Custom Rifle On A Shoe String Budget

[waveslayer]

5K is not shoe string these days.

Get a used Tikka, rip the barrel off, throw on a new custom barrel, get a KRG chassis, then you are set at sub 2k.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I guess we all have different "definitions" of what "shoe string budget " means

And, we All HAVE, a different Opinion on WHAT an Elk Rifle, should,. Be !
Having Hunted Elk, since my Mid 20's ( A long Time, ago ) and in, 4 different States from Northern Arizona ( the EASIEST walking Mountains ) to,...
Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho, ( the Steepest, rockiest, Mtn's ) You couldn't, GIVE me,.. a 9+ Pound, Rifle to, "Hunt" , Elk with !
Everyone seems to Forget that, you have to Pack out, the Elk Meat and that Silly, 12+ Pound Rifle = No, Thanks !
7.5 to 8.5 Pound, All Up,.. 7mm's, .300's, .270 Mag's,.. have been getting IT Done to, 750 Yds for, Years !
MOST Elk ( 90 % Plus ) are shot at, LESS than, 400 Yds ! ( a Fact ) By,.. "Hunters"

 

[Idaho Lefty]

5K is not shoe string these days.

Get a used Tikka, rip the barrel off, throw on a new custom barrel, get a KRG chassis, then you are set at sub 2k.

That's what, my son did but, with a different stock,.. Tikka Magnum Action W/ an Elay Precision Trigger Spring, Carbon Fiber Stock ( Glass Bedded ), Carbon Bipod on, a Pic Rail, Proof Sendero Barrel, 1-8 Twist in 7mm PRC, Zeiss 4 x 16 Scope, "All Up",. 8.5 Pounds as, He's Hunted Elk, MANY Times and knows, "WHAT, it Takes" !
Shoot's from, the 3's to 1/2 MOA and probably "Good" to Kill an Elk at, 1200 Yds ( on, a NO Wind, Day ).
Shoe String Budget Cost,. $3,000 ish !

 

[bultinkle]

First long range gun
Cheap as possible
300rum

Sigh

 

[Idaho Lefty]

First long range gun
Cheap as possible
300rum

Sigh

.300 Rum Cartridge, needs about, 3 New Barrels, "Spun Up" when building, the rifle IF, a guy wants to,.. "Practice", a Little, with it !
Do they get 600 or, 700,.. "Accurate Rounds" out of One ???
I got, 850-900 accurate rounds, out of, a .270 Weatherby,.. SO, I Know that, it's got to Be, way LESS, than that !
Yup,.. "sigh" = LOL ! PS;.. I'm OUT !

 

[fguenther0925]

First long range gun
Cheap as possible
300rum

Sigh

Never said cheap as possible. In fact I never asked about anyone's opinion on cartridge choice either. Only asked where people would save their money. Yet here I am with all types of opinions. Apparently I opened up a can of worms that ya'll feel obliged to take shots at. So I kindly ask that if anyone else doesn't have anything constructive to say, keep it to yourself. All you're doing is blowing up my notifications for useless information. I came here for help not ridicule.

 

[Dean2]

I'm embarking on a custom rifle build for my first soree into long range shooting and hunting. I'm pretty confident it will be a 300 RUM. I don't have a huge budget, as I would like to be all in for around $5k including optics. So with that in mind, of the 4 major components (action, barrel, trigger or stock) what would be the one that you'd say doesn't have to be the best of the best? For example, I'm considering a blueprinted 700 action from PT&G versus one of the lower end Defiance actions. If I were to go the Defiance route, something else would have to give in order to meet my budget.

Over the years I built a fair number of "Budget" rifles. Single most important factor on down:

1. properly bedding the action to the stock.
2. quality hand loads developed for that specific rifle.
3. I have had many factory barrel/action combos capable of .25 groups just as they came. Tikka, Sako, Weatherby, Remington in that order.(Of the Remingtons, 2 in 7 Rum and 3 in 300 RUM stainless action and barrels shot .4 or better bedded to their factory laminated stocks). Bed the stock of your choice to the action, develop a load.
4. If you can't get in the.3-.5 range for 3 shots repeated 3 times, or you are getting large cold bore shift get a quality cut rifle barrel like KS Arms and have it mounted to the action.
5. Have the action trued at the same time since you have the barrel off anyhow.

