What does a custom build rig really get you???

[Tangent]

What does a custom rig really get you?

my answer: whatever you want, that's why it's a 'custom' rig

Haha, beat me to it. My custom rifles give me everything I want:

• A stock that actually fits me and works the way a stock should
• A trigger I like.
• Barrel twist, length, & contour that I want
• I can hit certain weights that I'm looking for
• .....and all my custom rifles shoot 1/2 minute or better with factory ammo which doesn't hurt one bit.

That said, custom rifles are not for everyone. They can surpass the point of diminishing returns financially, some folks will get analysis paralysis with all the options, etc. We are lucky to be in a golden age of rifles, optics, and ammo.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

I'll throw in my $0.2 here... I just took delivery of my first custom rifle for PRS shooting and dont have a ton of time with it yet, so time will tell whether it's better than the Bergara I was shooting in Production Class that I sold when I got it (that gun was a .3-5MOA gun once it was broken in with handloads... .75-1MOA with factory ammo).

What I will say is this, I think a lot of people kid themselves when they are adding up the cost of "customizing" a factory rifle. The Ruger RPR is a perfect example of this, by the time people have swapped on a pre-fit barrel, new trigger, new stock, new pistol grip, and new handguard... they are 90% of the way to custom rifle money and have easily doubled or trippled the cost of the gun. Will it shoot accurately? Sure, but you cant go and say that your $1000 factory rifle outshoots my $4000 custom, because it's not a $1000 rifle anymore.

There's obviously a middle ground somewhere in there, but the reality is, people never properly account for how much their upgrades are actually costing them. Sure, you can buy a decent Remington or clone for $700-1000, then you add a trigger $250, decent stock+DBM or chassis $1000+, bedding $250, thread the muzzle + brake $100-300 ish and now you've spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $2000-3000 all in and you still have factory action, factory barrel... if it shoot well, great! but does it shoot the same when its clean as when it's 100-200rds fouled? Does it shoot the same cold bore vs smoking hot after a 10rd string on a PRS stage? How long do you have to spend cleaning it? How many components did you burn making it shoot well?

So go buy a Bergara Premier then? Ok, you are out $1500-1800, thast pretty good, and it'll shoot well too. If you stop here and dont mess with it... you are doing well. But do you like the stock it came with? Is the barrel twist rate and contour the one you wanted? If not, you either have to deal with it, or pay to have it changed.

Customs are not nearly out of everyone's price range as everyone tries to make it seem (Im deliberately excluding high $$ shops like Gunwerks etc.. as that's an entirely different animal).

Case in point, had an old Remington 700 SPS Tac that had been re-crowned, tuned Timney trigger, tac bolt knob, and bedded in a Manners T6A. That gun was a solid .5-.75 MOA gun after all that work was done to it, I bought it from a friend for $950. If that had been the end of the story all would have been perfect, however...

The issues: gun had hard primary extraction, so I sent it off to the smith who had done the re-crown and bolt hand work to have it looked at and corrected. Very long and painfull story cut short... they found voids in the factory handle and couldnt re-time it on the bolt, so it was going to need to be replaced... for $400 (nearly 50% of what I paid for the rifle), so my natural thought was, have them blueprint it and spin on a new barrel, but then I am almost $1500-2000 deep on a factory action ($400 for the new bolt, and $1200-$1500 for a blueprint/re-barrel).

So what did I do? I parted out the Remington and sold everything and had my Smith build me a full custom with the exact action, barrel, stock, trigger, and bottom metal that I wanted with no compromises... all for only about $1000 more total out of pocket vs. sticking with the Remington and old stock that didnt fit me.

 

[J E Custom]

One thing about it we get lots of opinions !!!! And everyone's opinion is valid as long as it does not become adversarial, Then it loses something because it becomes the only opinion that Is correct. (Wrooooong)

If a person doesn't get the answer he wants, at least he gets other opinions. And like one member stated. "I LIKE IT"

J E CUSTOM

 

[C1Pro]

Lately, I've been having a lot of self talks, about why I continue to have customs built for me versus buying a production rifle, and making minor corrections to it, such as new trigger, bed or float the barrel if needed, and maybe flipping it into a new stock.

These small changes that can make a production line rifle more accurate and comfortable to shoot and is a lot more cost effective than selling blood to fund a full build...In the end, what did we truly gain over a boxed rifle, if both shoot sub groups?

Here's the question...If rubber meeting the road is based on paper, steel, and fur accuracy. Then a box rifle that shoots "even-steven" MOA consistently over 10 rounds and sub MOA on 3 shot groups. What did a guy spending $4k gain, if his rifle does the same?

This question is coming from a guy who has over 15 custom builds. Aside, from pride of ownership and a certain level of confidence knowing that the parts pieced together, both internally and externally are some of the best made today...It doesn't change the fact that a guy who bought a production rifle, can hit the daily-lottery, and have an excellent shooting rig that can hang with a custom all day long.

Who's the smarter guy?

I guess I fall into the pride category myself. I may be a little to obsessed with group size however. I had a stock 700BDL .223 that shot though the same hole @100 yards. After the barrel went south, I had a barrel job in progress. My smith called me and said the action was adrift and would rather blueprint it before re-barreling it. the best group I have achieved is .175" @ 100yds.

Two years ago I picked up a Tikka T3 TAC the dang thing shoots sub MOA out of the box. the worst load was .883 and the best, so far is .311 My only regrets are it's importer. Almost no customer service!

