Gunsmithing Looking to build a rifle for 1st time

[mitchparker6]

This would be my first time building a rifle and I have a machinist back home that is willing to help. He has also built his own guns. I would primarily be using it for hunting and some target shooting and longer range shooting. Nothing to crazy for long range tho, maybe 800 yards. I am looking at a 7mm bullet size but debating what brass to put behind it. I was thinking of a 7mm rem mag, just due to availability when hunting, even tho I will be hand loading. So looking for suggestions on what kind of brass to put behind it. This Is also my first post so thanks for any help in advance!

1.So looking at getting a barrel blank that is already contoured, and we will thread and chamber the barrel. Probably will get a 26" barrel. Any suggestions on barrel blank manufacturers would be appriciated. Looking to spend no more than 500-600 bucks for barrel. Idk the costs of barrels.
2. Thinking of a remington 700 action, due to the fact that the trigger I want is for that action. I also need a left hand action. What websites have some aftermarket actions?
3. Trigger I am looking at is the trigger tech trigger for rem 700 action. I see there are 3 different kinds, which one would you guys recommend?
4. Stocks I am looking at, want something free floating. Only brand I have looked at are mcmillans and they are spendy, but not completely opposed to the idea of it. Do you bed your action in a McMillan or just bolt it in. McMillan says there is no need to do so. What other stock brands are out there that are reputable? I heard Boyds are good too and cheaper.
6. scope and rings and bases I know what I want for those.

Looking to keep it under 2 grand, I know I may notbe able too tho depending on components. And that's 2000 for rifle only, no scope in that price. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated!! Also if there are any other things that I am missing that I may need let me know. Thanks

 

[mystryak]

If you look at some of the new chassis systems they are easy to install and offer very competitive pricing to traditional stocks. Not sure about leftys though.

 

[Supersubes]

What are you realistically going to hunt with it? Be honest with yourself on what you’ll actually do with it. For example, if you'll put hundreds of rounds a year through it on paper and steel, and then only whack a single deer, a 7 rem mag would be a poor choice imo.

99% or builders buy pre-contoured blanks, because contouring sucks. Bartlein and Krieger are at the top of the heap for barrel makers, and are about $350, contoured any way you want. There are many others who make fine barrels.

A whole bunch of actions available. Do some searching around here for the common ones. Nothing wrong with the remmy, especially if you can true it up for little or no cost.

McMillans are nice, I prefer Manners these days. Bedding is the thorough option, but some guys do just drop in. If you can do it yourself for little cost, that seems like the way to go. Unless you specify, both companies will cut a freefloating barrel channel as standard, based on the barrel measurements you give them.

 

[mystryak]

Pretty good advice there

 

[fdkay]

Barrels are easy. Bartlien, Krieger, Lilja, Hawk Hill, Rock, McGowan and several more.
As far as cartridge goes, the 7mm bore size is an excellent choice. Make sure you really think about the requirements of your rig,
What ranges are you going to be hunting?
The 7-08 is an awesome cartridge and really comes into it's own with handloading the 162 grain bullets. It easily beats the .308.
The .280 AI (factory offering now) offers quite a bit more velocity, coming fairly close to the Rem Mag, but uses the standard .473 bolt face.
7mm RM is a very good cartridge, but now you are talking increased recoil, which affects the enjoyment aspect of shooting and it is also quite hard on barrels.
Look at the KRG Xray for lefties if you want something reasonably priced.
An excellent higher priced option is the magpul 700 stock (not the hunter)

 

[Codiekfx400]

I personally would not use the 7mm mag if you are a hand loader because it is a belted magnum case. I would recommend a 6.5 Creedmoor or if you want to be different a 7mm saum.

 

[mitchparker6]

I am realistically going to be using it for 70-80% hunting and 20-30% target. Realistically hunting antelope, whitetail, mule deer, elk, and maybe someday a caribou? Idk if it would be big enough for moose? Hoping to be hunting out to 100-400 yards for sure, and with practice would love to get to shoot to 600 at steel at some point and possibly an animal if the conditions are perfect. I understand the 7mm rem mag is going to have a lot of recoil and barrel life won't last as long. Mainly looking for something that will maintain a pretty flat trajectory in the 7mm diameter.

