Your Personal RESULTS with custom long range HUNTING rifles built buy a PROFESSIONAL?

I had a few built. Bobby hart built my first and was bare rifle. Shoots very good for what I had. It's a hunting rifle and I was happy. After that I had Kirby Allen build me a turn key rifle in .375 Am I wanted him to do load work as I don't have access to a range longer than 400 when I had it done That rifle took a long time to build but worth the wait. I was able to take a cull sheep the very first shot at 458 yards. At the steel range I started at at 1308 and made my first shot cold bore center mass target 2 in right. To say I was happy was an understatement. I've taken new shooters and did the dial g and they make hits at 800 and make it look easy. Now this rifle doesn't scream amazing at 100. Not like some targets posted on this site but it holds great way out.

So as I was waiting for that rifle I had pierce engineering make me a 6.5 creedmore. Today it my most accurate rifle I have. Taken several elk with it and two this year where taken over 600 with it. Pierce has since build me a few more and all shoot great. The weak link is definitely my reloading and shooting.

I have found that the quality components go a long way to making a good gunsmith even better. Hard to not get great results going that route.

I have an old school machinist who also happens to be an amazing gunsmith build my rifles. He can make a Rem 700 action sing sweet music and a factory stock and trigger shoot like a $1500 setup.

Having said that, the rifles that shoot the best also have the best components. However, there is a lot to be said about a gunsmith getting a certain caliber chambering figured out. There is a guy in the Houston area (probably several) that I work with and he has pretty much figured out the Sherman wildcat chambering. He cuts a lot of those chambers and they all seem to shoot lights out.

i have never had a gunsmith work up custom ammo for a rifle.

flyguy1 said:

I had two rifles built, and one under way, by Kirby Allen, @Fiftydriver (before he was famous), one, a 300 Win Mag on a Model 70 action and one on a Sako .375 rebuilt as a .257 STW. That was a long time ago. Leupold Mark IV scope on the 300, VX5 HD 3-15x44 on the .257, Talley rings. It had a Mark IV too, but a friend needed it more than I did, in tough times, so I passed it along. The .300 accounted for many deer and elk, several antelope and 2 caribou, all one-shot kills. To this day, puts the first two Federal Premium Barnes touching.

.257 STW takes coyote and PDs at 500 yards.

I passed the .300 along to my SIL, Active Duty Army. Even the Ranger snipers who shot it were impressed. And their rifles and scopes are like mega bucks.

He's building a 6.5 CM for my granddaughter, so 3 generations of hunters in our family. That's how much we trust his work.

Every time I look at a factory rifle (other than Sako, Cooper, or Dakota, and 2 of 3 no more exist) I just say no.

Maybe they shoot, and maybe they don't. Why gamble?

If I want another rifle, which I likely won't (which I said 5 rifles ago) I'll just call Kirby.

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This man has spent some time waiting for rifles. But you are correct Kirby is one heck of an honest man. He is great at working with you to help you along. His rifles are top notch and even years down the road he's still helping me long after the bill is paid. I look forward to having him build another. Problem is I have had great luck with him and pierce. Pierce is very close to my home and fast turn around. But Kirby is my first true man crush.

MOelkman said:

That gives dispersion a new meaning...
That's a match rifle, not a hunting rifle!

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Highcountrybucks said:

Sorry, I can't read the print on the target. Would you mind posting the rifle, ammo, scope details?

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I simply enlarged the target and information supplied which was a request by Highcountrybucks. Reading is fundamental.

I haven't taken the full plunge yet. I did pick up a used HS-Precision from a member and love it. It does meet the 1/2" guarantee but frankly shoots no better than my Tikkas, (which generally require less time to customize a load). The most telling comment is which rifle I reach for first when hunting. Assuming the cartridge/load is appropriate for the task, I find myself reaching for the HS-Precision most often. It just feels right….

I would own more semi-custom/custom rifles but lack the patience to wait for a custom build. I do find myself scouring the ready to ship models a number of manufacturers offer….but the stars haven't quite aligned.

To be clear, I need another rifle like I need another wife…..

