Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Most common mistake on custom rifle planning

Letting the wife know how much it really cost.

Sometimes not slowing down enough to take the previous project hunting more.

Bingo!

Documenting the entire order. Write specifications with details.

Provide photo's and drawings. Include the price and delivery specifications.

The threads in which I was accused of such, about as many folks have posted in my favor as against. Bottom line is that in an area of commerce, differences of opinion are going to occur and I have demonstrated with photos and copy's of correspondence that my view and memory of events was correct in the Ruger Charger issue that went on for so very (much too) long.

All that aside, that you would post such a thing in a forum and thread so FAR removed from those conversations, both by topic and time, and from the anonymity of the internet PROVES beyond ANY DOUBT that you sir are a low life COWARD!

As further proof of my point above, Rancho has the bravery to make a hit and run comment like that, then put me on ignore so that I cannot reply to him more directly. Wow, what an amazing example.

So sorry folks for the distraction and name calling. I would like to keep these discussions to the topic at hand.

Some disagree with my ideas about what makes a good custom, and that is great. Let everyone have their say when a query is made, and let the poster and viewers of that thread make thier picks as to whom to listen to or what weight to give to a post. Perhaps based upon actual, real life hunting and rifle building and testing experience. Others here certainly have more of that than me for sure, but few.

I will add that for a pure target or varmint rifle, IMO the push feeds including the Model 700 make very fine rifles. I just do not prefer them for building a serious big game rifle. Opinions and the sharing of same is what makes this forum or any other what it is. Experiences of many, shared and viewed among the members.

twist

absolutely! Most being twisted too slow.

Tanner hit it. (No pun intended, but that was a good one)
Nothing like handling a rifle you like to nail down(pun there too) the details before you build. A rifle that's built perfect mechanically but doesn't feel GREAT (whoops, one more), goes down the road or disappoints you the entire time you're packin it (yep, packin it).

Fireball,

Absolutely correct, sir. The problem for me for a long time was quantifying what would make a custom rifle "Feel good" or lively. I measured the measureables on some nice rifles that I really liked and learned that despite my having XXL hands I much prefered a slender pistol grip. I then always specified a grip diameter of 4.25 inches. Add to this an open, almost "prince of Wales" style grip and a slender but slightly ovaled forend with diamond point checkering and I have rifle nirvannah.

I am really glad that I had a couple of good ones built when I could do so and have so far managed to keep ahold of them.

Here is my best of the best, my much travelled and bloodied 416 Rigby, as done up by our own Karnis:




Closer up to show the grip area and smaller diameter



To make a lively feeling slender grip on a heavy kicking rifle like this one must use good quality, well grained wood. To hedge our bets, this stock's grip has a 3/8 inch steel rod embedded into or through its full length, epoxied in with Brownells Steelbed bedding compound.

This feature is also useful in that if I am ever run over by a cape buff and in great agony, the stock will still be in good order and can be used as a club by my tracker or skinner to bludgeon me into a nice, deep, pain free coma!

Fingers crossed

Dat was mean! (but funny nevertheless)

My trips to Africa and other far reaches are now behind me, I am afraid, so no bludgeoning in the near future. But the concept was sound!

Impatience/ignorance......

It's best to know what you want and why before building a custom, otherwise you're going to be disappointed.

Turning your custom project over to a smith w/o references who argues with you about features you want to stay in his comfort zone.

Believing ANY smith's first promised delivery date.

1B

This was it for me on my first. Didn't specify. Shank too long���.like 2.5".

That was it for me on my 2nd custom. 6mmAI with a slow twist. I loaded up dummy rounds, but didn't know enough about twist to specify when I ordered the barrel from Pac-Nor.

Good rule of thumb for twist��..FAST IS GOOD�.but FASTER IS GOODER!

My ignore button is for the trash I won't do business with. Too bad there isn't a ranking, because you would be the number one piece of self-serving human garbage on my list.

That's a personal problem right there..................

Bullsh*t.

Double bullsh*t safariman!!!!

As someone posted above.................liar, cheat, & an idiot!!