want to build a custom big bore brush gun.

[Greycliff gunman]

I am very interested in building a .375 or .416 or .458. Short barreled heavy duty brush gun for hunting some big bear moose musk ox and the like. I am interested in bolt action just not sure what action or exactly what barrel length and what caliber or caliber style to go with. My Dad has a custom built 700 .416 Remington Magnum. Pretty sweet. Any ideas and suggestions would be great as I start this protect. I may interested in other calibers as well as long as they are large.

 

[David Clark]

Grey, check this out. The taylor is a great rd. Riflemrister has a pic. of the rifle he built towards the end of the post

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=343182

 

[Cosmoline]

I've always liked the idea of a .450 Marlin bolt action. The recoil wouldn't be too bad and it would have lots of short range power.

 

[Greycliff gunman]

I definitely like the idea of the .450 round for sure and The Taylor is a beautiful gun. I want a 20 inch barrel at the longest and a matte type finish on the metal that is rust resistant. Probably a wood stock but done in a very dark matte finish. Still want some serious knock down power up to 100 yds. Looking to shoot large and dangerous game. Weight not as important as the overall dimensions. Want to go through the brush. Gonna pack it on my ATV and at my cabin.

 

[Greycliff gunman]

The Birch stock on that .416 is amazing maybe something like that in a charcoal so you can still see wood grain but not look plastic like most composite style stocks.

 

[Awsomepossum]

how about a encore in 450 marlin, I know you said bolt action but those encore are pretty sweet. If you wanted to go tactical, add a folding stock . Also what about a 444 marlin lever gun (not to long ago, i saw one for 400$)

 

[Greycliff gunman]

Hey awesome, I have a .444 marlin lever action with open sights. Kinda long barrel pretty plain wood its not an old collectible but its not the newer style with the weird safety. Still a half cock safety on this one. Thought about cutting it down to a guide model and changing the wood on it maybe do a couple other things with it. I have shot a couple moose and some black bear with it. I like it without a scope and all to keep the weight down on this one. The only real drawback but a minor one is being the lever action cause of hand loads. But I really enjoy hunting with it because it is a lever action.

 

[adelbridge]

45/70 is plentiful and relatively cheap. I just looked at a mauser build in 45/70 and it would be a wicked hog gun.

 

[Greycliff gunman]

The 45/70 is a pretty good gun. I like the old ones for sure. Doing a build up on one would be pretty unique. Not sure I have ever seen one done. Plenty of ammo out there for sure.

 

[RPRNY]

Model 70 Super Express in.458 WinMag. That's what I would be looking for. They may have 22" barrels rather 20" but come with iron sights which is important in the rifle you are after. Also Ruger M77 Safari.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Greycliff gunman]

After much thought I am seriously considering a custom build on the .458 win mag. Although still considering a .416 Rigby or Ruger, maybe a Rem mag. Its definitely going to be a 20" barrel. The short barrel is kinda helping me decide. The Ruger rounds seem to do pretty good with short barrels. Haven't decided on the finish yet though. Any ideas? Still kicking around what stock as well. Want it strong though. Not a synthetic. Has to be wood. Still deciding on what sights or optics. Not planning any long range shooting. I am still looking for ideas.

 

[280shooter]

Check out the Marlin in 444,,lots of punch,, I had one 30 years ago, , Man that would shoot 1 in groups at 100, with my reloads, 265 Gr. hornady

 

[Greycliff gunman]

I have a Marlin .444 lever action. I enjoy hunting with it. Been thinking about cutting it down to a guide model.

 

[Greycliff gunman]

What about stocks? Some sort of composite or walnut, maybe laminated. How about a muzzle break? What type of sights? What seems to work best? I do like a peep sight but not in the rain.

 

[Float Pilot]

I built a 416 Taylor on a Vz-24 action and I am now working on a 375 Ruger project built on a 1917 Enfield action.
If all else fails I always have my 45-70 Browning 1886 carbine fall back on....

 

[Greycliff gunman]

I love the Ruger rounds, haven't had the opportunity to shoot one but the ballistics look good on them. I have checked out a couple of .416 Taylor builds. Maybe I just need more than one custom gun. I think a .50 would be awesome. I am leaning toward three guns right now. The .416 Rigby, .375 Ruger, and .458 Win mag. I am still kicking around the idea of a .416 Ruger as well. If I want to go with the Rigby how do I decide what action to get. Does the caliber have anything to do with it? I want control round feed for sure. What about the trigger, does that play a part in the decision for the action? What else do I need to know. Is there huge price differences depending on action brands? Does it have to be branded new or can I find a goods used one.

 

[panhead58ak]

450 alaskan

I had the same quest 30 years ago in alaska I ended up with to little big guns one was a model 71 winchester in 450 alaskan i called thumper cuase it hit hard on both ends.the other was a rem.6oo in 458 american pretty similar to the 450 marlin.the favorite hands down by every one who handled both guns was the model 71

 

[Greycliff gunman]

The .416 Rigby with a short barrel kicks like a mule. What are my options to lessen the beating on the backside of this style gun. Is there internal recoil reducing components for a bolt action? What does magnaporting do? Is there a certain brand or style recoil pad that helps? Are there other things that can help?

 

[BruceB]

Back in the '70s, we residents of the Northwest Territories in Canada could hunt Wood Bison just by buying a $25 tag. No draw or anything like that.

After a VERY short learning curve, I found a London-built Cogswell & Harrison '98 Mauser in .404 Jeffrey on a used-gun rack in an Edmonton store, in 1970. The rifle has a conventional-style Monte Carlo stock in very restrained form, and a barrel just 21" long.

It weighs barely 8,5 pounds un-scoped, and that's the way I've reverted to using it.....with just the English multi-leaf open "express" sights. It handles like lightning, and was ideal for the Bison which could be either in heavy, thick bush or open grassland.

The cartridge, of course, was perfect for animals which could be well over a ton in weight. The biggest bull I killed gave us 1700 pounds of MEAT IN THE FREEZER, indicating a live weight approaching 3000 pounds. It was HUGE, but the .404 did the job perfectly.

This rifle, probably built in the '50s or '60s, is very much like an early Scout design. It certainly worked for me. In the rack beside my Ruger GSR, there's no more than a couple inches difference in length, and the weight is nearly identical between the two of them. Nothing new under the sun!?!

 

[BigBore44]

Greycliff,
They aren't really new, but not common, the Mauser action in 45-70 is the way I would go. You don't hear of many bolt 45-70's. However a bolt 458 win? Common. It may be custom but it's common.

As far as types of stocks, your going to want something that won't warp or crack from humidity/temp changes. If you want a "pretty" stock I would suggest something like a stabilized spalted maple. If you want a pretty and fairly robust stock, I would suggest black walnut. I have 4 black walnut rifle blanks (cut the tree myself) curing right now that I will be turning into stocks. Absolutely beautiful.