Highcountrybucks,

Mine might be considered a long range rifle by some. I would shoot to about 500 yards with my ability. No telling how far a good shooter could use it. It starts with a Pierce titanium long action with a 4" box. The barrel is twenty-six inches long carbon wrapped 7mm with an 8" twist. The trigger is a Trigger Tech set at twenty ounces. The stock is carbon fiber made by Jack Kiester, who did the smithing. The aluminum Talley rings hold a March 2 1/2-25X52. I forgot what brand of five port titanium brake it has. It weighs around 7 1/2 pounds loaded. About the last time I went to the range I used the new Hammer Hunter Tipped 132 grainers for three groups. They averaged 3,665 feet per second. I fired it at 300 yards. The best group was 7/10", the next was 15/16" and he worst was 1 3/8".

Darrel Holland does some excellent custom guns…twice he's given me 1/2 moa shooters…1st was a Douglas premium air gauged barrel . Rifle No.2 has a Krieger barrel…the Douglas barrel has shot in the .2s but building that ammo was way too intense especially when much less effort of brass prep produces 1/2 to 3/4 moa…these are 8# hunting rifles.
All 4 of my pre-Obama CooperArms rifles are 1/2 inch shooters.

500 yds is the outer limits of my ethical animal shooting…its where the laser ends and the arc of the rainbow trajectory begins for the flattest shooting cartridges…it's where the hyper calculations, techniques and technology come into play in a somewhat different game that sorta resembles hunting.

I've been buying rifles built by Travis at RBROS for 15 years now.
I've shot the crap out of them. Because they are accurate, repeatable and consistent.
A few have had barrels changed because they get worn out from shooting so much.
The list of rifles I have from him over the years:
284 Thor (gen1) 7mm/338 nmi
243 AI on its 3rd barrel
7saum
300 Rogue- 30/338 Lapua imp
375 RUM
7RBH (gen2) 7mm/338 nmi
300 RBH 300 NMI
338 RBH 338 NMI
375 RBH 375/338nmi

All shoot under .3 if I do my part
As you see by the list I like hot rods so I hand load for all of them.
Travis has been great to deal with. He won't let any of his rifles out the door without shooting them first.


243 AI
Front to back
7saum
7RBH
338RBH
The RBH family
2 7RBH's
Mine and my sons

All but the 243ai are topped with Nightforce scopes.
100% satisfied customer

Edit; Travis closed his shop in Utah and moved. He is saying he will start his new shop in January if things go as planned

Over the years I've had multiple rifles built from squirrel rifles, coyote hunting rifles, big game rifles to prs rifles. The one common denominator I can tell you is use quality components, and a reputable smith. Those two will make for a good combination and if anything were to happen they both would stand behind their products and work.

I've always built my own loads, tuned them as I find it enjoyable chasing the accuracy potential of myself and the rifles. The big thing is practice though, the most capable rifles in the world are useless in someone's hands who don't know how to use them. Learn to read wind before chasing game at distance, make sure your dope is spot on!

flyguy1 said:

...........
Maybe they shoot, and maybe they don't. Why gamble?
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Because of the extreme cost for a custom. I can buy five or more Savage rifles if I have to for the cost of one custom. I have no doubt I wont need more than 1.

Reelamin said:

Because of the extreme cost for a custom. I can buy five or more Savage rifles if I have to for the cost of one custom. I have no doubt I wont need more than 1.

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Sure, that works too. At the time I was having those built, I was working 300 hours a month. I had time for hunting if I timed it right, but not time for fooling around with rifles which didn't shoot. Different strokes.

Reelamin said:

Because of the extreme cost for a custom. I can buy five or more Savage rifles if I have to for the cost of one custom. I have no doubt I wont need more than 1.

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I'd save money 5x longer and buy 1, personally.
Having a setup exactly like you want that shoots most anything reasonably good and most loads exceptionally well is priceless to Me.

bsnyder said:

