Maybe I'll build my own bolt gun.

[CoalTrain49]

I noticed that Brownells has Howa barreled actions. I was thinking about a heavy barrel .308 to shoot from a bench. Anyone ever buy one of these and put it in a laminated stock? I purchased a stock from Boyds and I like it much better than the poly stock that comes with most lower end rifles. Saves about $150 over just buying the rifle with the $25 poly stock. You probably couldn't give one of those away. The stock I bought from Boyds bolted right up to my Ruger 77 without any issues. I have a new Howa so no surprises there.

 

[Varminterror]

I haven't done one with the Howa actions from Brownell's, but I have with Rem 700 actions from Brownells and ptg, a cz action from Brownells, and savage actions straight from savage.

Just like an AR, I don't end up saving myself any money, but I get exactly what I want, and I enjoy the journey in putting them together.

I have been on the verge of ordering one of the Howa's for some time now, just can't bring myself to order one over buying more 700's.

Boyd's stocks are fantastic for the money. I typically end up blocking and bedding, so I don't mind the little work they usually need for fitting. I have a dozen or so of them in the safe currently, and 4 others awaiting bedding onto their new actions. As an example of the work typical of a Boyd's stock, my most recent was a Ruger M77 MKII, needed to be nudged over about a 1/32" to center in the action inlet and barrel channel, which was easily corrected when I installed the pillars. I had to route the trigger guard inlet a little deeper and the overall stock was a little shallow so I had to file the mag box a touch to get a nice flush fit of the mag plate at the belly. Took a few hours, but as they say, "weren't no hill for a high stepper."

I wish their adjustable cheek risers used an elevator nut instead of the expanding trunions, but it works. I formed a piece of delrin into a dead-stop block, pinning it under the cheekpiece to let me be assured it wouldn't fall in the middle of a match. Pull the cheekpiece and pull the block and I can move down if wanted, but only if I so desire.

 

[pintler]

"and savage actions straight from savage"

I'm curious - If I just want a Savage action (and maybe trigger, bolt, etc - everything but barrel and stock), where do I buy it?

 

[cfullgraf]

Savage catalogs several versions of a target action. 223 Rem bolt face, 308 Win bolt face, a coupe of different port options (right or left) and so forth.

I recently got one through Bud's Gun Shop and am in the process of building a new prairie dog rifle. I'm definitely not saving any money as I bought a premium stock, barrel and optics of my choice.

The barrel has been mounted to the frame and the action set in the stock. I only have mounting of the optics remaining.

 

[Varminterror]

"and savage actions straight from savage"

I'm curious - If I just want a Savage action (and maybe trigger, bolt, etc - everything but barrel and stock), where do I buy it?

You can buy them through resellers cheaper, but I ordered the two of mine straight from Savage, shipped to my FFL.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ive seriously been considering doing a Howa build for my next project. The one I have is very nicely finished, and the actions got some distinct advantages over other push feeds in their price range. I like odd ball rounds so im pretty sure id be ditching the barrel, but again the one i have shoots quite well.

 

[webrx]

Buy the Howa varmint as a complete rifle, shoot it out, then build a new one, you can get the rifle almost as cheap as the action unless I am missing something completely. I have one in .223, hogue stock, great little gun, not as good as an RPR or Stealth, or Tikka, but accurate, fun, and I got mine out the door 223, hogue stock, fluted varmint barrel for around $500.

Well, I should say my son got his, cuz I never get to shoot it I had to buy myself a savage ba stealth in 6.5 creedmoor but that is another story, also might be as cheap as building your own though, $1k out the door and accurate.

 

[jmorris]

you can get the rifle almost as cheap as the action unless I am missing something completely.

The finished barreled action is $370, a complete 1500 is going to be around $500.

So get one of these.
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...standard-barrel-blue-308-win-2-prod94598.aspx

Drop it in one of these.
https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Prod...n-factory-barrel-channel-forest-camo-finished

And you are pretty much right where you would have been dollar wise if you had just ordered one of these. Except you have a laminated wood stock vs the Hogue synthetic.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/44074/Firearms/Rifles/Howa/Howa+1500+308win+w/+Hogue+Stock

If I was going to hunt with it, I'd likely just buy one too but for looking at its hard to beat a nice wood stock.

