Best high end action(s) for field use?

Mahk

Mahk

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Minuteman
Nov 26, 2008
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Lubbock, TX
#1
Hey guys, I've been scouring this and other forums for a week now trying to find an answer to this question and I could still use some guidance, so I apologize if I'm beating a dead horse.

I've dipped my toes into the precision game a few times over the years with gas guns and three different 700s in .308 and .30-06 and have a good bit of time behind Bergaras and a little on Tikkas. Got out of long range stuff due to not having anywhere to really shoot. Now I live in the big bear-filled Christmas tree farm out West and I'm looking to get back into it with a custom build .300 PRC for hunting and long range steel.

I see a lot of great info on various actions as far as feel and features (mostly in the context of competition/controlled conditions) but not much about general field reliability and robustness. I had pretty much made up my mind on the threaded Terminus Zeus LA , but while reading through a thread I saw a post about a highly regarded action from another manufacturer getting dirty and locking up the gun. It kinda gave me pause and now I'm wondering: What long actions are a good choice for a rifle that is liable to be lugged around, banged around on an ATV, get dirty, dropped, etc? I may be interested in competition in the future, but for now the primary goal is something thats durable, precise, and reliable under field conditions. It doesn't seem as simple as "Oh $1k+ they're all good" with this consideration.

Please share any insight on what to look for/avoid as i have NO experience with any non-factory actions. Thanks!
 
#2
If you want the best repeater
Borden mountaineer . I shoot one in a MPA matrix pro chassis with a 308 bolt face. I can screw a 6ppc barrel on and shoot zeros. Yes it handles 6ppc. Screw a 6br barrel back on and and shoots more dots. Benchrest accuracy in a repeater. If you have time watch the Eric Cortina YouTube video
“Believe the target” - Jim Borden.
C5504173-3010-440C-8F23-82E521D742F3.jpeg
 
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#4
Lots of great options these days.

For pure robustness though, I think it's hard to top something like the Mausingfield.

Pretty much all of the other custom actions are a version of a pushfeed R700 - some do it better than others.
 
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#6
Check out BAT HR or IGNITER. I recently switched to one for my 300 norma improved build and have been very happy and impressed. I haven't shot it much in dirt but the little I have not one hiccup. I will be shooting it in the nightforce challenge in June. I have 100% confidence in the action very smooth. I was running a arc nucleus gen 2 with great results too. Dirt mud snow and not one issue.
 
#7
Second on the impact. Long day in November in WA, tagged out a black bear and the rifle tipped over in the mud while field dressing. Then on the hike out, tripped and rifle went into the creek (along with me). Used a game bag to wipe it down and some basic field maintenance and it cycled and the trigger tech diamond sear went off every time. Couldn’t be happier. Those BATs have been tempting too though.
 
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#8
I think any of the modern actions offered over a factory rifle will prove to be a great choice. Something that doesn't have to go back to be squared/trued. There are some amazing quick change barrel offerings out there (high end) and others that made AR15s/AR10s...yesterday...that apparently work very well. I also continually see Tikka action rifles in school houses so they must not be full on suck either. If you're not shooting so much that a barrel change every year, or 3 months, is a necessity the world is your oyster. Good problem to have. I will say that owning an action that will headspace off a prefit barrel, no.....go/no go gauges.....needed, is truly spectacular. When you stack up the price difference of these...and look at everything else you've "invested" in for the hobby/sport, I think many of them are very much worth their value.
 
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#15
Personal requirements: 700 clone, reliable feeding, positive ejection with plunger, prefits readily available, runs in dirt, slick cycling. A number fit this bill, but LP Fuzions* are my preference.

Answer these questions & you can narrow down your selection very quickly: 1) mechanical or plunger ejection 2) what degree bolt throw 3) what stock do you want 4) prefits?

If you can't make up your mind, Impact 737/NBK is the safe bet for 90 degrees**, Terminus Zeus for 60 degrees. If you have a failure in the field with one of those, you probably would have been worse off with something else. Impact's new receiver might meet your needs too, assuming they cut it in LA.

*if buying new, the only thing to be aware of with Lone Peak is poor availability of receivers
**be aware of trigger hanger & bolt stop fitment issues (very minor)
 
#20
ForgeValley said:
300 Norma.
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Also I think black canyon customs Fritz does the prefits for them and has a 300 norma reamer for sure.