I've had a few built. I've always done my own load development as I enjoy the process. The one that sticks out the most would be my wife's 7 prc. She wanted to be able to shoot factory so we settled on that. My smith has his own version of the Alex wheeler reamers. That rifle shoots wayyy better than it should. It shoots factory extremely consistent. Would I personally hunt with it to 600 yards no, 500 and in yes. Handloads different ball game. His attention to detail is awesome. My smith has helped build rifles for my dad, step dad, step mom, father-in-law,a good friends husband and he will be building my nephews. I'm not sure that he is taking any new work at the moment but is it worth it? To me all day every day. He will be putting together 4 budget prs rifles for us this winter. Plus the knowledge that he shares with me is also another huge plus. As far as accuracy goes. That's in the eyes of the beholder. I'm not big on three shot groups any more. I don't even really take an fps average until I hit 50 rounds. The customs guns tend to be easier to load as I shot mostly wildcats that aren't available in factory ammo. 7 max, 270 sherman 6.5 sherman short, 6.5prc improved. 3 7 different prc's. 1 isn't done yet the other two all shot sub 1 inch 5 shot groups. With factory 180 eldm at 100. The thing I will say with the factory ammo is I've had 4 different lots of factory ammo for the 7 prc and only one of them have been close to the fps listed on the box. There fore I'd never shoot an animal over 500 because the es is far greater than what I'm comfortable with. I'll post some pictures of what he has done for us. Feel free to pm if you'd like to chat more. He doesn't pick many components as I do my research and know what I like.

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Nice collection, But I see you haven't really found a scope that you swear by!

Kirby Allen, https://apsrifles.com/
7mm Allen Magnum, Nesika Bay Model M, 30" Lilja #7 contour 30" Stainless steel, fluted barrel, Medium Painkiller muzzle brake, Manner MCS-GAT stock, HS Precision DM system. Nightforce NSX 5.5-22x50 NPR-1 reticle.

Accuracy nodes are:
175g SMK's @ 3495 fps
180 Berger VLD's @ 3350 fps
195g Berger EOL @ 3300 fps
200g Wildcat Bullets at 3270 fps


I was looking at getting a LR rifle to hunt with because my cousin lives in WY and here in Indiana there is basically no LR hunting - shots are 100-200 yds max. I talked to Kirby and was able to visit him on the companies dime when they sent me to Great Falls on business. Kirby took me out and he had me shoot the 7mmAM, 338 Allen Magnum and his 375 Allen Magnum at 600 yds and again at 1/2 mile. I settled on the 7mm AM for the type of hunting I was going to be doing. I wanted a relatively lightweight rifle so this old fat flatlander could back pack it out west where the air is thin. Our build criteria was a 10# rifle minus the scope and bipod. Mission accomplilshed. I am more than pleased with the build. He guaranteed 1/2 moa accuracy out to 1,000 yds, and when the gun was ready I made a slight detour from a hunting trip out West to get it. He developed a load for it, I had him fire form 200 pieces of brass and I took it home. He understated the accuracy, if I can do my part and read the wind it will shoot 1/4 moa. I've killed a LOT of steel, a cow elk at 708 yds in Colorado and a coyote at 867 yds with the first shot from the gun in almost 2 years - clean cold barrel. Both with the Berger 180g VLD bullet. Both DRT, and once the bullet reaches 600 yds and further I can spot my own shots - I can see the bullet impact in the scope. I've run it out to 1,400 yards out West and while I don't know the group size, at 1,400 yards the 2nd bullet impacted in the center of the crater that was left when I shot at a small rock on the side of a hill. It's zero'd @ 300 yds.

I now have a customer that has a farm in an urban zone here in Indiana. We can shoot up to 12 deer there, and the urban season goes through the end of January. I am going to see if the rifle can get some use. He did some work at the farm, and now I can shoot 800 yds in one direction and almost 1,200 yds in another.

I've put his painkiller brake on 2 other rifles, one is a smokeless muzzleloader where I'm shooting a 300g bullet at close to 2700 fps. The brakes flat out work.

When I was picking up the rifle, Kerby was going out to shoot and he asked if I wanted to go. Of course! So he quickly sat down and loaded up some rounds for my rifle. When we were out there he had a customers rifle that was sent back because it wouldn't shoot 1/2 moa. He had me shoot it at paper at 1K and I shot a .3 moa group using a bipod and bag under the butt. We collected the target, I signed it, dated it and put my phone number on it if the customer wanted to talk. Kirby was going to box it up and sent it back to the customer the next day. Sometimes it's not the gun, but the nut behind the trigger. Kirby said he was going to send the load data to the guy just in case it was the reloads that were causing the problem. When I left he sent a box of ammo back with me for my rifle.