I know many use a remington action for a custom gun but what is also suitable.

I found a couple of donor rifles made by Ruger or should I be on the lookout for other makes. I perfer a 2 position safety but will do with a Winchester type 3 position if needed.

Thanks

I'd have to say it's all a matter of personal preference and the intended use of the rifle. For a lightweight - a Rem is tough to beat. For those that prefer CRF, Ruger and Winny (and of course Mausers) are great. There are a number of good actions to build from as long as it meets your needs and you work with a builder who is good with that action. I know some guys have old tang safety Rugers and they love them. Others like Howa, etc. Given quality components and a good craftsman, a nice custom is possible with a number of different actions.

Hard to go wrong if you know what YOU want up front and work with a GOOD smith who knows his way around the action you select. My advice would be to clearly define what you want and go from there - otherwise you just end up with what someone else things is a great rifle.

Might consider an MRC action as well, though I haven't heard much about them in recent months.

What are you willing to spend? If $$$ isn't an issue, I'd look at a Satterlee, Granite Mountain, or Hein. The CZ-550 is also an excellent choice.

You gotta give us some more context if you want our comments to be on target. If we use the Remington as the default, then you could go the BR style clones (e.g. Predator) if you want max accuracy. If you won't accept a 3 position safety, then the Winchester and MRC are out. The classic Mauser is hard to beat. A lot of accuracy potential in Savages, but they are not. The Rurger is a solid journeyman action that lacks the mystique of the Winchester and Mauser or the accurizing/aftermarket aspects of the Remington.

Decide what you want in terms of trigger, safety, extraction, weight and cartridge size and that will determine your action choice.

As stated, it is mostly about personal preference. Excluding the full customs--which are always my first choice--at this point in my life I like:

Kimber or Remmy for lightweights

Remmy for high accuracy applications

M-70 Classic for all-around big game hunting

CZ 550 Safari for DG rifles in long chamberings

To that end, I have:

223, 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06 on mostly stock 700s

338 Winny on a highly modified custom 700. I'd like to replace this rifle with a similar SS Classic M-70, but my custom 700 is exceedingly reliable and durable.

300 Winny and 375 H&H in M-70 SS Classics in McMillan stocks.

416 Remmy on a CZ 550 Safari with a highly modified wooden stock.

Only the 30-06--a home assembled and headspaced rifle--is sorted out. The 338 Win--in defiance of the "Remmys shoot better than Winnys" paradigm, isn't accurate at normal 338 Winny velocities. Then again, initial testing with the 300 Winny M-70 produced 3", two-shot groups at 100 yds with factory ammo and the 338 is MUCH better than that. Still, I'd rather have the 338 on the M-70 and the 300 on the 700, and I may do that some day.

I'd also rather have a Kimber 30-06 than my home-made Remmy, but I just can't get rid of a rifle that weighs 8 lbs w/scope and shoots 168 grain Barnes TSXs in sub 3/4" groups at 2980 fps day in and day out.

Each action choice has strengths and weaknesses. I'd post them here but there are folks that will take exception to whatever I'd say negatively about their favorite action so I'll pass on that................

Remington. There are a gazillion after market goodies for them.

I built one off a Ruger. It was a great shooter, and nice gun, but hard to find components for when I was building it.

If I'm having a custom built and spending that kind of dough, it's going to be on a custom action that's milled square out of the box. With that said, Borden, Surgeon, Bat, Lawton, and some others come to mind.

Utah708,
Here are more specifics. First off I didn't pick up a bolt gun until I was in my early 30's(anout 6-8 yrs ago)..Before then it was lever guns and pumps. I currently shoot a Weatherby MarkV ulwt in 338-06 and like the short bolt lift, weight and balance. So with that being said:

More then likely a 6.5-06, hell its a custom and why not a wildcat round
7-7.5 pds with scope mounted, could be a little more if rifle balances
Crisp, adjustible trigger
Accurate, so if I miss its definately my fault
Coyotes to Black Bear for game being taken
McM Mcswirrly stock because I like how they look

Now I know I can do a semi-custom by buying a donor rifle, having a competent gunsmith do some work to it and be happy, but what is the best rifle to do this with?

I can probably do it all with what I have in the Weatherby but what fun is it to have one gun

When you put it THAT way ...

I'd go:

Rem 700 ADL style LA trued (I like CM but some prefer SS)
Pac-Nor or Schneider barrel about 24" of appropriate contour for the desired weight (fluted if you just like it that way)
Metal finish of your choice
Personally (and that's all this is) I'd go EDGE and skip the swirly - put the paint of your choice on it - that should move the balance point out front a bit
Talley LW's
Leupold in the power range of your choosing
I'd look pretty hard at Kampfeld Custom for this one - haven't used him yet but the work looks great and he has many satisfied customers here. While he had it, I'd also do a Campfire knob and flute the bolt just to look cool.

But again - that's just me - your tastes may vary.

Whatever you do, have fun with it and post the results here. I hope it turns out exactly how you want it.

Chip--
Thanks for the additional background.

Go buy the 6.5-06 that is for sale right now in the classifieds; sounds very much like what you have in mind, for about 70% the cost of building it yourself.

