Custom hunting rifle build

[CraigC]

I like nice things as much as the next person and that revolver is a beautiful example, but someone who buys a bone stock revolver could be equally happy with theirs as you are with yours.

What someone else might be happy with is irrelevant. Beauty is one thing and I doubt anyone would argue that an X-frame is more beautiful than the above custom. However, it's more than that, just as a custom rifle is more than just accuracy. IMHO, to be concerned only with accuracy is to either be very short-sighed or to have limited needs. Building a custom, handgun or rifle, is about getting a combination of features you want that do not exist in factory guns. It's about minimizing compromises. In the above case, it was about getting a .500 in a cartridge with all the performance 'needed' without the cartoonishly long and overblown .500S&W cartridge with its 62,000psi pressures and everything else that's unnecessary. In a revolver that is not equally cartoonishly long and oversized, that has grips that are actually comfortable to shoot with heavy loads. Making it beautiful was secondary but also very important. Building a custom is not about saving money. It's about getting exactly what you want and getting everything just right, rather than finding the factory built rifle that is the least wrong. Sometimes you just want something fine in your life.

 

[z7]

If you are speaking of a custom in the realm of thousands of dollars (4k+) I highly recommend calling LongRifles Inc. they build a lot of rifles for PRS and similar tactical rifles, but his hunting rifles are gorgeous. everything can be customized, cnc machined, adjustable stock etc. check out the Facebook page and website, call them up and you will likely speak to Chad the owner. he has an incredible operation and are super helpful. you wont find much on the web bad about LRI

 

[MCMXI]

IMHO, to be concerned only with accuracy is to either be very short-sighed or to have limited needs.

That's why I said that it's not hard to make an accurate rifle, and if you read between the lines I'm making that point that it's everything else that's not so easy to achieve and definitely not achieved by many so called gunsmiths. There's a reason why I have three Accuracy International rifles, and accuracy is part of that but not everything. It's all of the other features that I wanted as well, many of which you won't find on any custom rifle ... anywhere! D'Arcy Echols focuses on many features that are neglected on factory rifles so I totally understand why someone would want a custom rifle or customize their own rifle to suit their needs. I've done that a number of times. My only point originally is that the gap between custom rifles and good factory rifles has been getting smaller and smaller, and when it comes to hunting, the difference in cost doesn't always translate to a real world difference in the end result or satisfaction of ownership. I have a Kimber Talkeetna in .375 H&H that I customized and the rifle cost me $1,600 new. The custom work that I outsourced was $400 which included having the barrel shortened by 2" and recrowned and the stock/scope dipped. Some things I did myself such as removing the barrel and lapping the bolt lugs, adding a front sling stud, removing the iron sights and barrel band, etc. So for $2,500 all in for the rifle/scope/sling I have a rifle that will run with any medium bore hunting rifle on the planet (or at least 99.9% of them) in terms of accuracy, function, durability and fit. Even if I had paid full MSRP for the rifle the total would be around $3,300. So my second point is that you don't have to spend crazy money if you start out with a good factory rifle to begin with. I used this rifle to shoot a mule deer last weekend at 460 yards from a standing position using the bed rail of a pick up as a rest.

5-shot group at 100 yards.

 

[CraigC]

Totally agree. And factory rifles are much better than they used to be and there are more options than ever before, on both ends of the spectrum. I've looked at some gorgeous Browning X-bolts recently, from the French walnut at Cabela's to the maple octagon guns at CDNN. Rifles that would scratch a lot of itches for $900-$1200. Then there's the Winchester Super Grade that is a hell of a lot of rifle for the money. All great options that may or may not cure what ails you.