Custom Builds - How are You Building Them?

I purchase the unfinished barrel, a non-inletted stock, a complete action, a reamer, scope mounts and a scope. Then I do all the machine and bedding work to get it together. This saves a lot of money, time, and frustration and I get what I want in the end. I can afford to own more rifles this way...............
 
I never asked my Smith about a Guarantee of what ever moa ...that was up to me the Shooter and reloader to get my groups the best I can !

So far it's been a fun ride and a Big Thanks to all the help I have received form the Members on LRH !!

Rum Man
 
My next build will be traditional, sent off to lri to be chambered and fit. I'll do my own stock fitment and magazine setup. Honestly modern manufacturing of stable carbon stocks means a skim bed at the very worst is all that's needed. Got a screaming deal in a blank and the cost from lri isn't all that much more than a full fit.

I've a collection of random reamers and custom dies from some past great ideas. Some were needed 20 years ago, but not so much anymore. Honestly aside from the really big king of 2 mile type cartridges, most calibers have cartridges standardized in 2 grain increments from mild to wild. Makes it hard to really rationalize a new reamer.

Not to say I'll not shoot a wild cat, but it will be one that's already been adopted and only needs bushing dies. Life's to short to wait for custom reamers and dies....


Looking at some old paperwork from back when I started shooting long range, my last barrel was about 15% more but reamers are just under 3x as much as they were. I shudder to think what the lead time on custom dies are now, used to be weeks to months... guessing it's years to decades now.
 
Hydra6 said:
I think the market is changing with modern actions that accept prefits. With an action that takes prefits - Impact for example (or even Tikka) - you can order everything yourself and assemble in your garage. In the past, a gunsmith would have to massage everything and assemble - a mix of artistry and skill.

I will add - I am interested in a 65WRPM build. (Bought brass and dies first!). When I look at "customizing" an existing Tikka T3, I see $200 here and $150 there plus $600 for this and suddenly just buying a complete Weatherby Mark V looks attractive!
Click to expand...
This is true of you just want a SAAMI chamber. Only 1 of my customs has a SAAMI chamber. Otherwise, what's the point?
 
My next build. Will start in two weeks.

The receiver just came in.

PTG "Valhalla" Viking Heaven Action - LA W Lug & Rail - Pacific Tool and Gauge

PTG "Valhalla" Viking Heaven Action - LA W Lug & Rail - Pacific Tool and Gauge

Limited stock, call for availability.
pacifictoolandgauge.com pacifictoolandgauge.com

The 338 Krieger 9.35T sourced here has been waiting for awhile. I don't have time to wait for the 338 NM reamer, but a gentleman, a benchrest gunsmith who designed the 338NM reamer for SOCOM is loaning me his reamer.
 
bamban said:
Back when I shot benchrest, no benchrest gunsmith would guarantee precision. The only guarantee is the rifle is built to the best practices.

There were some benchrest shooters who would have a handful or more barrels chambered with the same reamer and test them all, the one/s that would shoot screamer groups were kept and the rest were sold. Nothing wrong with one's sold off, they would still shoot to most people's standard.
Click to expand...
Interesting.
 
Hydra6 said:
I think the market is changing with modern actions that accept prefits. With an action that takes prefits - Impact for example (or even Tikka) - you can order everything yourself and assemble in your garage. In the past, a gunsmith would have to massage everything and assemble - a mix of artistry and skill.

I will add - I am interested in a 65WRPM build. (Bought brass and dies first!). When I look at "customizing" an existing Tikka T3, I see $200 here and $150 there plus $600 for this and suddenly just buying a complete Weatherby Mark V looks attractive!
Click to expand...
Exactly this. This spring I decided to build a 7 PRC. I found all the pieces in stock (including gauges) and built it myself. Admittedly, the first shot will be fired using a long string from behind my truck, but it all went together smoothly and the gauges say it's GTG.
 
My last build I got all the parts except the barrel as the smith had a brux on hand. Total time was 1 year 2 months. Most of the time was waiting for the stock from McMillan . Just happened to be right at the start of covid . The stock had to be fit to the action so myself and the smith had to wait . Once the stock was done the smith buttoned up the rest quickly.
The new build is still in the parts collection stage as the kelbys action should be in in a month or two . Still haven't figured out which smith I'm going with as there are two great smith's I've been using . One has done a custom for me and the other has done alot of smaller projects . They both have superb accuracy claims and the one definitely is better than his accuracy claim.
 
bamban said:
My next build. Will start in two weeks.

The receiver just came in.

PTG "Valhalla" Viking Heaven Action - LA W Lug & Rail - Pacific Tool and Gauge

PTG "Valhalla" Viking Heaven Action - LA W Lug & Rail - Pacific Tool and Gauge

Limited stock, call for availability.
pacifictoolandgauge.com pacifictoolandgauge.com

The 338 Krieger 9.35T sourced here has been waiting for awhile. I don't have time to wait for the 338 NM reamer, but a gentleman, a benchrest gunsmith who designed the 338NM reamer for SOCOM is loaning me his reamer.
Click to expand...
Those Actions at a little over $700 are a steal. Let us know how they work out. We just put in a order from American Rifle for their new Action.
We will send you a copy of the Reamer I designed for the 338LMAI.
Len & Jill
 
bamban said:
My next build. Will start in two weeks.

The receiver just came in.

PTG "Valhalla" Viking Heaven Action - LA W Lug & Rail - Pacific Tool and Gauge

PTG "Valhalla" Viking Heaven Action - LA W Lug & Rail - Pacific Tool and Gauge

Limited stock, call for availability.
pacifictoolandgauge.com pacifictoolandgauge.com

The 338 Krieger 9.35T sourced here has been waiting for awhile. I don't have time to wait for the 338 NM reamer, but a gentleman, a benchrest gunsmith who designed the 338NM reamer for SOCOM is loaning me his reamer.
Click to expand...
bamban…those all Stiller with PTG markings? They look it is why I'm asking…at those prices, tempting and I'm 3 actions behind 😂
 
Interesting thread.

I typically let the Smith buy the parts but will occasionally supply some when it's an odd item such as my current build where I'm using a titanium brake from rokslide.

I've used custom reamers twice through the years in which the smith didn't have. He bought both as he thought there was enough of a market for them.

I agree with the statement above that to me one of the biggest draws to a custom is your choice of reamer. For example my two hunting rifles are in 7 saum and 30-28 nosler both with long throats for heavy vlds.

I have a budget custom built on a savage target action in 6 dasher. I may get a pre-fit for some day but don't really need it.

Lastly, I use premium redding dies for most all of my rifles which adds to the expenses of having too many rifles or barrels laying around.
 

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