Who has built rifles on Stiller predator actions?
Looking at building a 6.5x47 Lapua on a Predator action with a bartlien 2b barrel cut an crowned at 22in.

I did about 7/8 years ago.....gunsmith called me and said there would be machine work charges to square up the action...had it done but it was my last Stiller!!

In my opinion...there are better actions out there:

BAT
Defiance Machine
Surgeon
Borden
Terminus
Lone Peak
Impact
Pierce Engineering

Take a look at kelby actions.
dave

I have a 6x47L built on a Stiller Tac 30 ,which it very similar to the predator. Wears a # 3 Brux finished at 23".

I have a 243AI built on one. Mickey Coleman put it together for me with a Broughton 8 twist tube. Shoots exceptionally well, but is not the smoothest action out there. As mentioned, there are better actions out there. My Kelbly is better finished and is much smoother.

You trust your smith? Do you know what he "trued" up? Kelblys, Bat, Pierce, and Borden make good receivers along with all of Stillers.

I do trust him....you trust yours?? I know you're a Stiller FANBOY....but calling me/my smith a liar?? How about GFY!!

My lugs were outta square and the action face needed trued up....

PS - Mr. Gradous is no longer here or he woulda chimed in....THANKS!!

I had one built in 6-284. #3 Lilja at 24". I've shot several sub 1" groups at 300 yds with it. I am more than happy with it.

It was a while ago, but my stiller tac300 was the roughest custom action I've ever felt.

I built a 308 Win on a Stiller Predator action about 7 years ago. Hart #3 barrel finished at 22". No drama just a sub-MOA rifle with Nosler Ballistic tips. Would not hesitate to use a Stiller again but I have enough rifles. I plan to give this one to my grandson as soon as he is old enough.

I appreciate everyone's input.

A supremely talented machinist asks a legit question and it warrants that kind of response?

Wow....

Yet another fanboy....WOW!!

6.5x47 on a Stiller Predator with a 22" Bartlein #19 Rem mag sporter contour in a McMillan classic. Pretty close to a 2b. I actually built a second one just like it because my son wouldn't give this one back after he hunted with it. Easily my favorite build out of the 10 or so I have done.

Buddy had a Stiller w/Rock Creek chambered in 7SAUM in a McMillan. I believe the BBL was a #4ish contour. It's still the most accurate rifle I've laid my hands upon/shot.

I sure do like this alot!!!! everything about it.

Sounds like a good one too!!

300 mag,do not know anything about you,after a response like that would not care too.butch lambert and al nyhus know a awful lot about all the goings on with the shooting industry,i do not believe butch called anyone a liar,he is more respectful than to do that.how was he to know you knew your smith well.as far as Robert gradous knew him well and own 2 of his builds.he might have voiced a opinion but not with the blatant ignorance that you showed.300 mag,act more like a 22 short.so for the decent people on this site i wish you the same.gfy might be the only place you could get a piece with your attitude.most likely young and a legend in your own mind.

300 mag,do not know anything about you,after a response like that would not care too.butch lambert and al nyhus know a awful lot about all the goings on with the shooting industry,i do not believe butch called anyone a liar,he is more respectful than to do that.how was he to know you knew your smith well.as far as Robert gradous knew him well and own 2 of his builds.he might have voiced a opinion but not with the blatant ignorance that you showed.300 mag,act more like a 22 short.so for the decent people on this site i wish you the same.gfy might be the only place you could get a piece with your attitude.most likely young and a legend in your own mind.

I had one built on a Predator several years back, and still have one on the Shilen DGR action, which is a Predator with a floating bolt head built by Stiller for Shilen. No real complaints with either and they both shot/shoot very well. That being said, my latest build is on the Zermatt Origin, and I do like it even better.

John

Stiller has changed hands a couple of times in the past few years. It is now owned by the company that builds Horizon Firearms, iota stocks, etc. I just tested one of their rifles, a 22 Creedmoor, and the accuracy was exceptional (sub .25 MOA 3-shot groups with factory ammo). They have obviously brought the quality back and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one.

Why is he no longer here?

I have the exact thing OP is talking about putting together with the exception of a boots R5 that Barney specified bore ID in. It's a unicorn barrel and shoots really well.

OP you will like the rifle but wish that you would have used a kelbly nanook once you have it for a while, at least I did/do.

Why is he no longer here?[/quote]

Robert passed away back in 2020.

