do it yourself custom rifle

[ImBillT]

Sb has given some great info. Some simple upgrades and some bedding compound and most rifles can shoot pretty well. Hand loading is another great aspect to help tune a rifle into a shooter.

Just curious what brand of barrels your buddy has looked at? Criterion are a popular barrel especially with the savage/remage crowd and do shoot well. I prefer Bartlein, Brux, muller and rock creek. More important than the barrel is the person setting it up and chambering it.

I don’t have a Brux, Muller or Rock Creek, but I do have Bartlein, Hart, Lilja and Krieger, and I gotta day that I prefer a Krieger. They all shoot, but I like a cut barrel, and if you ever chamber a Bartlein and then a Krieger you’ll probably wonder what the heck is going on. The Krieger’s always machine freely, and an awful lot of Bartleins just don’t wanna let you cut that chamber. Krieger claims the difference is that the final crying treatment enhances machinability. Makes you wonder if they wear out easily, but I can’t say they do. Also, not all Bartleins give trouble, but it’s pretty common.

 

[cahunter805]

Never had a problem with a Bartlein yet. They do run a tighter bore on many calibers but most the chambers are pre bored then finish reamed. Also cut with a flush system. I’ve heard great things about krieger but have yet to use one on a build.

 

[ImBillT]

Never had a problem with a Bartlein yet. They do run a tighter bore on many calibers but most the chambers are pre bored then finish reamed. Also cut with a flush system. I’ve heard great things about krieger but have yet to use one on a build.

Oh they’ll shoot, and the flush may help. Quite a few of them just don’t machine easily at all. No reason not to try a Krieger some day. Similar rep, similar price, similar availability.

 

[Guy]

Those were good scopes. Far better than most of the budget scopes today. I must admit, however, that my 6X FXIII is phenomenal to look through.

Yes! I was helping a new hunter get her father's old Winchester Model 70 going again. It had a 40+ year old scope which was giving her fits. She took one look through the newish 6x Leupold on my rifle and just said "Wow!" So much improvement in hunting scopes in my lifetime. And I do love those fixed power 6's anyway.

Regards, Guy

 

[huntin' lunatic]

Sorry bout that but I need to correct this. Those pictures are of Guy, to which I had replied. But I do agree with you, that man definitely knows about variety.

Old fashioned wood and blued steel. And a.30-06 to boot. Amazing. I heard they cannot possibly work, especially in Alaska.

You've done a nice variety of hunting, Mr. huntin' lunatic.

 

[huntin' lunatic]

$2K

Curious what your budget is?

 

[hank4elk]

I have toyed with getting something besides my 700 30-06 for 35 yrs. I have replaced the stock, trigger, scope & bases. I have yet to find something that shoots better. I use Nosler Trophy AB's in 165. I can shoot out to 600,but keep it inside 200 when possible. Farthest kill shot needed is 405 yards.

 

[VikingsGuy]

$2K

Better to have a $800 gun + $1200 glass than to have a $1700 gun + $300 glass.

 

[BrentD]

Better to have a $800 gun + $1200 glass than to have a $1700 gun + $300 glass.

I'd much rather have a $2k gun and NO glass myself.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I'd much rather have a $2k gun and NO glass myself.

Fair enough - I guess I have to footnote these discussions to acknowledge lovers of the classics.

But if you decide to buy a modern semi-custom bolt rifle, my advice will apply (or when your eyes go to heck with age).

 

[N2TRKYS]

I bought a Remington Model Seven SS in 7-08 with a 20" barrel last year. I put a McMillan with edge fill stock on it and a Timney trigger in it. I put a Leupold VX3i 3.5-10x40 and Talley lightweight rings on top of it. That is about the handiest rifle I now own. It's accurate with 120 grain NBTs(3000fps) and 140 grain Partitions(2860fps).

 

[1_pointer]

$2K

In that price range and for a 308, I'd be very hard pressed not to get a Barrett Fieldcraft. Option number two would be to search high and low for a used New Ultra Light Arms rifle. They can sometimes be found in that price range.

 

[BrentD]

Fair enough - I guess I have to footnote these discussions to acknowledge lovers of the classics.

But if you decide to buy a modern semi-custom bolt rifle, my advice will apply (or when your eyes go to heck with age).

Yes, I actually hunted last fall with an scoped rifle. Albeit, nothing like what is being discussed here.

I was really just trying to provoke some outside-the-box thinking since the OP says he wants a custom rifle and wants to do it himself. There are so many other options than the latest and greatest slap together "platform" rifles.

But it is not my money that pays for it, not my hands that carry it, not my game that will be killed with it.