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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,100
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,100 |
My first custom was because I could not find a factory rifle that was exactly what I wanted. All the others were because I realized I could build better for less.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke 1795
"Give me liberty or give me death"
Patrick Henry 1775
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,664
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,664 |
Don't need a reason, cause it's what I want.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
Shoot a lot and you soon find that factory rifles can vary quite a bit....some being great,some so-so,and some pretty bad without a lot of work.Over all they tend to be pretty good though.
Still, at some point you want a rifle that is pretty much "push button",dead nuts reliable in terms of its accuracy and function right from the get go without a great deal of fussing.Going "custom" is not the only way to get that, but it's a good way to go.
When it comes to wood stocked customs there is that intangible quality of workmanship, ideal "fit and balance, with high end metal work that gives a certain degree of pleasure in and of themselves. Can't really explain this but it's a personal thing.
Such rifles don't kill game any better than a factory rifle;that's more a function of the shooter/hunter than the rifle, but there is something to be said for using a piece of quality gear.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,058
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,058 |
"I have spent a lot of money on guns & wasted a lot of money on women." Haven't we all? 
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,512
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,512 |
Just because I wanted them. Couldn't have said it better. Also, I enjoy having something few other folks have. I have seen few factory rifles that couldn't be improved to some degree to my way of thinking.
Larry *********** "Speed is fine but accuracy is final" - Bill Jordan "We do not exaggerate when we state positively that the remodelled Springfield is the best and most suitable "all 'round" rifle".......Seymour Griffin, GRIFFIN & HOWE, Inc.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,347 Likes: 8
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,347 Likes: 8 |
Just because I wanted them. Indeed! Life is short and I'll be dead for a long time.
Al
Spend your life wisely.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,373 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,373 Likes: 9 |
Just because I wanted them. Indeed! Life is short and I'll be dead for a long time. Life's too short to sit under a tree staring at and running your hands across a 2x4 with a pipe strapped to it. ![[Linked Image]](http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z371/Weather223/DSC_0125.jpg)
Last edited by Fireball2; 09/22/12.
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An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
LOL
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,008
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2001
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I evolved into it by first buying and trying out different factory rifles, then into having some that weren't quite right tweaked one way or another and, finally into a full custom. Even those evolved a couple of ways.
One was a favorite rifle, that needed to be lighter, and needed a bit more velocity, hence a somewhat larger case, and it needed a synthetic stock for both weight reduction and rugged reliability in bad places. Since I was going that far, I did a custom match grade barrel as well.
Still another was a light mountain rifle made from a very light action bought as a rifle with that plan in mind.
Another was done because I wanted something that was a bit stronger/ more powerful for elk, etc. with all of the features nobody made in one rifle.
The first two were redone later to get a lighter over all rifle, BTW. It's a process where one often learns the expensive way what really works for you. Or maybe I should say you learn what you really wanted but didn't know it then.
The bottom line is that I can only tweak a factory rifle so far in some cases. But not all. I have one factory rifle that is on it's 3rd stock. That means it's second custom synthetic stock, each of which cost almost as much as a new factory rifle.
Then there is the one that was built for somebody else for sale at a price I couldn't resist, mostly because it came with a drop dead beautiful walnut stock that I could never afford to have done for me.
I do hope you've noticed the references to costing money. All spent to satisfy the hard to please in some small details. E Well said, E- I, too, have rifles on their third stock- expensive lesson learned. Could have avoided stock #2 on both with a little more thought, but that's water (or money) under the bridge. (B & C = Buy it and Chuck it) Three of my factory rifles now wear McMillan stocks, and are better rifles for the addition. Come to think of it, there are only two rifles in my gun safes that haven't been 'tweaked', somehow- one is my Weatherby MkV .257 Fibermark, the other is a Browning X-Bolt in .30-06. Everything else is either full-out custom or has had something done to it- stock bedding, new trigger, new stock, recrown job, action truing, etc. etc. At the end of the day, though, I have thoroughly enjoyed buying, 'improving', and most importantly, using these rifles for what they were intended- and they all work wonderfully. It's been a lifelong hobby of mine, that I greatly enjoy- and as I tell my wife, it could be worse, I don't race horses or cars, or gamble.....
