Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats What could I get for $2500

What could I have built for $2500 rifle only. Let me set up what I like and you guys help me decide what I can do.

Stainless and synthetic. Short action.

Accuracy number one but I want to stay around 7 lbs. Less nice but not to sacrifice accuracy.

Will hunt white tail deer 99% of the time with a possibility of Elk or mule deer, black bear, moose.

I'm not a reloader but likely will be.

I would like suggestions on action, barrel, caliber and stock. Is this a reasonable expectation on price? Who should I get to build it? I really don't want to wait 5 years. Would second hand be a better choice?

Thanks for any help for a newby to the custom world.

Start with a factory made name brand rifle. Get to the 'custom' later when experience shows you what you want.

My suggestion is the Kimber Montana 308 with a Leupold 2.5-8 scope.

My wife!!!!

For $2500 one helluva fine rifle however you want it.

Save another grand and buy a NULA. Or wait on a ss SA Forbes.
But here is my idea of a great rig.
R700 LSS Mountian 7-08, McM Hunters Edge, Williams trigger guard, Jewell trigger, bolt done by Karl, Talley LW, and a 6x42 with post & duplex and M1 elevation. Throw a Montana sling on there and 4 rounds in it and it will hit your 7# mark.

For $2500, you can knock it out of the park. No sense settling for less. You don't handload now, but you'll want to after spending that kind of money. Don't waste that rig on factory ammo. Twist it right, throat it right, stock it right, glass it right and don't forget about the mag box.

I'm a 308 fan too, but go 7-08.

You're right. He can do a great rifle for that money. I'd toss a 6.5 of sorts in the mix as well. Hard to spec him a build as we'd all do things slightly different.

With the weight he mentioned it would be hard to cuss a copy of a ks dupe or standard rem sporter in a classic stock. Or anything else along those lines.

Too many good ways to skin this cat without just getting into personal taste.

remington 700 short action
#2 Hart barrel 1-9" twist finish at 22" with a 1" shank chambered in 7-08
Mcmillan mountain rifle or hunters edge or for cheaper a Bell and Carlson Ti takeoff
Talley lightweight rings
trigger job
3.5-10x40 or 6x42 Leupold

Throwing in the Elk and Moose into the equation makes me think a 300 Mag of some sort would be a good investment. With the short action, this would be my idea-

Win 70 Stainless in 300 WSM, new PacNor Stainless barrel, mountain contour or just a bit larger, McMillan Edge stock in your choice of color combo, Timney trigger, custom bottom metal, Pachmayr decelerator pad.

Money left over to get a good scope, rings, bases and buy some reloading equipment and components.

Bob

The moose is an extremely long shot. I already own a 7mm rem mag model 70 and a Sako Finnlight 270.

Is the consensus for the Rem 700 action and custom barrel plus McMillan stock, or is there a better route for around $2500?

With $2500 to play with I'd go with a custom action like the Borden Alpine or Timberline. You should be able to build with the barrel of your choice in a McMillan edge stock for around $2500.

Concensus? Well, if you want a plasticized soul-less rifle with bolt parts which have a too high (for me) failure rate. For $2500 you should be able to buy a Winchester Model 70 super Grade, have it re barreled to any number of excellent calibers like 300WBY or other good fast hard hitters, get an top notch scope for it plus your dies and ammo and be SET.

Controlled round feed, Mauser claw extractor, fixed blade ejector action for me, settleds into a nice chunk of Walnut all the way!

Stiller Predator action
Hart #2 or #3 contour in 6.5 or .270 caliber. 1-8" twist on the 6.5.
McMillan "sako style" hunters edge
Good aftermarket bottom metal
Rifle basix trigger
Bedded, then bead blasted finish on barrel only

Bingo!

Either a 260 Remington, 6.5 WSM or 270 WSM.
The 270 WSM is a great all around caliber and would definitely handle most anything in L48. I'd long for taking a 300 to Alaska, but with good shot placement you should be able to handle all other game with any three of these calibers. The .260 also makes a great varmint rifle with 85-95gr bullets.

My two cents....I'm putting one together myself.

Get a McMillan & new Sako Finnlight. Take the rest of cash & buy your reloading equipment.

Not sure why the sako 75 or 85 dont get more luv but this would be a great combo.

Cooper!

+1

For $2500 you could get a nice Cooper in your choice of stocks/stock styles/chambering/barrel lengths/contours and have money left for a good scope.

drover

This. Tons of options for the budget but I'd go this way before a [bleep] around piecing a 700 together.

Agree. For a primary deer rifle, an accurate, quality factory rifle + McM Edge can be done for considerably less. I put together this very accurate 308 which weighs 7lb 2oz as pictured for less than $1500 total (all were purchased used): Older Sako AII 308, McM Hunter edge, Leup VX3 2.5-8x36 P&D reticle.

good post, I'm gonna stay tuned.

I'd like one built. tired of buying off the shelf rifles. By the "one" I'll use for several years to come. kinda same specs as RHClark, only on the other side, lefty.

Dave