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I think I may have posed a similar question a while back, but I can't find the thread so I will start it again. If you were out to build a high end hunting rifle off one of the clone actions - what would you choose. I have my eye on the Defiance Deviant - either GA Hunter or Possibly Ultralight. Also have looked at the Big Horn SR3...Thoughts?

If I actually do the build, will be a 6.5 SAUM setup in a traditional hunting rifle setup.

I like the defiance.
I'd skip the 6.5 saum.and run a 6.5 284.
270 wcf can be had anywhere.

Dave

I don't think there is a bad custom action on the market. I've had rifles built on Defiance Deviant, Surgeon 591, Borden Alpine and a trued Remington 700. Of all of them, the Borden has the tightest fit followed by the Defiance and then the Surgeon. I'd pay close attention to which of the actions will feed/extract the 6.5 SAUM flawlessly if that is the caliber you choose. Being that you are looking at a higher pressure round, I'd look to see who offers the smaller firing pin to prevent cratering, etc. Good luck...

I'm doing the Bighorn. But in 6.5 PRC...

On top of the CRF, mechanical ejection, stock small firing pin, and a few other features.....The ability to swap bolt heads on the Bighorns seals the deal for me. A couple local guys are running PRCs and the SAUM case through them with no worries.

Just spent some time with an Orgin action and it's damn nice as well.

I’m having Beanland do a hunting rig for me on the Bighorn Origin.

John

So many great choices out there you really can’t go wrong. Pick whichever you like personally and has the features you like/need.

Surgeon and Defiance for me....

While not absolutely necessary for a 6.5 SAUM (or 6.5-284) the Defiance XM or Stiller Medium actions do offer nice flexibility with the 3.2" mag boxes.

One thing to consider when selecting your action is the comb height of the stock you intend to use. The integral bases on the Defiance GA or Ultralight can make for a fairly high scope mount even using low rings.

The Defiance Rebel can be had without the integral bases in all action lengths if looking to run a low comb stock..

Has anyone on here seen or played around with the Defiance action that you can choose CRF and a Claw Extractor? In a way reminds me of a kimber action. I have not seen any custom rifle built on it, but its kind of intriguing.

Have two of them, both rebels; one is a 300H&H and the other is a 404 Jeffery that is in the process of being built. Great actions in my opinion. Only downside (to some) is that you cannot get a fluted bolt with the CRF option

Did you get them with the 3 position m70 style safety as well? I too am interested in this one. And jewell only for trigger option on the crf?

Without getting into a debate on the relative merits of CRF vs. push feed, I much prefer CRF actions. I was considering a similar build in .280 AI for a future project and although I have no direct experience with these high-end actions, based upon my research, I would choose a Defiance Deviant CRF action w/ 3 position safety or an American Rifle Co. (ARC) Mausingfield action.

What are the specs of your planned build: barrel, stock, bottom metal, trigger? Also, what 'smith do you have in mind for the build?

IF I did the build, it would be along the lines of a GAP Extreme Hunter Knock Off....Not sure on much beyond that as I am still on the fence.

Why?

Why what?

The 404 action has the 3pos safety and Jewell trigger. Everything works as is should.

....would you choose the Defiance Deviant or ARC for a hunting rifle action....

It's just a question, not trying to be a smart arse.

First, I want to be clear that I am not an expert and I am well aware that there are many members of this forum with far more experience in these matters than I have.

Your question is actually a very good one because, in my mind, these ultra-high quality machined actions seem to be more suited for a "modern" type of rifle build, rather than a traditional blued steel and walnut hunting rifle. You might ask: “What is a modern rifle?” To me, a modern rifle utilizes the most modern, technologically-advanced parts available. Such rifles could fall into various categories ranging from Bench rest rifles, to ultra-long-range rifles, to sniper-type rifles, to rifles designed primarily for competition. Now, is there a reason such a rifle couldn’t be utilized for hunting? Probably not unless weight becomes a factor.

To answer your question, personally, I probably would not choose one of these actions for a dedicated hunting rifle, mainly due to cost considerations. If cost was no object, then sure, why not? Sure, you can spend upwards of 10K on a traditional hunting rifle: Serengeti, Rigby and certain fine doubles come to mind (not to mention a full custom), and you can also purchase certain “modern” rifles, which utilize these high-quality actions, for several thousand dollars as well. But why do that when a standard production rifle such as a new M70, Kimber or CZ will be perfectly adequate for the job? Because that is not the question posed by the OP. I think it all boils down to “want” rather than “need.”

We all know that the pin-point accuracy many of the modern rifles built around these high-quality actions are capable of is not needed for real-world hunting situations. Certainly, MOA or better accuracy is nice to have in a rifle, but in reality, 1.5 or even 2 MOA is perfectly adequate to dispatch game effectively in the field within reasonable shooting distances. But would I, personally, ‘want’ such a rifle if cost were no object, when I know I would be perfectly happy with a rifle built on a worked over 1909 Argentine, a K98, an Oberndorf, or a VZ24? My answer would be “definitely.” If you asked me why, I would simply say “because.” I don’t need a reason other than that is what I want. I guess I could say that I appreciate the modern technology, the tight tolerances, the light weight, and/or the pin-point accuracy at both close and long ranges.

My choice of the Defiance CRF or the Mausingfield is mainly due to the fact that these actions are CRF, which is my preference. I believe that these actions with the tight tolerances, quality machining, and modern metallurgy are an order of magnitude better, in terms of quality, than most commercial actions available today. Whether or not the machining is any better than a 1909 Argentine is a matter of debate, but the 416 SS and 4340 CM steel (just to name a few) that they are machined from is metallurgically superior to the carbon steel used prior to and during WWII. Another action I might consider is the LAW M704, which is also CRF and has the added benefit of being machined from CM steel.

So, in summary, I think it all boils down to what kind of rifle you have in mind (what you want) and your budget. While they are certainly not absolutely necessary for a dedicated hunting rig, a bunch of extremely high-quality parts screwed together the correct way can yield a very light-weight, highly accurate weapon that almost anyone would be proud to own.

Remember though, in reality I’d be perfectly happy with the cost savings of a quality traditional rifle based on a 1909 Argentine, a K98, an Oberndorf or a VZ24.

BEST part of the thread....thanks for the explanation!