New guy, custom build

P

Pulpit

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 20, 2013
101
0
Cumming, GA
#1
I have been reading the forums for awhile now and you all have gotten me addicted to these bolt guns, not that I wasn't before I came here...

My local gunsmith is buuilding me my first custom .308. The components are:

Trued R700
Badger knob
Bartlein barrel with very large contour finished at 22"
Likely go with Nightforce base and rings
Not sure on glass
Ordered a B&C stock as the Manners I wanted is a 3-4 month wait and I was unsure if I was willing to be that patient
M5 DBM bottom metal Badger or PTG
Jewell trigger as this will be a bench rifle on my range

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

I am very new to this and I know many of you have years of experience and several builds under your belt. Your wisdom is appreciated...just started this build so if I have made a wrong turn somewhere, please help me corrrect it.

Thanks!
 
#2
Your build sounds great... what was the caliber of choice?

Pulpit said:
I have been reading the forums for awhile now and you all have gotten me addicted to these bolt guns, not that I wasn't before I came here...

My local gunsmith is buuilding me my first custom .308. The components are:

Trued R700
Badger knob
Bartlein barrel with very large contour finished at 22"
Likely go with Nightforce base and rings
Not sure on glass
Ordered a B&C stock as the Manners I wanted is a 3-4 month wait and I was unsure if I was willing to be that patient
M5 DBM bottom metal Badger or PTG
Jewell trigger as this will be a bench rifle on my range

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

I am very new to this and I know many of you have years of experience and several builds under your belt. Your wisdom is appreciated...just started this build so if I have made a wrong turn somewhere, please help me corrrect it.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
#3
Thnak you.

I went with .308 as I am new to reloading and felt like this gave me a great platform to start both the custom build and the reloading aspect.

Badger bottom metal or Wyatt's??? What are the pros and cons of each?
 
#7
Thanks Punisher. That is exactly what I was looking for as far as input.

I have four rifles with Wyatt's now, I bought that bottom metal simply for drop in fit. This is my first ground up custom build and I was curious.

I appreciate it. I know my stock choice is not high end so to speak, but this is really just a bench rifle with the look I wanted. Always wanted a build that fit me.
 
#8
Great to hear that you have the "gun" bug. Just a word of caution. Stay on top of your gunsmith. Ask a lot of questions, take nothing for granted. I've had three custom rifle builds, one with a local gunsmith, and two out of town. All three required rework. Have your gunsmith tell you "exactly" what he is going to do, and why he is doing it. You're on the right track by pinging off of these dudes in this forum. Hope your build turns out better than mine did. Good Shooting.
 
#9
Yessir, will do.

This smith is an open book and is very transparent so far. I am happy about that, and will stay sharp about the process.

Yes, I'd rather ask silly questions here, and be corrected...than have an issue with my rifle.

Thanks!
 
#18
Thanks Pusher!

I'll check em out.

By the way, part of what started this obsession was one of the rifles built by Mark at SAC. I have had thoughts of sending him some work via my other rifles and their bolt knobs.

He said turnaround was 2-3 days. I drool over some of the rigs he has put out there.
 
#19
The PTG is way beefier than the Wyatt's. I always felt the Wyatt's wasn't as tough as I wanted. Then once I had a rifle with the PTG, I knew it.

I am going to use the Wyatt's on my 223 because it is a B&C with a BDL inlet. Just too easy not to use it there. The PTGs are on my more serious rifles and I can't say enough good about them. 0 complaints.

As far as the stock goes, if this is your one custom rifle you will ever have, get the manners. If you tinker with everything, like me, then get the B&C and watch the sale ads for a deal on a stock you like. And swap it. The B&Cs have decent resale value and move pretty quickly.

Ryan
 
#20
Great advice Punisher.

I'm a tinkerer too. I'm also afraid that this will not be the last of customs as the bug has bit pretty hard...

The four other "tactical" rifles I own are B&C and I may try sending one off for in letting by Badger to give them a try.

Thanks again.
 
#21
I too was going to go with a B&C stock. I was told by my smith I should forget that and go with a Manners. I spent the money, and did it.......... And I'm glad I did. For the kind of money I spent on that build, I wanted it to be perfect, and not wish I'd not skimped on anything. Well, it's perfect, because I didn't settle for anything. I waited for what I wanted, and it's an absolute pleasure everytime I even look at it.
 
#23
+1 for the Manners. I just got mine back and have had it to the range a few times and its solid. I'm very happy with it and glad I didn't do anything else. They are great people to work with and their craftsmanship is top notch.
 
#29
Pulpit said:
Thnak you.

I went with .308 as I am new to reloading and felt like this gave me a great platform to start both the custom build and the reloading aspect.

Badger bottom metal or Wyatt's??? What are the pros and cons of each?
Click to expand...

PTG, or the cheapest you can find at the time, seriously, all a bottom metal does is hold a mag, it's not a component i'd dump alot of cash into, just my retarded thoughts

oh and once youve touched a manners compared to a B&C you will hate yourself for not holding off on a manners
 
#30
It's good of you to ask, but it sounds like you're already having it built; so we're too late to give advice or no?

