Need Advice on a Rifle

[Capt RB]

He should be able to find a cheap 700 adl for sub 350 come black friday. You can find tupperware bdl's for that same sub 350 if your quick enough through some of the online dealers like Bud's or buy a reciever from grab a gun for $250. This way you can purchase a trigger tech or timney or jewel etc a good lug like tub or LRI. Save some money with a boyds in whatever fashion you wish. Barrels are stocked at brunos Mile high grizzly etc etc that would all be less than 1k that way. Bottom metal can be less or more depending on what you want
Receiver 325-370(SS)
Trigger 109 and up
Boyds classic or thumbhole 137
Barrel Bartlein 7mm 8tw (bugholes) 345 Krieger 7-8.5 tw 334-354 (bruno's)
I paid 135 on black friday for a 9tw Bartlein from Grizzly a couple years ago
LugsLRI is now 49.99
You can find ptg dbm for 130ish and better quality for 175 that puts you at around 1150 pus tax/shipping
These are all today listed prices of in stock items. If you hunt around or use a shilen criterion pac nor etc and save some money. I'd just get my CC ready and hunt for the deals on Black friday and the enthusiasts websites.
If your smith is 80 and as good as you say I'd get all that I could done before he's done. My grandfather built my only customs. I also shot 3 different 222's done by Harry Pope. With everything that has advanced today the 06 he built was 5.75# with the 2x7 leopold and shot 1 hole rivals anything in that type of gun built today. Plus it was in beautiful tiger tail maple stock. The 222's by the time I started shooting them had over 2k rounds through them. I shot .1-.2 worse than the winners would shoot running PPC's on the same day in some cases on the same relay's
I wish he could build something for me today with what we are blessed with for materials and machines. Don't let your friend miss what an old school professional can do. That will be a regret for sure!!

 

[coyotezapper]

Hello all. I have a friend at work who is debating on whether or not to build a custom .300 Win Mag with a SS barrel, or just buy a Christensen Arms rifle with their carbon fiber barrel. All of my rifles are custom with either Proof or Hart barrels. I have a local builder who is really good. He's been doing it for over 55 years. That's who he will go with, if he goes custom. I just don't know much about Christensen rifles at all. Are they good, sub half shooters? Can anyone give me pros/cons regarding their rifles? Thanks in advance for any and all help.

One thing you need to understand about internet forums is about 50% of the opinions are baseless blather. You asked about CA? Go here and read their reviews of the CA rifles. I've never seen a bad one.

http://www.longrangeonly.com/

 

[dylanmj]

If you are looking for a reasonably priced smith that has great turnaround times, Long Rifles Inc did a great job on a 30-06 for me using a Rem 700 action and Bartlein barrel https://www.longriflesinc.com/

It is an absolute shooter with Nosler factory hunting ammo, and in our local matches (which are usually targets between 200-800 yards) I have scored as high with that rifle as I have with my 6.5 creedmore Surgeon and Desert Tech.

My factory Tikka CTR also has great accuracy and one of the smoothest actions I have ever operated.

 

[ejd1]

You asked about CA? Go here and read their reviews of the CA rifles. I've never seen a bad one.

http://www.longrangeonly.com/

Thanks. He's following this thread. I just notified him of your post.

 

[MadMike]

Custom any day of the week I haven't had a Christian arms rifle but I've seen some people post about accuracy issues with them. Ideally he could build a rifle and not pay much more than for the CA rifle go with a gunwerks action krg bravo chassis pick a reputable barrel brand and a decent trigger he could be around 2k give or take for a setup that should be guaranteed by the Smith doing the work

 

[Zhomeguy]

Hello all. I have a friend at work who is debating on whether or not to build a custom .300 Win Mag with a SS barrel, or just buy a Christensen Arms rifle with their carbon fiber barrel. All of my rifles are custom with either Proof or Hart barrels. I have a local builder who is really good. He's been doing it for over 55 years. That's who he will go with, if he goes custom. I just don't know much about Christensen rifles at all. Are they good, sub half shooters? Can anyone give me pros/cons regarding their rifles? Thanks in advance for any and all help.

I listed a nice 7.5 lb rifle with scope it b close to 9 lbs..wouldnt suggest much lighter in a 300 win..ive carried similiar n killed pretty much everything up to grizz n buffalo with her..

 

[jshepherd61]

Hello all. I have a friend at work who is debating on whether or not to build a custom .300 Win Mag with a SS barrel, or just buy a Christensen Arms rifle with their carbon fiber barrel. All of my rifles are custom with either Proof or Hart barrels. I have a local builder who is really good. He's been doing it for over 55 years. That's who he will go with, if he goes custom. I just don't know much about Christensen rifles at all. Are they good, sub half shooters? Can anyone give me pros/cons regarding their rifles? Thanks in advance for any and all help.

