.6 typically uses a one twist in three inches (1:3), yes it almost looks more like threads than rifling. This incredibly tight twist does far more than stabilize long and heavy bullets.

8.6 Blackout, 8.6blk, brass, loading, desert tech, srs, srs a1, sig sauer, tango 6

The Numbers

Let us again look at numbers, the point of the Blackouts is to keep bullets under the speed of sound. Subsonic bullets are quiet, and if you can’t increase speed the only way to increase the energy on target is to increase the mass of the bullet. At least it was the only way, but there is another. The 1:3 twist of the 8.6 drastically increases the rotation of the bullets, and as the RPM of 8.6 bullets increase, so does the energy they impart on the target.

8.6 Blackout, 8.6blk, brass, loading, 300 grain, sierra match King — The 300 gr. Sierra Match King is a great bullet for the 8.6Blk, they were provided by **Wideners Reloading supplies**

This of course only works if the bullet grossly deforms from its smooth shape. Imagine if you could, removing the blade of your favorite blender, and putting a bullet in its place. Even if you filled the blender with tomatoes, the spinning bullet wouldn’t do much. But imagine now that the bullet opens up like some are designed to do, with broad petals and increased diameter. You can imagine what this blender bullet might do to organs, even though its velocity is subsonic.

8.6 Blackout, 8.6blk, brass, loading, desert tech, srs, srs a1, sig sauer, tango 6, anechoic, anechox 35, suppressor

Popular Firearms in 8.6 Blackout

As the popularity of the 8.6 has increased, many firearm manufacturers have brought new guns to the market chambered thusly. And the volume of manufacturers doing so, seems to show some faith in the concept. It would be far too time consuming to list them all, but its safe to assume you can find one from your preferred brand. Whether it be one of the Fix’s by Q, or one of the CMMG variants, or more bargain branded guns like Bear Creek Arsenal. The 8.6 I am shooting today is like many others a custom one, a sixteen-inch 1:3 twist barrel for my Desert Tech SRS.

my **Desert Tech SRS 8.6Blk** with the **Anechoic Anechox 35 suppressor** and **Sig Sauer Tango 6 riflescope**

Of course the 8.6 Blackout can also be used as a supersonic cartridge as well. There are plenty of options out there in the 180-230 grain class that can also be used. Though my personal opinion is if you are going to shoot super sonic cartridges there are better options.

Suppressors

Shooting the 8.6Blk without a suppressor makes no sense to me, so I wanted to try a few different options to see what worked best. It should come as no surprise that the CGS Group Hekate won that competition. This DMLS suppressor is well known for its superior suppression, and it made the 8.6 sound like a distant duck fart in quiet water.

a little spread of some of my **8.6 Blk handloading supplies**

I purchased a set of dies by Lee Precision, and started trying various loads to see where the 8.6 would take me. I will say that I did find it a touch more challenging than loading the 300Blk. It took a little more work to find the right powder and suppressor combination that would produce quiet results.

Continue Reading Here

Comparing Subsonic Bullets to SuperSonic
Velocity	300gr SMK 8.6Blk	% of Loss from start	300gr SMK 338LM	% of Loss from start
Muzzle	1000 fps / 666 Ft lbs	100%	2730 fps / 4963 Ft lbs	100%
250 Yards	965 fps / 620 Ft lbs	96% fps / 93% Ft lbs	2484 fps / 4111 Ft lbs	91% fps / 83% Ft lbs
500 Yards	932 fps / 578 Ft lbs	93% fps / 87% Ft lbs	2250 fps / 3373 Ft lbs	82% fps / 68% Ft lbs
750 Yards	900 fps / 539 Ft lbs	90% fps / 81% Ft lbs	2027 fps / 2738 Ft lbs	74% fps / 55% Ft lbs

Left to Right: 300 Blk, 8.6 Blk, 450 Bushmaster, 338 Lapua Magnum. The three on the left are loaded subsonic for quiet work

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First Round Pop – Why The First Shot Is The Loudest Using A Suppressor

May 9, 2022blog, suppressorsfirst round pop, pop, silencer, Suppressed, suppressorcoldboremiracle

The whole reason you bought a suppressor was to get rid of the noise involved with shooting right? Today we are going to discuss one of the phenomenon that comes with suppressors, and one not everybody is familiar with. First Round pop (FRP) as it is most commonly known, is the additional sound that comes when the first shot of a string is fired from a suppressed firearm. But is it something you need to worry about?

this **Daniel Defense Delta 5** sounded great with the **YHM R9 suppressor**

What Causes FRP?