 

[LoonWulf]

Also if you go short action, gunpartscorp has short action s&w 1500 stock for about 150-160. I put one on my howa 1500, as i cant stand the Hogue shape.

Only down side is they use a triangular forend some.folks dont like, and the grip cap says S&W n blue....least the high gloss stock i got had that on its cap.

 

[aubie515]

I wouldn't consider torqueing two screws "building" a rifle, but that's just me. I suppose you think pinning a complete upper to a complete lower building an AR15"

As others have already stated, you will probably be in for less money to just get a complete rifle because Howa buys stocks in bulk and you have economies of scale.

Howa is not a bad option, but they use metric threads and many gun smiths don't work with metric threads. If you want a serious precision rifle...I'd start off with an action that is easier to work on. For DIY...look no further than Savage as you can do the work yourself and it's very simple and does not require a lot of tools to get started.

 

[jmorris]

I wouldn't consider torqueing two screws "building" a rifle, but that's just me.

Yeah, I was fixing to agree with Webrx, in that if the op didn't do all the machine work and finish, etc himself and paid a gunsmith to do it, it would most certainly cost more than just buying a finished rifle.

But then I noticed he was looking at dropping a finished barreled action in a stock.

 

[HankC]

Build your own is not saving anymore, typically cost more than buying a commercial rifle. When surplus was plenty, you can build your own on Mauser actions cheap but not anymore. It only makes sense to build your own if not commercially available. I built a few myself and still have a mauser action!

 

[webrx]

I like a nice wood stock as well as the next guy, but the OP said benchrest, and the hogue overmold works fairly well for that purpose, plus, if you add an adjustable cheek rest your not destroying a nice laminated stock.

I was just offering an alternative, far be it from me to tell someone not to build their own, I cant count the dollars I have spent on "upgrades" to various rifles, stocks, buffers, barrels, glass, etc.....

d

 

[jmorris]

Build your own is not saving anymore, typically cost more than buying a commercial rifle.

It can, I built my 50 BMG for much less than I could have bought one.

$350 for a Lothar Walther chambered blank and the rest was built from 4130, 4140 and Ti I already had left over from other projects. The only other thing I had to buy was spring wire to make the springs.

I had more in ammunition than the rifle by the time I finished.

If I had to pay myself by the hour for the work, it would have been a different story though.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I wouldn't consider torqueing two screws "building" a rifle, but that's just me. I suppose you think pinning a complete upper to a complete lower building an AR15"

As others have already stated, you will probably be in for less money to just get a complete rifle because Howa buys stocks in bulk and you have economies of scale.

Howa is not a bad option, but they use metric threads and many gun smiths don't work with metric threads. If you want a serious precision rifle...I'd start off with an action that is easier to work on. For DIY...look no further than Savage as you can do the work yourself and it's very simple and does not require a lot of tools to get started.

I suppose I should have said assemble my own rifle.

There really isn't a lot that goes into building a rifle though because it's mostly doing the same thing. Barrels are purchased, very few fabricate their own barrels. Same with receivers, how is anyone actually going to fabricate a receiver and trigger assembly? Stocks are purchased from mfg's like Mcmillan. If one buys a barreled action that's just one step removed in the process. If you have the skill to barrel an action are you now "building" a rifle?

I don't own an AR so have no idea what the process is to assemble one from parts.

I'm not a huge fan of Savage rifles. Can't stand those lawyer inspired triggers.

 

[jmorris]

Same with receivers, how is anyone actually going to fabricate a receiver and trigger assembly?

The one I posted above was machined from 8620 steel, same for the bolt. The stock is just a pad on the bolt and the forearm was machined from 4130. Trigger was machined from titanium and springs wound by hand. The barrel was a chambered blank but you still have to machine the taper, thread for the receiver and brake. But yeah, most people that "build" guns are not starting with bar stock.

As far as AR's go, I doubt that many of the manufacturers are forging the lowers in house. They are likely buying that part and then just machining them. Same thing for castings and MIM parts, all likely outsourced.

 

[LoonWulf]

JM build something that isnt cool so im less envious......