Rim-x vs. Vudoo. Which did you choose and why?
- Thread starter ST42
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I just got done building a Rimx that I paired with a 22" Bartlein barrel. Sitting in a KRG Whiskey 3 stock she is quite heavy but manageable.
Haven't had a chance to shoot the gun yet as it has been far to wet and rainy.
Haven't had a chance to shoot the gun yet as it has been far to wet and rainy.
I own both and like both. I’ve owned a vudoo quite a bit longer and so I’m more familiar with it and it’s my preference. Out of the box the vudoo barreled actions are tough to beat! Just flat out shoot.
If you’re looking at trying a few barrels then the rimx is a no brainer. The rimx mags are significantly nicer as well, but the new vudoo mags coming out look amazing! The rimx is smoother in my opinion, but feels slightly longer cycle than the vudoo. This couple be just due to the fact I’m use to the vudoo’s.
Realistically you can’t go wrong with either!
If you’re looking at trying a few barrels then the rimx is a no brainer. The rimx mags are significantly nicer as well, but the new vudoo mags coming out look amazing! The rimx is smoother in my opinion, but feels slightly longer cycle than the vudoo. This couple be just due to the fact I’m use to the vudoo’s.
Realistically you can’t go wrong with either!
Tough to answer. i have a vudoo i shoot in prs and it out shoots me[when i don't have feeding issues] that is the only real problem i have with it. RIM LOCK. The rim xdoes not have this issue do to the way the mag is fed [angled].i also have a MPA chassis for the vudoo and the only mags that I can get to feedcorrectly are the zero sucks, But i shot 1 match and had ftf on all 10 stages and several with 2 ftf. got real good and clearing them[still placed 5]
Now if I have to do over with what i know now RIMX! Stan
Now if I have to do over with what i know now RIMX! Stan
toss up for now
until vudoo releases new mags
to me the rimx mags, plus the available extensions. +5 from Zermatt, and +3 and +7 from MKM give it the slight edge in certain situations
the ability to switch barrels with a standard R700 action wrench is nice as well
until vudoo releases new mags
to me the rimx mags, plus the available extensions. +5 from Zermatt, and +3 and +7 from MKM give it the slight edge in certain situations
the ability to switch barrels with a standard R700 action wrench is nice as well
Having owned serval of both I prefer the V-22. I have the rim lock sorted out, just pay attention when you load the mags. There is one scenario with the rim x that you can not solve with a quick mag change like a rim lock, if for some reason (short stroke, mag adjustment issue, or whatever) the bolt doesn't retain the cartridge, you don't notice, and attempt to chamber the round you are done. You will need a tool to extract the round out of the chamber. I have had this happen a time or two and seen it occur to others. It's a no go in my opinion.
This happens quite often on my rimx. Twice in the last match, 8 times during a practice session the weekend prior. Like you mentioned, I rarely get a rim lock with a vudoo but if you do, it’s a mag dump and change vs more time loss due to trying to extract a round with the rimx.
Another option is the ultimatum deuce.
I have both, with the Rim X being first. More I shoot the Vudoo, more I like it and would buy another one.
Barrel swaps with the Rim X make it an easy platform.
So you guys call hung up, or not captured rds rim lock? I just attributed it to mag adjustments, cause they can be a pain. I just keep a cleaning rod in my range pickup.
Barrel swaps with the Rim X make it an easy platform.
So you guys call hung up, or not captured rds rim lock? I just attributed it to mag adjustments, cause they can be a pain. I just keep a cleaning rod in my range pickup.
I own 2 rimx and a Vudoo! For last couple years it has always been several vudoos and a rimx. I like the rimx better because barrel options are a lot better. Can’t get a big enough barrel to balance rifle with Vudoo. Mine was built by Di precision so it has enough weight out front to balance. I think the rimx actions are more smooth than any of my 9 vudoos that I have owned.
I just went thru this and ultimately ended up with a Vudoo. I had little experience with either and shot CZs for a long time. My take on which to purchase was if I wanted options and wanted to spend time tinkering I should go with the Rimx, if I want to spend the money and “out of the box” have what I would have been able to build in a Rimx I should go with the Vudoo. I have a 1 year old so my tinkering time is limited and I wanted to spend my free time shooting rather than tinkering. Both are great options with my limited experience. You can’t go wrong with either.
