NUCLEUS BOLT ACTION

[Wilson1911]

The barrel group buy is for shouldered barrels. Not sure how the barlock comes with that design.
The clearance cut is a non issue now, it has been revised.
But if your looking for small shank savage stuff, then the 50 bone barlock is what you want.

[flyer]

Yeah, the PVA Nucleus barrel group buy is for shouldered barrels to be used with a standard recoil lug, not Barlock.

Oddly, the current price for Savage pre-fit is about the same as the group buy.  If it doesn't need the clearance cut, that's exactly what I need to work with Barlock.

Adding it up, I think I'm going to come in at around $2,250 with KRG Bravo chassis, a cut rifled barrel, Shockwave muzzle device, Barlock and Calvin Elite trigger.  That's a decent upgrade to the John Hancock spec for not much more money.

[shoottothrill]

Ordered an action with the barloc.  Ordered a LA as I am thinking of building a 6.5-284 but you know how that goes, I may wake up one morning with different ideas.

I really dont think I will use the barlock but for $50 it leaves an option on the table.

flyer: I may have to look into that KRG bravo chassis, it looks promising.

Now have to decide the many stupid things like barrel contour, stock and trigger. Sure pick a heavy barrel now and later bitch carrying the rifle "why the flock did i get this boat anchor".

I am hoping that there are no major issues with this new action as we are the beta testers.

[flyer]

Yeah, beta testing is a risk but ARC makes the Mausingfield which people love and the Nucleus shares a lot of the features.  It shouldn't be that big of a stretch to build the Nucleus right.  To me it looks like two major changes were done for cost reduction, the separate recoil lug has to be much easier than a single piece and there is no scope rail mounting rib.  Both of those things should make it easier for ARC to make the receiver nice and straight as well as cheaper.  I'm guessing the interior rails and receiver lugs are wire EDM cut which is another process that should keep the receiver nice and straight so the three lug bolt shouldn't increase the degree of difficulty very much at all.

I'm expecting good things.

If you go for a heavy contour, that Barlock might be just the thing when you want to go light.

[Danbonzo]

Yeah, the PVA Nucleus barrel group buy is for shouldered barrels to be used with a standard recoil lug, not Barlock.

Oddly, the current price for Savage pre-fit is about the same as the group buy.  If it doesn't need the clearance cut, that's exactly what I need to work with Barlock.

Adding it up, I think I'm going to come in at around $2,250 with KRG Bravo chassis, a cut rifled barrel, Shockwave muzzle device, Barlock and Calvin Elite trigger.  That's a decent upgrade to the John Hancock spec for not much more money.

You're really going to like the Shockwave ??

[flyer]

KRG offers a Sako green color option.

The picture I'm trying to attach is a Tikka action I think but it has the black receiver with stainless barrel.

I kind of like the green but I think I might have to Ceracoat the barrel black for tacticalness.

I wish PVA would offer nitride as a barrel finish, then everything would match from action to muzzle device.

[flyer]

Magazines are the next thing.  I see three major options:

KRG sells KRG branded accurate mags at a discount with the purchase of a chassis system.  ARC has their center feed double stack mags that should match the receiver but they are most expensive.  Finally Magpul is the cheap option.

PVA says their 6.5 Creedmoor chamber is SAAMI and should shoot everything.  Does that mean I should go for the magazine that is the longest internally?  I think that is probably the KRG branded Accurate Mags but I'm not sure.

ARC says their center feed mags make it easier for a two lug bolt to pick up a round with the bolt head.  They say three lug bolts have a lug hanging down so they work well with anything but the Nucleus is controlled feed so maybe better alignment would help?

Magpul is cheap and widely available so if I crush a mag, I'll probably be able to find a replacement locally if I'm in a hurry.

Everything is plus and minus.

[shoottothrill]

The thing about the creedmoor is the standard throat is too long IMO. In order to get bullets close to the lands you have to seat them long, past many standard mag's max length.
So the barrel is new and you are seating bullets to 2.890, fine it is done all the time! But what happens when you burn through .030 of throat?
Though to chase the lands, unless you want to single feed.