Assuming it's not too late here's some thoughts based on all the crying after the fact I've seen over the years.

First, who is your local smith? If he isn't anyone we would know -- hence you referring to him as your local guy -- let me help you here first. Using the friendly local guy is probably the number one way people get on here with their first post ever bitching about how they got screwed. Sure, it won't be your first post, but why take a chance of being "that guy"? Chad of Long Rifles Inc. is running an incredible group buy on truing and barreling your 700 action. Unless your local guy is a nation-wide known guy, don't be "that guy" and let Chad do your build. Why dick around? It just doesn't make sense to gamble when you could have the closest thing to a sure thing. Get thee to the group-buy section post haste.

Second, why .308? I have several .308s but if I were to do a full custom it would be far down on my list. Why not a 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington, or something more interesting if you reload? Either the Creedmoor or .260 would be a much better choice, IMO. Then again, you may have 5,000 rounds of .308 you need to burn through. If so, okay, do that, and after 8,000 or so rebarrel to one of the aforementioned rounds. If not, start with a Creedmoor. And if you do, consider leaving a little more barrel on your barrel blank.

Third, skip the B&C. That's like doing a complete resto-mod of a '66 Mustang and finishing the build with an engine you sourced from a Pinto. Again, don't be "that guy". Didn't someone suggest Eurooptic? Ring them and tell them you're a Hide member. Choices? Yes: Manners Composite Stocks - EuroOptic.com

Fourth, I just came to the part where you want a Jewell trigger because this will be your bench rifle. Um, while the topics and uses on this site are varied, this site is generally one for long range tactical shooting and games. It sounds like you want a benchrest rifle. Why not go to AccurateShooter.com 6mmBR.com -- Best Guide to Precision Shooting and Precision Rifle Accuracy and get advice from people who specialize in benchrest shooting and guns? Or are you after a benchrest or F-Class rifle that looks tactical hence you noting "but this is really just a bench rifle with the look I wanted"? If that's the case, still get advice from the benchrest guys and then stock and paint it as tactical as you like. But since you are here, why not reconsider what you want to do with the gun? Maybe you'll later decide to try some competitions? If that's the case, consider skipping the Jewell trigger.

Hope this helps and, as always, your mileage might vary!
 
#31
Cartman said:
Second, why .308? I have several .308s but if I were to do a full custom it would be far down on my list. Why not a 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington, or something more interesting if you reload? Either the Creedmoor or .260 would be a much better choice, IMO. Then again, you may have 5,000 rounds of .308 you need to burn through. If so, okay, do that, and after 8,000 or so rebarrel to one of the aforementioned rounds. If not, start with a Creedmoor. And if you do, consider leaving a little more barrel on your barrel blank.
Click to expand...

I agree with everything except this, it is my personal opinion that every new shooter to this field or sport should start with a .308 for these reasons

-plenty of factory match ammo thats somewhat affordable
-verstaile round for many types of shooting
-easy caliber to reload for
-can be a great round to ranges in the newer shooters skill level(100-1,000yds)
-great round to learn wind reading with at distance since it is affected quite a bit at 700+

point being it is my advice to newer guys to start on a .308, learn and become proficient before moving up to the others
 
#32
Probably good advice. It reminds me of a friend who was raised with [banned diety] and [banned place of worship] on Sunday. Today he's a devout atheist and insists people don't need [banned deity based belief system] because look at him -- he's a good man and he doesn't believe in [banned diety]. Then I pointed out he's probably a good man because he was taught right from wrong and [banned diety]'s ways every Sunday in [banned place of worship] as he was growing up. The fact that he's a good guy has nothing to do with being an atheist and everything to do with being raised in the way of a [banned denomination] [banned deity]. In other words, I too started out on a .308 and it is easy to look back and think "gee, why didn't I just start with this laser beam?" and not appreciate the education I got with a .308. So thank you VJJ for setting me straight.

On the other hand, re-reading the OP's posts, it is unclear whether he's new to long range shooting or just new to custom builds. He has other rifles already. Maybe one is a .308 and he's just looking for his first custom rather than being new to the sport. Depending on where he falls the advice may go either way. But he does note that part of his decision was based on being new to reloading and thinking a .308 would be a good choice to learn to develop loads. Sigh, you probably win.


VJJPunisher said:
I agree with everything except this, it is my personal opinion that every new shooter to this field or sport should start with a .308 for these reasons

-plenty of factory match ammo thats somewhat affordable
-verstaile round for many types of shooting
-easy caliber to reload for
-can be a great round to ranges in the newer shooters skill level(100-1,000yds)
-great round to learn wind reading with at distance since it is affected quite a bit at 700+

point being it is my advice to newer guys to start on a .308, learn and become proficient before moving up to the others
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
#33
First, let me say how much I appreciate the response I have gotten from obviously seasoned individuals in this sport.

I am new to long range shooting, but not to shooting. I shoot at my home range on my property. I enjoy shooting at 100-300 yards. I do not have the desire (or skill) to shoot competitions.

