Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Thoughts on my 7/08 build

I'm working on gathering up parts for my 7/08 build. Plans are for an all around rifle. Something that will do it all. These are the plans as of now:

-Trued Remington 700 SA
-Bold knob added
-Either #3 or #4 fluted barrel by Krieger or Benchmark cut to 23"
-McMillan Hunter or Game Scout, edge fill
-Jewel or Timney trigger
-DBM -- undecided, but like the M5 style with the AI mags

My question is what suggestions would you make on the undecided parts, and what do you think the overall weight will be? I'll be scoping it with a Zeiss 4.5-14X44 with turrets. I'm not worried about the rifle being light as a feather, but I'm not looking for a 12 pound block either. What are your suggestions?

About 9-9.5 pounds. The scope and DBM hurt the weight factor a touch, but are offset by the edge stock.

Jewel Trigger +1 !!!!!

Williams steel bottom metal is tough as nails, however it is standard BDL. Badger makes very nice DBM though it is pricey.


Looks like a medium weight mid-long distance rig for hunting. Has all the traits like ergonomic stock for prone, heavier contour barrel, telescope. Why not make an AI 7-08 for some extra oomph?

-Trued Remington 700 SA-----Stainless??

-Bold knob added------I'd put no more leverage on a solder joint than the factory handle can apply.

-Either #3 or #4 fluted barrel by Krieger or Benchmark cut to 23"----Shilen #2 or equivalent contour in your brand of choice.....no flutes for me...oh, and 22" is plenty for 7-08.

-McMillan Hunter or Game Scout, edge fill-----Rem MR pattern for me...Edge fill works.

-Jewel or Timney trigger-----Jewell(two l's) is a great trigger(have one) but not necessary on a hunting rig, but if'n ya want one, go for it.

-DBM -- undecided, but like the M5 style with the AI mags.----------nothing wrong with the factory setup...at least it doesn't hang down in the road......


the above are the express opinions of the poster and may not have any relevance to your reality..YMMV...:-)

I'm all for your opinions. Everyone has their own and that's fine. I figured the rifle will run around the 9# mark and I'm fine with that. I'm rebuilding the 7-08 I've got now and it's blued so that's where the action is coming from. I'm running it as an ADL now, and it may stay that way, but I really think I'd like the DBM. The Jewell will probably come later and I'll just run the factory trigger tuned up (may never change it). I'll stick with the barrel choices since I can get them from some friends that sell them in their shop and I just go pick one up. Either way, I appreciate the feedback guys. Keep it coming.

Sounds like you have sort of the same ideas that I'm currently working on with my 7mm-08.

Here's what I'm planning on.

-Defiance Rebel (I didn't already have an action to use), ~1.5 lbs.
-Bartlein #3 (might have it fluted as I like the look). Was in stock at Grizzly's, ~3 lbs.
-McM game scout, standard fill, ~2 lbs.
-APA's RTG/SA bottom metal (it has the badger M5 footprint, only problem is right now they are out of stock. They did tell me they're shooting to have more by the end of the month). APA's site quotes 8.8 oz. with AI mag.
-Jewell or timney trigger (whichever I can come across first). I do like my jewell and haven't use a timney yet.

I'm hoping ~9# scoped give or take. I think you'll have a rifle that you'll enjoy for a long time.

Your parts list is fine, can't say I'd change a thing except maybe include Brux as a barrel option. Their #3 contour is a fine one, I've done a couple 7mm-08 builds with similar parts as yours and come in at about 6 lbs 5 ozs for the naked rifle. My last one I just did has a fluted #3 Brux @ 22.5" and Classic Edge and weighs 6 lbs 4 ozs so you should be fine on your weight. On the Jewell, must say they are dang nice, I'm liking the one on my newest 7mm-08!!!

Good luck on your build.

I consider an all around gun something that you use every day so would skip the DBM for an all around gun. Will hang out the bottom to much and just be in the way. I have 2 set up with DBM and AI mags but both are in A5 stocks and heavy barrels and something that I don't use everyday. As said before 20" to 22" is plenty for the 7-08. Oh forgot to add that a 9# rifle is not something that I would want as my all around rifle. I would shot more in the 7# to 7.5 # for an all around.