Another approach would be to get a matching Weatherby in 257 Roy, since you already like that action.

Stanimal's blueprint is about a perfect version of the campfire preferences. Given that you want light weight and accuracy, Remington actions are the place to start, IMHO.

I didn't see the 6.5-06 in the classifieds. I'm with utah708.
Go buy the one in the classifieds!!! Had I not succumbed to the evil temptations of two rifles already this week, () that'd be coming to Titletown.

Skane / utah708- +1 - that looks like a good deal and a great rifle by a great builder. Hadn't seen that one either. It's pretty sure to be less than you will have in one that you do yourself.

I happen to have a 1917 Enfield, with much work already done - bolt handle, floorplate, trigger, ears milled off and scope bases installed, 1960's Fajen stock, etc. that I am looking to have made into a .375 H&H...

+1 on the contacting Kampfeld Customs, mine just came back, work is incredible and Karl is great to deal with.

Well,

i actually weighed my Weatherby today. It sits at 6.8 pds with leupold 2 piece bases and ring with the a Leupold Compact 3x9.

This is the rifle which actually converted me to bolt guns and I bought it at a great price and did so because the 338-06 sounded interesting. To date the rifle has taken deer and caribou.

The reason for a custom or another rifle is that I load this pretty hot and you take a lickin' after awhile. Accuracy is good but not great and to by another at close to $1500, it seems as though accuracy for that kind of money can be better.

It depends on what you want to do. If you are wanting to do a safari type rifle I'd use a Granite Mountain, or Saterlee. If I wanted to do a syn stocked type rifle a remington or a predator would be fine.

I personally would not use a Hein, because of the wait time. I have had one action on order for almost a year with no due date in sight. Just my worthless 2 cents.

Ed

fwiw,
Hard to like a Weatherby action from the standpoint of getting all the lugs to lap in evenly. In short you won't and they don't... You have six on your .338-06 and would have 9 on a .257 Weatherby...

Hard not to like Remingtons from a simple standpoint. All things being equal I would GREATLY prefer it if Winchester 70 Classic Actions were timed properly and would shoot with a 700. Unfortunately the number of smiths who know what needs to be timed, much less how, are very few and their time is at a premium. Some to greater extents than others.

With that in mind it awful hard not to like a Remington...

Regards, Matt.

I bought a Nesika Bay for my .300 WSM. I had problems with the factory, and the action was shipped with too light a spring and not enough firing pin protrusion. I was misfiring 1 in 3 cartridges. They told me it was impossible, but I sent them the $100 bill from my gunsmith to fix it. Opinion was they were set up to touch off softer benchrest primers not magnum rifle primers with harder caps. I thought it was garbage after $1200 and a year wait after I was told two months by the salesman on the phone. No great shakes that one is.

After that, I went with Rem 700 actions and 1 40xb. A rem 700 is round, easy to true up, and pretty much all gunsmiths learn their trade on them. They cost about $400. You can buy an ADL and chuck the rest... Blueprinting and a first class trigger job will run you about $300. A Sako extractor which I like maybe another fifty. For seven fifty, it's as good a platform as any to build a rifle on. I like the Stainless DBM actions. You'll also get an impressive selection of stocks for the popular action.

I also have a gunsmith that doesn't like building customs on Ruger actions. I don't know why, maybe because their cast not milled, and don't clean up as well. I don't know.

After reading posts, I checked out Satterlee's web sight. $4000 for a Titanium action. I feel faint.

get a used ss 700 and retube and stock. $1500 done to your door...

or, buy a 260 TI and rechamber to 6.5x284 (same ballistics as your 06')and put the boot in the scope...... or flop the stock and get the swirly when you feel like it....

7.5# will be easy and you dont need the TI to do it.. you could easily restock a 260 mountain ss and keep the factory tube (rechambered in 6.5x284) till it wears out and save some more coin.....

woofer

Here's a nice (and unusual) choice for a light weight deer rifle. It's a Husky 1640. I'm working on the stock now.

Terry

You need to buy a copy of Frank DeHaas's book, "Bolt Action Rifles." Complete decriptions of all sorts of actions, their strenths and weaknesses.
BTW, on Mausers at least, perhaps others, you can get a two position, M70 safety. I'm planning on having one put on my next custom, a mauser actioned rifle. M70 style safetys can be put on either of the Ruger actions as well I'm told.
Basically, you need to match the action you choose to the intended use of the rifle.
Certain actions are not well suited shall we say. I understand JonA, for instance has a custom barreled .300 UM, Browning A-Bolt. I've never heard of any one else choosing that action for a custom rifle. Too hard to rebarrel, and too complicated an action. Savages are another action that aren't popular for practical reasons. But I did know a guy for a while with a matched set of Savage actioned customs in 7mm RM, .300 WM, .338 WM and the .458 WM. E

TC1,
Nice Husky! What's she chambered for?

TC: Is that a Talley bolt handle?

Bolt handle is from the Half Moon Rifle Shop. Installed by Mike McCabe. A VERY Talented gunsmith who is just starting fulltime. With in a few years they'll be featuring his work in magazines, mark my words on this one. He's good.

