Gunsmith Checklists
Lists of priorities for your best build project.
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These checklists assume the goal of your next project is to build or modify the best possible firearm efficiently. That may not be your primary motivation - and that’s perfectly fine! - but that’s the assumption here.
During my fourteen years as editor of American Gunsmith, we published well over 900 unique gunsmithing articles by a diverse range of talented gunsmiths. There was a host of motivations behind each of those projects. Sometimes, sentimental value or satisfying curiosity was the primary goal, and those are admirable reasons. Here, our focus is efficiency.
Action Plan
An action plan for those who love accessories but also need to improve on the underlying skills.
The point here is not to tell you what to like or spend your money on. Look at it like this: You’re best off if you take a breather and plan out how you want to make gains. Everyone is going to prioritize different facets of their shooting performance.
Consistency is everything. Are you being consistent in the entire process of sending a projectile down range?
Have you chronographed your loads? If you don’t have a chronograph or know that you won’t be handloading at any time in the future – invest in better, more consistent ammunition from factory
Is your optic properly mounted and unable to loosen up inadvertently?
Has your bore been cleaned properly, inspected for fouling or imperfections, and potentially lapped to even out inconsistencies or improve the anti-fouling behavior?
Are you understanding the forces that are in play, not only from a macro perspective (wind, heat, target movement, actual range variables), but from a perspective of “as each shot is taken”?
Is your ammunition matched to a proper barrel length, twist rate, and the precision measurements of the chamber? Do you have play in your components or problems with a dirty gas system (if it’s a self-loader), or improperly fitted parts? Do you have a trigger that works with you, not against you?
Is your bipod, sandbag, gun rest or bench properly serviced, put together, and functioning on the level?
A note: the biggest improvement is in finding a repeatable, tightly held grouping of assets and procedures that you can use the same way each time. In real world terms: find the most consistent ammunition. Use it in a way that doesn’t alter it, even if it means handloading it into the chamber. Make your setup rock-solid so that variables in the real world cannot change it (e.g., loctite your scope mounts; buy a legitimate bipod, etc.). Take the shot using the same breathing patterns, and knowing exactly what you expect, take notes when things don’t materialize properly – always have a pen and paper. Get intimately familiar with the adjustments on your scope.
Don’t be afraid to think through any changes in your point of aim versus your point of impact – take your time on it. Demand improvement – hold yourself accountable for consistency and push to understand what you are doing on the molecular level before you send a shot downrange.
In case you are getting frustrated, don’t just send more lead down range – stop and remind yourself that some shots cost you $3. Or $2, or whatever premium price point you have bought your chosen cartridge at. The realization that dollar bills are launching down range may have the effect of slowing down your thinking and helping you to reexamine core principles to assess where something is going wrong.
List of accessories that can have a major impact on accuracy:
Barrel, of proper length to maximize velocity at the moment of muzzle exit – not because peak velocity is most important, but because standard deviation spread is a killer of accuracy, and specifically of shot groupings. The twist rate is also of incredible importance – especially since, once you find a load, you probably aren’t going to be changing it
Rock solid mounting hardware that bridges the gun properly to form a monolithic mount for your optic. The mounting is more important than the optic in most cases – at least under 600 yards
Is the cartridge you are shooting inherently capable of the type of accuracy you desire? If you’re trying to squeeze ¼ MOA out of a .50 Beowulf, You’re going to be very disappointed (yes the bullet diameter is bigger than the group size you are hoping for – it was meant as an extreme example)
Buy the best cartridge option you can afford to shoot a large volume of ammunition, whether it’s 224 Valkyrie or 6.5 Creedmoor or 338 Lapua.
Do you understand precision shooting math and how to gather and interpret variables at the time of shooting? Maybe some input gathering tools are in order? Think rangefinder, wind identification tooling and gauges or ballistics books
Buy the best glass you can afford
A final word about accessories. If you are sure that you want a specific type of component or accessory, don’t settle for a lesser one, you will undoubtedly regret it. Wait until it comes back in stock and buy the one you want. A perfect example: sure, there are plenty of 18” 6.5 Creedmoor barrels available right now, but you are positive you need a 24” barrel at least to achieve the right velocity consistency and get the most out of the rounds you are loading. Wait for the 24” or 26” barrel to get back in stock, or have a bespoke barrel made.
Conclusions
Buy the things that make you better, but also invest in yourself. Learn the baseline best practices. Buy more ammunition to shoot. Dial in your consistent routines, and loads, and procedures, and practices. Ultimately, the match and balance between the barrel, and the cartridge, and your mindset, will combine for the most important variables you can reasonably be expected to contribute to the precision long-range shooting process.