Customs Rifle

Binary89

Hello,

Im planning on making a custom hunting rifle.

In you expert opnion what Action, Barrel, Stock, scope, and type of caliber (I really want to keep the bullet over .30 unless its a magnum caliber or somthing like 7mm STW ect)

1KYDSTR

How about 35 Whelen or 338-06? Neither are belted magnums so that would not be a concern. 8mm-06 would be a good choice as you don't have to open up the bolt face, but bullet selection is limited! A cheap Turkish mauser or any standard length mauser action would be a good basis for conversion. Core-lite and Adams and Bennet offer a package drop in set-up that would be good, and Fajen and others offer good wood for the conversion as well. Alter the bolt handle (and D&T of course)and safety and you are about done. Scopes are another thing...spend $75 on a good BSA or $500 on a Nikon and get about the same result! Gonna' be lots of opinions here...good luck sorting them out!

"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)

1KYDSTR

How about 35 Whelen or 338-06? Neither are belted magnums so that would not be a concern. 8mm-06 would be a good choice as you don't have to open up the bolt face, but bullet selection is limited! A cheap Turkish mauser or any standard length mauser action would be a good basis for conversion. Core-lite and Adams and Bennet offer a package drop in set-up that would be good, and Fajen and others offer good wood for the conversion as well. Alter the bolt handle (and D&T of course)and safety and you are about done. Scopes are another thing...spend $75 on a good BSA or $500 on a Nikon and get about the same result! Gonna' be lots of opinions here...good luck sorting them out!

"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)

Tailgunner1954

1. What do you want to do with it? Hunt deer, Elk, Big Bear, Big 5, Close in or long range, etc. Answer that and we'll talk about the cartridge to chamber it for and what it takes to make that cartridge preform. Also, do you handload or are you going to have to buy ammo. Will you need to be able to purchase ammo for your rifle where your going to hunt?
2. How much do you have to spend? The budget range starts at $250 (for a "Bubba" special)and goes on past 50K for a one-off fully hand crafted custom.

What your hunting, how far away you're capable of making a clean kill, how much recoil you can handle without developing a flinch, ammo availabilty where your hunting, and the depth of your pocket book will be the deciding factors.

---

Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.

Binary89

the biggest thing ill probelly hunt is Mule Deer but i still want a powerfull cartrige


Is it possible to make a 7mm STW out of a mauser action and what company would you recomend for the action

Ray B

A M98 or full-size variant can be machined open to hold the longer cartridge. It involves machining away part of the lower recoil lug, so you want somebody that knows what they're doing. The bolt face with designs that have external ejectors, like the M98, can be easily modified from standard (.473") to magnum (.532") fairly easily, however those like the Rem 700 are a major operation, & you'd be better off to stay with the original head size. I can readily recommend a barrelmaker/gunsmith, C.P. Donnelly of Grants Pass, Oregon; however, he's getting up in years and I'm not sure if he's still accepting work.

buddyb

Figure the most you want to spend and when you finish the project you will have at least three times that much in it.

intercessor

Building a custom is a labor of love. By the time you add up the work on the bolt handle, speed lock kit, trigger, safty, drilling and tapping, reblueing, and the hours you will spend on the stock work;, you will have a lot more in the gun than if you just went ou and bought what yhou wanted. Ane that 's only if you go with the original chambering of the gun you choose to work with. If youn step up to somthing bigger, figure in the cost of reaming the new chamber and work on the bolt face. On the other hand, it is very satisifying to take big game with something yhou crafted yourself. Everyone should do it atleast once just for the experience. I did, and I will never regret it, but I probably won't do it again. I am very attached to my little custom sporter, and I will probably never part with it; mostly out of sentiment, but I also know that it will never bring what I have4 invested in it. If you have your heats set on the project, go for it, and have fun!

JustC

Well,..not knowing your purpose I'll throw out some of my personal reccomendations for any custom build-up.

Start with a good 700rem action (my favorite) but a model 70 win can be just as nice. The sako actions are very true from the box,..but parts are harder to find and more expensive. I bought several of the sako L691 actions a about a year ago. They are super staright out of the box,..but the triggers don't like to go under 2lbs. If not for that,..I'd suggest one of those actions which can be had for ~$450. However if you like a 2lb pull,..they are super. Anyway,.....back to the 700rem action. Install a hardened recoil lug (tubbs, holland, etc) Have the action trued (bolt face squared, lugs lapped, action face squared, threads trued ) install a good aftermarket trigger (jewell, Rifle Basix, Shilen) throw on a good SS match tube (PacNor, Kreiger, Hart, Shilen, Lilja, Douglas, Broughton, Border, Lothar Walther, etc) Then pillar bed it in a good strong stock (McMillan, HS Precision, Shehane, Brown Precision, Borden) and get started shooting.

All this is of course directed at having a very accurate rifle. If you want a "pretty" rifle for exhibition or show "grade" purposes,..I can't help ya[;)] I enjoy a nice peice of wood on a rifle,..but my personal concentration is accuracy. HTH

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

Binary89

anyone know where i can find Sako, remington, and Mauser actions from??

JustC

New barreled actions can be purchased through Brownells. They tend to be a little expensive due to them coming with a factory barrel. You can just as easily find a used rifle,..part it out, sell the barrel and stock, and keep the action for your project.

check the auctions or place a want add in the wanted forum here. 700rem actions are plentiful,.but you rarely find one priced much under $350. You can figure on about $150-$200 for the truing of the action which puts you around $550 (about 1/2 cost of a custom action)

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?