Is there something wrong with them you think will be fixed by trying another one?
the bolt feel between them is very different in regards to lift/close. i chose RimX because i only run zermatt actions. if i liked and ran impacts i would probably have gotten a vudoo
I was always playing with different barrel lengths and contours trying to get right balance in certain stocks and chassis! Think I am settled on the ones I have now
Oh another big reason I prefer the Vudoo is the cocking piece design. The Rim X is designed in a way that creates way too much drag on the sear during firing pin fall, hence the more prevalent need to adjust timing on the Rim X vs the V-22.
If you load the magazines with a little care rim lock won't happen. There are some videos out about how to do this. Only rounds I had an issue with rim lock is Eley though.
Started with a B-14R and weighed my options. I decided to get a RimX because I wanted to be different to be honest. Mine shoots lights out. I did have random light strikes specifically with Eley ammo but was quickly sorted out by Zermatt with a new cocking piece. Literally takes a few seconds to swap it out when shooting Eley. YMMV.
I’ve had zero mag (load and go without going through a loading ritual), feeding, extraction, and trigger issues. People that haven’t kept up with the times are generally shocked when I tell them that and didn’t know Zermatt has since fixed the extractor claw. Triggertech Diamond has been flawless. Prefit barrels were another selling point for me. With that said, I’ve recently seen more riflesmiths spinning up barrels for the Vudoo but generally will need your action in hand.
I’ve had zero mag (load and go without going through a loading ritual), feeding, extraction, and trigger issues. People that haven’t kept up with the times are generally shocked when I tell them that and didn’t know Zermatt has since fixed the extractor claw. Triggertech Diamond has been flawless. Prefit barrels were another selling point for me. With that said, I’ve recently seen more riflesmiths spinning up barrels for the Vudoo but generally will need your action in hand.
RimX here. I’ve never liked the way the Vudoo feels even before the RimX came out. RimX prefits are everywhere.
Also whichever one you get just know you could possibly experience issues. It’s a 22 and feeding is finicky. So far I’ve been lucky to not have any issues though.
Also whichever one you get just know you could possibly experience issues. It’s a 22 and feeding is finicky. So far I’ve been lucky to not have any issues though.
A few comparison notes:
Hope this helps.
- When you buy a Vudoo, you buy a barreled action , and Vudoo supports the barreled action - if you have a problem Vudoo can't help you solve remotely, they'll have you ship the rig to them. Vudoo doesn't sell just the action to the public.
- When you buy a RimX, you buy an action, and Zermatt supports the action. While Zermatt offers excellent support, I'm not aware that they offer the option of having a buyer send in a barreled action or entire rifle for problem remediation. If I am wrong on this, let me know; I had some problems early on and phone support was great but sending the rifle to Zermatt was never offered.
- Due primarily to bolt design, RimX can take prefit barrels - this is a huge selling point for RimX.
- Vudoo, with the bolt's extractor and pusher extending past the bolt face, requires chamber notches which makes prefit barrels essentially untenable.
- Again, due to bolt design, Vudoo can be single-fed. Some folks have made single-shot "sled magazines" enabling a single round to be dropped into the breech and the bolt closed.
- RimX MUST be fed from a magazine as a round must be captured from the mag at the correct angle. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, if the RimX bolt fails to properly capture a round and pushes the round into the chamber directly or in trying to feed the next round, you'll need either a very strong fingernail or some other tool to get the misfed round out of the chamber.
- Another bolt design thing: The RimX's 6-o'clock firing pin runs in an open channel which can pick up lube goo and grit. Not a big deal, but something of which to be aware.
- RimX magazines are beautifully made but very expensive ($125!!!!!! for a 10-rounder, $55 for a 5-round extender). These aluminum works of art are individually adjustable for latch height... but man, I'd love to have a polymer-mag option because...
- ...Vudoo 10-round polymer mags work just fine and are $40 each or $99 for a 3-pack.
- Both rifles are persnickety about magazine height. I had a feeding issue early on with my Vudoo in an MPA BA Comp chassis which was eliminated by addition of an adjustable mag latch from MPA (now standard on the chassis, I believe).
- Vudoo rifles do "demand" that magazines be loaded correctly - if you don't do that simple thing, you can get failures to feed. I haven't had a FTF in thousands of rounds now.
Hope this helps.
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I own a Rimx because:
- I like options. With the adjustable magazine catch I can use just about any stock/chassis combo I can dream of and easily swap barrels should I ever feel the need
- The 360 wasn't available when I bought my RimX; I really like a 60 degree bolt throw so if I had to rebuy a new gun I might go with the Vudoo...
I have the Vudoo 360 and RimX. I prefer the RimX but both are great choices
To me the RimX is smoother than the vudoo. If feeds great out of the mags and I have a heavier and longer barrel on it.
Just a couple points here.