I traded into a build on a Stiller Predator a while back. Benchmark #3 barrel chambered in 6.5CM. McM Compact, Timney CE, APA M5, Hawkins LR Hybrids. Shoots fantastic, and is really growing on me.

300Mag, In my opinion Butch was not questioning your character but was inquiring about how much you knew of your gunsmith who did the work on your Stiller action. Given your response, it can be assumed that you have a good relationship and that you knew him well; an appropriate response would be something along those lines. Butch is a talented gunsmith who has unselfishly shared his professional knowledge to the benefit of thousands of members here on The Fire at least for the twelve years that I've been on here. He was probably wondering like the rest of us on here, why you did not immediately contact the maker of your action as soon as your gunsmith informed you of the issues; secondly, any experienced and honest gunsmith would have advised you of that option prior to any actual work being done. Given Butch's depth of experience, that was probably what he would have asked you next, if you had given him the chance. Additionally, Al Nyhus another well-qualified gunsmith and machinist - who also goes out his way to share his knowledge with us - questioned your response and you insulted him. Third, you then received a more 'direct' response from Slobob63. I respectfully suggest that you should take a minute to think this through and then hopefully conclude that you should apologize to Butch and also Al.

Have had a rifle built on a Stiller Predator action for about 10yrs. It’s on its 3rd barrel now and one of my favorites. Action is as smooth as any I’ve handled, and that includes a couple of Defiance actions.

I think it was around my third or fourth custom build I usually just used rem. 700 actions. I decided I want to go with a Stiller pred. action and asked my friend about it who is gun smith and he also friend of al nyhus. I got the action and put a Lilja barrel on it chambered in 17 Pred.. It was the best build I ever had made and still is so no complaints the sucker would shoot. The coyotes hated that gun though!

Robert passed away back in 2020.[/quote]

Ya I know! Sad but the mind of a ocd beyond perfectionist combined with depression doesn't always end well. Out of spec at .00005" is usually open for interpretation.
All my Stiller actions have shot very well only bitch I have ever had is the bolt stop getting sticky after 8 to 12 thousand bangs.

What do you figure caused that? Did the bolt stop peen/deform and get sticky, or the bolt stop pin deform?

The stop took a little bit of damage. Its face just rounded a little.
I work the bolt like it's a slide hammer. That particular action had gone through 3 barrels chambered in 300 wm. Shoots like a dream to this day last time it got a new barrel the stop got replaced. Problem solved with the new part.

Good to know. Thnx.

I built a 6.5 Creedmoor on a Stiller Predator action, Shilen barrel several years ago when Jerry still owned the company. It has been good and I would recommend them. I'm not familiar with the new ownership so I can't opine about that. Pierce makes a fine action and it is smooth.

I kind of think of mine as a "Campfire Gun". I wanted a 6.5-06, so I got a Stiller Predator action. I got a Rock 1-8" sporter weight barrel from the fire classifieds; a Leupold 30mm 4.5-14 with M1 turrets from the classifieds; a McMillan Edge SAKO pattern from Rick Bin; and got Remington mag guts and bottom metal and a TriggerTech trigger from wherever.

Dropped it off with Jim Kobe to chamber/barrel/bed/assemble. He did his usual outstanding job and sent it to Fosnaugh for Cerrokote. Pretty darn easy cartridge to work with! Only thing I've taken with it is one coyote and this smallish Muley buck.

I've had some over the years and still have 2 that are 2 of my most accurate rifles. Both were built around 15 years ago when there wasn't as many custom action options.

One is a 300 wsm on a predator with a brux #4 interrupted fluted at 24". The very first group with this rifle with the new scope out of the box with no adjustments was dead center at 100 yards and under .2". I also shot a 2.5" 3 shot group at 1000 yards with it off a bipod and rear bag with 208g amaxes.

The other is a tac 30 aw in 6.5 Creedmoor I had built as soon as the Creedmoor was announced. It's the first 6.5 Creedmoor I ever saw and I still have it. It'd got a bartlien 5r 8 twist sendero contour at 24". I found a load it loved first time out and have always just stuck with it so I haven't experimented much with it. Its a 140 vld h over h4350 at 2820 fps. I had bartlien send the barrel to stiller and a guy that worked there named Scott IIRC correctly chambered it for me.


Both are very accurate but I do not like the steep ejection angle I get with the m16 style extractors. I hate it when cases bounce off my windage know and back into the action. I've got rid of most all my other customs that had m16 style extractors except for these two. I like low mounted scopes and like to dial.

Bb