Well I am kinda thinking that i want a new (well first) custom rifle. I want it super accurate, and in 264 win magnum because i just like the concept of that caliber. Synthetic stock and tuned trigger. My question is how does one go about doing this sort of thing. Do i buy an action (if so where do i get one/ how much could one expect to pay for a top quality one) and then mate it a barrel ( manufacturers??). And then mate that to a high quality synthetic stock like HS Prescision or McMillian. Or should i buy a barreled action. Also i am slightly partial to the Remington 700 action just because i think they are inherently accurate. Maybe true maybe just my feeling. But i don't know how to get that action. I know that people sell high quality Mauser actions but don't really know anything about it. (any info, are they good, better, best?). Well as always any information is appreciated, hopefully i can find what i want and need. (Well who really NEEDS a new rifle but...)

StudlySmurf

Take a look at what Christensen Arms is offering. They say their guns will shoot half inch groups and they start around 2 grand. I just shot one last weekend in 300 Rem Ultra-mag and it was very impressive. You can get one in the caliber of your choice and they use a carbon fiber coated barrel and with the muzzle brake this one was easier to shoot than my 280 Remington barrel. It was also very light.

Here's the link to their site.

http://www.christensenarms.com/rifles.html

Thanks for the sight Bob, i am not sure what the advantage of the carbon fiber barrel is, does it save weight, or what. Also i built "my rifle" with the features i wanted and it came to about 4 grand. A little bit steep. I was looking to pay about half of that, so maybe the Christiantian arms route is not the path to take. Oh another question can this be done for about 2 grand.

It makes the barrel lighter, but stiffer which seems to increase accuracy. The rifle I shot was the extreme model and they list for $2450.00 plus another 200 for the muzzle brake in a Remington action.

From several friends whom have rifles built on their actions your going to have 2 grand in one give or take a little for most bottom line customs. Most folks are using Remington actions. Had a friend whom just had a build on his 300 Ultra-mag and he was in it a little over 2 grand. New barrel, Action blue printed, Muzzle brake, Timney trigger, HS precision stock. Very light accurate rifle and he likes the 300 Ultra-mag.

He was vary pleased with the results. Hie and a buddy took it and his 7mm STW to Alaska last year. They plan on going to Africa next year and he's also taking a 416 Rigby, probably one of CZ's African rifles with him besides the 300 Ultra-mag. Makes a guy wish he was single again.

The cheap way to a to a good shooting 264 win mag would to get a remington 700 in 7mm rem mag and send it to shilen rifles or some one else like that.Tell them you want a 264 win mag barrel installed and to put one of their triggers on it.Buy a stock from Hs presision to put it in when you get it back from shilen.You will have a custom rifle.You can spend a lot more money on a custom rifle that won't shoot any better.
Most mausers are WW2 surplus some even WW1 and it takes a lot of work $$$$ to make a sporting rifle out of one.

definitions of a custom rifle vary but it seems to me a custom rifle should be custom to you personally.
that means a custom fitted stock. also any embellishments such as engraving, etc. you may want.
the so called semi custom rifles may well shoot .5" or smaller groups from a bench, but if they don't fit you properly, you'll never be able to exercise that advantage in the field.

Good post Richard. Custom can mean many different things from a beautifully engraved rifle in wonderful wood with 24 lines per inch checkering to the plastic highly refined shooting machines shown in link above. It's an individual thing that we all view a little differently as we should.

It's sure nice to see so many new and excellent gunsmiths today, back 15 years ago it was almost a dying breed. Only sad thing is how costs have gone up so much, but that's the way of the world today.

it is pretty simple, pick up a remington action and find a smith that you like or else send it off to shilen and have it barreled and then choose a stock that you like. there are alot of good bbl. makers out there but i personally have had great luck with shilen. pac-nor impresses me but i haven't used them yet; but other than shilen i'd consider them. go with a factory contour on the barrel and it makes the stock work super simple. me personally, i don't buy factory new rifles because for darn near the same money i can barrel an action and put it in a nice stock and know what i have in the bbl. which is the major factor in wether or not a rifle will shoot.

You might check with new ultra light arms www.newultralight.com (http://www.newultralight.com) or Charlie Sisk I know they do some nice rifles for the guys that write for Rifle and Handloader.

Cooper Arms doesn't chamber rifles in .264 Win Mag but they do chamber them in other good cartridges. Their Model 52 in a Jackson Hunter or Excalibur rifle may be attractive to you and those rifles are very accurate and well made. Prices are $1595 (JH) and $1795 (Ex). Maybe if you are dead-set on a .264 you could see if the bolt face could be opened up and the rifle re-barreled?

http://www.cooperfirearms.com/our_rifles_new.php

Just a suggestion. Good luck in your search.

Well I am kinda thinking that i want a new (well first) custom rifle. I want it super accurate, and in 264 win magnum because i just like the concept of that caliber. Synthetic stock and tuned trigger. My question is how does one go about doing this sort of thing. Do i buy an action (if so where do i get one/ how much could one expect to pay for a top quality one) and then mate it a barrel ( manufacturers??). And then mate that to a high quality synthetic stock like HS Prescision or McMillian. Or should i buy a barreled action. Also i am slightly partial to the Remington 700 action just because i think they are inherently accurate. Maybe true maybe just my feeling. But i don't know how to get that action. I know that people sell high quality Mauser actions but don't really know anything about it. (any info, are they good, better, best?). Well as always any information is appreciated, hopefully i can find what i want and need. (Well who really NEEDS a new rifle but...)

