Building a Custom Rifle

[brandon327]

I am in the process of getting started on building a custom long range rifle. I can't decide on a caliber it is either 300 RUM, 300 win mag, 300 Weatherby mag, 300 wsm, 300 RSAUM.

I want the rifle to be able to effectively kill an elk out to 800 Yards (Probally will never try it though). I will be hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, and etc. I have a 300 RSAUM in model 7 that the recoil was brutal until i put a break on it. (Gun is light). I am leaning towards the 300 RUM.

Remington or Savage Action
not sure on the barrel ( Sendero Contour)
Muzzle Break
McMillian A3 Stock
Jewel Trigger
bipod
not sure on the scope yet

 

[strombeckj]

I am in the process of getting started on building a custom long range rifle. I can't decide on a caliber it is either 300 RUM, 300 win mag, 300 Weatherby mag, 300 wsm, 300 RSAUM.

I want the rifle to be able to effectively kill an elk out to 800 Yards (Probally will never try it though). I will be hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, and etc. I have a 300 RSAUM in model 7 that the recoil was brutal until i put a break on it. (Gun is light). I am leaning towards the 300 RUM.

Remington or Savage Action
not sure on the barrel ( Sendero Contour)
Muzzle Break
McMillian A3 Stock
Jewel Trigger
bipod
not sure on the scope yet

I would steer you into a big 7mm a 7mmWSM built on a long action to get the 180's and 200's out the tube.

Jon

 

[Nimrod]

If you are stuck on a Jewel trigger you will have to use a Remington action as they (Jewel) don't make a Savage trigger. If you decide on a Savage action you could use a Rifle Basix SAV-2 or a SSS trigger and have a very nice unit.

From your caliber choices I would probably pick the .300 Ultra, take the 800 yard elk off the plate and I would look very hard at the .300 Winchester.

Not that any of them won't work on elk but given the cost of nonresident elk tags and limited time to hunt I would want to stack the odds in my favor. If you live in an elk state and have plenty of time to hunt then your choice might differ.

Just my $.02

Bob

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

My first question would be why? I have built 5 or 6 custom rifles and don't think I'd ever do it again. The first couple I built were back in the 60's and the only reason I built them then was becaise of a particular wildcat cartridge I wanted. I built a 22-250 & 25-06 before anyone offered them as factory calibers. I built several others that really didn't pan out. I still own a .220 Ackley Swift and a .300 WBY that are total customs. At the time I built these rifles, most factory rifles left a lot to be desired as far as accuracy.

The reason I don't think I would do it today is that there are dozens of "factory" rifles out there that will shoot as good or better than most customs and for a lot less money too. My .220 Ackley cost me over $1500 for the barreled action (I already had the stock). Unless you have a lot of extra cash laying around, there are lots of really great off the shelf rifles out there. Start with Savage...from what I've read and heard, hard to beat for the $$$.

I started tinkering with "custom" stuff when I was a teenager in the 50's. I shot (and still do) left handed. there wasn't any left handed rifles available (at least ones that I could afford), so I started my making a stock with a left handed cheekpiece for my customized 03 Springfield. A friend saw mine and I made him one too. 20 years later (after several hundred stocks) I quit stockwork as I just didn't have the time.

I also hand loaded all my ammunition and could do a lot better than facory stuff as far as accuracry. I still hand load everything I shoot except rimfire and steel shotgun ammo. Most of the factory rifles left a lot on the table as far as accuracy. Barrels, stock bedding and triggers were adequate at best. Todays stuff is a magnitudes better. Even if you are wanting a non factory caliber, rechambering to another caliber is far cheaper than starting from scratch...and the results will probably be just as good!

As far as the .300 RUM goes, my son has one that shoots just fine. But my .300 WBY will shoot just as good (and fast ballistically) as his, on 10 grains less powder. We both reload and chrono our loads and do a lot of shooting out to 700-800 yards together.

Just the opinion of an old fart who has "been there, done that"1

 

[trebark]

I am in the process of getting started on building a custom long range rifle. I can't decide on a caliber it is either 300 RUM, 300 win mag, 300 Weatherby mag, 300 wsm, 300 RSAUM.

