Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Stiller vs trued 700

I have seen several threads discussing which route to take but have not seen much on why. I already have the 700 other wise It would be a no brainer. I'm sure I could sell it if I go the stiller route. So for those of you that own both what is the major advantages of the stiller? Besides the obvious resale value, side bolt release and such.

Look at a defiance machine

i look at it this way...
stiller is $950.00

a stainless remington will probably cost you
action $500.00
basic true $200.00
flute the bolt $75.00
doesnt have a one piece bolt assy.
side bolt release $100.00
melonite the bolt $75.00

so i cant see using a remington when you can have a custom action that works smoother and retains better re sale along with the pride of ownership with a top grade action

Gene270 I get that. If I didn't already have a 700 action I'd go custom with out a doubt. But I already have a early 90s 700 action that has seen very little use though it is not stainless.

This....

Add to that another $50-75 for milling the receiver for an extended magazine box. You would take a real beating on resale value of the 700 action as well. Defiance has been mentioned. The Rebel is a 700 clone and runs about $100 higher than the Stiller. I haven't used a Rebel but have a Deviant and I am highly impressed with it. Have owned a Stiller Predator and the Defiance seems smoother and tighter to me.

if you already have a remington action then you have a choice to make...sell yours and buy the stiller or use your remington....

you dont have to get everything done to your action that i mentioned when comparing the stiller to the remington ....basically a truing for roughly $200.00 dollars is all most people get... you dont evan have to get that done I have had remingtons that werent trued that shot well under moa

I know one gunsmith who says he's often had to work over some Stillers as much as any Remington he's ever blueprinted. Obviously he's not a fan....

Currently struggled with the same decision you are faced with now on my build. Eddie Fosnaugh has it now, and I elected to stick with the Rem700 action stainless. With action work and cost of said action alone I'm about at the same price as a stiller. Maybe a little under really, but not by a lot. I suspect once I get the rifle back it will exceed expectations as far as accuracy goes.

everyones opinion is valid on both sides of the argument, but at the end of the day, the only person who needs to be satisfied with your decision is you.

Good luck with your choice and hope you enjoy the new build once complete.

its gonna be a hunting rifle with a hinged floor plate so there is several options I will not be having done on my 700 action such as having it milled out for a dm, oversized bolt handle, or a side bolt release. For what I want which is fluted bolt, blue print with pined recoil lug, trued bolt face, lapped lugs and such I'm looking at about $350 or so. I was also told by the smith that he could get my action as straight or STRIGHTER than a stiller.

I have always used 700s. I have 4 of them now that shoot in the .1s and .2s. My father has a couple that he has shot groups in the .0s with. I don't need the big bolt knob or the side bolt release or fluting or any other gingerbread. I love it when one of my 700 builds outshoots a full custom. It all comes down to your smith, the barrel and your hand loads. The donor I used to build my varmint contour .308 with was $250. It shoots in the .1s.

Please elaborate. Is that an average of five, five shot groups shot in succession? Is it every now and then three shots will go in the same ragged hole?

I too would like to hear what BigPimpin has to say. Better yet, I will go on record to ask him to produce pictures of targets shot at 100 yards with even 3 shots. There are not a lot of 5 shot .0's shot on a regular bases. I'd even like to see a consistent 5 shot .1 or .2 Perhaps he can post pictures if it will happens.

No, I shoot three shot groups. Here's a target from when I was working up a hunting load. 168 Berger classic hunter, 42.6 RL-15, Lapua brass uniformed, deburred, chamfered, CCI BR2, OAL 2.795.. that's with my $250 700 action with a tuned factory trigger, HS stock and bartlein varmint contour 1:11.25 5-R.

Here's a couple more decent 700 groups. Probably would have been better if I had a $1200 action.

Smiths on these three builds were Joe Collier, Chris Self, Robert Gradous (despite his campfire reputation).

How repeatable is that?

With me shooting - the stars have to align.

Here's one more.

I recently bought a Stiller Predator for a new rifle build. When I saw this thread, I asked my gunsmith if he would check my action. He has trued a lot of 700's, and I am confident he has the experience to know how to check for problems.

I went to his shop last night and he measured and checked it several ways. His verdict was it was "dead nuts" and good to go.

Steve

Stiller SOLD the predator line last I heard.
They will be made but under a new name. Rumors that a custom rifle outfit bought it and some type of sharing of the facility.
Time will lend more details.

Ps all my predators are smooth, far and beyond anything actually needed for hunting 😎 But I really have been super happy with them.