FRP is caused by the presence of unburned oxygen in the suppressor when a shot is fired. The available oxygen inside the suppressor is ignited by the burning gasses and pressure from the muzzle. Subsequent shots are typically less volatile due to the combustion of the oxygen during the first shot. As you continue to fire cartridges, the suppressor body is filled with burnt gas from previous shots, eliminating secondary combustion inside the suppressor. Obviously, if your shots are spaced out enough, the gasses can leave the suppressor and be replaced by fresh air, allowing the cycle to start anew.

What Effects First Round Pop?

FRP varies between suppressor type, cartridges, velocity and other variables. A larger suppressor can house more oxygen, and higher pressure cartridges can cause additional pop volume. You could also experience additional pop from using a suppressor of a larger bore than necessary, as it allows faster ventilation of the suppressor body. The size of the cartridge and the powder charge inside it can also effect the significance of FRP.

Sub-sonic vs. Supersonic

Subsonic shooting is the apex of suppressed shooting, movie-quiet suppression is the goal with sub-sonic suppressed weapons. So as you might imagine, FRP is the adversary of sub-sonic shooters. Some folks even go as far as purging their suppressor with inert gasses prior to shooting to avoid it. Other things such as suppressor wipes can also help keep oxygen from entering the suppressor body and causing FRP.

Supersonic cartridges are already quite noisy, so it is less likely as big a concern for those shooters. Personally I don’t worry too much about it, and for the most part I rarely even notice.

Living with First Round Pop

If your like me, you probably don’t worry much about a few extra decibels when you start a shot string. But if you are one of those who like to play sniper in the back 40 with raccoons or hogs, then you may go to extremes to avoid this pesky pop. Make sure you have the best suppressor for the host you intend to shoot with, some are much better matched to your host than others. The right suppressor can produce less FRP, and if you use some of the other practices to reduce it you can get some very unsuspicious results. There are suppressor gels that you can squirt into the suppressor prior to your first shot that will aid in suppressing FRP. You could also purge your can with inert gas before heading out, and cover the muzzle to keep it inert. You could also do something as simple as adding a touch of water to the inside of your suppressor prior to shooting to help keep down the FRP. Just make sure that whatever practice you use is approved by the suppressor manufacturer, this will help you avoid costly repairs and additional wasteful NFA taxes.

Final Pop

First round pop is simply a biproduct of suppressor design, it can be a problem if you are a CIA spook or suburban hunter. But in the end it is mostly a manageable problem for some, and very minor inconvenience for others. Fuss with it if you must, and enjoy the pleasant sound of silence when it seems least likely.

-CBM

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Suppressed Weapon Systems MISB 308 Win for the Desert Tech SRS

July 10, 2020Product review, Shooting hardware, suppressors308, Desert tech, Integrally suppressed, SRS a1, srs a2, Suppressed, suppressed weapon systems, suppressorcoldboremiracle

Introduction

I swore off shooting unsuppressed long ago, and I only do it occasionally by choice. The suppressor bug bit me hard many years ago, and I have never vanquished its effects. With that in mind, I am always thinking about better ways to hush the noise of my favorite pastime. Who would have thought that an idea I had depreciated would turn my jaded eye.

One of my most favorite rifles of all time, is my old Desert Tech SRS A1. I have run countless barrels through it, I currently have somewhere between ten and fifteen barrels of assorted different calibers. Factory, custom, and even a few specialty barrels. Even with all those options, I still love my old 16” 308 Winchester Covert barrel. The calm and consistent performance of the 308 is like an old friend, so when I got the opportunity to try yet another great 308 Winchester option for my favorite rifle, I jumped at it.

Suppressed Weapon Systems

Suppressed Weapon Systems has been in the suppression business for some time. They specialize in the integration of suppression technology directly into the firearm, instead of making the suppressor just a muzzle device. Their MISB (Monolithic Integrally Suppressed Barrel) is available for many different firearms, including my dearest SRS. The modularity of the SRS family of rifles makes it ideal to pair with technology like the MISB, and with a durable cartridge like the 308, it would last for some time.

I’ve often tinkered with the idea of an integrally suppressed barrel for my SRS, but I was always worried about spending the money on an NFA item that would get burnt out and need to be replaced. A valid concern I had always thought, but the MISB is constructed in such a way that the tube can easily be removed and installed on a new barrel/baffle stack. So with my main concern assuaged, I dove in with both feet.

The Suppressed Weapon Systems MISB for the SRS is manufactured from a Bartlein Barrel blank, well known for great quality and precise shooting. The muzzle is cut at a determined length, in my barrel’s case, around sixteen inches. But the remainder of the barrel blank is then cut into the suppressor baffles. The length of the barrel to the breach of the muzzle is fluted, and drilled, I assume to decrease weight but also to add an expansion chamber for venting high pressure gas.