I want the rifle to be able to effectively kill an elk out to 800 Yards (Probally will never try it though). I will be hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, and etc. I have a 300 RSAUM in model 7 that the recoil was brutal until i put a break on it. (Gun is light). I am leaning towards the 300 RUM.

Remington or Savage Action
not sure on the barrel ( Sendero Contour)
Muzzle Break
McMillian A3 Stock
Jewel Trigger
bipod
not sure on the scope yet

Your shopping list sounds kinda' familiar for a dedicated longrange hunter.

Of the cartridges you mention, go big or go home...300RUM

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f53/my-300rum-mcr-70809/#post494570

 

[brandon327]

Yeah this is definatly a long range hunter. I already have a Remington Model 7 in 300 RSAUM with a leupold VX-2 4-12x50 for shorter ranges.

On the new rifle I want a 5-20x power or similiar scope

 

[trebark]

Yeah this is definatly a long range hunter. I already have a Remington Model 7 in 300 RSAUM with a leupold VX-2 4-12x50 for shorter ranges.

On the new rifle I want a 5-20x power or similiar scope

My RUM wears a 6.5-20x scope because that was what I had on hand and did not feel like spending another $1k+ for another scope.

My suggestion to you would be to go with a 25x top-end. That extra 5x makes a difference when the shots get long. I know this from experience as my 260 has a 8.5-25x50...

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f53/my-260-mcr-59628/

 

[Buano]

I am in the process of getting started on building a custom long range rifle. I can't decide on a caliber it is either 300 RUM, 300 win mag, 300 Weatherby mag, 300 wsm, 300 RSAUM.

I want the rifle to be able to effectively kill an elk out to 800 Yards (Probally will never try it though). I will be hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, and etc. I have a 300 RSAUM in model 7 that the recoil was brutal until i put a break on it. (Gun is light). I am leaning towards the 300 RUM.

Remington or Savage Action
not sure on the barrel ( Sendero Contour)
Muzzle Break
McMillian A3 Stock
Jewel Trigger
bipod
not sure on the scope yet

For the range you want to handle, you need a heavy bullet going very fast. The 300 win mag, 300 wsm, & 300 RSAUM are close enough to ballistic clones to consider them one chambering. It's a good chambering with plenty of punch, and a quantum leap above a 30-06, but you are talking about elk at 800 yards, not a deer at 600 yards. I would cross the 300 win mag, 300 wsm, & 300 RSAUM chamberings off the list because the .300 Weatherby & RUM cartridges out perform them by a considerable margin beyond 600 yards, and because you already have short mag for anything approaching close-quarters work.

 

[shortgrass]

Check out the 7mmSTW. Would need it set up to handle 160/175g. bullets. Coloradocowboy, you're livin' in the past! Todays 'factory' builds won't even think about keepin' up with a properly built custom, these days. Factory rifles are just that, factory! You cannot get a different twist rate, contour, barrel length, or stock. All are important, as this is "Long Range Hunting"!

 

[brandon327]

What would the max range for a 7mm STW or similiar 7mm be for a elk? I have never hunted elk before but i want to build an all around gun.

 

[squirrelduster]

Not sure why you would spend a bunch of money on another 30 caliber. If you are serious about the elk go with the 338 edge. Ballistics are better than the 300 ultra for long range elk or big deer. Accuracy should be very good.
If you are not serious about the elk check out the 6.5x284. I recently put a magnum contour barrel on my Savage and it is amazingly accurate. Plenty of gun for deer or antelope with the 140 Bergers. It is pleasant to shoot. Don't need a muzzle brake and the extra ear protection.

 

[brandon327]

what are the ballistics on the 6.5x284?

 

[squirrelduster]

Go to www.6mmbr.com and there is a tab for the 6.5x284.
I have not shot much with it yet, couple prairie dogs and an antelope, but it did a good job on the antelope. I just built it this summer.
Load work up was real easy, it makes nice little clover leaf groups at 100 yards and we were shooting clay pigeons at 1026 yards. Every other shot as long as the wind was steady. It's my new go to rifle.
H4831sc and a Berger 140gr VLD at 2950 is very accurate.

 

[Willys]

If you ever lose an elk you will be upgrading to a 300 gr 338 Edge.