What's a good custom long range rifle for a decent price?

[ohiohunter]

To me, a 30 caliber sporter barrel's 22 to 24 inches long weighing about 2 to 2.5 pounds.

There's been 30 caliber barrels of those sizes and weights at the Nationals winning matches and setting records since the early 1960's. All with commercial match ammo or good handloads. They tested with 20+ shot groups at 600 yards 4 inches or so. At 100 yards, they easily shot inside 1/3 inch.

Some 30 caliber 28" heavy target barrels are just as stiff or rigid as a 22 inch featherweight one.

Here on the interweb I'm 10ft tall and bullet proof, but until you can show me a record set in 1960 with a sporter barrel that is still standing today I call bs on your claim. Prove me wrong sir.

But since you've derailed this thread over a company's 3shot accuracy guarantee I will add this... if you need more than 3 shots to lethally hit an animal then you need re-evaluate your capabilities.

 

[FEENIX]

Here on the interweb I'm 10ft tall and bullet proof, but until you can show me a record set in 1960 with a sporter barrel that is still standing today I call bs on your claim. Prove me wrong sir.

But since you've derailed this thread over a company's 3shot accuracy guarantee I will add this... if you need more than 3 shots to lethally hit an animal then you need re-evaluate your capabilities.

LL! I gotta make me more popcorn.

 

[Bart B]

can you tell us who builds a sporter weight rifle "good enough" that it shoots 1/3MOA for 20 shots groups?

Yes.

Any 'smith that knows how to get a Krieger match barrel whose groove diameter is a few ten-thousandths inch smaller than bullet diameter with the right twist for bullet weight(s) to be used will be a good start. Bartlein, Border and Brux barrels are darned near as good; sometimes equal.

Then have him get an old, used Win 70 action, first square the receiver face to the tenon thread axis, then lap the lugs to full contact and finally square the bolt face with a threaded sleeve screwed into the receiver.

Chuck center in a lathe head stock, then chamber the barrel with a SAAMI spec minimum chamber using a floating pilot .0001" smaller than bore diameter. Then face the muzzle true with an 11 degree angle crowning it with a brass ball and lapping compound

Full contact epoxy the receiver in the stock material of the owners choice (laminated wood is as good as any synthetic one) totally free floating the barrel. Magazine can be used if epoxied in or don't cut out the stock for it to use as a single shot.

Ensure the firing pin spring is 25 to 26 pound rated and the pin tip sticks out of the bolt face .060" to .065".

Install a Jewel trigger, put it all together with 60 inch-pounds torque on all three screws, then take the customer's money for the completed rifle.

 

[ohiohunter]

Name one smith that will guarantee 1/3moa for 3 shots let alone 20. Honestly I don't think 50% of all hunters are even capable of a 1/3 moa 5 shot group with any rifle in any caliber including lasers!

If there is as smith offering that guarantee then thats a smith who has a 5yr wait in new builds and 8yr wait on fixing rifles (actually shooters) that do not meet the standard.

BTW.. still waiting on that sporter barrel world record.

Hows that popcorn Feenix? I like lots of butter

 

[FEENIX]

Name one smith that will guarantee 1/3moa for 3 shots let alone 20. Honestly I don't think 50% of all hunters are even capable of a 1/3 moa 5 shot group with any rifle in any caliber including lasers!

If there is as smith offering that guarantee then thats a smith who has a 5yr wait in new builds and 8yr wait on fixing rifles (actually shooters) that do not meet the standard.

BTW.. still waiting on that sporter barrel world record.

Hows that popcorn Feenix? I like lots of butter

LL! I agree.

SAKO is the only one I know with ballsy 5-shot MOA guarantee.

Got thirsty so I have to chase it down ...

Cheers!

 

[clemens]

Yes lots of butter. Makes wonder how slippery this thread will get.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Just 'copying the mail' on this one. microwave popcorn for me....quicker.

 

[FEENIX]

Just 'copying the mail' on this one. microwave popcorn for me....quicker.

Same here but not buttery enough, perhaps this will help ...

 

[jmd025]

Yes.

Any 'smith that knows how to get a Krieger match barrel whose groove diameter is a few ten-thousandths inch smaller than bullet diameter with the right twist for bullet weight(s) to be used will be a good start. Bartlein, Border and Brux barrels are darned near as good; sometimes equal.

Then have him get an old, used Win 70 action, first square the receiver face to the tenon thread axis, then lap the lugs to full contact and finally square the bolt face with a threaded sleeve screwed into the receiver.

