Build Help

[MarkLeupold]

Alright, so I've been planning a build for a long time on my Remington 700 SPS in .308 Win. It's pretty much stock (no action work, factory sporter barrel) besides dropping it into a B&C M40 stock (trying to be budget-minded) and getting a better scope this past summer (Steiner T5Xi 3-15x50 SCR Mil). I sit in a stand with this rifle during deer season and I might sit and call coyotes in the winter with it. It doesn't get humped up and down mountains and such, so I want this rifle to be more competition based. I'll get more use out of it there.

As of now, my plans are to rebarrel with a Remington Sendaro in a 6.5 flavor, get the action trued and blueprinted along with some other minor gunsmithing work, put a brake on the new barrel, and get a DBM to put on the rifle. It's pretty standard stuff.

Now, since looking at the prices, I can get a custom action (Bighorn TL3), get a barrel, brake, dbm, and drop everything in my B&C stock for now (is that sacrilege putting a Bighorn in a B&C?? ) for about $400 more than I was already looking at spending.

Personally, I think that the custom action will be better, with more features, for not much more money. I won't be selling my M700, but I can always work on it later, and the Bighorn will probably be a rifle to last my lifetime pretty easily, but I want to know what people who have already done this think.

 

[moosemeat]

Go bighorn. It may not shoot better than a trued 700 but it will be a better system.

 

[Steel head]

If you can swing the better action I'd do it.

 

[padom]

Go TL3.

 

[skulldragr17]

This is a pretty common scenario. I would really only recommend sticking with the Rem 700 if you had a tight budget in which you were not comfortable spending a little bit more. For the extra $400, you will get a smoother action with lower tolerances, a bolt handle that is NOT brazed on and is already threaded, a fluted bolt and a more secure solution for a base. This is something you definitely won't regret.

 

[MarkLeupold]

Everyone's telling me what I was feeling. Thanks for the reassurance guys!

 

[Sheldon N]

Definite thumbs up for the TL3 rather than putting money into the Rem 700.

Are you sure you want to put DBM into your existing stock? You'll likely upgrade eventually and may not recoup the extra funds you put into the stock. I'd lean more towards getting what you want now. Perhaps hunt down a used MPA chassis if you're heading down the competition path anyway.

 

[MarkLeupold]

Definite thumbs up for the TL3 rather than putting money into the Rem 700.

Are you sure you want to put DBM into your existing stock? You'll likely upgrade eventually and may not recoup the extra funds you put into the stock. I'd lean more towards getting what you want now. Perhaps hunt down a used MPA chassis if you're heading down the competition path anyway.

I thought about a chassis, but I don't really want to drop the money on a chassis without knowing that is exactly what I want or I have more free funds to spend on gun parts. I'm not too worried about recouping money from this stock, because I'm going to inlet it myself (pretty confident I can do it, and it doesn't have to be perfect) and it'll stay with me. When I upgrade the Bighorn, the B&C will be going back on the M700 most likely.

 

[supercorndogs]

I was going to go TL3, but it was too much for my budget, so I just grabbed another remington action, and screwed a Remage barrel into it. I imagine when I am through going back to college, I will pick up a TL3 action, or in 2 years there may be something better. The action was 325, and the 6.5 Creed barrel was 230 from apache gun works.

 

[steve123]

Zero percent credit card and get what you want now - within reason, lol. Saves money in the end vs reselling parts later. You get purchase points too. Or buy used items to begin with, then it makes even more sense since you'll likely get all or most of your money back later.

Done this more than a few times. So far I've been ecstatic. I did so because there's nothing like having a high quality product for all the obvious reasons.

 

[Mossyoak44]

I'd go with the Bighorn for sure. I bought a tl2 right before the 3 came out, kinda wish I would have waited but I I love it with no complaints. Don't feel bad about putting it in a b&c stock, I enjoy mine.