Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Custom rifle on a budget, 6.5 something...?? What would you recommend ?

Ok, here's what I have in mind. A 6.5/284 or 6.5/06? I currently have an older Remington 700 action (actually the whole '06 rifle). I am dying to build an accurate, semi long range, 6.5 deer rifle that is easy to carry but not an ultra light rifle. Something in the 7-7.5 lb range. I can't really swing the $600 dollars for a McMillan stock so will look for something that's a good alternative. Trying to keep my costs under $1000. What would you build and what components would you choose? What say you?
I do hand load, so that's not an issue.

8 twist 6.5x55 in BC Medalist. Something magic about the 'swede, it just wants to shoot.

At your price and weight goals, I'd do the B&C Medalist with a quality 8" twisted #3 barrel in 6.5-06 finished at 24". My preference is Brux, but there are a BUNCH of good barrel makers nowadays. Will feed butter smooth and launch 140gr VLDs at very respectable speeds. 700 long action has bunches of magazine box length so might as well use it. Be sure to have your barrel throated so you can chase the lands with VLD type bullets. Shilen trigger and PT&G bottom metal. You could get by with factory bottom metal in a pinch. If wanting to go no farther than 800, I'd go with a Zeiss HD5 and the Rapid Z 800 reticle. If wanting to go farther, I'd go with a SWFA SS 10x HD, 3-15, or Bushnell LRHS.

Dang� That sounds so good I need to put one together�

John

I'd buy everything used in the classifieds and not set my heart on any one thing.

There are good bullets for most any caliber. And doing a parts gun is more funner.




Travis

Did a 6.5-06 before. Won't do it again. Hard to justify when you can just buy Lapua 6.5-284 brass and be done with it.

i am doing one now on a savage action, with a 250 savage er shaw barrel, will let you know when it's done how it does.

I always though "custom rifle on a budget" was an oxymoron

Very EASY to arrange,twist,throat and COAL latitude,that'll make good boolits shine.

I'd be in Faux Ti 6.5-06 Mode at 22" and ringin' the bell,if forced to slum .264" in a .473" L/A.

Noone loves the 284Win and it's spawn,more than I...but a L/A is the last [bleep] place I'd want one.

Hint.

Play your cards right,sniff a smidge and a guy would be into it with a 6X Fixed [bleep] under $1K.

Re-hint.

Buy a Hart 8 twist in 6.5 #2 contour. 6.5-06 has shot everything under an inch and some much, much better with that barrel. I'd send that barreled action and stock to Dan Dowling, have him twist on a #2 contour Hart and pillar bed to the wood stock.

When you get some funds, buy a Mcmillan and live a little. Buy a pair of 30mm talleys and put a SWFA 6x milquad on it. Under a thousand including scope.

H1000 or RL22 and 140 vlds will finish it off.

Under 1K is tough.

I know it is not what you asked, but why not keep it an '06 and add the McMillan ( Here ) a nice scope and work up a good load for it? Maybe cut the barrel down and have it crowned if you need to.

Just a thought...

ITD barrel job with a douglas of your choosing, a BC medalist and a home made trigger job. Wouldn't be lacking much if anything and saved big money doing so.

I agree with this. It's the killingest cartridge I've ever hunted with. Get a push feed M70 action, have IT&D barrel it with an 8 twist #2, drop it a decent stock and you can rock and roll.

Save and buy a Micky. Buy once and never worry the rest of your life

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=432403769

use the rest and buy the best glass you can.


GWB

Already have the glass, so that won't be included in the budget. Love reading the feedback. Keep it coming.
When you say send it somewhere to have a barrel put on, do they true up the action and lapp the lugs, square the bolt face, etc??? If so, what does the action work add to the cost, generally? I definately want a sub .75 moa end product.

IMHO, for the money you're talkin, I'd say buy cheap here on the fire, pre-enjoyed.........



Vanguard S2 6.5 Creedmoor. Surprisingly good trigger and accuracy. I bought this used here on the fire. The original owner sent the pie plate with the rifle. IIRC, I've about $600 all in for rifle, dies, box or two of factory rounds and some once fired brass, including shipping and dealer transfer.

Under $1000 is tough. The cost of consistent accuracy rises sharply as the groups get smaller. You can find a sub 1" factory rifle with no more than a couple of trades. As geedubya points out, you can find a very accurate factory rifle with some research and luck.

However, once you start wanting consistent .4s, .3s, or better the costs really rise. In my experience, a good barrel blank is in the $300-$400 price range. That is just the blank. Now you have to get it chambered and fitted. There are lots of guys that can make it safely go "boom", there many fewer who can really make it shoot. The guys that can really make it shoot, generally charge $300-$400 for that job. Now you are probably at $700 for a new top notch barrel installed by a top notch 'smith. Why would I buy a great barrel only to have poor 'smith ruin it?

My suggestion is if you want a custom, have that Rem rebarreled by a top smith, and run it in the existing stock. Bed it yourself, it will shoot. As funds allow buy a good stock and trigger.

Have fun!

If I asked you about OEM twist rates,OEM throats and OEM COAL...you'd start stuttering,as a best case scenario.

A killer rifle is very [bleep] easily realized,for very modest loot. Sure you can throw 82 Trick Moves worth of loot out the window and bask in a "name" or [bleep] funnier yet something "proprietary".

Few things are more [bleep] simple than a rifle.

Hint.

So you have the action and good(?) scope? Pretty easy to stay under a $1000 for a stock and have somebody screw a barrel on...

Grab a B&C Ti from Stockys. Leaves $750 for a barrel. Last one I sent to Bobby Hart was $600 I think. If you're dead set on 6.5, 6.5-06 at 22". My last fake Ti(short action) was about 7 lbs with Talleys and a 6x42.