I've owned a couple good CA guns and have sold three not so good CA guns. I would build my own! IMO for hunting and barrel longevity I prefer Bartlien all SS 5r barrels. IMO they can't be beat! If you build your own you can build to fit from action to barrel contour to stock. I'm currently into 17 Bartlien barrels with another two on order and they stand by there product.

 

[brentc]

Yup. Lots of hearsay on this topic. Let's put some first hand experience on the board. I've had the privilege of loading for several different newly produced Christensen carbon barreled rifles. I personally own three. My first was a 300 WM Ridgeline that printed a first group of.1 MOA and it regularly prints .3 MOA with 215 hybrids loaded with H1000 or RL26. I also have a friend that purchased an identical rifle that shoots the same H1000/215 Berger load into one hole.

My second CA is a MPR chambered in 6.5 PRC that stacks factory loaded 143 grain ELDXs into tiny clusters. The third is a 6.5 PRC ridgeline that I'm developing a load for with hornady 147s and H1000 that is currently printing .5 MOA four shot groups without final load tuning. I expect after tuning the seating depth, it will also be punching one hole groups.

When you lay it all out, you can't build a rifle with the same features and performance for the cost of the Christensen Ridgeline. That said, they are factory rifles. The fit and finish isn't perfect and the bedding is not comparable to a custom job, but if you want a lightweight factory rifle that performs like a custom for less than $1900, buy a Christensen Ridgeline with confidence.

 

[tomsd]

If you really must have a 1/2" shooter - fine - but there are numerous - very good production rifles out there - for around $1,000 and up - that will shoot under an inch - some down to half inch with the right ammo. Start with Tikka and Savage and Browning, Remington, etc.

 

[Stephen Orleski]

There are a few local younger guys who have been working with him to learn his secrets and acquire his knowledge. He built a benchrest rifle that shot five straight groups between .053 and .056. It has a 2oz trigger. Those groups look like one hole.

Save some money and get one of these...

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/42393/Remington+Firearms+85505+700+5-R+Bolt+300+Winchester+Magnum+26+3+1+Synthetic+H

I agree. I have one of these and you can buy an AI Chassis for these for 1500 from Brownells. It bolts right on and then you get a magazine fed rifle, a nice long pic rail and it is a lot better ergonomically (cheek riser, adjustable stock to shoulder length)..

 

[MudRunner2005]

I agree. I have one of these and you can buy an AI Chassis for these for 1500 from Brownells. It bolts right on and then you get a magazine fed rifle, a nice long pic rail and it is a lot better ergonomically (cheek riser, adjustable stock to shoulder length)..

I'm glad someone saw my post... The OP and everyone else has been ignoring it for 5 pages...

He could build the 5R .300WM for MUCH less than a custom, and for about the same price as the CA, but have a more optioned-out and customized rifle than the CA.

 

[Wiley J]

A friend recently got a CA in 300 RUM. Took a lot of stuffing around to get it shooting. Was getting 3" groups at 100 with factory ammo.
Tried 220 ELD-X and 87gn AR2225 and shooting practically one hole 5 shot groups at 100. Went through a lot of loads to get there though. It is a really nice gun to shoot.
The proof will be when he starts testing out to 1000.

 

[Diamondback]

Hello all. I have a friend at work who is debating on whether or not to build a custom .300 Win Mag with a SS barrel, or just buy a Christensen Arms rifle with their carbon fiber barrel. All of my rifles are custom with either Proof or Hart barrels. I have a local builder who is really good. He's been doing it for over 55 years. That's who he will go with, if he goes custom. I just don't know much about Christensen rifles at all. Are they good, sub half shooters? Can anyone give me pros/cons regarding their rifles? Thanks in advance for any and all help.

I would do neither. A Savage 116 FCSS stainless in 6.5 284 Norma - 24" barrel in stainless and if your reloads don't group 1/2" then have a new barrel on it - 26" and run reloads through it to find what it likes. You can spend a whole lot of $$$$ if you want, but if it groups 1/2 in or less off a factory build, who cares? .30 cal has to go up too high in bullet weight to get the BC benefits that a 6.5 can. If you want more than 6.5, 7mm is nice for bullet weight and reaps high BC under 200 grain bullets. Why a 300 Win Mag?

 

[brentc]

I know I keep seeing entirely too many of them for sale advertised as "low mileage", "Only 100-200rds", etc at ridiculously low prices which has always been a big red flag to me.

Let's apply this same logic to all the used Nightforces getting hocked in the classifieds for hundreds less than retail. Is that a red flag too?