Give me an idea.

[Terrill]

Gentlemen,  Given the rifles on the market now.  If you were going to build a custom rifle, what action would you start with?  Since Whitetail is the number one game animal in the States, what caliber?

[Ahab]

why not a Kimber Montana in 7-08? Be more cost effective.

[Terrill]

Be more cost effective.

There are times you just want to put something together.  Common sense often does not apply when man and hunting rifle meet.

[GeoW]

I would go with the proven Rem 700 action, make it 6.5x55 in the mountain rifle stock and barrel contour.

.02

GeoW

[butterman]

I would start with a SAKO action , everyone of them I have tryed out has been so
smooth ,  Then I would go with the  338 Federal  ,  I think that would take care of
any old  Whitetail ,  just my thinking

[Brithunter]

A Webly 1887 Farhquerson newly made. Chambering to be decided 

[Mikey]

I think I would go with a 98 action and the 6.5 Swede.  That caliber can handle just about everything I would hunt for or possibly encounter.  But, if I were to find one of the Remington Mountain Rifles in either that or the 8mm caliber I would probably forego building one............Mikey.

[Terrill]

There are several rifles on the market that will do and I have a number of rifles now but I want one that is "mine".  Where my land is, I can have shots from 10 to 350 yards (I can see further, I just can't shoot further with a promise of a sure hit.)
I will probable start with a factory action from one of the main companies. Winchester, Remington, Savage, Howa, or Ruger. I think I can get all of the work done on one of those for less than a custom action would run me.
As for caliber, I'll have to think on that for awhile.

[pooter]

I built my first rifle 3 years ago on a FN Mauser action in 308 win. Not too powerful yet powerful enough to reach across a wheatfield in the winter time. Brass is cheap and so are all of the components. There are a million aftermarket parts you can find for a mauser action, my second choice would be a Rem 700 for the same reason. Everybody and their brother has barrels, stocks, triggers, scope mounts, and anything else you might need to get the job done and get it done right.

[HuntingGuy]

You're gonna get a different answer from each guy who comments.. Don't let it confuse you - buy what you decide will work best.

[440dodger]

 My choice for a White tail, or even Mule deer, rifle would be to start with the Chevy of the rifle world. Make mine a SS Remington 700, blueprint the action, install an M16 extractor, #2 contour SS Shilen select match barrel, chamber it for the 280 Remington calibre,Ackly Improved if you hand load.11 degree recessed target crown, cryo treat the barrel, install a MPI Stocks light weight, graphite kevlar glass stock, pillar bedded, barrel free floated, matte bead blast finish, on the metal, Jewell trigger to 3 lbs crisp, and take that 300 yard shot   What ever you decide on, have fun and enjoy. 

[Duckbill]

It really comes down to the budget you set.  Any modern firearm manufacturers action is going to cost nearly as much as a brand new gun.  Sometimes AS much.  You can really get into some serious dough customizing a rifle.  Since you're exploring a new area, I would suggest what Mikey mentioned.  Get yourself a decent Mauser 98 action and work with that.  You can easily build a custom sporter Mauser for under $400 or a dandy for under $800.  It's a lot of fun and it will give you an idea if a custom rifle is what you really wanted.  Without a lathe and some specific tools, a lot of the work has to farmed out.  A competent gunsmith is needed at some point for safety reasons.
I just finished a nice 25-06 built on a Czech VZ24 mauser 98 action(pictured here in the custom rifle section).  I'm hooked.  I'm ready to start my next one.  It's going to be a 257Roberts in a lightweight configuration based around another VZ24 action.

I own, and have owned, many rifles and there's just something special about one that you build yourself (at least partly).

Shameless Plug:  I have a Win Mod 70 push feed in 30-06 for sale.  That would make a great donor if you decide to go that route.

[Bigboar]

If you want a custom go the way I did I don't think you'll be disappointed, though I think a 280 Rem. Ackley Improved would be a better cal.  The 6.5 X 284 Win. is another great cartridge or just a plane old 30/06 can't be beat.  Take a look at what I did, the sky is the limit.

Bigboar

This is the web site for Montana Rifleman: http://www.montanarifleman.com/index.html



This is the web site for a look at my rifle:  http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/smf/index.php/topic,82912.0.html

[gt40]

Terril,
     I live next door in Georgia and I say don't build one just get a Browning BAR. Mine is a 30-06, but most calibers will work fine. I have bolt actions in .243 and .243WSSM and .308 and .220 Swift. Since Georgia has a liberal (12) deer limit I usually take the BAR because you can really pile them up. It reloads so fast that if there are more than one deer and you drop the first the second one doesn't hear you work the bolt or lever action and gives you a chance to drop the second one. I have killed them as far away as 285 yards by holding the horizontal cross hair on the top of their back and the bullet drops into the middle of the rib cage. That is with 165 gr. bullets. At close range when I am not confident in a head shot I never shoot in the heart. They almost always kick up their rear legs and run like crazy. To get them to drop in their tracks hit them about 4 inches above the heart and just behind the front leg and they will be DRT. As you have probably guessed I am a meat hunter. Last year I got 3 doubles which I don't think I would have gotten with a gun other than an automatic. I traded my 7400 for a gun that doesn't jam = Browning BAR.

[charles p]

Had a rifle built on Rem 700 action, blue printed, lapped bolt, 26" Shillen SS match barrel chambered to 280AI.  McMillan stock and Leupold LSP scope.  It sure is sweet - BUT HEAVY.  I'm now 60 years old and even if I just sit in an evelated box stand, I don't enjoy lugging that much gun from the truck to the stand.  Lord help me if I should ever take it out West to some seriously big country.

At the top of your project list, establish the weight you want for your finished gun.  Next, set a goal for the max recoil.  No need to build something you don't enjoy using.  Been there, done that.

[kyelkhunter3006]

I'm with Bigboar on this.....get a custom barreled action from Montana Rifleman, pick your barrel contour, personally, I'd probably go .308 or 7mm-08 with a 22" barrel.  Get a Mcmillan stock for it, or maybe a laminate from Serengeti......

[Doesniper]

Just built my whitetail rifle last year. I used an old Swede 96 Mauser action, I had a Douglas #2 contour chambered in .250-3000 Sav., cut to 23". I had it converted to cock on open, and I had a nice claro walnut blank I'd been storing for about six years, turned to make a small quick handling whitetail wacker. All the metal was bead blasted and a soft matte blue finish made it complete.
My second choice would be a .260, a great whitetail cartridge. Have fun with your project.

[Ratltrap]

I'm with Bigboar on this.....get a custom barreled action from Montana Rifleman, pick your barrel contour, personally, I'd probably go .308 or 7mm-08 with a 22" barrel.  Get a Mcmillan stock for it, or maybe a laminate from Serengeti......

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