September 25, 2022Sunday gunday:.416 Barrett to support King of 2 Miles Competition. Today we feature a large-caliber rifle that was used in the most prestigious Extreme Long Range competition (ELR), the King of 2 Miles. Derek Rodgers is a skilled shooter with impressive credentials. This rifle was made for him. Derek Rodgers is an F-TR World Champion and the only shooter to win both the F-TR USA National Championship and the F-Open USA National Championship. Derek also won 2017 King of 2 Miles competition. Clay Rhoden used the 33XC rifle to win the American King of 1 Mile competition. GunDay featured it last Sunday. This story was very popular so we offer a more powerful rig, Derek’s.416 Barrett with an incredible 40? barrel. Derek Rodgers won 2017’s King of 2 Miles competition, so he is very familiar with Extreme Long Range (ELR). Derek decided to make a bigger title for his 2017 KO2M title. He shot the.375 CheyTac cartridge. Derek ordered this ELR rifle that was chambered for a jumbo.416 Barrett cartridge. This powerful round can drive heavy Cutting Edge solid bullets weighing between 475 and 550 grains. This massive rifle is 40+ pounds in weight and has a 40? Bartlein barrel — more length for more velocity. Derek’s ELR rifle has a McMillan beast 2 stock, BAT EX Action, Nightforce ATACR 735x56mm scope, and McMillan Beast 2. Derek explained why he upgraded to a larger caliber: “I built the rifle with the anticipation that I would see impacts easier. It wasn’t just about a bigger caliber hitting ELR targets. It was also hoping that a missed shot would have an even greater impact. Because of terrain and vegetation, it is harder to see impacts beyond a mile. Any additional dust or splash from the earth is a significant advantage over a smaller caliber. Derek Rodgers’ full report on his rifle, the.416 Barrett. Derek Rodgers Campaigns for a.416 BarrettReport from Derek Rodgers
Cartridge Choice — I chose the standard.416 Barrett cartridge because it allows bullets to reach and slightly exceed 550 grains. It bridges the gap between.375 and 50 BMG. Cutting Edge offers a variety of solid ELR bullet options that range in weight from 475 to 550 grains. These bullets offer a wide range of BC options for barrels with different twist rates. The slowest powders with the lowest burn rate are preferred by loads. You have many options: Vihtavuori 20N29 and RL50, H50BMG, and other powders that have a similar burn rate.
Initial impressions are that the rifle feels very similar to a larger FTR gun. The rifle is 40+ pounds in weight, balanced, and stays on target very well. The recoil is linear and manageable. This seems to give a straight backward impulse that doesn’t affect positioning. This allows for quick repositioning into the battery and faster follow up shots.
Image courtesy ELR competitor Corbin Shell.Rifle Details — BAT EX Action, Bartlein 40? McMillan Beast 2 Stock
Derek’s.416 Barrett ELR Rig has a BAT EX action and a Bix’N Andy trigger. A huge 40? A huge, 1:9?-twist Bartlein barrel with Terminator T5 muzzle brake is found in the front. McMillan’s McMillan Beast 2 stock has a lower center-of-gravity design and a higher butt position. McMillan cleverly incorporated a port to allow the cleaning rod through the higher buttpad, taking advantage of the high geometry. The top of the scope is a Nightforce 7-35x56mm scope with NF rings in NF rings, mounted on a +60 MOA rail. Holland 34mm bubble level. The stock rests on a Phoenix bipod, and is supported by an Edgewood bag that was designed for the McMillan Xit stock. This helps reduce recoil when prone. This McMillan Beast 2 stock has a pass-through hole to allow for cleaning rods.
In 2017, Derek Rodgers won King of 2 Miles Competition in Raton, New Mexico. Derek Rodgers was the first KO2M markman to hit the target at 3368 yards (1.91 miles) distance. Here’s the historic shot: Derek shot flawlessly right from the beginning at the 2017 K02M with his McMillan-stocked CheyTac rifle. He was flawless at all three yards, 1543, 1722 and 1888. He missed at 1953 and 2667 yards but then he was able to out-shoot all his competitors at 3028 yards. He went two for five. At 3028 yards, no other shooter was able to score a single hit. The final challenge was at 3368 yards (1.91 mile). The celebrations began after Derek had nailed it.
Derek is shown here with his 2017 Ko2M-winning,.375 CheyTac rifle. He has increased the bore size. Gunsmithing by Blake Barrel and Rifle, Arizona
Bryan Blake, of Blake Barrel and Rifle, Phoenix, Arizona built and chambered Derek’s rifle. Chambering was done using a Manson Precision reamer. Derek explains that Bryan and his family have been in machine shop for many generations. They have the equipment and expertise to handle larger barrel diameters with ELR-type rigs, such as F-Class and ELR-type. I tried to consider all possible pitfalls and angles that could occur during the building process. Bryan made the project his own by adding his own touches. Bryan created a masterpiece and provided a complete turn-key rifle that was meticulously constructed from the inside out. It looks as good as it can hold its tolerances.
Similar Posts:Tags: 416 Barrett, BAT action, Derek Rodgers, ELR, Extreme Long Range, King Two Miles, KO2M, Solid Bullets
