OzFclass

G'day all,

Here I am a new to the sport Fullbore shooter - I just bought an Omark with original Omark barrel ( not a heavy profile ) which is yet in very good shape. The rifle in question looks pretty much like the attached image ... mine is not yet in my possession.



Can those wiser than myself in this stuff give me a run down of things I can do to get this rifle sorted for Fullbore shooting?

For instance ... recommended barrels?

Maddco
Tobler
MAB
Lother Walther
Tru Flite etc
Black Mountain

Any barrels to stay away from?

Trigger ... should I keep the original action AS IS or look at a different trigger etc ...

Anything and everything you guys who have been there and done it with an Omark would be apreciated.

Best, S.

IMPORTANT

A check should be made of the diameter of the bolt head retaining pin. The small end should be 5.5mm (7/32") diameter. Some of the early Omarks still have the smaller pin and are prohibited from use on safety grounds.

Then the next step would be to update the trigger to a Davies and get someone reliable to check out the bedding and if necessary rebed the action.
Then wear out the existing barrel with practice and have fun.
Then when you find that the barrel is not shooting as well as you expect then look at getting a new barrel and adaptor fitted.
Now if you ask 6 expurt shooters which barrel is best then you will get 7 answers. Best barrels are like womens fashions they change without reason. Some manufacturers have a lower % of not so good barrels than others but they all have them at times.
Not many gun plumbers like Lother Walther barrels as they are harder on the reamers and cause then to have to be resharpened more often.

Ken L
PS I Have no financial interests in Davies triggers.

G'day Ken,

After 40 odd views of this post and no replies I was starting to think I needed a shower. Thanks very much for your considered response. The plan as you have suggested already is to wear out the existing barrel ( which is in good nick ) on having fun and getting settled into Fullbore shooting. I have a Central sight that is attached to a No4 Enfield ( ex range rifle ) that I scored recently also - so I believe that will be going on to the Omark.

You are spot on about 7 barrels and 7 different opinions ... I'd like to extend that to EVERYTHING in shooting including reloading and whether to neck size or full length size! I have spoken to alot of shooters lately and no two are likely to give me the same answer ... the best I can hope for right now is some type of consensus. So in lieu of that what are your thoughts on barrels personally speaking?

I found two different types of Davies trigger for the Omark; one is called Single and the other called Match ... which is the one I ought to be going for? - Match is more expensive.

Best regards, S.

P.S - Is there anybody else in OZ that does leather Shooting jackets besides Walden Miller?

Go to

http://hawk.winshop.com.au/mailman/listinfo/fullbore
Subscribe ( no charge the way) and ask any question you like about fullbore shooting and you will get answers from people around the world who know what they are talking about and a few who do not. But that's people

Thanks Ken ... I am already a member of that list but I am somehow allergic to that ancient style of bulletin boarding these days - it's possibly the MOST impersonal way of doing things ... but I shall give it a bash.

A few things.

Trigger. IF you are shooting fullbore the trigger weight limit is such that I cannot see any good reason to discard the original OMark trigger.

There will be members at your club who are probably well versed in dismantling, cleaning, and getting it functioning really well. They may not be the most sophisticated trigger but usually can be made crisp. A crisp trigger is a must - especially fullbore. Of course if you want to spend the money you can go for something better.

If you shoot a discipline which allows lighter triggers another trigger is a good idea.

The elevation plate on the Central sight from the NO 4 is probably for 303 ammo. But simply use the minute scale and record settings. Check there is little or no backlast especially in the wind arm screw.

Some of the old black barrels shot very very well. If it is in good condition there is every chance it is way better than you are so try it as is. A rebed may be worth while - again see club members. Simply start shooting and use the time to look and think about what you want to do. The only proviso is the barrel be not worn out.

The bolt pin. Make sure it is the new one. Even if it does break, half of the new style pin remains in place. Breaks are mainly caused by very hard extraction from bad reloading. If cases dont come out easily there is something wrong with your reloading.

Every time you put the bolt in the rifle, look to see the rear bolt shroud has not been turned out of alignment (its a pest to have to fix it after getting in position) and at the same time check the pin is in place.

Its a simple thing to do.

I have seen your posts on the fullbore list.

Personally I much prfefer a list where material simply flows as simple eMails rather than a forum. (no criticism of Alan). I just find it much faster and more direct to handle.

Peter Smith.

G'day Peter,

Thanks for your considered response - loads of good info here.

Trigger. IF you are shooting fullbore the trigger weight limit is such that I cannot see any good reason to discard the original OMark trigger.

Actually a few others have said the same thing - I spoke to Barry Davies of Davies triggers and he was very kind with his advice also and actually counseled me to try the Omark trigger initially also and take it as it comes and settle into shooting the rifle first before seeking a change.

I will definately have a chat to the lads at the club and see what they say about sorting the trigger out - as it exists.

The elevation plate on the Central sight from the NO 4 is probably for 303 ammo. But simply use the minute scale and record settings. Check there is little or no backlast especially in the wind arm screw.

Actually somebody else mentioned this as well ... I'll certainly have to ask somebody at the club about this also since I have zero experience with Central sights.

Some of the old black barrels shot very very well. If it is in good condition there is every chance it is way better than you are so try it as is. A rebed may be worth while - again see club members. Simply start shooting and use the time to look and think about what you want to do. The only proviso is the barrel be not worn out.

Do you mean Black Mountain barrels or just the original Omark barrels like the barrel on mine? I certainly won't be buying a new barrel right away - I have ever intention of shooting the exisiting barrel out before a change comes. It's a very clean looking barrel actually ... it will definately be a shooter. I'll be asking about a rebed though and other matters certainly.

The bolt pin. Make sure it is the new one. Even if it does break, half of the new style pin remains in place. Breaks are mainly caused by very hard extraction from bad reloading. If cases dont come out easily there is something wrong with your reloading.

I have checked and it is the updated version for sure ... I actually asked the president of the club about the pin issue and while he was aware of the upgrade issue he was saying he has never checked the pin before loading the bolt ... EVER ... it was news to him. I'll take the advice though.

Every time you put the bolt in the rifle, look to see the rear bolt shroud has not been turned out of alignment (its a pest to have to fix it after getting in position) and at the same time check the pin is in place.

Gotcha ... I'll ask about it at the club also.

Personally I much prfefer a list where material simply flows as simple eMails rather than a forum. (no criticism of Alan). I just find it much faster and more direct to handle.

I mean't no criticism of the bulletin e-mail board either ... I've seen IRC and many other kinds of comms come and go since 95 and I'm just so used to Forums these days ... the people at the board are great and I'm getting used to getting mail messages again ... been a loooong time but it's not so bad after all.

Best, S.