Sendero vs Custom Rifle

[bjlooper]

What can I expect to gain by spending the extra money on a custom rifle. How much accuracy can I hope to gain if the sendero has been beded and had a triger job. Both rifles will shoot high quality reloads.
I almost forgot it will be a 338 RUM.
Thanks
DR B

 

[Mikecr]

Many issues have been eliminated with customs. Your builder may be able to guarantee minimum performance with a particular combination of components. But you still take a chance with such an investment.
It just might not shoot well..Depends on the barrel..Or your luck.

With a $6500 rifle, I just chased my tail for 200rnds of load developement, only to figure out it's $1500 NF scope is wondering all over. Once I fix that, I get to start over!
Maybe it'll shoot well.

I have a couple other expensive guns. But the most accurate I ever had was a completely factory A-Bolt in 223. I loved it. It's been rebarreled to 6br now, and no longer shoots as well.

Ya never know what'll shoot.

 

[CatShooter]

The Senderos have a good reputation, and most will shoot very well out of the box.

With a glass bedding and a trigger adjustment, it will suit you fine as a long range rifle.

Just because it's "Custom", does not mean that it will be better, or shoot better, unless you get into the real big bucks.

If you are shooting 1000 yd coyotes, a custom rifle might be worth the money, but if you are shooting big game, you will never realize the difference.

The new Senderos are real nice. I have one in .264WM.

.

 

[James Jones]

With a factory gun their is a chance that you'll get a good one and it'll shoot in the 1/2 moa range , I've even seen some factory guns shoot around the 1/4 moa range in varmint calibers. role the dice and see what comes up.
With a full custom with a custom action and being put together by a good smith , I would expect that you would surely be in the 1/2moa range probably less , your barrel is gonna foul alot less , and you can taylor you gun to what you want like barrel length ,weight ,stock shape and a host of may other things.

You can have a Rem700 built up and it'll be very accurate , even go as far as having an oversized bolt and so on but in the end you have a Rem700 no matter how much money you throw at it and in the end probably not have al well built action as the new Lawton.

But simply from an accuracy standpoint , I think that maybe if you luck up and get a "good" Sendero , have it bedded , trigger worked and make sure it fits you right which is a big accuracy factor ,then you may not have anything to gain by going custom.
My friend sent a Rem 308 VS to Chris Mathews had the barrel cut down to 22" , lapped the lugs bedding the action and it came back shoot 50% better and it'll shoot hand loads in the .3" range regulary and the chamber is kinda slopy , I recomended that he have the barrel set back a quarter inch and have the chamber recut to a match spec but hes happy with it.
But I doubt that many smiths will offer an accuracy guarntee ,in a caliber bigger than 300Win mag, without a brake as few folks have the ability to shoot a hard recoiling rifle accuratly.

But from my experiance , one you have a nice custom gun built the way you want its realy hard to enjoy a factory gun again.

 

[dbhostler]

Another advantage to custom is the chamber. If you reload you can design the reamer to your specs. Factory chambers have a tendency to be "oversize" to accommodate all factory rounds which can effect accuracy. Further, factory barrels can't compare to custom. For a couple of hundred you can replace the factory tube, choose the twist rate for your bullet of choice and end the hours of cleaning your ruff factory bore. You find the right smith, you can have a factory rifle accurized and rebarreled for less than a $1000. I did this with a 6mm Rem a couple of years ago and the rifle easily shoots 1/4 MOA. This is a hunting rifle in a factory stock, not a benchrest gun. I've even taken it to a 1K match, try that with a factory shooter and see how competitive you are. By the way, this rifle I had accurized began as a special run Remington VSSF in .308 which is the same as todays Sendero.
db

 

[uncleB]

[ QUOTE ]
Many issues have been eliminated with customs. Your builder may be able to guarantee minimum performance with a particular combination of components. But you still take a chance with such an investment.
It just might not shoot well..Depends on the barrel..Or your luck.

