Gunsmithing Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

[SquidHC]

When building a new rifle, there seems to be quite a bit of gunsmithing you can have done in addition to simply putting the rifle together. Truing bolts, blueprinting and so on...

So, as a total noob about this stuff, what is the best bang for your buck when it comes to having a gunsmith fine tune your stick? What things are maybe not worth it for a novice shooter. So on.

Maybe a top five things to have done in order or something...

 

[Boltfluter]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

In my personal opinion 95% of the accuracy in a rifle build comes from the barrel, bedding, and bullets. Based on what I have experienced with my rifles.

Regards,
Paul

 

[ugsly]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

Paul is right, the biggest part of gain in accuracy will come from a good barrel. A good bedding job will keep the rifle from shifting in the stock from shot to shot.

I don't know if anyone could tell you how much accuracy gain you may see from blueprinting an action and bolt. QC on actions can vary. I am a firm believer in squaring up a factory action and bolt though. It helps me sleep better at night

Kc

 

[LRI]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

Buy a premium barrel. That is where it starts. Then have it fitted by someone who understands precision gunmaking.

The best receiver "accurizing" job in the world won't amount to much if your barrel is a lemon.

 

[jrm850]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

In addition to what is listed I think particular attention should be paid to mounting rings and bases, especially with the weight of these tactical scopes. Rarely do bases fit factory actions without some stress and you have 4 (or 3) tiny 6/48s holding the 2 lb scope to a gun that will endure 15ft/lbs of recoil a couple thousand times.

 

[JJones75]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

Short of having the action trued and a new barrel put on ive found that most factory guns will benefit from a recrown , bedding job and trigger tune

 

[jasonZ]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

Doesn't blueprinting simply make your action run smoother, provided that all the other variables are correct? So in that respect a blueprinted action would be worthless with a poor bedding job or inconsistencies in the stock inlet? Truing would benefit, to a small degree I would think, in accuracy, but why true if you're not going to have a quality barrel put on?

I think the nail has already been hit on the head above! There are plenty of great shooting rifles that have simply been rebarreled by a quality smith. But why stop there? Why would you put a nice action/quality barrel that was well assembled in a poorly designed and inletted stock and allow it to torque the action, causing stress on it and limiting it's potential?

 

[JJones75]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TacticalJ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doesn't blueprinting simply make your action run smoother, provided that all the other variables are correct? So in that respect a blueprinted action would be worthless with a poor bedding job or inconsistencies in the stock inlet? Truing would benefit, to a small degree I would think, in accuracy, but why true if you're not going to have a quality barrel put on?
</div></div>

What do you think are the differances between "blueprinting" and "trueing" of and action?

When an action is blueprinted it is set up and indicated off of the bolt raceway , the reciever face is cut square , lug recesses are cut square and the action threads are recut so that they are all square , then the bolt is setup indicated off of the bolt body and the rear lugs are recut and the bolt face is recut this make everything mate up tight so that under stress of the round going off nothing can move , all parts are brough back to an exact and strait setup just like the "blueprint"

I agree that "blueprinting" an action (minus recutting threads) that keeps the factory barrel is a waste of money.

 

[jbell]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

I agree with the majority on the barrel is #1 on the list of gains to be had. I also think that a proper bedding job would be #2 on the list. It just depends on what you want to do. If your goal is to eliminate accuracy loss as much as possiable from the firearm then you should do it all (correctly). But if you just want to "tighten the groups up a bit" then a quality barrel may just be all you need.

Blueprinting or truing is basically just making everything be squared (eighter in line with or 90) to the bore. Long story short it helps point the cartridge as straight as possiable to the center of the bore at the time of ignition. Thus causing the bullet to enter the barrel as straight and true to center as possiable. So blueprinting or truing an action is not to make it run smoother, that is just a good biproduct. With that being said yes that too can improve accuracy. It just depends on how bad out it is to start with. I think there is more room for error in the action than in a barrel so the largest gains are typically found in the barrel.

Just my .02 though.

 

[JJones75]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

I discussed blueprinting with Don Geraci several times and asked why he won't blueprint a factory action , his exact words were "the action is only to out the round I to the chamber , set it off then take it out , the accuracy comes from a quality barrel and a PROPERLY cut chamber ,in a machine rest a great barrel with good chamber on a stock savage action will outshoot a mediocre barrel and chamber on a Bat action all day"

Kinda hard to argue with a BR world record holder and guy who guarantees sub 1/2" groups even out of a lapped rem 700 action

 

[RockKrawler]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Buy a premium barrel. That is where it starts. Then have it fitted by someone who understands precision gunmaking.

The best receiver "accurizing" job in the world won't amount to much if your barrel is a lemon. </div></div>

Mr. Dixon
Do you have a preferance regarding barrels ?
I only ask as i am condsidering having some work done on a R700 HB Varmint rifle and you are on the short list of 'smiths being considered to do the work.
Would like to have all the parts in hand before wasting anyones time on building the rifle.
Thanks,
RK

 

[Idaho CTD]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JJones75</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I discussed blueprinting with Don Geraci several times and asked why he won't blueprint a factory action , his exact words were "the action is only to out the round I to the chamber , set it off then take it out , the accuracy comes from a quality barrel and a PROPERLY cut chamber ,in a machine rest a great barrel with good chamber on a stock savage action will outshoot a mediocre barrel and chamber on a Bat action all day"

Kinda hard to argue with a BR world record holder and guy who guarantees sub 1/2" groups even out of a lapped rem 700 action </div></div>

I would agree with him. I have seen untouched factory actions with good barrels shoot a good deal better than trued actions and so-so barrels.

 

[jbell]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

I know a unmodified factory action can shoot very well with a quality barrel. But what I was tring to say it that you can pick up accuracy with truing an action if it is considerably out as long as everything else is equal. That is why I would put a bedding job infront of truing an action if you are splitting hairs on the price of a job.

With that being said it dont make sence to me to spend the money and time to properly chamber, thread, and crown a premium barrel and screw it on an action that may or may not be true. Yes there are different degreese of truing or "touching up" an action. But you will never know if the face or lug seats are square to the center line with out measuring it. And by the time you have it set up to properly measure why not go ahead and do the job correctly. Also why bother to cut very precise threads on a barrel when you are going to thread it into a potentially loosely threaded action?

My point is NOT to argue a point that most know the answer and reasion behind it or say that I am right or something like that. I just merely want to let someone who dosnt know the hows and why of this that there is a reason for truing an action other than to make it run smooth. It does serve a practial purpose from an accuracy stand point. That is all.

 

[my human host]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

Consistency is what I'm chasing when I cut into an action.

A rifle that shoots well with a variey of loads and holds accurracy at range is the goal. I have no absolute proof, but doing a good job of truing up the action seems to contribute to this. The more overbore the round, the more anal I tend to be when working with the action.

As the guys above stated, the barrel is still very important. I view action work as a way to help the barrel live up to it's potential.

The guy you choose to do your build will have his own ideas about what needs to be done and what doesn't. Choose a reputable man and listen to his suggestions.

 

[338RUM runner]

Re: Best bang for your buck gunsmithing q's?

Stick a great barrel on a trued action and get a McRees stock, no bedding required.