After reading a few pages of this thread, and some advice from my local club guys, I decided to build my own rifle on an Impact737R custom. I decided to do this over buying a trued 700, or any of the other fine actions making their rounds on the NRL scene. I will say, I'm happy I decided to go this route. The gun is finally done, after waiting on a muzzle device it's finally assembled and ready for the range.
I'm relatively new to long range, so I went with 6.5 Creed, a reportedly easy caliber to get started with. It also encompassed sharable projectiles with my current shooting love, my Grendel. Also, it is reviewed as forgiving and easy to gather components for to develop good loads for. I've got an ample supply of PRIME on hand now, and H4350 and Norma 130GTs. I should be at a good starting line.
I bit hard, and decided to go whole hog instead of piece-meal and the investment shows it. It's probably not anything some of you would consider top of the line, but it's mine, and I know there's no other like it. This tbh, was the biggest draw for going full custom rather than the route of a factory rifle in a chassis, which I thought hard about. The Tikka and Bergara were both options I looked hard at.
I love the action. I can't review it from the standpoint of the veteran competitor, and I have nothing to compare it to other than the Surgeon and the Defiant actions I've had the privilege to be allowed to shoot, and the old Rem 700 30-06 experience gained with my dad; Also, his Interarms .270 (Mouser based action/Weatherby barrel?) as well. The Impact isn't really a fair comparison to the Interarms or the Rem700, but I've gotta say, these things are smooth. Mine feeds like butter, and I've only put 40 rounds of Prime down range so far.
It definitely feeds smoother than the Surgeon did, and feels smoother than I recall the Defiance - which IMHO is saying a ton; I was in the market for a Defiance - if they hadn't been OOS everywhere and on back order, I probably would never have kept looking at the time and gone with Impact. I'm glad my impatience caused it to work out this way. This is shamelessly preaching to the choir, I know - but I think I'm better off.
I couldn't tell you how it's better, that's not my intention here. I'm just posting to say thanks to all of you who have reviewed these actions, who have commented how much you are impressed by them, who have given the nudge to try it. Thanks!
I am hoping to make my real start in the local precision rifle club this year, after a couple of matches worth of observation and one actually shooting with my Grendel. I love the game. And the people are the best I've ever met. It's 90% mental, which means I'm doomed. But it's as fun as anything I've ever spent money and time on, and it allows an outlet for my passion for shooting, which has grown from basic pistol practice and sighting my hunting rifle in - to longer range far quicker than I think is healthy. At least I know my rifle won't be to blame, which means I'm able to gauge my skills from day one and identify my own areas of needed growth. I can train the right things, and seek out the right information.
As I aquired parts, the final list became:
Impact 737R
Bartlein Heavy Palma 6.5 1 in 8 chambered in Creedmoor, cut to 24" and threaded 5/8x24 - Bartlein offered a special to our club which I jumped on
LaRue Tranquillo brake for Bolt action (No rear shoulder) - allowing my Tranquillo 7.62's use
Grayboe Ridgeback stock
Mesa Precision DBM and Accurate mags (Area 419 4 round extenders in hand if I ever need/want them)
Atlas BT-10NC and LaRue LT271 mount
Leupold Mark5 HD 5-25 H59 and Mark 4 rings
Gamechanger bag - this thing just works.
Prime 6.5 AMMO
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