Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Plan to build my own custom compact hunter..........MISTAKE???

Build will include trued REM 700 stainless short action, Criterion 18" REM/AGE stainless heavy sporter barrel, PACNOR extended barrel nut, 308, 1-11 twist. Bottom end will have 1.5lb Timmney straight trigger and PTG stainless bottom metal. Stock to be full length bedding blocked in a sporter from HS Precision or Bell & Carlson.
What do you think?
Pro's Con's of building my own and saving hundreds of dollars by not having a gunsmith build a rifle with a lathe?
All comments invited.

What's the goal?

Small and light?

Small?

Light?

Intended use?

For me a "compact hunter" would probably be a Montana with the snout nipped to 18 inches and called good.

If your spending the money to have the action "trued" I can't believe getting the same smith to chamber a barrel would be much more? As far as the specs, not my cup of tea, but if your question is how much you will save by going the barrel nut route, I don't think it will be much if your spending the money to have the action trued up.

Ps.... I'd also imagine there would be some extra inletting /stock work since Remington's aren't set up for the nut.

I can see the barrel nut if you like to play and you will try new barrels or if you will build several rem/age, I don't see a big downside other than asthetics.

If your only going down this route once its less of a savings as you will need the nut wrench and way to hold the action (action wrench)which eats up a good portion of the savings of having a smith chamber and fit.

If you are going 18" I think your slightly heavier contour isn't a bad idea as it will give some weight out front. I assume that the compact is because you will be either carrying the rifle while still hunting or want a short rifle for a blind. In either case a little weight out front helps make it more shootable.

I can't comment on the stocks as I haven't ever had a HS and my only B&C in years was the rem Ti pattern, which though light is too fat in the grip for me.

I'd say that depends on your skills vs. the gunsmith's, how long it will take you, and how much your time is worth to you vs a few hundred dollars. Hard to know without knowing the particulars.

Been down that road many times.. You will have what you want, but you will never get you money out of it..

Guess I am looking for pros and cons on remage barrel setups mostly, I have the knowledge and skills to do the work.

There is only one good reason for building your own instead of contracting someone else to do it for you; because you can. If you are capble, there is absolutely no reason not to do it. As far as the barrel nut business is concerned; it doesn't matter. Rifle building and shooting is a fine hobby if you don't overthink it. GD

I am excited now figured I would get some cons on this remage barrel but it sure makes it a lot easier to Tinker with your rifle and build that just right hunting rifle without the extra cost and wait.does anyone know if anyone is producing the Remage barrels in Remington 5r rifling? Specifically a light varmint contour or heavy Sporter contour in 5R 11.25 rifling?

If it is primarily a hunting rifle, I would skip the varmint contour and go with something lighter, that will be more enjoyable to carry. Perhaps a #3 Bartlein contour.


The heavy weight can be great for extended strings of shooting, but for a hunting rifle, the weight kind of kills the nice carrying aspects of a compact rifle.

I put together my own, using a Shilen DGR instead of a 700. Like you, I also used a Criterion barrel. Glad I did it. Most accurate rifle I own. Has shot about 2" groups at 500 on more than one occasion.

Anyway, my concern with doing the Remage on a "trued" 700 action would be the thread diameter of said action. Can't say with 100% certainty, but I believe the prefits for the Remage setups are for factory threads. If the action hasn't been molested yet, have your 'smith do all the normal blue printing but leave the threads factory. A pinned recoil lug makes things much nicer as well.

John

I don't have a problem with folks spending their own money doing whatever makes them happy, but you are basically talking about building a Rem 783 by starting out with a Rem 700.

I'll bet you could buy a half dozen 783s for the same money and the 783 has a stiffer receiver out of the starting gate.

A RAR predator would be another equivalent.

Or a Tikka.

You're spending your own money so it's your choice.

I've been there though...

In my life I've foolishly spent money on too many guns, not to mention fast cars, booze and dames, and I'll never get that money back!

The rest of my money I just wasted!

Gitsum,
Remington had the same idea in the 60's. They called it the Model 600/660. They had 18.5" barrels. Subsequently in 2004 or so they made another run of them and called it the Model 673.

Kimber 84M Montana....chopped to 18"

It would be light

I would try a Wby S2 or T3 compact 20"
Might scratch your itch

Then go for it, whatever lifts your skirt.

Although I trained and worked as a machinist before getting into computers, I don't have the equipment to do my own work other than simple jobs like bedding, trigger work or building an AR. After paying gunsmiths for a couple of builds (6.5-06AI on an Interarms Mark X action and a .338WM assembled from all-Ruger parts), I've decided there are too many good shooters out there to go that route again - at least any time soon.

For a compact hunter I chose a Ruger Scout with a 16/1" barrel. It came with a laminate stock which I replaced with Ruger's newer synthetic stock. Also added a muzzle brake, after which my hunting buddy stated there was "no recoil". (An exaggeration but it is reduced significantly.) The synthetic stock reduced the base weight to 6.25 pounds per Ruger and moved the balance point forward to just under the front action bolt. With the factory ghost ring the irons are good (for me) out past 200 yards with a 150g BT running 2699fps. The factory 10-round steel mag has been joined by synthetic 3- and 5-round mags. for hunting I will use the 3-round.

Not much more I could ask for in the way of a compact hunter.

I actually own a Ruger Predator in the .308 18" threaded version, it is a .75 moa rifle WITH a 1.5-6x44 Hawke Endurace 30 scope, Lord knows what it would do with a 14 or 16 power scope! Any way the Ruger is what has sent me down this path! If Ruger made the 18" barreled PREDATOR rifle in a stainless steel version I would probably not be on this journey! To me, for me this rifle is the perfect south eastern deer rifle (accuracy included). I want a rifle similar to this rifle in a "hunters weapon" stainless steel. I do not want to watch it rust as I have literaly watched my Ruger rust while sitting in my tree stand on a cold rainy day. Not to mention the vulnerability of the rifling in a chrome moly barrel to the real world of hunting. I do not want to worry about my hunting rifle while I am hunting, period. I am not talking about an "arm chair" rifle here, I am wanting a rifle I can hunt with, that drives tacS that is weather proof. Don't want to buy a bunch of production rifles "hoping" for a shooter in the configure I want...............hence...........build my own!!!'

Ordered a trued REM single shot 40x receiver today, I actually started the build!! LOL. YES, single shot. Less overall weight, no bottom metal, spring , follower etc. ability to use a ADL stock, less metal, noise and weight. Rarely need more than one shot anyway.

I have received a lot of wisdom and encouragement and for that I wanna thank you all for adding your 2,3 and 4 cents worth............so far it's been very beneficial to my build!!!!

I have received a lot of wisdom and encouragement and for that I wanna thank you all for adding your 2,3 and 4 cents worth............so far it's been very beneficial to my build!!!!