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

See a lot of folks having to go back and tweak rigs on the custom forum these days. I do think still that the too heavy and trying to make it lighter mistake is still the most common. Bump for an old thread that some newer folks might enjoy perusing.

How about trying to build one gun to do it "all". That contributes to some of the previous comments.

I agree 110%.

Some of the biggest abortions I've seen to date have been "tweener" rifles.....

What is "too heavy" for the intended use?

As for one gun to do it all, I wouldn't change a thing with mine - not even the #4 Broughton

Thinking you need one in the first place!

1) +2 or +3 to Tanner's "Handle as many other as possible"... This is how I figured out I like the "open" grips and slimmer stocks. Mostly on my own nickle...

2) Weight - As I mentioned in a different thread. Built a .375H&H, that ended up at 11lbs with scope. Accurate. Easy to shoot. But, heavy above 10K ft. I have a KS .270 closing in on 7lbs even. But no desire to go any lower. For me and my type of hunting, somewhere in the 8.0 to 8.5lb range is "about right" for a centerfire rifle.

^^THIS^^

I've had rifles built that were very close in form and performance of other rifles that I already owned. I never ended up using them and they were eventually sold.

I've bought and build a bunch of rifles like that! Currently have a 270 and a 7x57 that are very similar and keep asking myself if I want two so similar.

wrong gunsmith

Yup ... Been using a that faux TI in 257Roberts for years. Accurate, consistent, killed deer, favorite rifle.

Later thought I needed a custom 700 in 270. Gaillard bbl, Edge stock etc etc. Had it done, shot it a few times at the range, got a good load, never hunted it, not once. Sold it this summer.

Good luck,persistence,knowledge,if there's a lack of communication right off the bat.....run like hell.

Putting too much money up front, or trade material ahead of the job.

This is the most common mistake by far.

The next is to throat the barrel for the longest bullet for that caliber.

Throating for the longest bullet of the caliber (assuming we are talking VLD type bullets here) is actually a pretty sound idea, in my mind, if you plan on shooting those types of bullets. If I make sure a 180gr Berger VLD will fit in the magazine box while touching lands, that guarantees that anything with a shorter ogive will also. Not seeing how that is a mistake, much less a commonly made one.

Tanner

Because you can always seat a heavy bullet deeper if necessary, you can't always seat a shorter bullet out far enough to touch the lands as necessary. Accuracy in many rifles depends on having the ogive close to the lands.

Throating for the longest ogive you plan on shooting will ensure that all other bullets with shorter ogives will also be able to reach the lands. Period.

Tanner

I've not found a case where this isn't true yet.

Sorry, but just not true. If you plan to shoot light for caliber bullets in a chamber throated for the longest for caliber bullets, the base of the bullet may not be sufficiently deep in the neck of the brass to create proper neck tension by time you are sufficiently long enough to touch the lands with the shorter bullet.
I've had this happen with a 260 Remington, a 25-06 and I have buddies who have also had it happen.
Of course, if you plan on only shooting the longest bullets for caliber, your plan is perfectly acceptable. If you want the ability to load long bullets for deer/elk and short bullets for varmints, you need to be able to reach the lands with both of them.

Try loading a 100 grain BT in a 243 case with the base to the shoulder junction. Now try load a 55 grain BT to the same ogive length. Won't be much of the bullet in the case by time you're done. Same with a number of cartridges- the .260 and most 308 based cases are just a small example. Many others are also in this boat.

Tanner, nothing personal but I doubt you've been loading anywhere near as long as my 46 years of practice and I don't know any where near it all. Saying "period" at the end of your statement doesn't really mean much if you don't know what you're talking about....

Bob

I don't usually interject, but i think you're misunderstanding what Tanner was saying. If you load VLD type bullets just shy of the magazine, and cut the throat accordingly, you will have a shorter throat. The ogive will be nearer the case mouth than something like a ballistic tip loaded to the same OAL. And the long nose of the bullet will take up the remaining space in the magazine. Then with a short throat, short stubby bullets will easily reach the lands, as will bullets such as ballistic tip, round nose, etc.

Had a response all typed up, but decided to wait until tomorrow when I'm not so grumpy and respond in a more coherent manner.