My .17 Predator
by Dave Affleck
The Rifle – Action
My first decision on this custom rifle project was choosing an action to
build around. After debating the costs, advantages and disadvantages of
picking up a Rem. 700 to use as a donor, ordering a new custom action, or
simply using one of the rifles already in the safe as a donor, I finally
decided to use my old stainless Model Seven .223 as a donor. The rifle had
served me exceedingly well, with many thousands of rounds down the pipe and
an impressive take of varmints ranging from prairie dogs to coyotes under
its belt. But, ever since I had my first .17 Mach IV built, the poor .223
had sat unused. I hate to see any rifle not get used, and the small
stainless Model Seven action would both feed the .17P well and make a nice
proportionate fit for the cartridge. So, the Model Seven it was!
The donor action for this project, my well used
old Model Seven .223.
The Rifle – Trigger
The factory trigger on my Model Seven had been reworked years ago by Neil
Jones to a wonderfully crisp 28 oz. It is no coincidence that all of my
calling and “field” rifles have that same 28 oz. trigger pull. That is
quite a heavy pull by some standards, or quite light by others. For me,
it’s “just right” for a rifle of this type. Plus, I find that having all my
field use rifles having the same trigger pull helps me to maintain good
shooting when switching from one rifle to the other.
The Cartridge
Choosing an action
Choosing a
stock
Choosing a
barrel
The scope
The
Riflesmith
Loading dies & forming cases
Load work
Results in
the field
Final
thoughts
Rocky Mountain Varmint Hunter
R.M.V.H., LLC ·
436 N. Redwood Rd · Salt Lake City, UT · 84116
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