I have been a member of accurateshooter.com for awhile and really soaked in the wisdom there. I actually had a Stolle Panda 6mm PPC for a bit, but it was not me as far as my level of expertise or my "likes". I like to shoot a lot, and the 6ppc gets expensive and time consuming obviously. But at least I learned a little from the experience.

I would love to use a nationally known builder, and may do so in the future. I chose my local smith (Matt Lilley) because of a few of the rifles I have seen him produce, and his level of customer care, and attention to detail. If I turn out to be "that guy" it will be on me for sure. You are right sir, I will be asking even more questions.

Simply put, I have lots of .308 ammo and brass, etc. I enjoy shooting the caliber. The 6mm and 6.5mm are certainly lasers in comparison, no doubt. But for my max 300 yard shooting, I felt .308 was the right choice for me.

I had a custom hunting rifle built, and it turned out great, but this build is a start from scratch build with all new parts-I am new to that is what I was saying (I was not too clear).

My other "tactical" rifles are simply barreled actions in aftermarket stocks with bottom metal dbm with decent glass. They are good shooters, but I decided I wanted a tactical/bench rifle. The knowledge on this board is phenomenal and I appreciate all comments. All are helpful, and I appreciate it very much.

I liked eurooptics site. They did not have exactly what I am looking for so I may give them a call, heeding your advice.

I know 100-300 is not long range, and my off the shelf rifles are fine at that distance, I just wanted a custom. My rationalization is weak, just always wanted one.

Again, keep the help coming, the Good Lord knows I need it.
 
#36
"Just always wanted one" is all the reason a man needs when he's spending his own money. And saying that upfront shows you're probably a bit older and wiser than some of the guys who come through here putting themselves in knots trying to justify some nonsense thinking.
 
#38
I have my own approach, and it's based on taking maximum advantage of the gunsmith's wisdom, experience, and of their comfort level with favored components.

First, I choose an application, followed by choosing a gunsmith. Then I ask, rather than tell, the gunsmith how best to configure the rifle within the cost limits I have in mind. I figure only one of us is a professional in these matters, and it pays best to let the professional chart the best course through complex waters. I find that doing it this way can speed delivery, reduce issues, and remove excuses from he table if things don't work out as well as hoped. Then, I ask the gunsmith to keep me informed of the attainment of major milestones, and reassure them that as long as milestones are reported and done in a timely manner (I.e., according to an agreed schedule), they can rest easy that I won't be pestering them when they could be better employed as gunsmiths instead of public relations gurus.

Years of reading the stories of dissatisfied customers here has convinced me how many folks think they know the gunsmith's business better than the gunsmith. How does it make sense to choose gunsmiths according to their good rep, and then treat them like morons? Beats me.

Greg
 
#39
Thanks Greg. I like your train of thought. Similar to how I decided upon my gunsmith.

I am certainly not qualified to build a custom rifle, therefore I went to him for component suggestions, etc. I compared them to what I had read on here, etc.

Me badgering him likely won't allow the rifle to be finished any faster.

I appreciate your input.
 
#41
Pulpit said:
Makes sense guys.

Do the AICS mags single stack?

What is the difference in the two? Assume the PTG is beefier?
Click to expand...

I have the PTG (bought from stocky's) and it is well made.
My AICS mags are double stack single feed.
I use them in my .260 in McRees folder and the .308 in a donor (from a Hide member) HS Precision stock I inletted for the PTG bottom metal.
Simple bulletproof design.

Joe
 
#44
Good Choice with the Manners hold out for the molded in camo I have one and its very nice. Look a Seekins Bottom Metal and the Sling Rail System they offer for the front of your stock
Also look at American Precision Arms Bottom Metal and consider a Huber Trigger instead of the Jewel. Build it once and forget the buyers remorse. Are you using a muzzle Brake if so APA Little Jimmy is where its at.

Enjoy your new Rifle.
 
#46
Pulpit, I just saw this thread, I was just like you a couple of years ago, I really enjoyed shooting, I have a great place that I can reach out to 600 yds and my sako just wasn't up to the task and so like you I just wanted a custom rifle. I sold 4 other guns to fund the one I have now. I searched and searched for a good gun smith and finally found one on this site. Robert Gradous. This turned out to be the best decision I ever made. I just knew enough about customs to be dangerous so I let Robert help me decide what to build. In fact I fought him on a couple of things and turned out that I wish I would have listened to him. He is an absolute perfectionist and he work is flawless. The best part is that I spent 3 days in his shop helping him build my rifle. It taught me more about rifles than I would have ever imagined and would never trade that experience for anything.

If its not to late look him up Gradous Rifles.
 
#47
Thanks for your response.

I got in on the group buy with Chad at LRI and my action and barrel should have gotten there today.

Robert is certainly top notch and in the future he will be on my list no doubt.

I'm thankful to all you guys jumping in and offering suggestions based on your real/personal experience. Not just heresay. That means a lot to me.

It has been shown so many times to go with a reputable smith, and I have learned that very lesson.

Thanks again.
 
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