What do you guys think the weight would be if I left it an ADL and cut the barrel back to 22?

Here my 7-08 it's a rem 700 trued on a #5 Kreiger fluted and ceracoated by kampfeld 24 inches, bolt ha a kampfeld campfire knob and is also fluted and ceracoated, sits in a McMillan Remington classic I think maybe sporter I can't remember, leupold vx3 3x10x50 in talley lightweights, factory bottom metal with a shilen trigger, not the best picture of the rifle but you get the idea, only wish is that it was a #4 fluted instead of #5

As far as your components they are fine except I can't like detachable bottom metal on a hunting rifle I that's what you are using it for, everything else looks great, if you wanted to drop some weight a leupold will be a good bit lighter than the conquest, you will like it no matter what you do

The adl/bel difference is only an ounce or two. I still think you are going with too much barrel. I absolutely love the Winchester featherweight profile for the kind of gun you are building.

Too much barrel weight and and edge stock is an ill-balanced waste of money.

MSU - What's the weight on your rig?

I've still got the original BDL bottom metal so that's an option. I can run it in the LVSF stock while I'm waiting on the McMillan. I'm still undecided on the Game Scout or the McM Hunter. I guess I'll figure it out, but I don't think I'll be disappointing in either.

I get why some folks think it's too much barrel. For the hunting I do I think it's going to be about right. It'll weigh a little more than what's optimal for carrying all day in the mountains, but it's less than what lots of guys around here use as a beanfield rifle. My plan is to go for something that will work for both. A lightweight varmint/beanfield rig, heavy sporting rifle...call it what you want. I'll definitely check out the featherweight profile though.

The only things id change are : trip the 700. Stiller TAC 30 is the action id choose. If you must go Remmy on the action, check into a pt&g bolt. No solder joint at the handle. Only fly i see on the 700. Add Brux #3 contour to the barrel list. And lastly pick a different mag range for the scope. 10x on high end is ample glass for a 7-08. There is a 3-9x42 im quite fond of for that particular application. But to each his own.

i hear good things about the factory MR profile and a Ti or LVSF handle.

JMHO and no offense intended but a 9 pound 7/08 with a 3-4 contour tube doesn't sound like an "all round-do anything" rifle to me...it sounds more like a belly gun. I can't imagine lugging it into thickets, or hauling it around rough country.I wouldn't go any larger than #2 contour and would prefer a FW or MR contour for the purpose.

Frankly, with the factory stuff out there today I wouldn't even bother with a custom.....I'd get a M70 FW in 7/08,slap it in an Edge and go kill stuff....maybe even better is I'd hunt down a Kimber Montana so chambered,or rebarrel one for the cartridge.Either one will perform with the custom if properly tuned,and I'd save a pile of dough in the process.

Ok hunter, I've never weighed it on a good scale but I think it's about 9 pounds loaded with a sling, I tried the ultralight stuff and never liked it. i think 8 to 9 pounds ready to go is just about right, but I'm not toting my rifles in the mountains all the time

I'd love to run a Stiller, but the funds just aren't in the budget at the moment and I've already got the 700 in the safe. If you know of a place that I can snag one for a deal I'd love to check it out.

I've heard great things about the Brux barrels and I'll definitely check them out. Some of it just depends on which I can find quicker out of the top tier barrel makers.

As far as glass goes, I've been using the Zeiss for several years on the rig and like it tons. I do have a couple of the 3-9X40 Conquests that I could swap it out with, but when I run it out long it's nice to have a little extra magnification.

I know lots of guys that love the lightweights, but I just can't be one of them. I don't mind a little heavier rifle as long as it balances.

I'm in the same boat. I've never felt I could shoot a really light rifle as well as I could one that was in the 8 to 9 pound range. That's why I'm really digging your rifle. It looks almost exactly like what I'm working on.

I'm sure if I was hunting sheep or climbing mountains regularly it would be different.

Get the # 4 and flute or the #3 and don't flute, leave the bdl bottom metal, and get a McMillan standard fill and you will be at the right weight. I like the # 4 over the 3 unless you use pacnor, then the #3 would be fine.