Holy Grail of long range rigs? What custom gun/caliber to get

[FEENIX]

My wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas?
I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!
She said that I would shoot my eye out.

My wife knows better not to ask me that kind of question but I am a pro of not asking her the same. gun)

 

[drags]

This all depends on whether its an apples to apples comparison. If you add high end optics and everything you can do to a gun mechanically and cosmetically then it doesn't take long to burn thru some dough.

I had a local guy here that had a lathe and claimed he was a gunsmith. He was selling barrels @ cost and installing them cheap. Some of them shot really well. All of them looked like garbage. He was running around tooting his own horn on how a person is stupid to pay more than what he was charging. I guess if a person wants to shoot a gun that looks like garbage that is their own choice. One of my friends had a gun built by him and shortly after took it to a good gunsmith 20 miles away that found a pile of things that were screwed up. He had the gun rebuilt right this time.

The guy paid quite a bit more but now has built several guns with him and everyone of them are perfect. The moral to the story is find a good smith or company and stick with them. Price shopping you can usually go by you get what you pay for. gun)

I was referring to some of the best gunsmiths in the country, not the kind of gunsmiths you are describing. The guns that I have are certainly not garbage.
Drags

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

I have had rifles built by some of the best gunsmiths in the country and everyone of them are amazed that some of these company's can get $6000.00 for a $3000.00 rifle.
Drags

The prices for gun werks stuff is outrageous!!! I paid 5400 for mine but the rifle also came with custom dies,100 pieces formed brass, case and load data in addition.

 

[Jeremyc]

I was referring to some of the best gunsmiths in the country, not the kind of gunsmiths you are describing. The guns that I have are certainly not garbage.
Drags

The prices for gun werks stuff is outrageous!!! I paid 5400 for mine but the rifle also came with custom dies,100 pieces formed brass, case and load data in addition.

Can you please tell me some of the gunsmiths that you are using?

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

Can you please tell me some of the gunsmiths that you are using?

Kirby Allen did my Raptor Stalker. Im waiting on another rifle being built by Defensive Edge.

 

[drags]

Can you please tell me some of the gunsmiths that you are using?

Kelbly's, Dave Bruno, Mark King, Howard Wolfe. If it were me I would look for a good gunsmith as close to home as possible being you live in Montana I would check with some shooters at the Montana 1000 yard club and find out what gunsmiths they are using and go from there and just because they are building target rifles doesn't mean they can't build good hunting rifles. I have a friend that wanted a custom rifle for shooting our long range groundhog shoots he was going to go with a gunsmith (that advertises a lot) and the price of the gun was about $4500.00 I sent him to Kelbly's and he got a rifle for around $3000.00 and he wins all the time. The reason I jumped in here is that I wouldn't advise anyone to pay $6000.00 for a rifle unless I had one and was very satisfied. There is also some very good factory rifles out there for way less than $3000.00 that would work for you. I shoot long range groundhog and 1000 yard benchrest matches and I see a lot of custom rifles and I don't think anyone is paying $6000.00 for there rifles and they just laugh wen someone mentions what some of these company's are charging and getting for there guns. As far as the gun builder working up you loads every experienced shooter I know works ups his own loads. But it is your money to spend however you want to.
Drags

PS I have been long range hunting in Pa. for 30 years and our group has kills out to 1150 yards so I
do have a little experience.













46000.00

 

[Jeremyc]

Kelbly's, Dave Bruno, Mark King, Howard Wolfe. If it were me I would look for a good gunsmith as close to home as possible being you live in Montana I would check with some shooters at the Montana 1000 yard club and find out what gunsmiths they are using and go from there and just because they are building target rifles doesn't mean they can't build good hunting rifles. I have a friend that wanted a custom rifle for shooting our long range groundhog shoots he was going to go with a gunsmith (that advertises a lot) and the price of the gun was about $4500.00 I sent him to Kelbly's and he got a rifle for around $3000.00 and he wins all the time. The reason I jumped in here is that I wouldn't advise anyone to pay $6000.00 for a rifle unless I had one and was very satisfied. There is also some very good factory rifles out there for way less than $3000.00 that would work for you. I shoot long range groundhog and 1000 yard benchrest matches and I see a lot of custom rifles and I don't think anyone is paying $6000.00 for there rifles and they just laugh wen someone mentions what some of these company's are charging and getting for there guns. As far as the gun builder working up you loads every experienced shooter I know works ups his own loads. But it is your money to spend however you want to.
Drags

PS I have been long range hunting in Pa. for 30 years and our group has kills out to 1150 yards so I
do have a little experience.













46000.00

Thanks. I do want to work up my own loads and isn't something that I want to pay for. How would I find the Montana 1000 yard club?

 

[Chase Curtis]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say...

A Curtis HALO Action with a Russo exotic wood stock.... chambered in .338 HALO (.338-.408)

Would be hard to argue with as far as the holly grail....gun)

 

[Barrelnut]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say...

A Curtis HALO Action with a Russo exotic wood stock.... chambered in .338 HALO (.338-.408)

Would be hard to argue with as far as the holly grail....gun)

That would most certainly be hard to argue with!

 

[drags]

Thanks. I do want to work up my own loads and isn't something that I want to pay for. How would I find the Montana 1000 yard club?

google montana nw 1000 yard benchrest club

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

Since taking possession of the rifle, I've worked up loads with the 200gr LRX and 230gr Berger hybrid both being under 1/2 moa. Having Kirby provide load data was part to do with him needing to accuracy test it and so I could get out in the field with a proven load as quickly as possible.

 

[Jeremyc]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say...

A Curtis HALO Action with a Russo exotic wood stock.... chambered in .338 HALO (.338-.408)

Would be hard to argue with as far as the holly grail....gun)

And how many rounds until I have to replace the barrel ??

 

[Chase Curtis]

And how many rounds until I have to replace the barrel ??

About 800 to 1000 rounds.

That's a lot shooting on that platform

 

[sp6x6]

Hes yalking about a platform that is about double the Everything,the 300 wm you where considering.The type those guys play with at 1 mile,not really first custom stuff,but hey go big. Id like one some day,Seems like Russo gun was up for sale a few times and proven.I shot a little with some of the guys in the local NW club.One is member here just not on that often. He had a 300 NM IMP and a 338 LA IMP also. Which are alot of rig, but well under the above platform in performance. Im a MT hunter hiker in NW so lots is thick practically no game after wolf,but ridge to ridge or up chute hunting and I go east for goats and Im going to have to start gettting out of area due to lack of game so Im well equiped for anywhere with my 338 NM,shot a 340 wby for 25 yrs before that with no problems