CHOOSE AN ACTION

[EM92wx]

Trying to decide between an Impact 737r vs. Bigorn TL3. Upgrading from Savage rifles. Presently shoot 308 Winchester and 260 Remington. I like the integration of rail on Impact. Like TL3 but not pinned rails. Difference in price is not bothersome. Thoughts.

 

[Precisiondada]

It’s all preference. I’ve used both you won’t go wrong with either. I’m partial to Bighorn, they’ve never done me wrong with their CS and I see no reason to switch. But you’ll have as many guys speak just as highly of Impact.

 

[stello1001]

TL3

 

[Huskydriver]

Do you like crf? And quick topless bolt disassembly? If yes TL3

 

[b6graham]

you can keep your barrels with the TL3

 

[Steel head]

TL3

Regardless your going to love a custom action.

I recently moved away from the savage realm and have absolutely no regrets.

 

[padom]

TL3. Aaron, Ray, Robbie and the rest of the staff over at Bighorn are amazing. Top notch and I've never had an issue with my TL3. Have another on the way

 

[Mxridr]

Agreed. Cs is top notch.

 

[Bluewater132]

I love my Impact action. I had a question and Tate called me back on a Saturday morning. My brother runs a TL3 and he likes it a lot. I don't think you can go wrong.

 

[Ackley Improved]

I'd go Impact. I may be the slim few, but I did have a CS issue with Bighorn I am sorry to say.

 

[EM92wx]

Thank you all for the response. Shoot safe.

 

[HogsLife]

For a match / range gun :
1st : Lone Peak Arms Fuzion
2nd : Impact

For a hunting rifle : Bighorn all the way. I like the idea of being able to do a simple bolt head / barrel swap to run different calibers based on what im hunting.

Yes you can do the same with an Impact but it’s $450 for an Impact replacement bolt vs $125-$150 for a Bighorn Bolt Head.

Basically it boils down to personal preference and what your looking for. You won’t be disappointed with either.

 

[EM92wx]

I’m not going to go with any caliber bolthead other than standard 308 at this time. What I am hung up on is the pinning of the rail. I just don’t see it as superior than screws. What am I missing? Is it screwed and pinned?

 

[Threadcutter308]

It’s pinned and screwed. Pins are tighter fit than screws, keeps the rail from “possibly” moving. It is superior to just screwed.
I have 3 TL2’s, they are dimensionally identical. I can remove a barrel from any one of them and move it to a different action with no change in headspeace.

 

[EM92wx]

Well, you answered an important question for me. I also see the action is coated, not the bolt. Why?

 

[Currycure]

I a Impact 737r recently, and I’ve been liking it more than all of the other clones I have ( I don’t have an LPA). I would buy another without hesitating.

 

[AKMarty]

Does anyone shoot long range target say with a heavy barrel and then switch to a light barrel for hunting(like a proof carbon)? I definitely like the idea of a weapon you can swap barrels on at the range/home and not worry about headspace. Plus switching caliber along with it by swapping out a bolt head. Any builds like that out there? What did you use for the action? Why you would or wouldn’t do it?

Thanks

 

[Matt_3479]

Both fantastic actions. I’m 90% positive for my next one it’s going to be a bighorn tl3. Just like the features it has.

 

[DRichardson]

Both are great actions. The difference really comes down to if controlled round feed is important to you.

After the action purchase the bighorn may prove to be cheaper since you can run Savage style barrel nut prefits if that's your thing. If your going to run shouldered prefits, seems to be about even as far as companies doing them for the bighorn and impact.

 

[HogsLife]

Does anyone shoot long range target say with a heavy barrel and then switch to a light barrel for hunting(like a proof carbon)? I definitely like the idea of a weapon you can swap barrels on at the range/home and not worry about headspace. Plus switching caliber along with it by swapping out a bolt head. Any builds like that out there? What did you use for the action? Why you would or wouldn’t do it?

Thanks

Yes. I built my daughter a rifle off of an Origin Action. She runs a 22” Krieger SS in a .224 Valkyrie for Range / Training / Comps, (SPC Bolt Head) and a 16.5” Proof Sendero in a 6.5 CM (308 Bolt Head) for hunting. She’s only 12 and roughly 80lbs so when she gets a little bigger I’ll have a 6.5PRC (Mag Bolt Head) spun up for her and she can hunt with that.

 

[Kimber.204]

Does anyone shoot long range target say with a heavy barrel and then switch to a light barrel for hunting(like a proof carbon)? I definitely like the idea of a weapon you can swap barrels on at the range/home and not worry about headspace. Plus switching caliber along with it by swapping out a bolt head. Any builds like that out there? What did you use for the action? Why you would or wouldn’t do it?

