If you were building a custom hunting rig what action would you use?

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Something on a Mauser pattern!

Seriously though... unless you are going to DIY it... I'd get a Ruger.

But if you want to go with a custom action, I'm a Mauser pattern guy!
 
Saying this as a HUGE M77 MkII/Hawkeye fan, other than the claw extractor and integral lug, I’m a LONG ways from pretending a Ruger is a Mauser pattern.
 
other than the claw extractor and integral lug

Ummm... That's what I was thinking of....

And don't forget double stack magazines! (Although I don't really care about that too much...)

I couldn't think of a better way of saying that than "Mauser Pattern". But thanks for explaining my post!
 
Good wood ain’t cheap. Great wood even less so.

A Nucleus action, Krieger barrel, Jewel trigger. These are all known quantities. They are known to be very good quantities, among others.

What really makes a truly magnificent rifle, in my humble opinion is the stock. A human's hand can not make a blank into something it is not. No amount of sanding or bedding can make a pallet rail into a highly figured piece of quilted Bubinga. When I think of a custom rifle, nearly invariably, I think of a wonderful piece of Bastogne Walnut or Fiddleback Maple. A pure rose colored Cherry or Myrtle would be well received. A large enough piece of Cocobolo would be (very heavy) extravagant.

A Custom action is great. Just like the other thousands of them. They are all the same.(They should be identical, should they not?) And a great barrel is just as paramount. Glass is really tantamount to success.

But the Wood? I think that is the only thing that really matters for this...
I want to make a gorgeous old school blued and wood (rifle).


:)
 
If you are looking for truly "old school looking," and a fully functional rifle that will bottle the full potential of the 6.5Cm, there are a few good choices out there. The 3 you list are good. If you really want a vintage look though, hit up a good gunshow. You are looking for "donor" M1903 or M98 actions in good working order. Poorly done or well used sporters in these actions are usually had quite cheaply, or you may fork out a bit more for one that has much of your custom work done already. Stocks and parts are readily available for these, and they are solid, accurate performers. I have a .280 rem in a RM fancy walnut thumbhole built on a 1912 Ludwig Loewe M98 military action that I put together in this manner. It is a gorgeous and very functional hunting rifle. Also picked up an M17 sporter with the intention of using the action, but it shoots too well as it was put together so I left it alone. It is now my camp/spare/bad weather gun.

My out of pocket was nowhere near $1500. $200 for the Shilen barreled action (got lucky on that one, gunsmith retired and selling off his unfinished projects), $200 for the semi-inletted stock, Probably $150 in misc parts, accraglass and finishing supplies (I left the military 2 stage trigger as I'm used to them). $210 glass and mounts ('80s Leupold).
 
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Sako barreled action in a AAA fancy Claro Modern Classic Sporter from Richards Microfit with inlayed sling swivels, rosewood tip and cap, straight comb with a shadowline cheekpiece, Timney Trigger, 20LPI checkering and a solid black rubber butt pad. Not that I have ever dwelled on the subject.

That said, I would be happy with a Bergara B-14 Woodsman.
 
I see old school a bit different. It's in the word and it's personal interpretation. Many use the terms interchangeably between old school and classic. To me, classic is a very far cry from old school. Classic implies classy, and historic which leads towards nicer grades of model 70s, 700s, and various lever guns. Old School however implies nostalgia, fun, and function. To me that ljnes me up squarely on the remington pump rifles. The way they were built didn't necessarily facilitate the greatest accuracy but they were really cool old school guns that served a purpose in many hunting camps.

But Midwest means bolt rifle, so I say Browning if buying new, or Winnie 70 in high grade if looking for a "classic"
 
I was VERY happy with my Defiance Rebel action for my project rifle. There are a lot of options to pick to get it just the way you want. Defiance also makes the actions for GA Precision rifles.

I chose to match the action to a 22" Krieger barrel with a tuned Timney trigger chambered in 7mm-08. The main differences between your project idea and mine were mine is stainless and synthetic stock versus your desire of blued and wood. I considered having a beautiful wood stock done, but thought it might not be appreciated or cared for by the person to receive the rifle. If I were to do it over, I'd have gone with 6.5 Creedmoor and a Bartlein barrel, but I chose to build the rifle before 6.5 CM was well known.
 