At least with my custom rebuild, I know I will always have a place to work on it. Even though the creator moved to Iowa.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

What you custom guys never want to talk about is the $4000 gun that doesnt meet expectations

People are human and mistakes are made from time to time, but this is where we will get in to the very important distinction, most gunsmiths will charge somewhere between $1200-1500 to re-barrel a Rem700 or clone, and most will charge you $3000-4000 for a full build, but that in no way means that all gunsmiths/custom rifles are equal or comparable just because they charge the same price. This is where the internet has ruined things... Same $ does not always mean same quality when human interaction is involved (in fact usually the opposite is true).

Does your smith regularly compete? Do other competitive shooters run their rifles? Do they have a track record/reputation of putting out good stuff? Are their rifles frequently represented in the top 10/top 50 of the shooting disciplines they are built for? Do people who spent a huge portion of their disposable income on the hunt of a lifetime trust their gear? Will they stand by their work and make things right when inevitably a dud leaves their shop? This is where the true value of a good custom rifle comes into play.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

and figure out if a custom could enhance the the overall performance, ergonomics, or even aesthetics, enhancing success.

Ergonomics can be easily fixed with an after market stock.

Lets be honest guys, you build customs for your ego so you can tell everybody you shoot a custom rifle. There are a few guys who dabble in custom chamberings like @Doublezranch, but I bet 99% would be just as happy with a bergara premier or christensen with your choice of aftermarket stock so it fits right.

 

[Stevenstl86]

$3600 .308 10 twist. proof/tenacity/trigger tech/AG composite stock. 30-p1. all over the place!
Back at the smith for testing.

Factory $600 Remington .308 10 twist/16.5"/ timney 510 trigger/ B&C m40 stock. Same 30-p1 suppressor shoots great.

Both guns shooting fgmm 168g

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Do people who spent a huge portion of their disposable income on the hunt of a lifetime trust their gear?

But we are talking rifles - not optics or boots or packs. A 1/4 or 1/2 moa factory rifle is just as effective as a 1/4 or 1/2 moa custom rifle isn't it? So I go spend $1000 on a 5r Gen 2, swap the trigger out for another $150. Have a 1/4 minute rifle for $1150. Lets say I don't like the HS precision stock, so I spend another $600 on a McMillan that fits me perfectly. I am now into a 1/4 moa gun for $1800. Or spend $4k for the same results?

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Ergonomics can be easily fixed with an after market stock.

Lets be honest guys, you build customs for your ego so you can tell everybody you shoot a custom rifle. There are a few guys who dabble in custom chamberings like @Doublezranch, but I bet 99% would be just as happy with a bergara premier or christensen with your choice of aftermarket stock so it fits right.

ouch...Lol

 

[Tex_Hunter]

Ergonomics can be easily fixed with an after market stock.

Lets be honest guys, you build customs for your ego so you can tell everybody you shoot a custom rifle. There are a few guys who dabble in custom chamberings like @Doublezranch, but I bet 99% would be just as happy with a bergara premier or christensen with your choice of aftermarket stock so it fits right.

Read my post above:

A decent adjustable stock with a DBM will run you anywhere from $900 to $1500 or even more depending on if you go with a McMillan, Manners, or one of the pricy one like a Foundation, and then it needs to be bedded so tack on $200+ for that if you arent doing it yourself.

You are going to be in the same neighborhood for a decent chassis like an MPA or KRG on up $2000 or more for the nicer options.

So now, assuming you keep things reasonable, you are into your Bergara Premier anywhere from $2500 on up to $3000 or even more which is right on the lower end of custom rifle territory. Now, if the barrel controur, twist rate, etc is what you wanted? Congrats you saved $500-1000, otherwise it's a wash.

Either way... saying its all down to Ego is equal combinations of ignorance (or just inability to do simple math as demonstrated above) and/or sour grapes

 

[Gibbshooter43]

From my "limited technical background", I'm struck with the idea that a good stock production rifle in the hands of a "good shooter" will shoot much better than a full custom rifle in the hands of a poor to average shooter. So the best starting place is to spend excessive time becoming a "good shooter" if only using a good 22. When a shooters skills, applied well, exceed the ability of his chosen rifle to produce the desired level of accuracy, then its time to consider either enhancing his rifle or stepping up to a custom. Far too many want to get the horse before the cart and wonder why none of their rifles shoot well. Only 'perfect' practice makes perfect. Just my opinion... Gibbs

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Read my post above:

A decent adjustable stock with a DBM will run you anywhere from $900 to $1500 or even more depending on if you go with a McMillan, Manners, or one of the pricy one like a Foundation, and then it needs to be bedded so tack on $200+ for that if you arent doing it yourself.

You are going to be in the same neighborhood for a decent chassis like an MPA or KRG on up $2000 or more for the nicer options.

So now, assuming you keep things reasonable, you are into your Bergara Premier anywhere from $2500 on up to $3000 or even more which is right on the lower end of custom rifle territory. Now, if the barrel controur, twist rate, etc is what you wanted? Congrats you saved $500-1000, otherwise it's a wash.

Either way... saying its all down to Ego is equal combinations of ignorance (or just inability to do simple math as demonstrated above) and/or sour grapes

I still think you do it so you can tell everybody you shoot a custom. Just my opinion.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

I still think you do it so you can tell everybody you shoot a custom. Just my opinion.

And with that reply you've confirmed that it's "sour grapes" on your end... cheers

 

[Deleted member 48126]

One thing about it we get lots of opinions !!!! And everyone's opinion is valid as long as it does not become adversarial, Then it loses something because it becomes the only opinion that Is correct. (Wrooooong)

If a person doesn't get the answer he wants, at least he gets other opinions. And like one member stated. "I LIKE IT"

J E CUSTOM

everyone please reference the above statement.