Unknownmunitions.com has a 300 norma reamer I'm pretty sure

Mike manzella not 100% he has improved versions.

I shoot the 35 improved norma

FisherT&C doesn't have any laupa boltface options and alex wheeler I think has about everything
 
#21
Mahk said:
I'm looking to get back into it with a custom build .300 PRC for hunting and long range steel
Click to expand...
Mahk said:
Please share any insight on what to look for/avoid
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My hot take (on here) is that .300 PRC is not the ideal hunting cartridge and stepping it down to something in a short action would make you shoot the rifle better, especially in field positions you'll encounter while hunting. North American game animals generally do not require any cartridge based on a long action, despite what people who don't understand how bullets kill things will tell you. Doing so also opens up your action options so it's a win-win. When you say bears, black or grizzly?
R_A_W said:
*if buying new, the only thing to be aware of with Lone Peak is poor availability of receivers
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Is that just saying the actions are sold out everywhere or do you mean something else? Just curious since I have a Fuzion on order.
 
#22
Yeah, just that LP receivers are almost always out of stock & someone considering one needs to be prepared to wait. I’ve worried what that might mean if I needed a new firing pin.

If you are buying one, I’d start by calling Mike @ LP and trying to buy one from him. If he doesn’t have it, he can tell you where to check.
 
#23
R_A_W said:
Yeah, just that LP receivers are almost always out of stock & someone considering one needs to be prepared to wait. I’ve worried what that might mean if I needed a new firing pin.

If you are buying one, I’d start by calling Mike @ LP and trying to buy one from him. If he doesn’t have it, he can tell you where to check.
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I've had one on order through Travis at TS Customs for a barreled action for 4 months now. The original estimated wait time for the action was 3 months so hopefully it comes around soon.

I've only called LP once and it was to ask about whether I needed to know any quirks or stuff to pay attention to when installing a BnA Tacsport Pro-X two-stage in a Fuzion. I only asked since BnA has the different top sear heights and other adjustability that I'm new to so I don't want to screw something up when I do eventually install it. Whoever I talked to (I don't think his name was Mike) just said "I don't know, I only use TriggerTech. I know guys use BnA triggers on our actions but I'm not sure on any details". Which I understand but I confess I was a little bit surprised that an action manufacturer hadn't been curious enough to spend $300 and test the second most popular trigger brand of the PRS in their action. Especially since based on the PRB survey stuff the popularity of BnA is almost equal to TT and increasing.

It was an odd experience but it hasn't changed my mind about going with the Fuzion. And it's entirely possible the Mike you mentioned would know more than the person I talked to. After the call I just started asking around on this forum and apparently it's a pretty straightforward thing so I'm very excited for the new trigger/action combo whenever I do get the barreled action.
 
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#24
R_A_W said:
Yeah, just that LP receivers are almost always out of stock & someone considering one needs to be prepared to wait. I’ve worried what that might mean if I needed a new firing pin.
Click to expand...
A quick email/call to Mike and he will get you squared away on parts. I wondered the same and they sent me out a few ejector springs free of charge. They have always answered any questions I have had and treated me well that I keep going back.
 
#25
I'm a fan of a claw. So tuned Winchester or Mousingfield. Unfortunately the Mousingfield is discontinued and only short actions are left last I looked. I was going to pick one up for a 7prc build.

Leaning towards lone peak now.
 
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#26
NateVA said:
Travis at TS Customs for a barreled action for 4 months now
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Travis is a straight shooter, if he told you 3 months, he had reason to believe it would be 3 months. Lone Peak's availability issues are why Travis has recently been shipping out a lot more rifles built on Impacts than he had in the past. Travis cuts my most of barrels... you'll be very pleased with the TCS/LP BA/rifle once you receive it.
NateVA said:
I don't know, I only use TriggerTech
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That is a surprising response, even if LP did design their receivers to be used with TT. You'll be fine with TT or BnA.
ruger35 said:
A quick email/call to Mike and he will get you squared away on parts.
Click to expand...
I looked for an Alpine cut mag bf SA for ~4 months before I finally called him. Had the action in hand the next week, should have called him first.
 
