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Custom Builds for Wife and I: Backcountry Hunting

A few items I'd recommend you consider are:

Cartridge- 7SAUM.
ADG brass.
Manners PH stock. Elite Scorched Earth Forged.
Defiance Anti X Medium action fully DLC'd.
Trigger Tech Diamond trigger Pro curved PVD'd.
Defiance BDL style bottom metal. Blk Ano.
HCA HH Carbon barrel. 18". .188 fb.
Tangent Theta 315M scope.
Badger Ordinance rings. 30mm.
Atlas Cal tall bipod, Lever lock QR.
Hawk Hill Talon bipod feet.
Flatline Ops Halo X Slim Level.
Suppressor: Dead Air Nomad-LTi-e
Tripod: Leofoto
SA-324C with MA-30L ball head.
Sling: BLUE FORCE GEAR Vickers Padded Sling
Armageddon Gear Suppressor cover.
Bullets: Apex Outdoors 147gr. Afterburners.
Primers: Fed 210M.
Powder Re-26.

You'd be ready to Rock !!! 🤠
That would be legit. Sounds like you're speaking from experience. Did you do this build?
 
A few items I'd recommend you consider are:

Cartridge- 7SAUM.
ADG brass.
Manners PH stock. Elite Scorched Earth Forged.
Defiance Anti X Medium action fully DLC'd.
Trigger Tech Diamond trigger Pro curved PVD'd.
Defiance BDL style bottom metal. Blk Ano.
HCA HH Carbon barrel. 18". .188 fb.
Tangent Theta 315M scope.
Badger Ordinance rings. 30mm.
Atlas Cal tall bipod, Lever lock QR.
Hawk Hill Talon bipod feet.
Flatline Ops Halo X Slim Level.
Suppressor: Dead Air Nomad-LTi-e
Tripod: Leofoto
SA-324C with MA-30L ball head.
Sling: BLUE FORCE GEAR Vickers Padded Sling
Armageddon Gear Suppressor cover.
Bullets: Apex Outdoors 147gr. Afterburners.
Primers: Fed 210M.
Powder Re-26.

You'd be ready to Rock !!! 🤠
How much $$$$$$
 
My first thought was to build the same cartridge. Second was to just do one rifle. Third impression was don't drink the PRC juice until more ammo hits the shelves. And yes, I own a 300PRC.

With a suppressor in play I'd probably build a 300wsm shorty and one on a long action. Load heavies in the heavy one for range and performance. A 165 grain ish copper from a short suppressed fly weight might be ideal. I have read more than once of a wife or petite shooter fall in love with a heavier rifle for softer recoil and accuracy.

Keep her involved and just know your first is never perfect or the last. Then you do another and change the species or area type and and and...

I'd also add Peak 44 to a short list of stocks mentioned.
That's a solid point. She would probably end up with the heavier gun which would be fine. And I've been hearing a lot of good things about Peak 44 so I may have to check them out. Thank ya!
 
For what it's worth, I have basically both of what you're describing. My lightweight "sheep rifle" with a lighter shorter barrel and a lot of thought into shaving ounces- shocker it doesn't shoot as well. When I'm really thinking about weight I'll omit the suppressor which weighs a bit and without makes the rifle a lot easier to carry. That reduces my comfortable range with it and causes a lot of muzzle rise. If I really want to shoot long I kind of need my Atlas bipod which weighs a lot. I grab the one that's right for the hunt and occasionally I regret my choice. Both of mine wear march optics. There's no perfect solution. You're not going to shoot as well or as far with a featherweight rifle. You're not going to want to pack around a 10# gun on a backpack hunt. You're going to get better closer opportunities deeper in the backcountry. Pick your poison.
 
That would be legit. Sounds like you're speaking from experience. Did you do this build?
Yes, Yes, & Yes, almost finished. Culmination of what I've learned from prior builds & what I wanted in a purpose built system from the ground up & what works well for me. A Lot of thought process & planning involved in this one.
From component selection, performance,
Quality, & compatibility. Cartridge selection, design, & performance.
Bullet selection, design, & performance.
Also did some swapping in & out of major components to get to the finished system.
Taking a bit longer than anticipated but
Decided early on to do it right.

