Real advantage to custom

[backyardsniper]

I would appreciate a little help from the gunsmithing community here. I am looking into having a rifle built, or just purchasing a trg42. If i have the rifle built it will most likely be by Mike Cuyper from Bijou creek, but i am open to opinions if anyone here builds rifles rot has a good smith to recommend. If that is the case it will be stiller tac 338. 28" rock creek barrel manner t-5a stock and timney trigger. Does anyone have any experience with this particular smith and will i gain anything over the performance of a trg 42 by having this rifle built. Total cost will be about $1000 more that the Sako trg., and i can have the trg tomorrow. I appreciate any help you can offer.

thanks

 

[rscott5028]

I just finished my 3rd custom using a stiller tac-30, timney, manners t4a, bartlein barrel and I love it.

With a custom job, you should be able to tailor every aspect of your build to suit you. ...almost. Your smith should at least guide you through the process to keep you from doing something stupid. It's a lengthy and expensive process. But, along with the customization comes pride in a job well done and the smith should stand behind his work to the extent that you went along with his recommedations.

So for starters, you might want to look at some of the rifles posted in this forum that were built by smiths that frequent this forum and see if there are any that are similar to what you're looking for.

With a trg, you get a proven factory package that will perform pretty darned good out of the box. I don't know what kind of guarantees they make. But, it's going to be a nice rifle in a factory chambering. Plus, you can get one today and start shooting tomorrow.

If you have something to shoot in the meantime and have the budget, custom is the way to go. Otherwise, you might want to stick with the trg.

JMO
-- richard

 

[kc0pph]

Ive talked with Kirby Allen from Allen Precision Rifles a fair amount, and have done extensive research (to what is avalable, plus talking with him) on his products and his quality. I have yet to find anyone who has complained about him. I belive his username here is FIFTYDRIVER, Im sure he would be willing to exchange info with you on everyting you would want. He also has a 700 clone action that im going to be getting turned into one of his Allen Improved or Allen Express wildcats.

Also there is a guy from Defensive edge that markets the 338 EDGE, which is an interesting round (300 RUM necked to .338).Recently (i beleive) he came out with a 338 EDGE +P as well... Hopefully one of them will chime in soon.

(i have yet to build a custom but working 24 hours a week at a security job gives me 23 hours to browse the internet reading and dreaming).

 

[HARPERC]

My custom built rifles share one thing-they all offered a feature I could not get over the counter, a particular chambering, configuration, or a level of performance.
rscott5028 hit the points all very well. In the type of rifle your looking at what accuracy assurances are you receiving, what's the turn around time, and what are you doing in the meantime. If your answers aren't what you need, a 1000 dollars towards optics never hurts.
There are smiths here, and elswhere that have answered your questions many times, and are well worth the wait, the $1000 and more for their skills.

 

[Lyons7STW]

I have four Tikka T3's "the baby brother" to the sako trg and love them all. I just finished a semi custom because I wanted a caliber not offered by tikka and not coducive to their action. Custom is great but in hand for less$ and proven performance are nice too. I do not believe you will be disapointed in sako's quality. But it is nice to kknow she's unique. I would lile to have one of shawn carlock's 338 edge rigs. I would say thete are severall custom builders on here that are proven if your worried

 

[Lyons7STW]

Oh, And if I recall sako guarantees five shots under an inch with any of their guns with good factory ammo. But the TRG is their flagship model and I would bet on better) than that and abdolutely expect it with handloads.

 

[kc0pph]

On factory rifles i really enjoyed shooting the Savage 110. Its a great shooter, tight clover leaf at 100M with handloads. A friend has one that we took out once, sadly its never seen anything past 100M.

 

[royinidaho]

If the custom is from one of the smiths that sponsor here, any of them, you can be sure that you are getting the best of the best.

I've only dealt with one smith here and him only twice. The major reason for only two is I waited too late in life to experience full appreciation of a fully custom rifle.

A 1 MOA guarantee is now pretty much impossible to accept.

I notice that Shawn seems to almost require a half moa rifle for his extreme distance shooting classes.

