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

I have two custom rifles one built by JA Outdoors with a Proof pre-fit (Tikka action, first foray into custom builds nice rifle and a bargain in the custom world), one built by TS Customs who reams his own barrels and has stocks built to his specs (really, really nice rifle but double the cost of the first one) and I have built 3 rifles myself with the pillar bedding (Manners stocked rifles) done by a good local smith. After doing load development for each rifle you would be hard pressed to tell the practical shooting difference between them. They all shoot sub .5 MOA consistently.

With the precision quality components available these days with a few specialty tools (barrel vice, action wrench, go/no-go gauges) anybody who is somewhat handy can put their own rifle together. I built mine with BAT or Lone Peak actions, Benchmark or CarbonSix pre-fit barrels, TriggerTech Special triggers, Manners stocks, MDT or XLR chassis' and Hawkins bottom metals (for the Manners). Doing this yourself saves a couple thousand $ at a minimum. For example let's compare one rifle I built, pictured in the avatar. BAT Vampire action, CarbonSix barrel, Manners PH stock, Hawkins Hunter bottom metal, TriggerTech Special trigger, pillar bedded by a great smith. To build this rifle, with better parts, cost about half of what a Gunwerks MTX would cost you. Not to mention the satisfaction gained by successfully hunting with a rifle you built yourself with loads you developed yourself is immeasurable.

quandary said:

I have two custom rifles one built by JA Outdoors with a Proof pre-fit (Tikka action, first foray into custom builds nice rifle and a bargain in the custom world), one built by TS Customs who reams his own barrels and has stocks built to his specs (really, really nice rifle but double the cost of the first one) and I have built 3 rifles myself with the pillar bedding (Manners stocked rifles) done by a good local smith. After doing load development for each rifle you would be hard pressed to tell the practical shooting difference between them. They all shoot sub .5 MOA consistently.

With the precision quality components available these days with a few specialty tools (barrel vice, action wrench, go/no-go gauges) anybody who is somewhat handy can put their own rifle together. I built mine with BAT or Lone Peak actions, Benchmark or CarbonSix pre-fit barrels, TriggerTech Special triggers, Manners stocks, MDT or XLR chassis' and Hawkins bottom metals (for the Manners). Doing this yourself saves a couple thousand $ at a minimum. For example let's compare one rifle I built, pictured in the avatar. BAT Vampire action, CarbonSix barrel, Manners PH stock, Hawkins Hunter bottom metal, TriggerTech Special trigger, pillar bedded by a great smith. To build this rifle, with better parts, cost about half of what a Gunwerks MTX would cost you. Not to mention the satisfaction gained by successfully hunting with a rifle you built yourself with loads you developed yourself is immeasurable.

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I agree, but there are lots of guys that build great rifles for way less then what you'd spend on a Gunwerks. I admire those that put their own rifles together, for their ability and for making the time to do it!

I do most of my gun work stuff to save money. I have many rifles with McGowen barrels, square off receiver ring & lap bolt lugs, no blue print effort, that shoot real good. I use mostly Richard's stocks, Timney triggers, Pachmayr pads that I attach with T25 wood screws. I don't like plastic stocks, preferring good walnut or laminate(plywood) stocks. I finish the wood stocks using Minwax Poly Rub - works real good and touch up repairs are easy. My rifles are usually used from pawn shops & other. I recently acquired a nice FN Mauser from Cabello's for under $325, it is now a .280 Rem. I used Brownell's Oxpho Blue to finish white bolt knob & extractor, looks OK but not as nice as hot blue.





The last pic is my TH .22-.250 with a JK Cloward design stock. I inletted the stock from a rough carved & final shaped it. The forend is cherry from olde bedroom furniture. I use Burris Ruger/Weaver mounts with Burris Sig Z rings on my Ruger investment cast receivers, like shown above. No drill & tap but require high comb. Push feed, single shot, tossed Ruger magazine box, spring, follower, & floor plate. One of first M77 MKII's that were push feed, like enclosed bolt face, no rounds fed under extractor, .25X28 screw from Rem 700 in hole drilled & tapped thru bottom of flat receiver ring, tossed Ruger floor plate & angled front screw/bolt attachment. I also have another .22-.250 like this one but with a maple wood TH stock. Both with 7.7 twist, good for 1/2 mile, 1/2 gallon size rodents with 75 H ELDM bullets.

The stock on the 6.5 CM is sort of grotesque & looks funny but shoots real good & is comfortable to shoot for extended periods.

Years ago, 1973 to be exact, I purchased an off-the-shelf Remongton 25-06. I found a nice thumb hole stock at a local gun show before the idiots banned them in my area. I wanted a long-range varmint rifle, so I had a smith in my area, re-barrel it, tuned the action, and bed it in the stock. He moiunted the scope I had and I was really satisfied. If I did my part, that rifle would consistantly put 5 under a dime at yards. Not a true custom perhaps but I still have it and it still shoots "lights out". Interesting, the smith ony had 1 good arm but he was a "master" im my eyes.

I have a very good friend who is a gunsmith. Actually he is a company man on drilling rigs here in Tx for his day job. Built down hole packers for oil wells for a while also.
His passion has always been bench rest rifles, so his focus is on the details to make a rifle shoot great. He carves his own stocks some times and has built a complete bolt for a rifle.
Just a country boy who is a genius with a Remington action in a machine shop. He has built several rifles for me and they all shoot way better than I can.

I too respect and admire those that have the confidence and ability to build a custom/semi-custom rifle. Maybe one day I'll jump into the deep end and take this on. I will say that customs built by top quality gun smiths will retain their value more than prefits and a bunch of good aftermarket components put together in your basement. Whatever makes you happy is the way you should go. There is more to a fine custom than shooting tiny groups IMO.

Mark37082 said:

There is more to a fine custom than shooting tiny groups IMO.

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I agree to an extent. If you are talking burled walnut custom stock with a hand engraved receiver there is no question that you need a pro to do it (if you can even find one who still does that kind of work). If you are talking about a carbon or chassis stocked hunting rifle I would defy you to tell who built any of my rifles. That is the beauty of what BAT, Defiance, Lone Peak, Manners, Proof, CarbonSix, Benchmark etc etc etc are doing these days. This is truly the golden era of rifles in terms of functionality, precision and accessibility.

Highcountrybucks said:

I would like to hear only firsthand accuracy results from people who have had a long-range hunting rifle/scope system built buy a professional gunsmith/company. Secondly, have you had them develop a round and bought ammunition from them and was it truly consistently accurate, and thethe tracking was good as adjustments were made for various yardage (400 - 800)? The focus is or second n repeatable, accurate built rifles and ammunition, and we'll see if there is a common denominator! NOT interested in this post discussing ethics/calibers, etc. If you would recommend family to use this builder, I would appreciate you sharing the specifics on your triedd and true rifle.

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Perhaps you could call my rifle a long range built by a 'smith. 7-.338 RUM using 7 RUM brass to get a neck .100" longer than RUM.

But I am a want to be shooter firing Hammer Hunter Tipped 132 @ 3,620 feet per second. The last time I checked at 300 yards I fired three three shot groups.
1. 11/16"
2. 1 3/8"
3. 15/16"

So I guess a good shooter could use it for long range.