There's a couple ways I look at making recommendations.
1) recommend a guy do several builds to learn what you like & want.
or
2) recommend what I've learned & use & where a guy may ultimately end up.

Good luck with your build.
If you need advice or have any questions in regards to my build, feel free to ask me.
 
You are landing where a lot of us are, looking at a build in the middle of the trend line.

Cartridge selection is moderate Magnum but not crazy, brass for at least the 6.5 appears to be here for the long haul. 7 prc remains to be seen, tough launch mid shortage. Hornady has a 50/50 track record supporting its launched cartridges. Guessing they will keep pushing the 7 for a while. Can't really speak to that as to me the brass wrapper doesn't really matter to me especially in today's action market.

Your action choices kinda cover the gamut of feature sets, the bighorn being a 90 degree floating bolt the othe lr being 70 and 60 degree three lug designs. Each has a trade off and it's own rationale. A 90 degree bolt usually feels like a lighter throw, I say "usually" because inevitably someone will come along saying their 3 lug 60 lifts like the wings of an angel with the smoothness of greased butter... Conversely the shorter throw bolts are nice with the giant oculars that scope companies currently rock on modern optics. I'm building a 60 for cold weather, don't care about slightly more bolt throw I'm just done smacking cold fingers on scope bells when playing in the artic.

Can't speak on the ti vs stainless, except for the pierce ti is the smoothest ti action I've shot. My buddies doesn't have tons of rounds yet but they seem to have the ti the most dialed. Shorter bolt throw rifles tend to be heavier, so if your going full weight weenie it's something to consider.

I'd settle in a little more on what features matter most. Can guide give you better feedback from there.

Stocks are tough. There is more consensus on what makes an attractive woman, than on what makes a comfortable stock. It's the part you touch the most, and physiology differs greatly. My favorite stock is absolutely hated by my best friend... but he's 11 inches shorter wears 3 glove sizes smaller and has 16 inch shorter arm span. Unsurprisingly we prefer different stocks from different companies. Another friend heard me raving about my new stock, he tried it and hated it. Said the cheek piece felt all wrong... but he's got a chin only Jay Leno could love.

I'd try and chase down everything you can get your hands on, start homing in on what features you prefer.

I'll defer on suppressors to others.

No complaints on your ring and dbm choice, hawkins is my favorite for that.

If your set on carbon barrels, there are many proof us kinda the f150 of them. The bartlein comes in a number 4, a little svelter contour than bog standard sendero.

Optics are tough right now. But I'm guessing your rifles won't be done before shot, and there is a high probability that the industry puts out a few more mpvo type optics this year.
 
I still would vote two different rounds. I love the 6.5 prc for medium range light weight stuff. Then a 9-11lbs larger magnum for the real long range stuff. 6.5 creedmore or prc will be easy shooting with a brake or can on it no matter what the weight but harder to shoot long range because of weight. Keep in mind I've repeatedly shot game at 6-700 yards with my ultra light creed and the 123gr hammers. That rig very light 6.8lbs ready to hunt with ammo if my memory has not faded to bad.

Then go up to a 8-10lbs magnum .7mm or 30 cal. That will get you way out and still not be terrible to shoot with the added weight. Now something to think about if you are gonna be spending more time on targets with the larger of the two is barrel life. Larger bore say 300win mag,prc, 30 Nosler. Pick your flavor all will have very decent barrel life especially the win mag and 300prc.
 
Defiance Anti or Anti — $1400
Benchmark CF — $750
Chambered — $350
Hnt26 CF stock — $1600
TriggerTech — $150
Leupold VX5HD or Vortex Razor LHT — $1250

Lightest gun I have by far is made from the above. 7.2lbs
 
Friend of mine had built ultra light by Alex W. with barrel 6 and 65. cm.5#, pierce,lija and rock cr. 21'' He shot that rifle in 2-3'' for 3 at 1000y.But typical it holds 4=5 '' at 871 at his home range.Build was featured on AS.
 
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