The outer tube of the Suppressed Weapon Systems MISB is a good fit, but not entirely tight, this was a bit of a concern for me at first but I later learned it was necessary to free-float the barrel. Having the outer tube captured and tightened with the barrel would add stress and torque to the overall structure. The tube is sealed at both ends with what appears to be Viton high temp fluoroelastomer O-rings. The muzzle end of the MISB has a threaded cap also sealed with the O-ring, it is knurled and has cuts for torquing it into place with a tool. Its an impressive example of machining design and ingenuity.

Shooting with the SWS barrel

I couldn’t wait to get the barrel mounted in my rifle chassis, and test its performance. As soon as I got home with it, I hurried to my basement man-cave and installed it into my SRS. I found the fit to be a bit snug, perhaps more-so than any other barrel I’ve tried. Its easy to get a burr on the shank of SRS barrels, one must be careful. But that was not the case with the MISB, it was simply just a bit tight. Perhaps a slightly smaller diameter would help, but I found it to be consistent, so it was a minor inconvenience. It was the same when I mounted it in my SRS A2.

desert tech srs — two rifles, top sporting a **US Optics** B25 and the bottom one with a **Sig Sauer Tango 6**

Once mounted, I headed for the hills to get the rifle zeroed with this new barrel. As usual, it was an easy process. Most SRS chassis will change POI with a different barrel, but it is rarely off by more than a few inches. So a quick re-zero on my scope was easy, and in no time I was using the rifle to shoot steel at 710 yards.

Looking for a regular suppressor?

SWS guarantees sub MOA accuracy for three shots with their MISB system, but suggests that 1/2 to 3/4 MOA is expected more often than not. I found my barrel to be consistent with that.

The suppression quality of the barrel was on par with what I expected. The first round pop was significant, but quickly forgotten with successive shots. The slender barrel looks very handsome in my A1 with the longer handguard. A few inches longer than a standard twenty-two inch barrel which pokes just out of the handguard. When mounted in my SRS Covert A2, it was a few inches longer than the standard Covert sixteen-inch barrel when fitted with the DTSS Suppressor.

Conclusion

I think the Suppressed Weapon Systems MISB barrel offers a great option for those looking for a slender and inconspicuous barrel to keep things quiet. At $2200 for a barrel, it is no small investment. But it’s also not much different than a good barrel fitted with a suppressor would cost you, and SRS owners are gluttons for dropping coin on good barrels. And the fact that you can reuse the tube on a new barrel blank having no interaction with the Federal agency everyone loves to hate makes it even more appealing. I look forward to using it even more in the future.
-CBM

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Taurus TX22 Pistol

August 1, 2019pistols, Shooting hardware22, 22lr, pistol, Suppressed, Taurus, tx22coldboremiracle

Introduction

I have long wanted a 22LR pistol, if nothing else just to have some cheap shooting fun for myself and the kids. Its hard to beat the 22 for teaching kids the responsibility that firearms demand, and they are so fun to shoot that anything less than a brick of ammo just wont do.
The only thing that kept me from buying one over the years were concerns of performance. There always seemed to be issues with 22LR pistols, be it malfunctions like a jam, or being finicky when it came to ammunition. All I wanted was a gun that ran perfectly every time, and one that I didn’t have to worry about what to feed it. Today we hit the range with the Taurus TX22 pistol, to see if it can change all that.

The Taurus USA TX22 pistol caught my eye at SHOT Show 2019, I immediately fell in love with the feel of the pistol, the grip did not feel like many of the 22 auto pistols I had held before. It felt like a full size gun in my hand, the grip texture gave an almost sticky feeling in your palm. The well balanced and lightweight TX22 felt much like an M&P, or maybe a Sig Sauer P320.
Another great feature of the TX22 is it’s 16 round magazines, and it comes with two. Most 22 auto pistols are single stack 10 round magazines, it is refreshing to see that barrier being broken.
For the many patrons to the NFA, adding a suppressor to your favorite pistol is a must. Many of the 22 pistols available today come with threaded barrels for suppressors, but the TX22 even comes with the adaptor collar needed to mount the suppressor.

When I picked up my TX22 from my FFL, I already had a box of ammo and suppressor in hand. So it should come as no surprise to you that I didn’t even make it home before shooting this handsome little Taurus.

The TX22 shown with suppressor collar installed, without it, the barrel is flush to the nose of the slide.

A quick stop by my local shooting spot armed with 100 CCI Mini Mags was just enough to wet my whistle. It was the fastest five minutes of my life if I recall, those hundred rounds burned through the TX22 like grain through a goose. I was now addicted to this thing, I temporarily left my range to get two important things; More ammo, and my son. I knew he would love this thing as much as I did.

