Thread: The WSM gets a make over

A day out from a shooting event probably isn't the best time to pull a rifle apart...but hey, that's how the dice is rolled sometimes.

So, the rifle was set up as a hunting rifle. It tops out at 980y, as that was all my scope adjustment could deliver. Solution is to add a 20MOA base. The base needed considerable work:

Trial fit looked okay, but two issues.


Base needs bedding, as it sits up when screws at one end are done up. I always check for this...and unfortunately I always find this issue. Solution is to bed the rail same as you would an action to remove potential stress.


Other issue was rail was too long, and hit scopes objective, so it was reshaped...







First problem fixed.

Next is the bedding, this is curing right now (did it last)




Now the other problem, and I won't know if I was successful until tomorrow is magazine length. I already had a Wyatt box installed, but this wasn't long enough. It gave me about 76mm, but I need 79mm to fit the 162 Amax. So I milled out the box to 81mm, and welded two magazines together to make my own version of a Wyatt box.

I didnt take any photos...too stressed keeping count of which turn I was on, as there is no digital read out on the mill. It all fit together, so it will only be feed rails that will let me down???

Kj

Nice looking shooter! Nice finish on the stock too - one of Stu's?

Originally Posted by Pop Shot

Nice looking shooter! Nice finish on the stock too - one of Stu's?

Cheers mate, yes the stock is one of stu's (Stug on here). I wet sanded it to flatten out the finish a little, but other than that its all his hard work.

Got to give Stu credit for making bloody tough stocks. I've taken that rifle to fiordland twice, steward island, southern alps chasing tahr and many other places that are hard on gear...still looks like new.

Kj

Originally Posted by kimjon

Got to give Stu credit for making bloody tough stocks. I've taken that rifle to fiordland twice, steward island, southern alps chasing tahr and many other places that are hard on gear...still looks like new.

Kj

My rifles with him now having one fitted! Can't wait!

The extended magazine:


Before, see tip is 4mm too long to fit in mag.


[And a little tab welded to add height. Mag is made by cutting and welding in a strip of metal to extend it out...in this case I used two mags to make one.

The next issue were the feed rails, because the mag is way back, the feed rails also needed to be moved back the same amount. Tricky job, lots of trial fitting. It works, but could be better...but I'm being a pussy and taking it slowly. In the future I'll trim a teeny bit more, but it is functional for now.


Before, see purple mark, that's where I had to trim back too, and after:


Mag follower was reshaped to accommodate fatter case



So, all done for now, rings were lapped, torqued up, scope leveled....and finally tested out to 1106 yards today, with perfect elevation...and a nice group on the next target over (haha got totally beaten by the wind, but lucky I was only testing it, proper shoot is tomorrow).

I had a similar situation where I could only get to about 780 yds. I have a set of Talleys and took off the scope measured everything and set up the distance between the rings with 1" bar and taking my time using emery paper and a flat surface put a 20moa slant on them. Worked out perfectly.

Oh and bolt stop had to be cut shorter, plus the stop point machined back, so bolt comes back to start of magazine.

Kj

Originally Posted by Shootm

I had a similar situation where I could only get to about 780 yds. I have a set of Talleys and took off the scope measured everything and set up the distance between the rings with 1" bar and taking my time using emery paper and a flat surface put a 20moa slant on them. Worked out perfectly.

Dam it, that is what I wanted to do (because rails are gay!)...but I didn't back myself. Im a huge fan of Talley rings, light, strong, and they sit lower than rails do.

Good on you for doing that, maybe next time I'll grow a pair and try it?

On my Tikka T3 .5mm equalled 18.7 Moa so .7mm which is what I was told would be 20moa. If you give it a go that is. Easy as.

Sounds about right. The rail I used was ment to be 20moa, but there was a gap at one end when dry fitted. The gap was about ~0.5mm. I used epoxy to fill it...but in doing so added more MOA. Long story short, im right hard on my bottom elevation adjustment and I'm 1.25" high at 100m. So the extra ~0.5mm robbed all my bottom end adjustment!

No big deal, 1.25" high can be accounted for, just subtract 1.25moa for all values, or put it into shooter app as an offset value and the app magic will deal with it for you

Kj

How many rounds are you getting in the mag now with the
Extended box and what is your max oal?

2 in mag, plus one in chamber. Could possibly get 3 in mag...but its tight. Max oal is 81.5mm.