So now that we’re some 17 pages in, I would like to ask a question to the guys that have ordered this gun, primarily for benchrest related activities. Makes no difference as to plans for sanctioned shooting, club shooting, or simple personal development.
Whatever the long term story plays out here, there is no question this represents a big departure from the “ traditional” methodology by working with a smith and securing components either by him or yourself.
Now this is nothing but personal curiosity, but anybody care to give a few reasons in your personal decision as to why this, not that?
zero justification needed here........your money, your choice.
Tim7139, I’m going to try to respond to your question but I’ll no doubt be turning my answer into a question that you (or others forum readers) are more able to answer - and that is “just what does a smith do to produce a “custom” built rifle.
I’ve got a complete “Target Rifle” build in progress from VGW that will be configured with a Shilen Ratchet 0.900” straight taper barrel, the V-22S action, Vudoo-Flavio Fare trigger in a McMillan Edge stock. Once received I’ll put a Harrell’s tuner and will scavenge scope and rings from another rifle and I’ll be off to the races.
Here’s the tasks that I understand the smith, or for that matter, anyone building a quality RFBR rifle, undertakes:
1. Ensure the integrity of the action - is it “true”.
2. Evaluate the ignition system and tune to gunsmith “specifications”
2. Slug, cut, crown and chamber the barrel.
3. Properly bed the barreled action to the stock. The gunsmith might outsource this task or do it themselves.
4. Assemble and test the rifle to meet what are generally undefined specs or expectations.
There's probably many other tasks or refinements of these basic tasks that are included in the process that I'm not sophisticated enough to appreciate.
I guess the bottom line is “what extremes do the world class gunsmiths go to while building a custom rifle”.
For the last year, Holeshot Arms has periodically offered “Spec Rifles” for a very reasonable price. Jerry Stiller has built these rifles using his 2500X actions and barrels that he’s chambered and tested that are very good barrels but maybe not what a National Champion would accept as a world class barrel. These Spec Rifles are equipped with a Jewell trigger and are mounted in a RO-Tex stock. They are tested prior to being offered and are not put up for sale until they meet Holeshot’s expectations.
I own and I know several guys who own examples of Holeshot Spec Rifles. I compete in club matches against these shooter/rifle configurations and most of the time we are satisfied with our results. Then there’s the few guys who build truly custom rifles with as much attention to details as they can muster. These competitors have won big in the sanctioned matches and they always end up on the podium at our matches.
It seems to me that the Holeshot “Spec Rifles” and the Vudoo V-22S “Target Rifles” are built with the same intent: provide a high quality rifle that 90-95% of shooters - sanctioned shooters, club shooters or shooters only interested in personal development - will find more than adequate. The remaining 5-10% of shooters might find it necessary to test several barrels, fine tune actions and ignition systems, disassemble and polish trigger components and probably other tasks that are well beyond my understanding.
Truly custom built RFBR rifles, the way I understand it, are the product of a seasoned competitor and their hand picked gunsmith. These builds are the result of a collaboration between the competitor and the gunsmith and are much different (time required to build and cost of the build) than the Spec or Target rifles.
Maybe the Holeshot Spec Rifles, Vudoo V-22S Target Rifles and similar other offerings begin life with less experienced shooters and receive upgrades (barrels, triggers, etc.) as the less experienced shooter develops his skill set and increases his expectations as a competitor.