A few hours later, after Junior and I had stopped by Sportsman’s Warehouse, we were ready to go for round two. I had purchased an assortment of ammunition, a pretty good spread in my estimation. I wanted to try everything, from the cheapest bulk ammunition to the ritzy high end stuff. I even bought a couple different boxes of subsonic ammunition, to see how the TX22 would handle it.

The next few hours of shooting turned out to be some of the funnest we’ve ever shared, magazine after magazine of plinking fun. We tried every kind of ammunition I brought, the cheap bulk stuff from Remington, the Winchester 333 pack, CCi subsonic, Remington Hornets, and even some Aguila Eley Prime. I was ecstatic with the performance, after shooting six or seven hundred rounds, we hadn’t experienced a single failure (but for the 730 fps subsonics, they will not cycle the gun, even suppressed). My favorite ammo for the TX22 would have been both the CCI subsonic 1050fps, and the Winchester 333 pack. Both of them shot very accurate from the TX22, at least more so than the rest.

The pistol runs flawless whether suppressed or not. There is of course a bit more back-pressure when shooting suppressed, this causes the gun to foul a little more aggressively but that is no surprise. I loved shooting the gun without the suppressor too, it is balanced perfectly, and fit me so well that I found myself hardly using the sights.
The very mild recoil of the 22LR is soaked up nicely by the recoil spring, the gun hardly moves in the hand when fired. Follow-up shots are easily made, and can be done so very quickly.
The trigger of the TX22 features a trigger safety, but utilizes the whole shoe vs. a blade safety like many are accustomed to. The striker fired TX22 trigger is very clean, and resets are pretty short as well. I would love to shoot this gun in some kind of three gun competition or something similar, the inexistent recoil and fast shot to shot time would be a blast.

The sixteen round magazines were nice to have as well, one thing about 22’s is you spend a lot of time reloading. So having sixteen rounds to shoot prolonged the time one spent at the shooting line. The magazines have a small circular pin through the follower that you can pull down slowly as you add rounds to the feed lips until it is full.

The gun is easily disassembled following the directions in the owners manual. With as much ammo as you will go through, you will need to clean it often. Especially as dirty as most 22 ammo is. No tools are needed, except for removing or installing the suppressor collar. And I would suggest removing it after every range session, if only to clean it. I’d hate to see it get stuck on the barrel by all the 22 gunk.

The TX22 has a single magazine release, though it can be switched from side to side. It comes configured for a right handed shooter, but the simple directions in the manual allow lefties to switch it over to their liking. I initially found the magazine release to feel a bit small and perhaps difficult to purchase with my thumb. However I quickly withdrew that observation after shooting the gun, at no point during all my shooting did I find it to be a problem. Mag changes were done quickly and without any issues.

The TX22 with the Silencerco Spectre II suppressor

The easily adjustable sights were another welcome feature. There are two screws you can adjust with a micro flat blade screwdriver, one is for elevation adjustment, and the other for windage.
The TX22 also features an ambidextrous safety, with familiar positioning and function. Up for safe, and pulling down with the thumb puts the gun into the firing mode.
The front of the polymer frame features an accessory rail where you can add you favorite light, laser, or other device.

As it turns out, the Taurus TX22 is everything I hoped it would be when I first held it in a Las Vegas casino. It shoots as good as it handles, it’s function matches it’s handsome looks. It brings some great new features that were long overdue.
I love this little pistol, its been hard to put down. I even left my usual CCW at home, just so I had an excuse to have the TX22 with me so I could look at it, and show it to friends. Not that I would recommend a 22LR for a carry gun, but it sure was nice to have such a light and narrow pistol inside my belt for a change. We had fun shooting the pistol at the range, as well as a little squirrel hunting. The SilencerCo Spectre II made the gun so quiet, we could sneak into acorn distance.

You mess with the bull, you catch these horns.

The only negative things I have to bring up about the TX22 is regarding the magazine design. As I removed them from the box, the floor-plate of both magazines was easily pushed off. The first time resulted in my magazine guts getting shot out across the floor. They aren’t big pieces, so it took a bit to find them all. When I tested the second magazine for the issue, I found it to be the same, the floor-plate retainer didn’t seem to have enough of an anchor to keep them in place.
Oddly enough though, the problem never reoccured. After shooting the gun a few times, I again tried to get the floor-plates to slide off. But even with aggressive pressure they stayed in position. Perhaps the vibration of shooting helped seat them better? Either way, the problem has never been repeated.
Another concern is more of a user problem than a design one. When loading the magazines, it is easy to want to just pull the follower down well ahead of the cartridges you are feeding into the lips. This can cause cartridges to tilt inside the magazine, causing an obvious malfunction which usually requires emptying the magazine and starting anew. This problem is easily remedied by only pulling the follower down to allow the next cartridge to be fed into the magazine. One at a time until all sixteen rounds are loaded.