If considering “value” for a hunting rig of the custom (classic) arena; off-the-shelf vs. custom - the M70 Super Grade is very hard to beat. The SG is simply a beautiful rifle for the money when looking at the incremental refinement of a custom build. It is a great compromise of not spending a lot of dough for a great rig. I own a M70 WE in .308 - just a wonderful rig for the money (I bought WE for the SS and composite stock - too old to fret over wood scrapes and dings). I also own a Kimber CC “Select” in .308 which is gorgeous in it’s own light rifle niche; beautiful AAA French stock - BUT, if I wanted custom/ classic looks and refinement, M70 SG hands down.
 
If I wanted a nice wood & blued hunting rifle for deer and possibly elk I'd forget about building something, forget about the 6.5 CM and go straight to a Kimber Classic Select Grade in .280 AI which retails for $1,427 but which can be found for less, maybe even $200 less. I would not buy sight unseen due to the differences in the wood. The Kimber action is every bit as good as anything from Winchester, has a 3-position safety and a locking bolt like any real hunting rifle should have. That rifle would make for a great hunting rifle, not a sit in a tree stand or shoot from a road kind of rifle, but mount a sensible scope in Talley aluminum rings and you'll have a sub 7.5 lb elk slayer.

Do you work for Kimber?
 
If I wanted a nice wood & blued hunting rifle for deer and possibly elk I'd forget about building something, forget about the 6.5 CM and go straight to a Kimber Classic Select Grade in .280 AI which retails for $1,427 but which can be found for less, maybe even $200 less. I would not buy sight unseen due to the differences in the wood. The Kimber action is every bit as good as anything from Winchester, has a 3-position safety and a locking bolt like any real hunting rifle should have. That rifle would make for a great hunting rifle, not a sit in a tree stand or shoot from a road kind of rifle, but mount a sensible scope in Talley aluminum rings and you'll have a sub 7.5 lb elk slayer.
There's a used one at the local shop. I look at it every time I go in there. If it were a 6.5, I probably would've already bought it. ;)


Problem with a factory action is that, when you’re done, you have neither a factory rifle nor a custom one.
That is not true at all. Doesn't have to be built on a custom action to be considered a "custom" rifle.
 
I’d be happy starting with an older CRF Browning built on a FN Commercial Mauser action.

That would be one of my choices too or a M70 Winchester.... I'm a big Remington 700 and 721 fan but If I were building a custom it would probably be something on a Mauser style action...
 
Old School...

How about a Sharps? If money is no object, give Shiloh Sharps a call.

Or maybe rechamber/rebarrel a classic Mannlicher/Schonauer?

A Ruger #1 would suffice for me. I have one in .270 that is completely trustworthy.
 
Do you need some? I have plenty to share :)

No, I don't have a .308 but I pick up the brass. I have plenty if I ever get a rifle. My problem is no range longer than 200. If I ever get to a place that has one I'll have a .308 you can bet on it. I'm looking at moving so the next place will have a decent range.

Thanks for the offer.
 
Mine are built on a 700 Rem. actions, I've never regretted it one bit... AND yes my DG rifle is built on a 700 action too...

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DM
 
I probably fall on the side of the fence to agree - if you blueprint a Remington factory action, you have neither a factory nor custom action. Sure, it has been customized, and it comes with some custom action COST, but it doesn’t carry any custom action value. I’ve payed a lot to blueprint a lot of actions over the years, added performance, but have never added a penny in value.

Doing a “custom paint job” on a Honda Civic is custom work, and the result is a custom car, but all of that money spent is sunk cost when it comes to resale value - sometimes even detracting from resale value. There were a number of years in the late ‘90s where you could buy a used gunsmith blueprinted Remington for less than a used factory state action - folks knew if you blueprinted it, you used it, and the fact you were selling meant it either didn’t perform to expectations, or you used the leather out of it...

I have 5 Ruger M77 MkII and Hawkeyes in my safe right now, blueprinted, custom barrels, custom stocks, aftermarket triggers... none are worth even a modest fraction of what I have spent on them.

So maybe a better way to say it is: “customizing a factory action is never an investment.”
 
I’ve kicked off a custom hunting build with my FN action (M70), a Proof carbon 22” barrel and a McMillan Game Warden stock. Going to stick with a .308 chamber

If you can find one, the FN SPR would be, IMO, a good choice for a custom hunting rifle (I've got one, chambered in 7mm-08, nicely-tuned trigger, and dropped in an Accurate Innovations walnut stock which beds the action in an internal aluminum chassis).

Essentially a M70 (CRF 3-position safety) action, it's a true short action, but unlike modern M70s, it's got a pre-64 trigger, which is renowned for it's durability and reliability in field conditions. It also uses slightly beefier scope base screws. CDNN used to sell these actions for just $350, but they're long gone. Maybe they pop up on gunbroker, occasionally.
 
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