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

Exactly.

Tanner

Bob, I think you've missed the point regarding the profile. VLD type bullets will kiss at a point much further down the bullet (% wise) than a lower BC bullet. Again, this is in reference to VLD type bullets compared to non-VLDs. If you're trying to go stubby to stubby on opposite ends of the weight spectrum it may be a different game...

I haven't missed the point as such. The VLD's were never brought up until Tanner's post. In most instances, VLD's won't be a consideration as very few people actually shoot them except for long range target shooters. Ask yourself, how many guys you know who hunt with VLD's?
Now, if we are discussing hunting bullets, the vast majority of which will be used in custom hunting rifles, how would you set your throat? Let's compare apples and apples here. If you plan on throating for VLD's, you are probably only going to shoot that profile due to the vastly different ogive. Due to the profile with VLD's, you may very well have other problems with going with lighter bullets. Anyone here besides me actually tried this yet?
How about a few people load some dummy rounds and let's see what you come up with. Pictures would be great. I'm all for learning something new as I will be starting on a new custom 26 Nosler any day now and wouldn't want to make a big mistake.

Time for me to go back to working on my hotrod when it gets back from the painter Saturday....

Bob

I throat for VLDs and also shoot NBTs, Accubonds, V-Maxes... Etc.

I don't doubt what you're doing or saying Bob, just sharing my method that I learned here for throating specs. Most of my friends and a large majority of guys I see on here DO plan on at least shooting a VLD type bullet at some point.

I'd say you'd be hamstringing your 26 Nosler if you didn't at least try a long sleek bullet! I'm interested to see how you like that cartridge.

Tanner

For the longest VLD type I may shoot.

Yes, but they were the point of his post and those following afterwards.

Substitute sleek or Amax (some) in for VLD and you've got the same deal.

The last thing I really wanted to do is be argumentative about this. I'm relating my experiences, hopefully so someone else will avoid the issues in their own build. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

Bob

I know a lot of guys hunting with VLDs. Stacking stuff up.

Is the 260 Nosler build going to be a heavy type sendero rig or a lighter packing rig?

The 26 will be somewhere in between. Rock 8 twist barrel in Magnum sporter contour, Rem. 700 trued action (stainless if I can find one), McMillan sporter stock that I've had stashed away for quite some time. Haven't decided on the scope- either a 3.5 x 10 with turrets or a 4.5 x 14 with turrets. Have't decided on mil/mil or MOA.
Don't want it too light as I suspect with the powder charge these carry, it may have some substantial recoil.

And, oh yeah, throated for the Nosler 129 grain ABLR, so I can use the 140's also, by seating them just a tad deeper and still use the lighter varmint bullets for extreme varminting at long range.

Bob

Weight & throating

sounds like an awesome build Bob.

Of the 129 and 140, which has a longer ogive?

Tanner

The 129gr ABLR's are long! It's been a while since I measured, but I remember them giving me a longer COAL than the 140 VLD's when seated to the lands in my son's 260.

Not being argumentative, just considering the points. I think you have reinforced Tanner's point with you're throating choice. I don't have the bullets so I'm just making a guess off numbers (assuming that the BC coincides with the profile):

140 AB, BC=.509, OAL=1.368
129 LRAB, BC=.561, OAL=1.350

You're throating to the "slicker" bullet (based on uncomfirmed BC numbers). In this case it is slightly shorter and lighter but will still probably have more point past the kiss than the 140 will. This will result in a longer loaded COAL with the 129 than the 140....not because the 140 is the longer bullet, but because it is not as slick as the 129. Forget weight/length/etc...think slick. If your slickest will kiss (within confines) then your not-so-slick bullets will kiss at a shorter COAL.

Stealing the pics below to illustrate (not the bullets in case as they would be much closer). If both of these bullets are seated to kiss it should be pretty obvious which is going to have the longer COAL.

Spending $1,000 to turn a $500 rifle into a $600 rifle.

Yeah I suppose that's the drawback to throating for a vld, less sleek bullets will have to be seated too deeply for max case capacity. Suppose it's always easier to cut a throat deeper if unsatisfied then to try to shorten a throat after it been cut deeply

If anyone is building a custom under the assumption they can break even on price someday, they'd be sorely mistaken. I just built a lefthanded mtn rifle in 223ai with an 8 twist barrel. Shoots great and haven't seen one on the shelf. It won't be for sale in my lifetime. If factory is available with what a guy wants, it would always be better financially to go that way.

More often than not I sit in the wings and pick up info from most here offering their opinion. This thread hasn't been any different up to now but just 2 cents on this subject.

IMHO, if I had thoughts on "what it would bring on the market" before building even just a rebarreled rifle and chambered to a wildcat of choice, clear up to a full blown custom from stem to stern......then I'd have to realize that I don't wish to do so.

"Custom" to me, includes what I WANT, the WAY I want it, for ME, for MY use. Thinking about what I can get out of it would kill the entire purpose of building something that is...FOR ME.

Since any changes on a rifle are made the same way, for ME, listening to advice about "changing" something I decided on is the polite thing to do......but I'm going to build what I want anyway.

The single thing making a rifle "Custom" for me, is exactly that point. MY choices of all the factors involved put together, for the bullets I WANT to use. This gets even "stickier" when including a wildcat of my design and I tire easily whenever "this OTHER round is faster" inevitably comes up from others or even gunsmiths.

If I WANTED a faster round I would have built one OR bought factory issue in something faster.

NO ONE ELSE needs to like nor understand WHY I would want what I want so I don't waste my time and simply reply "THIS is what I designed, for my use, for me and what I want you to chamber this barrel for.......if that is a problem please let me know and I will find another gunsmith."

While I TRY to be polite, many are INSISTANT that they "know better" and have some inner flaw that requires that they argue, or try to because I will not.

MY first suggestion, be it wildcat or custom throated is to order your OWN reamer, as mentioned previously.

I trusted a 'smith to order the reamer to the specs I ASKED FOR and got TWO rifles back that he refused to REchamber to the NECK LENGTH I ASKED FOR. Not THROAT length....NECK length.

He actually CHANGED the specs of my wildcat ..."because he knew more about it than I did".

Needless to say, that will not happen again, NOR will any work EVER be sent his direction.

Build what YOU want, not what someone else thinks is better.
The BEST one for me is the one EXACTLY like I asked for. Period.

God Bless
Steve

"Build what YOU want, not what someone else thinks is better.
The BEST one for me is the one EXACTLY like I asked for. Period."

+1

persue your dream!

Don't settle for less!

The trifecta

I know tastes change and people follow one another when building customs,but I think an awful lot of the customs I see on here don't resemble all-round BG rifles to me....they look too much like target belly guns with bulky for ends,gear shifter bolt knobs,tight grips and the handling qualities of a railroad tie. Too much barrel also,and then having to resort to things like flutes to lighten them up.

I know they may be ideal tools for mounting a tripod,and ridge sitting to set up for long range shots but I wonder just how good they are for dropping off into the black growth in the canyon and busting a buck or bull at spitting distance, or negotiating rough country with the rifle in hand vs slung and out of reach if needed.

In short, they seem more like specialized target rifles meant for shooting from prone, than something intended for a broader range of shots normally offered,at least in the western country I have hunted,and based on how I have done it. But tastes in custom rifles change and everyone has their own notion about these things.

Agree with Big Stick on the twist thing....1-11's and 1-12's in a 30 cal BG rifle? For what? Drive them hard and churn them over.