Last year I would switch between a .223 for trainer purposes and a 6mm comp match for monthly matches.
This year I picked up a used McMillan HTG stock and a 20" fluted Savage take off barrel in .308 - in a heavy sporter contour.....it's going to make a nice short rig this fall!!!

----edited to add - I'm running a TL3 with an ARC Barloc and Savage Prefits ------

 

[BLKWLFK9]

Lone Peak/Impact since you dont plan on using it for anything that isn't .308 based bolt head. Ive got quite a few friends that have TL3's and love them, but when i shot their rifles, i definitely felt some binding when running the bolt hard on both their rifles. You wont have that with the impact or lone peak.

 

[hwy1strat]

I have no experince with the impact actions, but I love my TL3. Being able to get prefits is amazing but you can do that for both actions

 

[Mnash]

Last year I would switch between a .223 for trainer purposes and a 6mm comp match for monthly matches.
This year I picked up a used McMillan HTG stock and a 20" fluted Savage take off barrel in .308 - in a heavy sporter contour.....it's going to make a nice short rig this fall!!!

----edited to add - I'm running a TL3 with an ARC Barloc and Savage Prefits ------

What kind of speed is that 22” Valkyrie getting? What bullets is she shooting?

 

[RMS6]

Both great choices. I have had both and currently have Impact actions.

 

[Feif64]

Impact is what i use currently.

 

[Bertoli888]

Gents:
Any comments on the Nucleus? Thks.

 

[Steel head]

Gents:
Any comments on the Nucleus? Thks.

love mine.

 

[Random_Scrub]

I’ve only had to call bighorn CS once, and as everyone has said, they were great to deal with.

 

[SCGunner84]

love mine.
View attachment 7164505

What bubble level is that?

 

[SCGunner84]

I’m thinking of going with a Bat Machine from SAC for my next action

 

[Steel head]

What bubble level is that?

accuracy first.

 

[gconnoyer]

TL3 and Impact are both great actions.

Both can utilize shouldered prefits, both run great.

I like the TL3 because of the CRF and Mechanical ejection, the tool-less bolt disassembly (if you need to replace or swap parts in the field), swapable bolt heads (you can switch from a 223, to a .473, to a magnum, all on the same action)

Another thing will be mag choices. My TL3 runs perfect with ARC mags and a Dasher. Feeding was pretty rough with AICS mags and my 308 barrel on.
The impacts seem to run great with AICS mags.

 

[LoneWolf_052713]

I've ran a Mausingfields since 2015 and a buddy is a long time Bighorn user. Something I noticed both of us were always doing was tuning/repairing mags to run reliably with the CRF set up long term. I just got an Impact action... zero tuning required running 22br out of accurate mag and MDT Dasher mag. Zero tuning options make life easy.

 

[lennyo3034]

Gents:
Any comments on the Nucleus? Thks.

Have two. I wish they were Impacts or TL3s.

 

[SonicBurlap]

Well, you answered an important question for me. I also see the action is coated, not the bolt. Why?

Here's your answer as to the coating:

SonicBurlap said:

If I order a DLC coated TL3 action that means all of it including the bolt DLC coated correct? Or does it mean receiver DLC coated, bolt nitrided, if so is their a way to get it all DLC coated?

Bighorn's answer:

Here's the options for all short actions and RIGHT HANDED long actions on the BIGHORN line (TL3 and SR3):
Receiver: DLC coated or blasted stainless steel
Bolt body: Nitride finished
Bolt head: DLC coated

LEFT HANDED long actions have the same receiver and bolt head options, but the bolt bodies are only available in CrN coated, not nitride finished.

At this time, we don't offer our bolt bodies with the DLC coating. We've considered it in the past, but the nitride finish creates a feel that is at least equal to if not better than DLC coating in our opinions.

Thank you - Ray

 

[mpk1996]

Impact is one of the best actions out there. Its dimensions are set up as to be tight enough to not feel sloppy and feed well, but loose enough to run in rough conditions. Its also one of the few actions out there that truly have prefit barrels for. I don't know anyone that has one that has had an issue with barrel swaps. If you are really worried about going to a mag bolt face from a 308, thats easy. just buy another bolt. I mean how often are you doing that in the field. I always love all these guys who think they are going to swap stuff like that mid hunt or whatever. its just not realistic. you'll need to rezero and what not. so just get another bolt and swap barrels, re zero and youre ready to go. there is a reason why the impact is the fastest growing action in use by the top PRS shooters, and its not because they are giving them away

 

[b6graham]

