How do you explain….custom rifles?

nksmfamjp

nksmfamjp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2004
Messages
3,199
This is a challenge for me. Factory rifles with load development can shoot quite well. 1 moa is quite common. 1/2 moa or close seems like it is becoming more common.

Factory stocks are becoming crappier and better at the top end. This is a pretty good reason to go full custom.

Otherwise, I feel like rational people think I'm a bit bonkers. I talk about things like case to die to chamber fit being nearly perfect, stock dimensions being a near perfect fit, optics clear enough to really see at lower magnifications.

All that said, I shot my friends Savage package gun in 6.5 creedmor and my only real complaints were:
-stock was not a good fit
-scope was forward and couldn't move
-windage turret moved 0.75 moa with 1 click(1/4 moa turret)
-glass was just ok/usable

Our results were pretty good. Quick sight in at 100, 1.4moa 200yd group, 300 yd 2 moa steel hits. Not bad.

Then we talk about my new rifle. Everything is better, but for what? How do I explain the value of it? Not to justify. I want it, I earned it, it solves my issues from previous experience. I get that, but why are custom rifles worth 5-10 times to price? Or are they a bad deal? The value is definitely low when sold as used.

I ask, really just to generate interest from people who don't connect with the idea immediately.
 
Everyone has priorities on how they spend their disposable income.
I have had some fine factory shooters outta the box. But none of them have been as consistently accurate as my Surgeon Scalpel built to my specs.
I am also a big bore handgun nut. Sure you can buy a Ruger Super Redhawk .480, but if you have ever shot a Freedom Arms .475 LB or a full custom from Huntington or Linebaugh (to name a few) there is no comparison to accuracy or quality.
 
I have a safe full of half minute factory rifles that I paid between $500 and $2k for (roughly). If I want a better stock or trigger, or whatever, I can buy the same equipment used in almost all custom rifles and have it delivered to my front door for a nominal fee. I'm not attacking the idea of a custom rifle, and in years past, it was the only way to get an accuracy guarantee, but now you can reliably buy $500 factory rifles that shoot as well as high end customs, so it seems less relevant than before. If someone wants to spend the money to buy a rifle that nobody else has, I get it, but I don't think it will ever be for me. I have dozens of rifles, too many, and ridiculous redundancy in function in many cases, and perhaps I'd be better off with... let's say 3 really, really nice customs that would fill all of my cartridge desires, (maybe something like 6creed, 300 wsm, and 340bee), but I'd rather have more options. Does it make sense to have dozens of thousand dollar rifle scopes instead of having 3 S&B or March scopes? I don't know. But when I start thinking about dropping $5k on a rifle, my hands start to shake, but a bite at a time, I don't bat an eye at spending $5k in a month on guns or gun parts when I'm so inclined.
 
I can't afford a Ferrari, I can't afford a private island, or 42ft freeman but I can afford a rifle made exactly how I want it, with the best available materials on the planet. There are few hobbies where that's doable.


I still have factory rifles and I like them. I don't like them as much. If someone wants to know why I spend 10x as much the answer unfortunately is as simple as "because I felt like it". And well.... that's good enough for me.
 
Good customs are something that have to be experienced to understand the value. I think they also start to prove their value the further from the target you get. Triggers, rigid stocks that fit, quality barrels, and good glass start to separate from the Axis package deal by 400 yards or even less. There are getting to be a lot of rifles out there though that have a very custom feel if all of the components agree with you. They are still comparatively spendy next to 783, SPS, or Axis, but half or 3/4 the price of a full custom without the wait. Some of these are making it pretty hard to justify the custom route especially if you have any kind of a budget to keep.
 
IMHO, the best value is a little-used custom. Not going to find one daily, monthly or maybe even yearly. Just like stand hunting, lots of watching and waiting. But at often 35-50% off, especially if dealing with individual, that is the way to go. What you most likely will not find though is exactly what caliber you want.
As for what customs have going for them - even a casual inspection will reveal the differences. Barrel centered in forend, slick action, easy bolt release, high quality recoil pad ground perfectly to fit, already bedded with no compound on stock or metal, etc. Next, as I have discovered, one call to the maker will give you a treasure trove of load data, info and most likely a new friend even if you did not buy the rifle new.
 
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I take every edge I can get when it comes to hunting. There are soooo many factors that are working against you in THAT moment, and having a rifle that you are absolutely CONFIDENT in, makes all the difference IMO. I have a friend that owns several factory guns after being an F class guy and a savage barrel swapping scientist. He went back to factory rifles because it became more simple to him and when I see him shoot, it doesn't shake his confidence one bit. Obviously we are all different in this regard. I'm the kind of guy that likes to stack every odd in my favor so that when it gets real out there, I feel like the advantage of a really good shooting rifle, outweighs the odds such as bad rushed shots and windy conditions. How many opportunities do we get every year to pull the trigger on a big game animal? make it count. I'll pay the little bit extra to feel good about myself. Also the semi - custom is really underrated. A guy can start with a factory rifle and invest in it over time and have a pretty sweet set up.
 
nksmfamjp said:
This is a challenge for me. Factory rifles with load development can shoot quite well. 1 moa is quite common. 1/2 moa or close seems like it is becoming more common.

Factory stocks are becoming crappier and better at the top end. This is a pretty good reason to go full custom.

Otherwise, I feel like rational people think I'm a bit bonkers. I talk about things like case to die to chamber fit being nearly perfect, stock dimensions being a near perfect fit, optics clear enough to really see at lower magnifications.

All that said, I shot my friends Savage package gun in 6.5 creedmor and my only real complaints were:
-stock was not a good fit
-scope was forward and couldn't move
-windage turret moved 0.75 moa with 1 click(1/4 moa turret)
-glass was just ok/usable

Our results were pretty good. Quick sight in at 100, 1.4moa 200yd group, 300 yd 2 moa steel hits. Not bad.

Then we talk about my new rifle. Everything is better, but for what? How do I explain the value of it? Not to justify. I want it, I earned it, it solves my issues from previous experience. I get that, but why are custom rifles worth 5-10 times to price? Or are they a bad deal? The value is definitely low when sold as used.

I ask, really just to generate interest from people who don't connect with the idea immediately.
Click to expand...
What is the old saying ignorance is bliss ,if someone has never then behind a custom rifle they just don't know the difference
 
I believe any facet of firearms has its share of those who think stock just isn't good, enough. Wargdog mentioned big bore handguns. There are persons in that community that patiently wait FIVE YEARS for a gun from so and so. I've waited a couple of years for a gun that like most custom rifles will outshoot me. AR's are just AR's to me no matter what they cost. My GA 338 is a beautiful beast. My Harton five shot 38 spl stainless single six is a work of art.
 
If someone told me they got a 300 WM built on a rem 700 and had it built to factory specs and dropped it in a cheap stock I'd say they wasted their money. Faster twist, extended mag box, contour suited to their purpose, blueprinted action, #8 base screws, and on well now you're getting something the factory doesn't offer and it makes sense
 

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