I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave....
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,437
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,437 |
Factory's are just that..factory. Some be good some not so much.
First and foremost accuracy and reliability of such is paramount.
To take out many variables I felt the custom route would relieve me of many negative variables that many factory rifles present.
Given that the smith of choice can cut chips.
You're starting out with trued actions and trued and squared mating's of parts. So that part of the equation is true.
Your getting what should be a match grade barrel of reliable and proven quality.
You may also have the leniency to choose many calibers as well as neck and throat dimensions for your bullets of choice.
Now all you need to do is find the recipe that shoots the best.
Coming full circle. Accuracy trumps all. Reliable accuracy tips its hat towards confidence. Shooting is a mostly mental road and confidence does a lot of the driving.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,272 Likes: 14
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,272 Likes: 14 |
Life is too short to hunt with crappy rifles. There, fixed it for you. Also too short to drink crappy beer. But Rost had the best answer, consistent accuracy.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,058
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,058 |
"But Rost had the best answer, consistent accuracy."
I get consistent accuracy out of my factory rifles.
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,054
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,054 |
Please don't take this as a put down on Remington. I bought a VSSF ($1250 NIB) a couple years back. It would not shoot any factory ammunition or handloads better than just over 1". And it was sort of a spray. I had Remington shoot the gun. The best group they got was also about 1". They told me their guarentee was 1" and not to shoot the gun more than three times in a row. They thought the 4th and 5th shots were always fliers due to the barrel heating up. This is a gun I planned to take prarie dog hunting. Anyway, I was upset and decided I would never go through that experience again.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,272 Likes: 14
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,272 Likes: 14 |
"But Rost had the best answer, consistent accuracy."
I get consistent accuracy out of my factory rifles.
I do too. But not the same accuracy as a good custom. It all depends on how you define accuracy. And how many rifles you want to go through to get what you want in accuracy. With a good custom build, it's always the same number--1.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 142
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 142 |
I couldn't find what I was looking for in a left handed rifle so I did it myself.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,225
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,225 |
I couldn't find what I was looking for in a left handed rifle so I did it myself. not a lot of GREAT stuff in left hand coming out of any factories... my other reason... I love a nice stick of English Walnut and rust blue... not much coming out of any factory meeting that requirement... especially in left hand...
Andrew
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 10,084
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 10,084 |
Well,
I just wanted something different
Before I knew it... there it was
Snake
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
Friedrich Nietzsche
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 920
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 920 |
I couldn't find what I was looking for in a left handed rifle so I did it myself. Big +1. Getting more accuracy was a bonus.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 8,646
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 8,646 |
Accuracy that you know will be there every time. ![[Linked Image]](http://i580.photobucket.com/albums/ss243/gunnut308/425ca644.jpg)
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,023
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,023 |
I have a decent shop, free time, and I enjoy building one of a kind rifles. I have 2 grandsons and a grand daughter that will need very special rifles for going hunting with their Pops. It's the same reason that I carve, build tree houses, write, and once built engines for muscle cars. Uniqueness, I suppose. Just one way to leave your mark behind so that your progeny will remember you in special ways. I use things that my grandfather and father built almost daily. It always seems to bring a smile and fond memories of times spent toiling together toward a common goal.
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,949
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,949 |
On my only full custom I built my own competition rifle to my specs to fit me regarding balance and ergonomics.
The only other rifle I would consider custom is a M77 that was my first centerfire. It was rebarrelled, restocked and reworked to take it from a ho-hum .270 into a .35 Whelen that is one of my most accurate rifle. Everything on it is exactly the way I want it.
I will be the first to admit an off the shelf rifle will serve 90% of the population 90% of the time (maybe more) and I am chasing my own personal whims if I choose to build custom again. It hurts to admit my stock Tikka T3 fits me well and shoots to almost the same level of accuracy I got when I did the full build on a Surgeon.
Hunt hard, kill clean, waste nothing and offer no apologies.
"In rifle work, group size is of some interest...but it is well to remember that a rifleman does not shoot groups, he shoots shots." Jeff Cooper
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