- ibi makes prefits for vudoo’s
- vudoo sells just the action. That’s how I bought my second one. First as a barreled action, second as just an action
Another example of the knowledge available here in the SH community.
So I'm curious: did you contact Vudoo and ask to purchase a bare action? I don't see that option on their web site (didn't look very hard), and I was told by a well-known Vudoo smith that Vudoo wouldn't sell actions to the public. I do seem to remember that, early on when Vudoo first hit the market, there was an action-only order option.
Are you running an IBI prefit? Did it install as easily as expected?
I'll toss this out there. I have owned 3 Vudoo's and 4 RimX Barrels with 2 actions. I now only have 1 RimX complete build.
First all the Vudoos were factory builds. 2 were BA buys and one was a custom for me. Bartline and Ace barrels. The Vudoos shot OK, but never superb. Was it me learning? Was it the SK ammo I was feeding them? Was it something else? I have shot a few NON Vudoo builds by other companies and there is a MAJOR difference in the action feel and the end grouping results out the barrel. Modacam Custom Rifles (MCR) & Di Precision are 2 of the best in the business.
My RimX actions were bought and I bought the first 3 barrels as well as installing them my self. Patriot Valley Arms 12T & 16T. Both of these shot great and a shooter in the NE is still shooting the 12T at this time I believe. Then a Di Precision Krieger MTU 16T 22" long w/ EC Tuner machined on. I was the second owner of this barrel. It was and still is a freaking hammer. I put almost 10K rounds through it in 15-16 months. Then I had MCR do a full custom build. I provided the Barrel blank, EC tuner, action and trigger. Jelrod worked his magic and took care of the rest. This rifle is a freak of nature. It is a 1 hole gun at 50y and I have not touched the tuner.
With all this being said Buy an action, trigger & barrel blank and send it to a quality company to have a fabulous rifle built that will last you a life time. You will not regret the money spent with the outcome you will get. Remember this there is a reason the top shooters in the world shoot 16T Krieger barrels. They are freaking hammers. Those shooters can have anything they want it its a Krieger 16T.
Good luck with your build. Show it off when it's done.
First all the Vudoos were factory builds. 2 were BA buys and one was a custom for me. Bartline and Ace barrels. The Vudoos shot OK, but never superb. Was it me learning? Was it the SK ammo I was feeding them? Was it something else? I have shot a few NON Vudoo builds by other companies and there is a MAJOR difference in the action feel and the end grouping results out the barrel. Modacam Custom Rifles (MCR) & Di Precision are 2 of the best in the business.
My RimX actions were bought and I bought the first 3 barrels as well as installing them my self. Patriot Valley Arms 12T & 16T. Both of these shot great and a shooter in the NE is still shooting the 12T at this time I believe. Then a Di Precision Krieger MTU 16T 22" long w/ EC Tuner machined on. I was the second owner of this barrel. It was and still is a freaking hammer. I put almost 10K rounds through it in 15-16 months. Then I had MCR do a full custom build. I provided the Barrel blank, EC tuner, action and trigger. Jelrod worked his magic and took care of the rest. This rifle is a freak of nature. It is a 1 hole gun at 50y and I have not touched the tuner.
With all this being said Buy an action, trigger & barrel blank and send it to a quality company to have a fabulous rifle built that will last you a life time. You will not regret the money spent with the outcome you will get. Remember this there is a reason the top shooters in the world shoot 16T Krieger barrels. They are freaking hammers. Those shooters can have anything they want it its a Krieger 16T.
Good luck with your build. Show it off when it's done.
That pocket knife makes short work of that issue
Vudoo Three 60 Rimfire Repeater Action - Vudoo Gun Works
The heart and soul of the finest .22 LR ever conceived. The Vudoo patented V-22 repeater action - Redefining the rimfire game.
vudoogunworks.com
"Right or Left Hand Available: $1405"
1405 is for the action only.
There are many tools that will clear the round, but if your competing for time you just lost...
99% of the top rimfire benchrest shooters are using Shilen and Mullerworks barrels.
You are talking benchrest. He is talking competition... 2 different Rimfire worlds.
Both of them are good actions, and you can build about anything off of them.
Get one and build the gun that you want. You really can't go wrong with either of them.
Get one and build the gun that you want. You really can't go wrong with either of them.
You can buy right off there site, I had no issues. Bought two and built two identical guns for myself and my shooting partner.
