Custom Built Bolt-Action Rifles

Discuss work on firearms; whether that is making yours from the ground up, milling an 80%, putting together a kit, or fine tuning a trigger job.
User avatar
h8pvmnt
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 691
Joined: May 15th, 2018, 11:14 am
Reputation: 16

Re: Custom Built Bolt-Action Rifles

#16

Post by h8pvmnt »

I am considering selling all my factory bolt guns and taking the money for one custom hunting rifle build. Something with a carbon fiber barrel short enough to suppress, light enough to carry, acurate to 600 yds or more. But its tough to find a caliber suitable from Elk to Javelina. I am not a huge handloader and thats part of the custom rifle game so i am told. Just a dream right now but i may make it happen. I got to hunt with an Owens Armory custom 6.5 Creedmoor last fall on a pronghorn hunt. The difference between it an my Remington 700 Sendero was night and day. I thought the Remington was a nice rifle. But compared to that custom it was a savage axis....
Attachments
IMG_20210905_194022.jpg


User avatar
G34
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 186
Joined: February 17th, 2019, 7:28 am
Reputation: -1
Location: Peoria

Re: Custom Built Bolt-Action Rifles

#17

Post by G34 »

Nick and Tomas have done 3-4 customs for me so far and all of em are great. Beard used to love them 7 SAUMS
User avatar
BigNate
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 647
Joined: July 5th, 2020, 5:56 pm
Reputation: 4
Location: Phoenix

Re: Custom Built Bolt-Action Rifles

#18

Post by BigNate »

As to the "Lego vs Custom" question... for me it will boil down to how much better the gun is than me. If I can build a "lego" gun that is a 1/2 MOA gun, and "the loose nut behind the trigger" (me) is largely the limiting factor regarding shot placement and group size - then I'm completely happy with a "lego" gun. At the point that I shoot the gun and am convinced that I'm losing hits to the gun - then it will be time to build or buy a better gun. The reality is that I expect it will be quite a while before even a 1 MOA gun becomes the limiting factor in that equation.

That said - in my mind I would generally consider a parts build a subset of the "custom" gun world. If it has a part number and you can find a store, given them the part number, and walk out with a gun (or an order for a known quantity gun that is represented by that number - it is a "factory gun." Note that "factory guns" come in a range of cost and quality from the Rossi youth single shot .22 that I bought to teach my kids to shoot, to an AI AMXC which might be the best factory rifle ever made (best being subjective - but from an accuracy, dependability, and functionality perspective - it's the "bees knees" for sure). Now - if it is not a "factory gun" - what is is? In my mind, anything that folks build for purpose (and that can't just be ordered by a part number as a unit, is a "custom gun." Note - I'm not claiming equivalence / equal value between a parts build gun and a true custom built by a master gunsmith. Much like there is a dramatic range of quality and functionality in the "factory gun" definition - there is a dramatic range of quality and functionality in the "custom gun" definition too. I don't expect that the parts gun that I assemble will compete with the truly precision "ends of the earth" rifles built by / for the guys who win the KO2M competition. That said - the AR pattern gun that I put together to shoot Accurized AR matches - using a variety of new and used parts including a PSA heavy barrel'd .223 Wylde upper, a good quality BCG, Aero Precision lower, SSA-E trigger, and some other goodies is a sub-MOA gun and I have well less than $1000 in it. I did no machining, but I did do some polishing and cleaning up of things that I like to think made it better. Does that make it "custom?"

Just my 2 cents.
Post Reply
cron