Chuck center in a lathe head stock, then chamber the barrel with a SAAMI spec minimum chamber using a floating pilot .0001" smaller than bore diameter. Then face the muzzle true with an 11 degree angle crowning it with a brass ball and lapping compound

Full contact epoxy the receiver in the stock material of the owners choice (laminated wood is as good as any synthetic one) totally free floating the barrel. Magazine can be used if epoxied in or don't cut out the stock for it to use as a single shot.

Ensure the firing pin spring is 25 to 26 pound rated and the pin tip sticks out of the bolt face .060" to .065".

Install a Jewel trigger, put it all together with 60 inch-pounds torque on all three screws, then take the customer's money for the completed rifle.

Thank you , I appreciate this response .

 

[Rich Coyle]

There are tons of nice custom rifles on this site for way below 3K. As for caliber its all in what you want. Deer size and smaller and with some long range ability, the 6.5 is hard to beat. So you are on the right track in my book. Other than a bit of weight the RPR is about as good as it gets for production rifle you can take to the range and print awesome groups right off the shelf and still light enough to hunt.

Do you want a custom to have a custom or do you want a rifle that will consistently shoot small groups? If the latter, you can go with Savage and save a ton of money.

If you want a custom, go for it. The only thing left of my Weatherby that is Weatherby is the action. Even the action was salt bath nitrided, so I guess it is not "stock" anymore.

 

[Bart B]

I was referring to service rifles at the Nationals;, not any world record. 30 caliber ones' records were later trounced by 22 caliber ones with sporter weight barrels 2 to 3 pounds or a bit more.

Some folks should spend more time learning why all well built rifles will behave mechanically exactly the same for each shot with good ammo. Doesn't matter the size or shape of their barrel. It's the external forces that make them become non-repeatable and launch bullets in different direction. And humans holding onto one cause the greatest amount of non-repeatability of where the barrel points when bullets exit. Rifles clamped in machine rests have the best repeatability from shot to shot.

Learning that's more important than eating popcorn or applauding those who do.

 

[rcoody]

I was referring to service rifles at the Nationals;, not any world record. 30 caliber ones' records were later trounced by 22 caliber ones with sporter weight barrels 2 to 3 pounds or a bit more.

Some folks should spend more time learning why all well built rifles will behave mechanically exactly the same for each shot with good ammo. Doesn't matter the size or shape of their barrel. It's the external forces that make them become non-repeatable and launch bullets in different direction. And humans holding onto one cause the greatest amount of non-repeatability of where the barrel points when bullets exit. Rifles clamped in machine rests have the best repeatability from shot to shot.

Learning that's more important than eating popcorn or applauding those who do.

I have found that I shoot best with the rifle supported on a quality rest and allowed to free recoil. Only thing touching the gun is my trigger finger and that trigger is 2 to 8 oz

 

[ohiohunter]

I was referring to service rifles at the Nationals;, not any world record. 30 caliber ones' records were later trounced by 22 caliber ones with sporter weight barrels 2 to 3 pounds or a bit more.

Some folks should spend more time learning why all well built rifles will behave mechanically exactly the same for each shot with good ammo. Doesn't matter the size or shape of their barrel. It's the external forces that make them become non-repeatable and launch bullets in different direction. And humans holding onto one cause the greatest amount of non-repeatability of where the barrel points when bullets exit. Rifles clamped in machine rests have the best repeatability from shot to shot.

Learning that's more important than eating popcorn or applauding those who do.

Don't twist my words and don't derail the already derailed topic. Never did I say this, nor did anyone else.

Put up or shut up. Show me a sporter barrel of average length shoot 20+ shots sub moa at 600yds, it can even be clamped, and I will eat crow. Until then please quit ruining other people's threads.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I was referring to service rifles at the Nationals;, not any world record. 30 caliber ones' records were later trounced by 22 caliber ones with sporter weight barrels 2 to 3 pounds or a bit more.

Some folks should spend more time learning why all well built rifles will behave mechanically exactly the same for each shot with good ammo. Doesn't matter the size or shape of their barrel. It's the external forces that make them become non-repeatable and launch bullets in different direction. And humans holding onto one cause the greatest amount of non-repeatability of where the barrel points when bullets exit. Rifles clamped in machine rests have the best repeatability from shot to shot.

Learning that's more important than eating popcorn or applauding those who do.

I once did a test of ten shots each at 50 yards with a .22 rimfire. With the rifle locked into place it fired a 2" group. With the rifle lightly laid on sandbags and allowed to recoil freely the next ten shots were 5/8". Somewhere I read there are no ten shot group anomalies.