 

[Supersubes]

I am realistically going to be using it for 70-80% hunting and 20-30% target. Realistically hunting antelope, whitetail, mule deer, elk, and maybe someday a caribou? Idk if it would be big enough for moose? Hoping to be hunting out to 100-400 yards for sure, and with practice would love to get to shoot to 600 at steel at some point and possibly an animal if the conditions are perfect. I understand the 7mm rem mag is going to have a lot of recoil and barrel life won't last as long. Mainly looking for something that will maintain a pretty flat trajectory in the 7mm diameter.

I’d do 7-08 if you were stuck to a 7, and a 6.5 Creed or 6.5 PRC if you were flexible. I’m a 6.5 fan. The PRC will be a laser beam to 400, and a total creampuff to shoot. Since you’re going 26” barrel, no reason you can’t reach way out past a thousand with any of the three. 600 yds on steel is a chip shot with any of those. Since you’re biased towards hunting, put a #3 on it. You’ll give up virtually nothing on a heavy barrel with regard to accuracy. The 3b’s are popular around here also for the guys that stretch out their hunting rigs a bit. Just a shade heavier than a standard #3.


Regarding the two maybe’s (moose and Caribou), I wouldn’t even factor those in. Cross that bridge when you come to it. You’ll just sacrifice too much imo. You could have a great hunting/target rifle with a smaller cartridge. Ever heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”? It applies here.

 

[jram]

As far as the trigger goes I have a trigger tech primary on my 700 and I love it. This is the least expensive of the three. It goes down to around 2lbs and I can’t discern any creep. My understanding is that the only difference between the models are trigger shoe choices and minimum pull weights.

I think a curved shoe trigger at 2.5 - 3 lbs would be ideal on a hunting rig, this is what you get with the primary model. Enjoy the build!

 

[mitchparker6]

Yeah I tested out the trigger tech at scheels the other day and fell in love with it! Also I have a 30-06 in a tikka t3 lite and I worked up a load with nosler 165 accubonds, winchester brass, cci primers, and 53.3 gr. imr 4350. With a muzzle vel. Of 2550. Did all different powder loads and this is what it liked the best. So it's dropping pretty fast out past 400 and I'd like to be able to hunt longer ranges someday. I would like to stay around 150-175gr. Bullet size. That's why I'm leaning towards the 7mm rem mag because it's a step above the 30-06, or the 280ai looks like it is very similar to the 7mm rem mag as far as trajectory.

 

[flatland1]

I've shot quite a lot of 3x1000yd prone any rifle/any sight matches with a couple of 284s that I built for myself. I ran 180VLDs at just under 2800fps out of 30" hvy Palma contour bbls in rifles that weighed just over 15lbs, and even with a heavy shooting coat & sling, that's about all the recoil I wanted after a full day (75+rds) of shooting that load. Others will have higher levels of recoil tolerance, but that's mine, based on getting kind of tired after a full day of shooting, scoring, & pulling targets for the other relays on my target. I had just turned 50yrs old when I started shooting these matches - younger guys would probably not be as tired as an old geezer like myself at the end of the day... A 284 or 280AI requires a long action. The first of these rifles was built on a M700 that I'd trued & fitted a PTG custom bolt for; the 2nd one is on a BAT 3LL action. They're both in custom bedded f-glas stocks. I expected the BAT 3LL to out-shoot the M700 by a slight margin, but aside from the fact that it's in a Robertson Composites H&H stock with a more comfortable cheekpiece than the McM A5 on the M700, there's no measurable difference in accuracy out to 1000.

More recently, I built a SA M700 with a 26" Krieger sendero in 7mm-08 Improved 30*, skim bedded in a B&C #2015 stock, and equipped with a Trigger Tech Primary trigger. It weighs a little over 14lbs with a steel B-O 20 MOA scope rail, TPS TSR steel rings holding an older Nikon 30mm 4-16x50 tactical scope, and is very pleasant to shoot with S168MKs running 2660fps. I'm also running a TBAC Ultra 9 (actually an older 30BA that I sent in for their Ultra re-core upgrade) which reduces recoil. I can't comment on recoil w/o the can, since I've not fired a single round through it w/o it. It's been a very good shooting rig, even with fire form loads. Haven't shot enough with formed cases to see if I'll be able to get more velocity and/or accuracy yet, but I'm really enjoying this rifle, after years & years of shooting light-recoiling 6mm & 6.5mm rounds out of my custom Bighorn rifles in practical rifle matches. I also like the Trigger Tech - I bought three of them on my initial order, 2 primary models, & one Special. I'd like to try one of their Diamond models, but honestly, the Primary has an excellent break, and at less than half the price of the Diamond, is probably all I really need.