With a $6500 rifle, I just chased my tail for 200rnds of load developement, only to figure out it's $1500 NF scope is wondering all over. Once I fix that, I get to start over!
Maybe it'll shoot well.

I have a couple other expensive guns. But the most accurate I ever had was a completely factory A-Bolt in 223. I loved it. It's been rebarreled to 6br now, and no longer shoots as well.

Ya never know what'll shoot.

[/ QUOTE ]
mikecr,
you just committed a cardinal sin on LRH, you insinuated that a "NF" was NOT perfect. there are many on this forum that believe that "NF" is derived from celestial origin and not capable of such. I hope for your sake they dont find this thread /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
UB

 

[Slopeshunter]

[ QUOTE ]
With a glass bedding and a trigger adjustment, it will suit you fine as a long range rifle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is it necessary to glass bed a sendero? The Remington website says that: "Full-length aluminum bedding blocks create accuracy-enhancing platforms for the barreled actions"

I wasn't sure if they do this instead of bedding the action? So then, would glass bedding the action kinda be like having extra insurance?

Cheers

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

To my understanding, you still need to glass bed or pillar bed any stock with "full length aluminum bedding" to get the most consistent accuracy out of it.

 

[dbhostler]

My 6mm has the Alum. bedding block and is not bedded. I have thought about doing this, but I am kinda reluctant due to the rifle shooting so well as is. I've also thought about putting a quality stock, like an A-5 with all the bells and whistles on it, but again I don't want to ruin a good thing. In the very least, on this factory stock, they do what is called "skim bedding". Which simply amounts to applying a thin layer of material to the areas you normally bed. Tightens everything up.
db

 

[sebastian3784]

don't worry, I notified the moderator and he will be looking into this situation. Just kidding.

 

[Mikecr]

The NF problem is an example of just how astronomically bad my luck really is.

 

[CatShooter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
With a glass bedding and a trigger adjustment, it will suit you fine as a long range rifle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is it necessary to glass bed a sendero? The Remington website says that: "Full-length aluminum bedding blocks create accuracy-enhancing platforms for the barreled actions"

I wasn't sure if they do this instead of bedding the action? So then, would glass bedding the action kinda be like having extra insurance?

Cheers

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know that anything is "necessary". It depends on your needs.

If you pull a 700 action out of a H-S stock (H-S makes the stocks)... and put machinest's blue on the action, then put it in the stock and tap it with a rubber mallet, you will see that it touches the aluminum block in only 3 or 4 tiny places.

If you bed it (some call it skim bedding), the action will now have full contact, and will not be sensitive to screw torque.

I have bedded all of mine and about 45 for customers over the years, most shoot better, none shot worse.


.

 

[rotorhead]

Most of the guns I have had in the past including 2 I own now are semi customs. I start by looking for a good rifle like a Sako something with a stock I like I send it to kreiger or ray mongomery and have it rebarreled to a 26in whatever. When I get it back I bed the action and I'm done. I usually have about 1000.00 in the rifle and they all have shot well. I will add I have never had a huge gun built like alot of the guys on LRH use. but they are shooting real good groups at 1000-1500 yrds. I build guns for stalk hunting. I have shot targets out to 1000 but I really don't shoot much past 500 in the field this is my conmfort zone. I'm not saying that the big guns are a wast I may have a big custom built in the future but for my purposes this is what I do and for about the same money as an Accumark usually less if I don't have to buy the reamers. The benefit is I get a good barrel and the twist that I want and the chamber cut to my specs.


Rh

 

[bobo27]

My Sendero 7mm STW has a trigger job only has been checked out by a gunsmith and with my realoads it shoots .1/4 MOA all day long. I think it could do better if I wasn't so recoil sensitive to it.

I would like a muzzel brake to help with the recoil and I would be happy.

I purchased it used two cristmas's ago for $575. Most accurate gun I own.