[Danbonzo]

Magazines are the next thing.  I see three major options:

KRG sells KRG branded accurate mags at a discount with the purchase of a chassis system.  ARC has their center feed double stack mags that should match the receiver but they are most expensive.  Finally Magpul is the cheap option.

PVA says their 6.5 Creedmoor chamber is SAAMI and should shoot everything.  Does that mean I should go for the magazine that is the longest internally?  I think that is probably the KRG branded Accurate Mags but I'm not sure.

ARC says their center feed mags make it easier for a two lug bolt to pick up a round with the bolt head.  They say three lug bolts have a lug hanging down so they work well with anything but the Nucleus is controlled feed so maybe better alignment would help?

Magpul is cheap and widely available so if I crush a mag, I'll probably be able to find a replacement locally if I'm in a hurry.

Everything is plus and minus.

I use the no binder plate Accurate mags in my 6.5CM and they work very well. They break in quickly and have been just as reliable as the genuine AI mags in matches.

I also use the ARC. These took some work, the stock spring and follower are a POS imo. Binding would occur and nose dive the follower, bunching rounds. Tried all the tricks, modifying the follower, tweaking spring. They use a Lancer Mag spring and follower is not fully supported at nose. Finally bailed on stock setup. Replace guts w a stock 5rd AICS spring. They now function flawlessly and 10rd. capacity is not lost. I believe AW mags won't work in a Nucleus so if you want double stack the ARC w CF is it for now I think??
Sure that will change in future with new offerings. 
 
CRF on my TL3 feeds very well with all the mags I've tried with it. These are the Accurate, AICS, ARC, and magpul. Magpul is cheap enough to have one as a backup and they worked well when I tried them in TL3 and a TAC30 still only use metal mags for precision rifle comps tho. 

Lug hanging down? They'd be a 8-12-4 o'clock until bolt closure no?

Nucleus action is packed with value. Lot of Mauser 98 heritage. The extractor is impressive. Other features- Toroidal locking lugs, anti bind rails, dual cocking cam striker, very stout bolt stop.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how they perform.

[flyer]

Brain fart, AIAW double stack works with three lug because they aren't center feed but they rarely work with a two lug.

You are right.

Any way, the ARC with an AI magazine spring sounds like the way to go.

Do you have a part number or source for the spring that fixes the follower issue?

I'll probably try two ARC magazines and 1-2 5 round Magpul AICS as backups.

[flyer]

I agree on the value.

About the only thing I wish ARC could have added is a Model 70 style safety.  I'm not sure if that is better but it wouldn't rely on whatever version of Remington 700 safety your trigger has.

[Litehiker]

shoottothrill,

The answer to your barrel conundrum is to get a Proof Research carbon fiber wrapped barrel. They are about 25 % lighter than an equally stiff heavy all steel barrel. I understand you can specify a Bertlein core barrel.

I think Proof Research has the very best CF wrapping technique. It is done in an overlapping criss-cross "Maypole ribbon" fashion for excellent consistent stiffness all around the barrel. They are the only CF wrapped barrel I'd buy. My cross country CF racing ski poles are made the same way by SWIX in Norway. They are very strong.

Eric B.

[Wilson1911]

I shot a friends 28 nosler last week that had a proof barrel on it. For a hunting rig I think it weighed in at 8 pounds....Now guess what I neeeed.....

[flyer]

I was fantasizing for a while about building up a 7mm Practical in a long action to shoot 180 grain ELD-Ms at close to 3,000 fps.  That would shoot a mile easy (relatively).

Then I came back to earth and decided one Nucleus is enough and I really don't need to Super-Size it.

On another note, my Seekonk TSQ-150 came in.  It's nice.  There is one scrape on it that I didn't see in the eBay listing but every other mark I saw was just a smudge.  I think it will be fine, I just need to find a case for it and it would be really nice if I could find a 3/8" drive ratcheting 1/4" hex bit holder so I can tighten and torque without separate tools.

Now I'm going to make sure I have gunsmith grade hex, Torx and nut driver bits and maybe screwdriver bits (although I wouldn't be using them with the torque wrench).

[Wilson1911]

I broke down and bought one the other day. Now we will see how good it is after the wait.