Kirby, Nate, Jim, Shawn , tmr, are just a few of the names to check out. There are others others. They can shoot me for not having their names on the tip of my fingers.

Of the smiths here, I'd choose, especially at my age, the one with the shortest delivery time.

My carry gun is a Remmy 700 338 RUM, tuperware stock, Holland QD brake. It is a DIY rig and looks it. Shoots with the customs though.

The two ambush rigs are both APS built. One is one of the first 270 AMs the other is a recent 375 AM. The APS rifles can share my bed. The DIY rifle stays on the floor.

 

[Hired Gun]

Besides getting it built with the exact components you desire I believe the biggest advantage to a custom built bolt action rifle is the greater accuracy potential from better concentricity and tighter tolerances that are built in to the modern custom. Some custom gunsmiths machining tolerances are miles tighter than the larger factories can feasibly mass produce. These are the ones to seek out and use.

 

[Bart B]

Besides getting it built with the exact components you desire I believe the biggest advantage to a custom built bolt action rifle is the greater accuracy potential from better concentricity and tighter tolerances that are built in to the modern custom. Some custom gunsmiths machining tolerances are miles tighter than the larger factories can feasibly mass produce. These are the ones to seek out and use.

Those in the 'know' will take a Win. 70 action made decades ago and build a rifle that shoots just as good as the modern "virtual zero tolerance" actions of today. But nowadays, this is beyond the comprehension of most folks. They've no idea nor understanding of what's been done decades ago.

 

[J E Custom]

Besides getting it built with the exact components you desire I believe the biggest advantage to a custom built bolt action rifle is the greater accuracy potential from better concentricity and tighter tolerances that are built in to the modern custom. Some custom gunsmiths machining tolerances are miles tighter than the larger factories can feasibly mass produce. These are the ones to seek out and use.

+1
With a factory rifle You can't predict it's accuracy. You may get a real shooter or not even though it
is the best of there line of rifles.

As mentioned 1 MOA of accuracy is not exceptable to most Smiths on this site, and 1/2 MOA is
the max for a properly built custom and is common. In fact 1/4 MOA is very possible but not
guaranteed by most unless the customer is willing to pay for the load develoupment that is
required for this level of accuracy.

Find a smith that leaves no stone unturned and uses only the best components and sub 1/2 MOA
can be expected.

The Smiths reputation is at stake, so listen to him and let him know what you expect and what
you would like as far as end results.

There is one more advantage to a Custom. It can be one of a kind.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Boss Hoss]

Those in the 'know' will take a Win. 70 action made decades ago and build a rifle that shoots just as good as the modern "virtual zero tolerance" actions of today. But nowadays, this is beyond the comprehension of most folks. They've no idea nor understanding of what's been done decades ago.

Bart---we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. Not much demand for the old Model 70's for doner guns when the expectation is a one hole rifle.

 

[rscott5028]

Bart---we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. Not much demand for the old Model 70's for doner guns when the expectation is a one hole rifle.

I think you're both right to the extent that there are many types of custom rifles including LRH, IBS, palma, mountain, switch barrel, semi-auto, safari, safe queen...

With a custom, you can have it built your way even if it sucks.

-- richard

 

[Bart B]

Not much demand for the old Model 70's for doner guns when the expectation is a one hole rifle.

I know two things about this comment.

First, I agree that there's not much demand for 70's. Most customers don't know what they can do. Most 'smiths who don't know nor even care what they can do, either.

Second, nobody's build a one hole rifle to date that's a one holer all the time. The best of them shoot cloverleafs at short range (300 and under), under half MOA at medium range (301 to 600 yards and under 2/3 MOA at long range (601 to 1000 yards). I'm not referring to the smallest groups they'll shoot which any one will do a small percentage of the time. Accuracy is what one can count on all the time and nobody's built a rifle that does that. Well, maybe they have if the target's no more than 50 to 60 yards down range.

However, if one shoots enough bullets in a target, there'll be one hole in the paper but its size may not impress folks.