Cost of a Custom Rifle with Glass

[Pacecount]

My McWhorter was $4500 + $2000 for the scope. As far as the extras…. I already have an Atlas Bipod and I have someone who loads my ammo.

There are a number of semi custom rifles out there for $2k to $2500. If you are ok with load development yourself there you go.

 

[memtb]

Guess you feel the same about all tree stand bow hunters, blind sitting turkey hunters, permanent blind sitting deer hunters....you can also walk to your hunting spot and leave the truck sit home...go over to the nearest mirror and take a good look..

Frank, once again we see things just a "wee" bit differently!

Those that hunt in your mentioned scenarios, are in close proximity to their quarry. The hunter must be careful of his smell and wind direction, must be very still, must be very quiet…..often close to several animals? These things require that the hunter be on top of his/her game in all aspects!

The aforementioned criteria means little to nothing when shooting game at extreme distances. The hunter only needs a very capable rifle/cartridge/ bullet and the skill set to place the bullet properly.

These are two vastly different hunting styles, which can't be compared……each requiring different equipment and skill set. memtb

 

[memtb]

Last one I built with Glass------17k

You only got one "WOW" with that post! Simply because the forum will not allow multiple "WOW's"! memtb

 

[memtb]

Judging from the costs of some of these rifle packages…..it's clear that the "drug trade" is alive and well! Or some of you are politicians!

Please understand ……this was meant to be humor! memtb

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Last one I built with Glass------17k

Would like to know the details of the build!
Now I know that I am not out of bounds with some of our builds.

 

[GAHunterJim]

I have had quite a few rifles built for me in the past, mostly Win 70s, not full-on customs, just barrels and stocks bedded/fitted. With the more precise machining and pre-fit options, I'm enjoying building them myself. Also, McMillan has done a great job with stocks ordered for a drop-in fit. The DIY process took a bit of study but it's not really all that difficult.

Tools required = action wrench, torque wrench, vise and head space gauges. This current build will run about $4k (I already have the glass), about $750 more than the last one. This is still a lot of money to me but 1) it's entertainment and 2) it's only about 2x I would spend for a factory option and the components are top quality and I enjoy hunting with a rifle I built (assembled) myself.

I built my first DIY last year (a suppressed 308) and took it to Kansas and shot my best whitetail (164 BC). Doing so with a rifle I hand assembled added to the enjoyment of the experience.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Buying rifle components and especially reloading components is a better ROI than the stock market. When we finally decide to shutdown the business and sell everything, Jill will have a nice nest egg to keep her living comfortably.

 

[GAHunterJim]

Buying rifle components and especially reloading components is a better ROI than the stock market. When we finally decide to shutdown the business and sell everything, Jill will have a nice nest egg to keep her living comfortably.

Coyote, I see you are in Social Circle GA, hunted there quite a bit in the past, hunt mostly near Midville GA these days. Wondering if you know gunsmith Roger Ferrell in Fayetteville GA, he did all of my rifle work for 20+ years, still does my M70 work. He's an army guy, 82 Airborne.

 

[Reelamin]

I reload for a fair amount of people. When it's young hunters and shooters on a budget I tell them that if you have $2000 to spend on a rifle and scope to spend $12 to 13 hundred on the glass and get a rifle with what's left. Look for a good used rifle, there are plenty of them out there. Very few people have the deep pockets to buy a $8000, to $10,000 rig. At least not the ones I know.

Spot on!! $2K will get you a new Savage UL, Talley Rings, VX5 3-15, brake if you want, and it will shoot dang close to .5"/100yd groups....maybe better.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Coyote, I see you are in Social Circle GA, hunted there quite a bit in the past, hunt mostly near Midville GA these days. Wondering if you know gunsmith Roger Ferrell in Fayetteville GA, he did all of my rifle work for 20+ years, still does my M70 work. He's an army guy, 82 Airborne.

HunterJIm
I do not know Roger.
Have not hunted in Midville, but there were some great Quail hunting areas around there years ago.

Thanks
Len & Jill

 

[Jim’s Hunt]

Just did a Zermatt action, Criterion prefit barrel,McMillan stock,Timney Hit and a Nightforce and rings for 5000.00

 

[MW204]

My first and only custom I paid for was in 1980, it was on a Rem 700 in the renamed 7mm Express on a custom wood stock that was beautiful to say the least, Quilted Maple thumbhole, burnt and sanded to my desired color I liked, all for the tidy sum of around $1200.00. The glass was Weaver 3x9 with Control mounts and rings. I turned a lot heads in deer camps with that rifle, my daughter now owns that rifle.
Since then I have made dozens of custom rifles for myself, my family, and some really close friends, and they did not cost them a penny. I built the rifles on Rem 700's and Mauser's 98's when you could buy the 98's for $69.00 plus tax and the Rem's used for $2-300.00. Yea those days are over so I don't build many rifles today. Last year I built a Rem 700 in 300 WM with a 26" Douglas XX SS barrel, threaded and chambered by them, plus threaded for a brake, installed on a custom thumbhole stock I had on a 458 WM I built 15-20 yrs ago. (long story)
I've built a lot of rifles that shot good at 1-200 yds, it was only recently that I started shooting out to 4-500 yds, but most of my rifles would shoot sub moa groups, I did reload though, and most were built on 26" Shilen or Douglas sporter barrels, but the results were always there and a Leupold was the best scope I ever had on one. Forever I used a Simmons Apex 3.4 x 12 x 50 AO and I'd buy 10 more new in the box today for hunting if I could, but when you see the targets below realize that most were shot using the Simmons scope.
I'll attach the pic of my Rem 300 WM from last year, maybe I have $1500.00 total in it. Most of the other rifles I have well less than $750.00 that you see the groups on.

Here's one of the rifles I gave to a close friend. What is funny about this one is that whenever I would finish a rifle I'd bring it by his office and show it to him. I can't say what he'd say because it'd look like this you sorry **** I can't ******** you're**** blah blah blah dragging in another rifle to torture me with. I'd give him some ******************* lip back of course and tell him to just look at it and tell me if he sees anything I need to fix before I give it to X. On this rifle I had an emblem laser engraved of his profession engraved on this side of the butt stock that you can't see in the pic. I handed the rifle (made on a Mauser 98) to him where he couldn't see the emblem until he turned it around. The look on his face is still embedded in my memory when he saw it, it was like, am I really seeing what I'm seeing and if so why am I and who is he giving this to and then it dawned on him the rifle was his.
I cherished those days when I gave one of them away because the ones that got them were special people to me and the hours I put into making the rifles were hours well spent.

 

[Apex Custom Rifles]

You have some accessories listed wthere which puts your average build price in line. All depends on what a guy is putting together. I build a lot of hunting rifles and lightweight rigs where the base rifle runs $4-5k w/o glass. PRS type rig with accessories and glass can get to $9-10k in no time. Big bore stuff, open your checkbook!

 

[Barehandlineman11]

I did full break down to order 300 of each part to build 300 rifles. All identical. Custom made mcmillan for me, custom pelican cases, bipod & tripod and br4 rangefinder. Zco scopes rings, proof barrel and bat action full turn key gun my cost was 13,000 that was 25-30% off every part at dealer cost. Retail was around 16500$. That was including 100 loaded rounds