Bighorn Origin Build Thread

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I put in an order on 1.9 and had an email confirming on 1.10. I saw where people were sometimes seeing them ship a week or so after ordering so I had my hopes up for that. My invoice has a ship date of 3.20.20. I hope it is finished up sooner! I have all my other parts already collected and ready to go now. I have a Manners PRS1, a stainless 26" Proof Competition contour chambered in 6 Dasher, Hawkins DBM, SilencerCo brake for my Specwar, an MDT 6BR magazine, and a Timney Calvin Elite. I also picked up #200 pieces of Lapua 6BR brass, a few hundred Berger 105 Hybrids, some Redding dies, and some other odds and ends. I have plenty of Varget and H4895 on the shelf. Just need to find some CCI 450s now. Everywhere I've checked local is out. This will be my first Dasher. The wait is killing me!
 
Check your cock on close, my Origin had .025”. A call to Big Horn and they sent a replacement for free. They are super easy to replace it takes less than 5 minutes. Now I have zero cock on close. This made a HUGE difference in bolt close effort.

And if you are running a Bix n Andy trigger get the low sear. That too made a difference.

It was great before but now mine is amazing and I don’t have a single round fired yet. I have cycled it about 150-200 times now and it keeps getting better.

I’ll get pictures up tomorrow.
 
Should have posted mine a while ago, but this budget build started out around this time last year.

Bravo
TT special
Savage 308 barrel
Covenant7 3-21
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Factory loads have shot very well, but this was from my last range trip where I tested my first ever handloads and the Area419 bolt knob.
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I really like it, its very comfortable and the raw and black fits too well with the color scheme I've got going on.

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Does anyone have an origin and a TL3 and regret going one way or the other? Trying to decided between the two for a hunting setup. I like integrated recoil lugs but the price difference between the two is large just to get that feature
 
Does anyone have an origin and a TL3 and regret going one way or the other? Trying to decided between the two for a hunting setup. I like integrated recoil lugs but the price difference between the two is large just to get that feature
I have both and I really like them. If your not going to be doing a lot of barrel swapping the pinned lug on the origin isn’t a big deal. I will say I like the feel of the bolt cycle a bit better on the tl3, but that’s due to different bolt geometry and the straight bolt handle. I ran the origin last season for a match rig and it ran flawless, to the point that I wanted to try the tl3. Now the origin is a do all rig and the tl is my dedicated match rig.
 
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Does anyone have an origin and a TL3 and regret going one way or the other? Trying to decided between the two for a hunting setup. I like integrated recoil lugs but the price difference between the two is large just to get that feature
Had both, now have neither. The origin is great, but I my TL3 was noticeably smoother-cycling. Worth the added expense, I don't think so.
 
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Just a quick update I got pretty much a new bolt assembly with the new bolt body minus the bolt head and knob from @Zermatt Arms and it runs really nice. Took a couple of tries and a very patient Ray to get things right. No more cock on close and I didn’t have to time or change out the cocking piece. I couldn’t be happier with all of the help from Ray. Their customer service is top notch and I’m so very happy I chose zermatt for my action. I’m very appreciative.
 
Just a quick update I got pretty much a new bolt assembly with the new bolt body minus the bolt head and knob from @Zermatt Arms and it runs really nice. Took a couple of tries and a very patient Ray to get things right. No more cock on close and I didn’t have to time or change out the cocking piece. I couldn’t be happier with all of the help from Ray. Their customer service is top notch and I’m so very happy I chose zermatt for my action. I’m very appreciative.
Im sending my bolt in for them to swap out for the updated one.
 
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Ok, so this is the newest variant since my last post. My HS stock had some paint that chipped which p*ssed me off so I contacted them. To their credit they gave me a label immediately and even lengthened the ejection port for the origin action. I also had them paint it winter camo. They had it back to me in less than 2 weeks so not bad. Heres the new look hahaha:

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Check your cock on close, my Origin had .025”. A call to Big Horn and they sent a replacement for free. They are super easy to replace it takes less than 5 minutes. Now I have zero cock on close. This made a HUGE difference in bolt close effort.

And if you are running a Bix n Andy trigger get the low sear. That too made a difference.

It was great before but now mine is amazing and I don’t have a single round fired yet. I have cycled it about 150-200 times now and it keeps getting better.

I’ll get pictures up tomorrow.

What’s the deal with this? I guess I’m confused what the issue is. I’m honestly asking, not being a smart ass, troll, or whatever.

I could see a “feel” issue from it. My origin has a little cock on close and it’s not as smooth as any other custom action I’ve run but still worlds better than my 700 that LRI cerakoted. I’ve noticed it smooths out the faster I run it. But this is my first personal custom. I’ve run friends deviants, tl3’s, bat’s, AI’s, etc... I just sold a TRG, that was the smoothest thing I’ve run.

Just curious if there is any long term reliability issues with this, a feel thing, or something else I’m completely missing?
 
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FYI for folks waiting on Origin actions. I have had one on order since early January. I emailed yesterday and they indicated lead time is running between four and six weeks.

I've had one on order since 1/9. I'm hoping it will be ready soon. I didn't find out until after I put down the deposit that I few other places had them in stock. Wish I would have looked around better first. Oh well. What's done is done... just gotta wait it out now. It's the last piece I need for my build. Everything else is sitting on the bench ready to go.
 
i'd rather buy direct in this industry.

while 10% off is cool, Brownells isn't giving you any CS. and Zermatt is top notch. that time is worth $80

100% agree. Zermatt CS is as good as it gets. You get someone who answers the phone EVERY time. You get nearly instant emails. And when they need to do something for you they jump through as many hoops as it takes to make sure the customer is happy.
 
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100% agree. Zermatt CS is as good as it gets. You get someone who answers the phone EVERY time. You get nearly instant emails. And when they need to do something for you they jump through as many hoops as it takes to make sure the customer is happy.
Trigger timing alone and the cost is equal.

Their CS is top notch. Same with Terminus.

It's a 4-8 week wait for an action. Plan ahead and put the extra money in the pocket of the guys who answer the phone. Easy concept. And I'm glad to do it.
 
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It's a feel thing. You can reduce the cock on close to make the action effortless to run. Definitely lighter to close than a 3 lug like AI's with their hard, last motion to engage the locking lugs and receiver abutments. That's the advantage of two lug actions. People argue about the feel all the time and I've learned they're usually arguing apples and oranges as they quantify the different parts of the bolt operation as smooth. The bolt on my AI and Tikka run smooth in the race way back and forth and people usually remark about this when they first try them, classifying the entire bolt operation as smooth. But the bolt lift is anything but light and smooth. A two lug will have a lighter lift and since their R700 clones ('ish) they'll usually have a little more play between the body and receiver. Which reduces the back and forth feel.

For a Bighorn action, you can reduce the hard action of closing the bolt which pretty much makes the entire operation of running the bolt light and "smooth" with the exception of the infamous binding debate. The drawback is that you're reducing the amount of firing pin drop and spring tension it has so you could get some light strikes. Both my TL3's have timed cocking pieces. One has the fluted firing pin and a heavier spring. The other is stock. Funny enough the one with the lightened firing pin and heavier spring began to have a few light strikes last year. Not directly after timing, but a couple of months later. And only on CCI primers and military ammo. My Origin is also timed and I haven't had any light strikes on it.
Thanks for the explanation. I’m going to look into timing mine with my BnA now. I was a little disappointed when I took delivery of my rig, honestly. I just figured I would have to shoot it in.
 
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