I'll start a new thread and post some better pictures Monday when I get the stock pattern finished.

It's a .270Win

Terry

Chip if you're happy with the Mark V buy a use one as a donor, you could find plenty of them in the $500's and built what you darn please.

6.5-06 sounds good for a custom but a 270 is great and if you are a 7mm follower a 280AI would be best as a custom

I just reaquired a Weatherby Fibermark in 25-06 on friday. I will shoot this as is for awhile then decide if I want to retube to a 6.5/06. I know many do not like to build a custom on the Mark V action but I do like how the handle. I figure this gun scoped will go 7.75 pounds. Currently as it sits it is 6.8 pounds with mounts only. Thank you for the advice from all.

Stiller Predator is working for me thus far (grin)

WAY TO GO

go for the AI option you won't regret it

keep the right track

I have three customs built in Weatherby Mark V's LH actions, the first two where built in the early 90's chambered in 7 STW & 458 Lott and the third was built in 2001 in 270/300wby

Krag

TC: Nice!What caliber?

Nevermind; read the thread..... what made you pick a 270?...................

I really wanted an easy to use cartridge for this rifle. Wildcats are fun, not always' the best choice in a hunting rifle. I like the Euro metric's but I have a lot of them already. It might not really fit theame of the rifle, but it's hard to argue it's effectiveness. Another really nice thing about the .270 like the .30-06 is you can buy ammo everywhere. The is one my favorite cartridges.

Terry

Terry: Great choice in calibers. It really is hard to improve on a 270 and 06. I think it fits the theme of the rifle fine. Looks like it's gonna be a beauty. Wood is "killer"! Good luck with it.

Win 70 for long term value
Rem 700 for accuracy
Ruger 77 for budget

forget the rest (custom actions excepted)!

How are you going to save any money using a Ruger action?

Forget the rest?

Bad advice.

Terry

Unless you can get a Ruger for less than $300, I don't see how you save any money on it. Not an argument against the Ruger as they can be made up very nicely, I just don't see how they're a budget action. Personally, if I'm looking for a cheap action, I look for FN Mausers carrying the JC Higgins brand name.

used rugers a lot easier to find and cheaper than model 70s. they are typically cheaper than rem 700s also. when jamison was working on his short fat cartridges, he used ruger actions cause he could buy them on the cheap.

try finding used model 70 on a budget.

I have nothing against rugers.

I personally would not spend the money to build a "CUSTOM" on a savage, browning or weatherby action. for that matter, I would only use a win 70 but I can understand that some folks like rems.

As far as forget the rest, I meant generally available production rifles. not quality vintage stuff.

for that matter a Mauser '98 would be the best action to built a custom, I think that people build their rifles in the action they prefer, I have customs in Rem 700, in Mausers '91, '93, '95 and '98, Enfields 1917 in Weathreby's and even I've Browning A-bolts, I haven't never used a Ruger but I think it would be a good action for a custom due that is very similar to Mauser actions, but as you say I would never build a custom in a Savage action but I have done it 10+ years ago, but will never do it again, with a savage action you just buy diferent barrels and you can swap them as you dare.

I remember 20+ years ago Sako actions where use a lot to build customs.

It must be the region or the stores people frequent but I see more used Model 70's, mostly push feeds but a few pre-64's and post 64 classics than I do tang safety Rugers. One gun I rarely see are stainless Ruger 77 Mk II's.

I would have no problem using a Howa or any of it's variants. I've seen some great deals on used Sako actions and rifles in the past. I would love to have custom built off a SAKO action. That Husky 1640 I pictured above would make a fantastic choice for a light weight rifle. The barreled ation only weighs 4.5 lbs. and I only had $250 in the action before I started. Lots of great choices other than the big 3.

Terry

Nobody mentioned Montana Rifleman. From what I've read, this is kind of a pre-64 Winchester 70 copy, with a few minor variations.

It's CRF, available in standard and magnum magazine box for LA, or in SA. Available chrome-moly or stainless.

They'll also put a barrel on it for you and guarantee proper feed.

Then you find a stock that fits and you're in business. Total cost maybe $1400. (This is a lot less than some custom rifles.)

Nothing wrong with a win 70 pushfeed!

Yep, you can find some super deals on them.

I could see myself building a nice custom off a CZ too.

Terry

Rem 700 and Stolle are the only actions I have rifles built around, so far.

As others have said, most smiths will work on and build rifles around a Rem action. Not the case with a ruger, winchester and others.

There are a lot of custom action builders out there. Some are good, others, well, you be the judge.

Don

I have to agree. My 375 Hein has been on order now for 20 months.
Since Feb of this year I have sent emails concerning the wait times and have gotten back answers ranging from "all the parts are here we are just waiting to assemble" to "your rifle is third in line and will be finished in 6 weeks".
Next to the last email I sent I asked for my deposit back and I was told they normally do not return a deposit but if I wanted it would take three weeks or so for them to gather the funds. I returned the email just asking they finish my rifle and never heard back. That was about 6-8 weeks ago if memory serves me correct.

Hein- Nice stuff, and if even if the wait is worth it, customer service like that isn't worth it. That's horsebleep.