Even if you have to go all the way to step 4 you will be under $2,500, plus optic.

I have quite a few that were pure custom from action to barrel, stock etc. They cost a LOT more, but other than the fun factor of building them, they don't shoot any better as a long range hunting rifle.

 

[fguenther0925]

And, we All HAVE, a different Opinion on WHAT an Elk Rifle, should,. Be !
Having Hunted Elk, since my Mid 20's ( A long Time, ago ) and in, 4 different States from Northern Arizona ( the EASIEST walking Mountains ) to,...
Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho, ( the Steepest, rockiest, Mtn's ) You couldn't, GIVE me,.. a 9+ Pound, Rifle to, "Hunt" , Elk with !
Everyone seems to Forget that, you have to Pack out, the Elk Meat and that Silly, 12+ Pound Rifle = No, Thanks !
7.5 to 8.5 Pound, All Up,.. 7mm's, .300's, .270 Mag's,.. have been getting IT Done to, 750 Yds for, Years !
MOST Elk ( 90 % Plus ) are shot at, LESS than, 400 Yds ! ( a Fact ) By,.. "Hunters"

.300 Rum needs about, 3 New Barrels, "Spun Up" when building the rifle IF, a guy wants to,.. "Practice", a Little, with it !
Do they get 600 or, 700,.. "Accurate Rounds" out of One ???
I got, 850-900 accurate rounds, out of, a .270 Weatherby,.. SO, I Know that, it's got to Be, way LESS, than that !
Yup,.. "sigh" = LOL ! PS;.. I'm OUT !

Thank god you're out, you have a lot to criticize about but have 0 idea of the reasons why I want to build what I want. My elk hunt will be by horseback in an area where the shortest shot will be 500 yards and likely less than a 10% chance it is less. After that, this rifle will be for target shooting at 900 plus. I may be able to go on some bear hunts with it as well, but it won't be where I'm humping it around for miles. Just because you love your Tikka that is sub 9 pounds sooooo much, doesn't mean it is the right rifle for me. Never asked your opinion on what action to use or what weight the rifle should be or what cartridge to use; I asked what component would be acceptable to save money on and what components should I not skimp on. The example I gave was merely to suggest, do I get that much more performance out of a "clone" action versus a blueprinted 700. Don't even want to know what action you would choose.

 

[fguenther0925]

Over the years I built a fair number of "Budget" rifles. Single most important factor on down:

1. properly bedding the action to the stock.
2. quality hand loads developed for that specific rifle.
3. I have had many factory barrel/action combos capable of .25 groups just as they came. Tikka, Sako, Weatherby, Remington in that order.(Of the Remingtons, 2 in 7 Rum and 3 in 300 RUM stainless action and barrels shot .4 or better bedded to their factory laminated stocks). Bed the stock of your choice to the action, develop a load.
4. If you can't get in the.3-.5 range for 3 shots repeated 3 times, or you are getting large cold bore shift get a quality cut rifle barrel like KS Arms and have it mounted to the action.
5. Have the action trued at the same time since you have the barrel off anyhow.

Even if you have to go all the way to step 4 you will be under $2,500, plus optic.

I have quite a few that were pure custom from action to barrel, stock etc. They cost a LOT more, but other than the fun factor of building them, they don't shoot any better as a long range hunting rifle.

Thank you for advice. This is the type of constructive feedback I was looking for. You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar in my eyes.

 

[Dean2]

Thank you for advice. This is the type of constructive feedback I was looking for. You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar in my eyes.

Glad to help. One more comment, I have had a few Factory rifles that would just barely hold .6 average at 100, but would shoot that same size groups at 200 and under .8" at 300 yards, so before you give up, or settle on a combo make sure you shoot it over distance, not just 100 yards. Best of luck.