Impact is one of the best actions out there. Its dimensions are set up as to be tight enough to not feel sloppy and feed well, but loose enough to run in rough conditions. Its also one of the few actions out there that truly have prefit barrels for. I don't know anyone that has one that has had an issue with barrel swaps. If you are really worried about going to a mag bolt face from a 308, thats easy. just buy another bolt. I mean how often are you doing that in the field. I always love all these guys who think they are going to swap stuff like that mid hunt or whatever. its just not realistic. you'll need to rezero and what not. so just get another bolt and swap barrels, re zero and youre ready to go. there is a reason why the impact is the fastest growing action in use by the top PRS shooters, and its not because they are giving them away

Basically every action accepts prefits now

Bolthead $150
Bolt $350

It's not changing in the field it's a price thing

They're the fastest growing because of hype and names. Yeah they feel nice. But I'd be willing to bet a large chunk were bought on just words not feel and now people justify them

 

[MakeSawdust]

Well tuned controlled round feed can be smoother than push feed because you don't have to snap the extractor over the rim on bolt close. That said, if we are oogling o we smooth, I have noticed some variation from action to action even among the same brand/model etc. My TL3 is pretty damn smooth, but my wife's is better. Also, it is very hard to get my wife's to bind. It is easy to get mine to bind with an empty mag or no mag. I have never tried to bind it feeding from a mag, but I have never had a single issue with it. It's like the slight resistance from the cartridge forces everything into alignment and it is just smooth. I've never run a lone peak, but from all the talk they are supposed to be the grandaddy of them all when it comes to smooooth. I also think, at a certain point, how well your mags are tuned and how your brass is resized has more to do with how smooth a gun cycles than the action itself.

 

[m6z]

It's all personal preference. There are really no bad options at that price point. It's all about features and looks.

 

[AverageGrunt]

Love love my impact. The sheer build of it is so solid and never have to second guess that you didn’t get the best

 

[JMGlasgow]

I just ordered a Defiance Deviant tactical. After going back and forth on which action (ARC, Bighorn, Curtis, Terminus, etc.) I went with Defiance. Integral recoil lug, M16 extractor, integral scope base, bolt head design options, CRF option if you prefer that, and they have a good reputation.

 

[DisplacedTexan]

I really do not care for the slop in the TL3 bolt. I would go Impact.

 

[Dynowhite]

I really do not care for the slop in the TL3 bolt. I would go Impact.

TL3 is on my short list of actions. What slop are you speaking of?

 

[MK20]

Get as much of the action nitrided as possible.
It is the best treatment out there right now.

 

[DisplacedTexan]

TL3 is on my short list of actions. What slop are you speaking of?

Lots of extra space around the bolt. The tolerances on the one I had was unacceptable to me.

 

[SonicBurlap]

Lots of extra space around the bolt. The tolerances on the one I had was unacceptable to me.

Not my experience at all. If their actions were that "sloppy" Bighorn Arms would not have the following and the sales they have and you would be able to get one within a week without 8 - 10 weeks lead time.

 

[DisplacedTexan]

Not my experience at all. If their actions were that "sloppy" Bighorn Arms would not have the following and the sales they have and you would be able to get one within a week without 8 - 10 weeks lead time.

Tikka, GA Tempest, Defiance - I have never experienced the amount of slop that I have in the bighorns.

I'm not telling people they can't like them, but my money on their sales is the other features like CRF and swapping bolt heads.

 

[SonicBurlap]

Your definition of slop must be very different from most, as for the Tikka you seriously include a factory rifle in the same group as custom actions; they are very nice, and produce decent results, as do the Bergaras but to compare them to actions that cost as much as their whole rifle system puts in serious question what you say about the Bighorns. Had you placed he Badrocks in the same group maybe because they are manufactured by Defiance, maybe the Seekins Havak Bravo, the APO Saber. If you had said you are more of a push feed guy, sure, you personally like the looks, feel better, sure, but to claim one of the biggest custom action producers whose products can be seen on ex amount of threads on this forums produces a product with tolerances that have "a lot of slop" more so than factory rifles raises serious doubts. However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, the facts remain the same though.

 

[DisplacedTexan]

Your definition of slop must be very different from most, as for the Tikka you seriously include a factory rifle in the same group as custom actions; they are very nice, and produce decent results, as do the Bergaras but to compare them to actions that cost as much as their whole rifle system puts in serious question what you say about the Bighorns. Had you placed he Badrocks in the same group maybe because they are manufactured by Defiance, maybe the Seekins Havak Bravo, the APO Saber.

No, all it does is show that even a factory action has less slop, but the Tikka is one of the smoothest actions I've owned.

If you had said you are more of a push feed guy, sure, you personally like the looks, feel better, sure, but to claim one of the biggest custom action producers whose products can be seen on ex amount of threads on this forums produces a product with tolerances that have "a lot of slop" more so than factory rifles raises serious doubts. However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, the facts remain the same though.

You can doubt my opinion all you want, but nothing you have stated is "fact."