Possible to DIY build a precision rifle?

[Jeffpatton00]

I've built a couple of semi-auto rifles, they're so modular that it's pretty easy to do so successfully. Is it similarly possible to build a bolt-action precision rifle? I had a custom AR upper built with a 30" Bartlein 5R progressive twist (6.5) barrel in 224 Valkyrie. I load close to the lands so the rounds are long and don't feed through a magazine, and I now think I should have had it built in a bolt action rifle. Is it reasonably possible for a mechanically-capable shooter to build a bolt gun? I know things like truing the bolt face would need to be done by a smith with the knowledge & equipment, but can a shooter normally select compatible parts and assemble the rifle successfully ?
Jeff

 

[Deleted member 103481]

absolutely

With a healthy wallet it can go from totally doable to flat out easy as can be

the easiest method I can think of...
Terminus zues action
Zues prefit barrel you spin on and tighten a torx screw on each side
Trigger
Bolt it into a chassis of your choice. With a stock you may need to bed it.

far easier than assembling a gas gun.

 

[Jeffpatton00]

absolutely

With a healthy wallet it can go from totally doable to flat out easy as can be

the easiest method I can think of...
Terminus zues action
Zues prefit barrel you spin on and tighten a torx screw on each side
Trigger
Bolt it into a chassis of your choice. With a stock you may need to bed it.

far easier than assembling a gas gun.

thanks, this is reassuring. I'd hope to re-purpose the AR Bartlein 30" barrel, though, might it be compatible with the Zeus action?

 

[Deleted member 103481]

Oof probably gonna spend as much lopping off those threads and rechambering as chambering a new barrel

 

[Jeffpatton00]

Oof probably gonna spend as much lopping off those threads and rechambering as chambering a new barrel

Oof

 

[Deleted member 103481]

A much more affordable route that's still doable for anyone that's built a gas gun is a savage build.

 

[Jeffpatton00]

A much more affordable route that's still doable for anyone that's built a gas gun is a savage build.

I've found a lot of posts suggesting people buy a Rem 700 and improve it, is a Savage build along the same lines? And I see the Zeus action is $1,400! At least it comes with a bolt... With the barrel, trigger & stock, plus gun smith feels for truing, it looks like this isn't a project for the faint-hearted.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

Most people buying the Zeus don't ever send it to a smith. The concept is it doesn't need truing, and is held tight enough you can buy a pre chambered barrel and just screw it on yourself. It takes approximately 30 seconds to install the barrel onto a Zeus, the only tool needed is a torx bit, but no it's not cheap

savages barrel gets headspaced by tightening a nut instead of an actual metal shoulder, so the installer needs headspace gauges and then a torque wrench to tighten the nut down. You can usually find a donor rifle action for around 400 bucks and barrels are more affordable also.

there are "affordable" custom 700 style actions like the defiance tenacity that you can purchase for about the same as gunsmith costs to true up a 700 and tons of prefit barrels out there for them, they just are more difficult to install than a Zeus (but still easy, just need a torque wrench

you could also use a tikka, which I prefer over a base 700
action

I only mentioned the Zeus as the *easiest* and it is.

 

[Txhillbilly]

There are plenty of barrel makers that offer Pre-fit barrel's for many different actions.
I've got 6 that I put together using Savage action's,one with an ARC Nucleus action,and one with a Shilen DGR action.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

I built my own precision rifle using a Big Horn TL3 action and a Proof pre-fit barrel. While you can buy an action wrench and use a vice I did opt to just pay my gunsmith to torque it on because it was cheaper. I think he spent more time fitting it into the barrel vice than it actually took to tighten it. The more high quality components you start with, the less fitting and "gunsmithing" that is really needed. My barrel and action matched up exactly as they were expected to because of the tighter tolerances. Every other part of the assembly is easy/DIY, and even more so if you go with a chassis or which doesn't need fitting/bedding.

 

[Buck Fever]

It's definitely possible if you use parts that lend themselves to working without much fitting.

I have an ARC Nucleus action with a Barloc barrel tensioner and a Proof carbon wrapped Savage prefit barrel in an MPA chassis with a Bix-n-Andy trigger. It goes together with a few Allen wrenches and a punch to drive in the trigger pins. No barrel vise or receiver wrench required.

At first I was disappointed and thought my barrel might be a dud but when I changed the way I held the rifle, my groups started shrinking despite shooting the cheap ammo my other rifles don't like. Then I ran out of ammo so my next range trip I'm going to test it with good ammo and I'm expecting it to be 1/2 MOA or better. It was about MOA with my good ammo before I changed my hold, about 1.5 MOA with the cheap stuff and then about a 3/4" group with the cheap stuff after the change.

Another I'm working on is a Savage Axis 2 XP with an X-Caliber prefit and an ARC Barloc. It's in an MDT LSS chassis, epoxy bedded and with a spring swapped and shimmed trigger. I expect it to work well and shoot a mile, it is also dirt cheap by comparison.

My latest project is a Lothar Walther 338RUM shouldered prefit on an ARC Archimedes long action in an ARC Xylo chassis and a Triggertech Diamond. It's my DIY ELR build.

I like my Savage a lot but building it is a lot more limiting than a custom Remington 700 compatible rifle. There is also the Remage type of build using a Savage style prefit and barrel nut except with threads that fit a Remington.

There are lots of options out there but if you want a shouldered prefit, you need an action that controls the dimension from the front face to the bolt face and a barrel maker that can nail the chamber depth or else your headspace will probably be off.

Personally, looking at the cost of a trued up Remington action and the more limited Remage barrel options, I went for custom actions in my Remington 700 compatible customs. It also feels less DIY if you have to buy an action and then send it out for truing and refinishing.

On my Savage, I'm relying on my floating bolt head and Barloc to align everything despite my simple lathe cut receiver face, no gunsmith involved.

All of them are in aluminum chassis to eliminate the need for bedding (I bedded the Savage any way) and entirely free-float the barrels and all of them have suitably good triggers.

 

[P7M13]

@Jeffpatton00, I am presuming you are not a machinist, and do not have a lathe or mill.
Since your 224Valk was built for an AR platform, does your Bartlein have a gas port? In general, repurposing a barrel from one platform to another is not cost effective.
Next, what do you want to do with it? Carry & hunt or bench only? ELR? That makes a huge difference in material selection and costs.
Ball park cost range ( all estimates are -$200 / +$500 ) for a DIY:
$1K if you already have an action and chassis/ good stock;
$2k - $2,500 if you buy a Savage or Rem action and use a low end stock like a MDT or McRee, a McMillan or Grayboe, etc;
$3K and up if you go with premium actions and upper end chassis.
There are many more options available to you if your action is a Rem or Rem pattern.
Savages are easier to work with because of the floating bolt head, but their extractors suck, and at higher pressures you often get stuck cases.
If your action is Mauser style with an extractor claw, you *must* have a gunsmith fit your barrel.
If you use a gunsmith, try to find one by word of mouth. Good ones aren't cheap and are worth every penny. I have met other shooters who bought all the build parts only to have a gunsmith bubba them.
Finally, have your budget, but expect it to creep by upwards of 20%. Costs add up fast.
Good luck!

 

[renagde]

Tikka action (with upgraded trigger spring), Proof prefit barrel, and drop it in a McMillan or KRG chassis. Probably can't get more accurate for less money than that.

 

[WV338]

I've been building off Savage actions for years and yes you can build an accurate rifle from them. This is a 10 shot group at 100 yards.