I have not used an ibi prefit for the vudoo. I was waiting for them and just bought a blank and had a smith chamber and spun it on. 6 weeks after my build was complete they offered barrel nut prefits
After reading this thread earlier today I quickly made my decision on which action/rifle build to order. I purchased the Zermatt Rimx. I was also considering a complete Vudoo build with the 60 degree bolt throw and was also considering an Ultimatum Deuce action. For my build, I went with a Krieger 23" (finished barrel length)with a 1.25" straight barrel profile and will mount this in a KRG Whisky 3 Chassis. I have a TriggerTech Diamond trigger that I will be shipping with the Rimx action to my gunsmith to complete the build. (Barrel will be drop shipped from Krieger Direct.) I should be receiving the completed barreled action in about 6 to 8 weeks.
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Go with the vudoo because of the customer service. If you have any issues they’ll fix it for you. Probably doesn’t seem like a big deal now but when an issue arises you’ll be glad to have the support. Also, as far as the vudoo polymer mags go, I’ve never had any problems and I know, probably, 15 other vudoo shooters who have never had issues. A chassis with adjustable mag release helps a lot.
I just worked with a buddy thru this.. To me there are only 3 choices..
Vudoo done by Vudoo -Whole gun so you get complete customer service
RimX by Desert Precision or Modacam
Vudoo done by Desert Precision or Modacam.
Especially with a RimX it has to be a tried and true gunsmith.. I am a Vudoo guy, but some RimX’s get a bad name because it wasn’t the best gunsmith who made it..It’s really beneficial to have 1 person to call if something goes wrong..and it’s rimfire, eventually something will go wrong.. or your not shooting enough
Vudoo done by Vudoo -Whole gun so you get complete customer service
RimX by Desert Precision or Modacam
Vudoo done by Desert Precision or Modacam.
Especially with a RimX it has to be a tried and true gunsmith.. I am a Vudoo guy, but some RimX’s get a bad name because it wasn’t the best gunsmith who made it..It’s really beneficial to have 1 person to call if something goes wrong..and it’s rimfire, eventually something will go wrong.. or your not shooting enough
I wasn’t stating otherwise, I was just stating my Top 3 choices, if I was deciding. Vudoo always has you covered. My point was having just one person to call.
For a true custom rifle for rimx don’t discount TS customs or GA precision. Have a custom built ga precision rimx that is as nice as they come!! If you want a rifle in a stock I would use these two!!
Gents,
Thank you all for your observation and experiences. I decided to go with the Rim-X. I’ll be running a 1.25” Kreiger 16 twist and I’m still thinking over the length. My blank will finish at 23” as a max. I’m leaning towards 22” and I will be trying out the 22LR Match Eachus chamber. I can hardly wait to make the next step in a quality built rifle.
Cheers!
Thank you all for your observation and experiences. I decided to go with the Rim-X. I’ll be running a 1.25” Kreiger 16 twist and I’m still thinking over the length. My blank will finish at 23” as a max. I’m leaning towards 22” and I will be trying out the 22LR Match Eachus chamber. I can hardly wait to make the next step in a quality built rifle.
Cheers!
Vudoo customer support is the best in the business, that's why I would choose them again in a heartbeat. My original V-22 did not shoot to my satisfaction after a lot of ammo tests and experimentation. Vudoo suggested returning the gun. They replaced the barrel with a Benchmark and wow, what a difference. Regardless of what you buy, there's no absolute guarantee that it will shoot. 99 percent will, but occationally a bad one sneaks out. That happens to everyone, I don't care which manufacturer it is. But it the manufacturer stands behind his product, then you have a winner. Go Vudoo!
P.S. Not every barrel from every manufacturer shoots perfectly either. Some are better than others.
P.S. Not every barrel from every manufacturer shoots perfectly either. Some are better than others.
I own both, and I shoot the RimX exclusively now in competitions. The Vudoo chamber that they ship with causes issues with Eley ammo, but has been flawless with SK/Lapua. The most consistent ammo I have found is Eley - I’m talking 4-5 FPS SD across 50 rounds. My center X is 8-11. Inside 100 yards, both guns shoot amazing. At 300, the RimX walks away from the Vudoo.
I have had both guns lot tested by Lapua, and have tested 10 lots of Eley match through my RimX. Hands down the RimX out hammers the Vudoo once the best lot was identified.
A lot of guys say the Lapua ammo has been unobtanium. But Eley can be found in large enough quantities to be beneficial.
I have had both guns lot tested by Lapua, and have tested 10 lots of Eley match through my RimX. Hands down the RimX out hammers the Vudoo once the best lot was identified.
A lot of guys say the Lapua ammo has been unobtanium. But Eley can be found in large enough quantities to be beneficial.
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