StudlySmurf

Building on a Remington would be my choice but it's the barrel that really matters. A good barrel that's properly chambered is the key. If the chamber is reamed off center or off axis, it won't shoot and it doesn't matter how much you spent on the action, stock etc. The case head needs to rest on a bolt face that's squared and and well supported. A stiff barrel is better as is a stiff action. Search out a good gunsmith first. Shipping an action is ok but if I was building a complete first rifle, I'd want to deal eyeball to eyeball. Discuss options and prices, get a written detailed estimate of all work and parts and keep your copy handy, you'll both be happier. He will likely want a deposit up front especially if you want something out of the ordinary. Discuss any accuracy guarantee up front and get that in writing also. Some guarantees can add additional cost so keep that in mind. Ask everything you can think off, there are no stupid questions, he's heard them all and understands it's you money. And be patient, good gunsmiths are usually busy and have a backlog of work. May not mean much but if he can start on it right then, I'd be suspicious.

so from what you guys have said i think i have come up with a solution that would probably work pretty darned well tell me what you think of my plan. Buy a remington 700 BDL in 300 win magnum or 7mm remington magnum because it has the same bolt face as the 264 winchester magnum. Then send it to shilen for a new barrel just the way i want it. Add an HS precision composite stock and a jewell trigger. Then top it with a nightforce scope and talley rings. I think that would be an awesome combination that i would feel comfortable taking anything on the american continent short of big bears. (with the proper bullet of course) Well what do you think of my plan?

I thought you could simply get a Remington 700 reciever with a magnum boltface from MidwayUSA (provided you go through an FFL) but it must have changed, however to save $ you could simply get a Remington 700 SPS in either magnums- much cheaper than the BDL. The difference between the recievers is the gloss vs. matte finish.

Sounds like a good plan. I don't know if I'd go the big bucks for the Nightforce, probably put a lighter scope on it just for the packability.

I like bigger calibers, seen to many blown up deer with the small caliber mags. I'd probably have my 8mm Rem mag rechambered for an 8mm Ultra-mag. That would move the velocity up a couple hundred feet per second. Be nice to get 3200 fps from a 220 grain Sierra spitzer boattail instead of the 3080 fps I'm getting now.

I've a friend that shoots a 7mm Rem mag and last year he went to 140 grain bullets. Pretty destructive on game. Lots of folks I know went on the 264 Winchester bandwagon when they were first introduced. Bullet technology hadn't caught up with that kind of velocity that it generated and it turned out to be a poor killer, especially on elk. There's lots better bullets today.

i didn't know you could just buy an action and that would be the best way to go probably. But at midwayusa all the had was 223 actions so i don't know where to buy one. Also maybe instead of the nightforce i could put a leupold VX-L, they look like some really high quality glass. Well it could be a while till this happens but it is nice to have a plan and a goal, you know something to work towards. Bob i have been thinking about the carbon fiber barrels on those Christiansan arms rifles that your shooting buddy has. Is it a steel barrel with a carbon fiber wrap, a steel core carbon fiber barrel where they rifle a thin core of steel and put in a fairly thick carbon fiber tube. This is just something i have been thinking about and was wondering if you could clear it up for me.

Thanks,
Studlysmurf

You used to be able to buy Rem 700 actions from Brownell's and several specialty suppliers such as the stiller that comes already blueprinted and starts life out as a 700 action.

Most folks I know simply buy a used 700 that isn't scrapped or scratched up and use it for a donor. You'll find the price about the same. This is where you can get a bargain as you can get one with a crappy stock and it's going to be reblued anyway.

Yes the Christensen's use a steel barrel that is carbon fiber wrapped. It seems to aid in accuracy and contributes to their light weight. I shot five rounds thru this gun in fairly rapid succession and the barrel wasn't even warm.

I was certainly impressed with this rifle and he had one of the Leupold VX-1 scopes on it. It's going back to Leupold this week to have target knobs installed and marked for yardage for his particular load for this gun. You have to send them the bullet data along with the chronograph readings and they will tailor the scope to dial in the yardage on the elevation knob out to a thousand yards.

Set up the way his was he has around four grand in it. That's more than I can afford, but like he said it's only money and he loves hunting. In this day and age of 40 grand pickups and near four dollar a gallon gas it's not much in the scheme of things.

I ran across an outfit you might want to check out..Hill Country Rifles. They are selling an accurized 700 in a McMillan stock w/guaranteed accuracy for about 1800 bucks. They will also accurize and restock your action if you have one. Looks pretty interesting to me...I was considering getting them to build me one!

Their website is Hillcountryrifles.com

good luck.

Mark

The most cost effective way to do this is to find a beat up used 7mm Mag Rem 700. They can easily be found for $300-$400. Then find a local gunsmith to install a Douglas barrel. MidwayUSA has listings for local gunsmiths, many that don't advertise. The stock is something you can easily replace yourself. Be aware that aftermarket synthetic stocks are much sturdier than the factory plastic fantastic, they will fit differently and be heavier.

Might take a look at this sight, he has built some pretty nice rifles. A friend of mine has a custom .338 -.404 that is an awesome gun. And it actually shoots inside of a quater at 200 yards.

http://www.randyscustomrifles.com/custom_rifles.html