Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Who makes the best custom rifle?

OP hasn't posted in this thread since starting. Does anyone know if a decision was made?

I'm with ya, Eddie Fosnaugh built my last 2-3 customs,,,accuracy & aesthetics is fantastic.

Roger Ferrell, member ACGG, he has built a number of Model 70s for me, a true master.

I’m partial to my Jarretts

This question is like how deep is a hole.

Who makes the best custom rifle?
Unless one has seen/handled/used one from all the custom gunmakers, it’s an “opinion.”
I have a number of custom rifles on Sako and Rem 700 actions. Most are synthetic stocks, but some higher end wood. Actually I sold the wood ones. All of them function perfectly and are very accurate
They were made by a Jim Kobe. Is he the best? I don’t know. But he is very good at what he does.

I believe the question is too open-ended.
2 words need to be defined before that question can be answered.
In your mind, tell us what the word "best" means to you.
And in your mind what does the word "custom" mean to you?

As a gunsmith (not taking on any new work now and will not be for at least 4 more years, so this is NOT a slues pitch) "custom" means a stock that perfectly fits the owner. Drop at heel, drop at toe, cast-off, pitch and length of pull as well as the shape of the grip and forearm that suits the customers exactly as well as his choice of material or wood. As far as actions go it is not limited only to only newly made, but for reliability in my opinion, no one ever has made a superior action to a good Mauser 98, Controlled feed M70 or Enfield 1914/1917. And then there are the left handed customers. For them the "best" may be a CNC made mirror image M98 Sporting action, but in all honesty a LH Ruger M77 left hand is probably as good as such a CNC action because both should be set up to perfectly feed and work once they are barreled and chambered, so both should have custom work done before they are ever stocked.
On the other hand, "best' may mean accuracy and/or power is more important to the customers and having a rifle that seems as if it's part of the body may not be an issue to them.
So in that case a Desert Tec rifle may be "better" then anything I could make. They will "customize' to you wishes to some extent too, but I have trouble calling any Desert Tec rifle a custom rifle. Just having factory options doesn't constitute "custom" to my mind. Others disagree. Their opinion is just as valid as mine.

If someone hunts hard and carries a rifle for long distances but their real-world shots are at 400 yards and closer, this rifle is likely to be a better design.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]



So best and custom need to be defined by the OP. Mission statement of the intended use is key.

Every one of the rifles in these pictures is "best" to their owners of them because they are exactly what they wanted for the purpose they intend to use them for.
35 Whelen on a Springfield 1903
20110928_2 by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
Custom 404 Jeffery made on a GEW Mauser with drop magazine and hand made stock that fits the owner perfectly.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
62 caliber German Flintlock Jaeger rifle used for killing whitetails and elk in Montana Order was for a family heirloom to pass down to the grandson
PB Jaeger by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
PB Jarger 4 by .com/photos/156296479N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
and for those that want the best shooting machine they can buy but care nothing about the art of gun making, option for the science of gun making instead here is likely to be one of the very best options


https://deserttech.com/rifle-builder.php

I sure most of you know that Jerry Fisher has passed away. A very kind and polite individual!

Synthetic stocked rifle aside, if I could only have one custom rifle & be able to afford it, then it would have to be a David Miller rifle.

I don't know if he's even working anymore, though.

MM

My only question would be which of my NULA's to take.

What do you mean by, “a real smith?”

Better question would be, who makes the best barrel.. 👍

i have asked this question to a extremely talented machinist who chambers and machine fits barrels on hunting rifles and bench rifles his answer was he prefers to use these 2 brands but will use whatever barrel the customer wants. but here is his two favorites Brux and Kreiger this machinist has built some bench rest rifles that have won National tittles and he himself does well of a bench shooting also , i prefer Brux barrels .

Have 3 Tooley rifles and they hard to beat..........

As you all have mentioned deceased makers whose rifles are available occasionally, I would take a Dale Goens any day.

From the list of deceased smiths, I treasure my Seely Masker .280 Remington.

Jim Borden-Borden custom rifles !!!

Greg Tannel-Gre-Tan rifles !!!

Alex Wheeler-Wheeler custom rifles !!!

Al Warner !!!

Dave Tooley


many others that specialize in custom benchrest, long range, varmint rifles will serve you well.

When the barrel is indicated in to the .0001, stock bedded properly, the barrel is going to shoot tiny groups, kill near and far.


Barrel makers:
Brux
Krieger
Lilja
Bartline barrels
ABC
Shilen
Hart
All of these will serve you well

My favorite is Brux & Krieger

He is a very good guy with my limited experiences with him.

I'll second Karl. He's my go to man.

I hear the preaching about the one hole rifle at 400 yards, but to be honest, somewhat less accuracy than that is acceptable for a reliable hunting rifle. All of my custom rifles except one London Rigby Mauser were built by John Oberlies of Dayton, Ohio. I have them in a wide range of calibers from ..22 rimfire to .375 H&H and all are suitably accurate for any hunting use. The Rigby is also in .375 H&H and is a good backup for the Oberlies Model 70 in .375. I doubt if any of the larger caliber Oberlies guns are one hole shooters at 400 yards, but will probably shoot one hole at 100 yards with the right loads. These rifles were all built in the thirties and still shoot like they did when they were new. The barrels are all Winchester except one Jerry Gebby Varminter with his barrel. I love looking at and studying modern customs, but I really don't need to have one built. I am loving this thread.