These are minimal complaints, and surely not something that would inhibit my purchase of another one. The Taurus USA TX22 is a fantastic pistol all around, it is simply done right. It wouldn’t surprise me if its a design they continue to build on for additional pistols, and I will be watching and waiting for it.

-CBM

If you like the TX22, you’ll LOVE the TX22 Compact. Click here to read about it.

A Rifle for Coldboremiracle Junior: Custom Remington 700

January 11, 2018blog, Shooting hardware260, 260rem, firstgun, kids, Remington, remington700, Rifle, shortbarrel, Suppressed, youthcoldboremiracle

Coldboremiracle Junior

Some of you have seen CBM Jr. following along on some of my adventures, he’s been my little hunting companion since he first came on the deer hunt when he was three years old. He has grown up quite a bit, not missing a single hunt, to the point that he thinks he’s one of the guys in our hunting group.

This year marks a special point in his life, as it will be the first year that he is old enough to hunt himself. Just last month he finished his hunter safety course, and he is excited as ever to go hunt elk, and deer with the big boys. He has long hunted small game with his little .17HMR, but it surely won’t do for anything bigger than rabbits and chucks. Today I’m sharing with you how he came into his own Remington 700 custom hunting rifle.

cricket .17hmr — Junior shooting his **Cricket .17HMR**

I had anticipated this for some time, and for the last year or so I have been putting together the necessary parts to put him together a proper rifle, one he can use and be proud of as long as he has need for it. A huge thanks goes to the PR community for helping me get the parts put together for a very economic price.

Both my kids come hunting and shooting with me as often as possible

See Junior’s rifle in its first action here!

Putting together a custom Remington 700

The game plan I had started with the basics, what action? I wanted this to be good, but cheap. So I figured a good Remington or Savage action would do well, and in short time, I had my hands on a good Remington 700 short action. The next question which I spent a lot of time debating was caliber. Sure, there are plenty of easy options. How many kids start their hunting career with a 243? That was an easy answer, but my kid inherited his Mother’s taste. And he seems to desire elk hunting more so than deer. Granted, plenty of elk are killed every year with 243’s, but I wasn’t sure I wanted something that light for a kid who has big dreams of elk. I also was taking into account the practicality, I already have everything to reload 308, so that would be a valid option as well (downloaded for a small kid of course). So after much debate, going back and forth, I decided to settle on the .260 Remington, the choice of distinguished shooters everywhere.

remington 700 custom — Junior learning to shoot his rifle suppressed with a **YHM Phantom**

It didn’t hurt that it’s one of my favorites as well, and I have everything I need to load it. Plus, a 260 fits right in that spot; plenty big to hammer any deer or antelope, and just big enough to work well on elk. With the added benefit of still being short action, and modest recoil when downloaded with light bullets, just right for this kid.
So I started looking for a 264 barrel, and to my surprise, I found the perfect barrel for my project. A slightly used pre-cut AAC barrel made for a Remington. It was a 24″ with an 8 twist, but I had a friend cut it down to 16″, and re-threaded for the much needed muzzle embellishments. The stock was made from an old walnut Remington, that I cut down, and did some whittling to fit a smaller framed hunter. I added a pic rail to the front for a bipod mount, and bottom/side flush cups for sling mounting. A bit of bedding compound, and some grip texturing, followed by some keen squirts of Duracote to handsome up the ensemble.

Loading for the rifle

I started out with a very in expensive 120BTHP from PVRI, loaded up on top of 38g of some Benchmark I had been given. With mag feed seating depth, it gave around 2800 fps from the short little barrel. And with very little adjustment, or load development for that matter, I could pound 8″ targets at 500 yds all day long. That’s about all the shooting I’ve done with it yet, I plan on letting him get comfortable with it, and once he has burned up the 500 120 PVRI bullets, maybe we’ll step him up to the 140’s. At first I had put a Minox 1-6 scope on it, but the scope currently riding on top is a US Optics TS8X in 30mm rings and a 30MOA EGW scope base.

remington 700 mule deer — He’s grown up, but he still likes that little rifle.

Believe it or not, I am into this project for less than 500$ (except the scope of course) Thanks to many who either gave me parts, or their time. It’s a fine rifle, one that any kid getting into hunting would be happy to have.
-CBM