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#27
R_A_W said:
Travis is a straight shooter, if he told you 3 months, he had reason to believe it would be 3 months. Lone Peak's availability issues are why Travis has recently been shipping out a lot more rifles built on Impacts than he had in the past. Travis cuts my most of barrels... you'll be very pleased with the TCS/LP BA/rifle once you receive it.
Click to expand...
Yeah it's definitely not an issue with Travis. They told him that timeline and are a bit behind it I suppose. Heard a couple weeks ago they told him they "expect actions back from nitriding any day now" so maybe it'll happen soon provided my action is part of that bunch. Depending on how much they're held hostage by the third party that does the nitriding it may not even be a Lone Peak delay. I won't pretend to understand the manufacturing process. I can say though I have zero regrets or anxiety about choosing Travis to do a Fuzion barreled action for me.
R_A_W said:
That is a surprising response, even if LP did design their receivers to be used with TT. You'll be fine with TT or BnA.
Click to expand...
I've since learned it shouldn't be an issue but I agree I was very surprised at the answer. It'd be like a stock manufacturer not knowing if their stocks needed any modifications to fit Impact actions. There are only two trigger brands that completely dominate PRS shooting right now.
 
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#28
NateVA said:
Yeah it's definitely not an issue with Travis. They told him that timeline and are a bit behind it I suppose. Heard a couple weeks ago they told him they "expect actions back from nitriding any day now" so maybe it'll happen soon provided my action is part of that bunch. Depending on how much they're held hostage by the third party that does the nitriding it may not even be a Lone Peak delay. I won't pretend to understand the manufacturing process.

I've since learned it shouldn't be an issue but I agree I was very surprised at the answer. It'd be like a stock manufacturer not knowing if their stocks needed any modifications to fit Impact actions. There are only two trigger brands that completely dominate PRS shooting right now.
Click to expand...

Travis does awesome work, he cuts all of my barrels.

For sear height with the BnA, you may want to reach out to Bullet Central, they keep track of the information for sear height compatibility for different actions.

My wife has an LP Fuzion with a BnA, and I believe it's the regular sear. Works great.
 
#29
kthomas said:
Travis does awesome work, he cuts all of my barrels.

For sear height with the BnA, you may want to reach out to Bullet Central, they keep track of the information for sear height compatibility for different actions.

My wife has an LP Fuzion with a BnA, and I believe it's the regular sear. Works great.
Click to expand...
A few minutes ago I got a call from Travis telling me he now has the action in hand (4 months was the wait time from Lone Peak, so not terrible). Excitement levels are definitely rising.
 
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#32
Remington 700 long action sounds like it will serve OP well. All my deployments the most widely “fielded” action was a R700 in whatever M flavor it was setup for.
 
#33
mr_fullmetal said:
Remington 700 long action sounds like it will serve OP well. All my deployments the most widely “fielded” action was a R700 in whatever M flavor it was setup for.
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These days using a Remington action as the basis for a custom build is probably only a good idea if the builder is @MikeRTacOps unless I'm forgetting a good application for it, which admittedly I may be. And military use doesn't really change that.

Disclaimer: My first custom in 2015 was built on a R700 action and it's great. I just don't think that's the best way to do things anymore.
 
#34
mr_fullmetal said:
Remington 700 long action sounds like it will serve OP well. All my deployments the most widely “fielded” action was a R700 in whatever M flavor it was setup for.
Click to expand...

This is the most absurd anti-snipershide comment yet.

We all know if your worried about accuracy and reliability the r700 could be just as reliable and accurate as > 90% of the custom actions out there for the same or less money.

GO BE POOR SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Now that that's said. Yes the r700 is a viable option, it just depends on what features you want in a action. Integral rail, Integral lug, 2 or 3 lug, bolt release, ejector/extractor method. . . etc

So yes the r700 is boring and some people will look down their nose at you. However if done right it won't hold you back at all.
 
#35
jbuck88 said:
So yes the r700 is boring and some people will look down their nose at you. However if done right it won't hold you back at all.
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Isn't the point that the "done right" part involves services that add cost until you're spending almost what you'd spend on a low end custom like an ARC CDG, Aero Solus, or Zermatt Origin WITHOUT getting any of the additional features you'd get with them? Like integral lugs/bases, ability to take prefits, and a bunch of other stuff?
 
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#36
I'm not saying the remington is the best, or worst action. No sarcasm font.

Just saying that depending on what you want it can be just as accurate and reliable as just about any other action that's based off of it. Sure it might cost the same to buy one and then work it over. But if I already have a action and throw a barrel on it, it'll most likely shoot better then I can.
 
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