Custom Rifle

[VikingsGuy]

Buying the parts yourself or letting the smith do that?

I am picking each part myself and will get a smith to set barrel on action, I will put the rest together. I would love to do it all but don't have a lathe (or any lathe skills) and going savage threading or remage barrel seems like a step back if I am seeking perfection on this one (I did swap a barrel on a savage action to 25-06 from 30-06 myself once). What are your recommendations?

 

[brockel]

I am picking each part myself and will get a smith to set barrel on action, I will put the rest together. I would love to do it all but don't have a lathe (or any lathe skills) and going savage threading or remage barrel seems like a step back if I am seeking perfection on this one (I did swap a barrel on a savage action to 25-06 from 30-06 myself once). What are your recommendations?

You are looking for 9lbs ready to rock. I’d go remington stainless long action off budsgunshop.com for $350, trigger tech trigger $145, bdl bottom metal, follower, spring, box, and screws $150, holland recoil lug $35, #3 or #4 contour (depending on your scope weight) shilen, Douglas, Brux, or Lilja $300-$350, bell and Carlson TI takeoff $290 or McMillan Mcswirly classic $550 if going #3 contour at 24” or McMillan edge fill classic $625 with #4 at 23”, gunsmithing square action and chamber $300-$350.

Last 280 Ackley I built was a Remington stainless bdl, McMillan hunters edge, #3 Brux at 25” with a leupold vx5 3-15x44 and a Harris bipod on it went just shy of 9lbs ready to rock if I remember right

 

[mrjashu]

I have the ballistic twin to your 280AI, the 7 SAUM. Actually, I own 2 of them in Remington Model Seven SS with 22” factory barrels.
I hope you like yours as much as I do mine.

I'm thinking about a 7 SAUM myself. What kind of velocity are you getting out the the 22" barrels?

 

[VikingsGuy]

You are looking for 9lbs ready to rock. I’d go remington stainless long action off budsgunshop.com for $350, trigger tech trigger $145, bdl bottom metal, follower, spring, box, and screws $150, holland recoil lug $35, #3 or #4 contour (depending on your scope weight) shilen, Douglas, Brux, or Lilja $300-$350, bell and Carlson TI takeoff $290 or McMillan Mcswirly classic $550 if going #3 contour at 24” or McMillan edge fill classic $625 with #4 at 23”, gunsmithing square action and chamber $300-$350.

Last 280 Ackley I built was a Remington stainless bdl, McMillan hunters edge, #3 Brux at 25” with a leupold vx5 3-15x44 and a Harris bipod on it went just shy of 9lbs ready to rock if I remember right

Wow - this is super helpful!

 

[Addicting]

You are looking for 9lbs ready to rock. I’d go remington stainless long action off budsgunshop.com for $350, trigger tech trigger $145, bdl bottom metal, follower, spring, box, and screws $150, holland recoil lug $35, #3 or #4 contour (depending on your scope weight) shilen, Douglas, Brux, or Lilja $300-$350, bell and Carlson TI takeoff $290 or McMillan Mcswirly classic $550 if going #3 contour at 24” or McMillan edge fill classic $625 with #4 at 23”, gunsmithing square action and chamber $300-$350.

Last 280 Ackley I built was a Remington stainless bdl, McMillan hunters edge, #3 Brux at 25” with a leupold vx5 3-15x44 and a Harris bipod on it went just shy of 9lbs ready to rock if I remember right

Vikingsguy, just hire Brockel! No need to look anywhere else.

 

[brockel]

Vikingsguy, just hire Brockel! No need to look anywhere else.

Think I could convince the wife my new occupation is a gun building agent?

 

[Ronin75]

Oregun Gunsmith out of Pendleton Oregon. He built me a 280 AI on a Lilja fluted barrel . 1/2 MOA with a lLeupold Scope weights out at 8lbs 10 oz with a Greybull stock that I recontoured

 

[brockel]

Another option would be to find a Remington stainless mountain rifle in the bell and Carlson stock in 280 remington for $850. Have the barrel pulled and sell it for $75-$100. Usually the 280 mountain rifle barrels sell better than other calibers is the only reason to go 280 remington for the donor. So then you are into your stock,bottom metal, mag box and follower, screws, and action for $750.

 

[Addicting]

Another option would be to find a Remington stainless mountain rifle in the bell and Carlson stock in 280 remington for $850. Have the barrel pulled and sell it for $75-$100. Usually the 280 mountain rifle barrels sell better than other calibers is the only reason to go 280 remington for the donor. So then you are into your stock,bottom metal, mag box and follower, screws, and action for $750.

Or sent the gun straight to a smith have them true it up and run a AI reamer in it. Slap a Timney on it and send Brockel and me the other $2000. (most of it was his idea so you can split it 70/30.)

 

[Addicting]

Think I could convince the wife my new occupation is a gun building agent?

With you build and get bored rate, I bet she would be happy if you started making money on guns.

 

[brockel]

With you build and get bored rate, I bet she would be happy if you started making money on guns.

I actually do good on my gun selling. I'm always watching classified pages for great deals and stuff. Does help to have a gunsmith as a friend

 

[brockel]

With you build and get bored rate, I bet she would be happy if you started making money on guns.

Scary thing is I currently only have one custom in the house and its the wifes 6.5-06. I have a Remington factory 300 rum that shoots like a custom though

 

[N2TRKYS]

I'm thinking about a 7 SAUM myself. What kind of velocity are you getting out the the 22" barrels?

I'm getting 2960fps with 160 grain Partitions. I haven't pushed the 140s to the limit, but I found a load clocking around 3100fps with 140 grain Partitions.

 

[mrjashu]

I'm getting 2960fps with 160 grain Partitions. I haven't pushed the 140s to the limit, but I found a load clocking around 3100fps with 140 grain Partitions.

That's great, thanks!

 

[mtmuley]

Scary thing is I currently only have one custom in the house and its the wifes 6.5-06. I have a Remington factory 300 rum that shoots like a custom though

Seen the groups from that Remington. Don't be scared of them anymore. Course, I never was. mtmuley

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

If I were going to do another custom I would focus on the details (action style, safety, trigger, magazine configuration, etc). As you alluded to a custom rifle has little to do with functional accuracy these days; lots of production rifles will provide you all the accuracy you need. These days I think a custom rifle allows you to pick your favorite features from all the different production rifles and blend them into one that perfectly fits your preferences and aesthetic preferences.

I have a custom 260 Remington from Northwest Actionworks that I love. It is based off a REM 700 Stainless SA. I basically built a CA Mesa, before that model existed.

In hindsight, I made two compromises I would do differently:
1. I didn't have it fitted with a 3-Position Safety.
2. I think I would have looked at a custom action vs a tuned production one.

Bottom line, don't compromise on the details, they are the whole point.....

 

[BrentD]

Yeah, what Minnesotahunter said. May get what you want not what someone wants you to do or what is available.

 

[antelopedundee]

Another option would be to find a Remington stainless mountain rifle in the bell and Carlson stock in 280 remington for $850. Have the barrel pulled and sell it for $75-$100. Usually the 280 mountain rifle barrels sell better than other calibers is the only reason to go 280 remington for the donor. So then you are into your stock,bottom metal, mag box and follower, screws, and action for $750.

Or just rechamber the factory barrel to the AI and see how she shoots. Also I'd send the factory trigger to Neil Jones and for a mere $75 have him tune it and set pull weight. He takes the trigger apart and hones off any burrs and re-assembles. Most folks won't know the difference from an aftermarket trigger. Then again I also have Shilen and Jewell triggers too.