Affordable long range rifle build

[MOAaccurateBob]

Hey guys, I am pretty new to this site and have not posted many forums but I do read them alot and know there are a lot of knowledgable builders and shooters here that can offer accurate, helpful information. I have had a few custome rifles built for me locally and can say that I will never go factory again. My first build was a 6mm Remington F-Class rifle. It was based off of a Rem 700 BDL long action and has a PAC-NOR Chromoly barrel in 1-8.5 twist mounted on a Bell&Carleson fully adjustable medalist stock with a detachable magazine bottom metal and a reworked trigger that is set at 2lbs. This rifle is extremely accurate and can get quarter quarter size groups at 375 yards. I also have a 257Roberts Improved that is just as accurate if not more. Both do great out to 1000yards if the wind is not blowing. Because of their rather small calibers the wind really effects them and they really drop in performance past a grand. I am interested in shooting out to a mile and maybe further so I decided to start another build in a larger more wind resistant caliber. I decided on trying something new and much bigger on the caliber scale so I decided on a 375/338 Lapua Improved chambering. The 375 Allen express really caught my eye so I have been gathering parts for the build. I currently have a custome PAC-NOR Super Match barrel being made in 1in 8" twist, 30"long. I also ordered a T4 Terminator muzzle brake and bought a XLR Industries Evolution HD stock off of Ebay for a smoking deal. The Stock is inletted for a Surgeon 1581XL repeater action and because of this I have run into problems. Most places sell the whole action assembly and not just the action. The action I need costs around $1800 as an assembly and I do not need the bottom metal because the XLR Evolution stock is the bottom metal. Does anybody know where I can get just the action with no bottom metal and the .590" Lapua bolt face? I really do not care if it is new or used as I will cerakote the rifle a camoflage pattern anyway. I don't really know what supplyers might have what I need so I figured someone would know, or have a good Idea where I might find one. Any help would be great, thanks.

 

[IdahoCTD]

If I was in your shoes I would call everyone you can find that selsl Surgeon actions and ask them if they can get you one without the bottom metal or sell you one they already have without the bottom metal. Most likely you'll find someone to accommodate you. If not you can buy it and try to sell the new bottom metal to someone.

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

That is the problem IdahoCTD, I don't really know who carries the Surgeon actions. I looked at Brownells and Midway and they only carry the Surgeon Scalpal short actions and not the 1581XL's. I also tried Bruno Shooters Supply but they do not list anything nor will they reply to my inquiry. Do you know of any other outfits that would supply multiple brands of custome actions? I know I can get the whole assembly, but If I did that and tried to sell the bottom metal, I would think that I would come out a bust. If everybody is selling the whole assembly then who would want just the bottom metal? I'm just saying, it only makes sense. I don't really want to pay for something I will not use and can't sell easily. On the other hand, you never know what someone might need. A few years ago my younger brother and buisiness partner decided to do a F-Class build off of a Winchester model 70 action. He outfitted it with a Kreiger barrel and decided he liked the mcmillan fully adjustable tactical stock. He called Mcmillan up to see if they had anything for the winchester 70. The lady on the line said they did not have anything in stock and that it would take a few months to make one. This was all durring the big Gun scare when Obama first got elected. anyway, the lady told him to hold and came back a few minutes later and said that they did have a stock that was custome made for a customer but they never paid the remaining balance on it so they still had it at their shop. The stock was for a winchester 70 action but the inletting for the bottom metal was for a Sunny Hill Enterprises floorplate. He thought that he would not have a problem finding the right floor plate so he bought the stock. After the stock purchase he got on line and found Sunny Hill Enterprises. When He looked up the floorplate for the 70 he almost had a heart attack. the floorplate cost somewhere along $500-$700, I can't remember the exact price but it was outrageous. Needless to say, he had to buy it because he could not find anything else cheaper or anything else that would fit and he did not want to chop on the stock to make something else fit. I will keep looking around, but don't really know where to look.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Bugholes has one in stock

Surgeon Action

3rd gen sells Surgeon

Surgeon Actions

Europtics:

Surgeon Rifles Actions for sale!

Google is your friend

 

[ohiohunter]

When I read affordable or budget build the last thing I think about is a surgeon action! I hope this works out for the op. I'm certain you won't be disappointed w/ your action.

 

[FEENIX]

When I read affordable or budget build the last thing I think about is a surgeon action! I hope this works out for the op. I'm certain you won't be disappointed w/ your action.

lightbulbVery subjective from one end-user to the next.lightbulb

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

I will try some of the sites you mentioned IdahoCTD, I have heard of bugholes.com but did not think to look there. Ohiohunter, you are right about the Surgeon action not being affordable but I have to go with this action because the XLR Industries Evolution HD stock is specifically inletted for the 1581XL action. I picked up the stock on ebay for less than the price of a HS Prescision fully adjustable marksman stock. I got on the XLR Industries web site and found the stock I have starts at a base price of over $800 and mine has all the frills like the foldable rear stock adapter and bipod mount and sling mounts etc. When you add all that in with the stock it becomes well over $1000 just for the stock and I got it for just under half of that price and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, nobody else bid on it. I knew from the start that a custome action was going to be the biggest purchase out of the whole build. If I wanted to go affordable I could have built the rifle off of a Rem 700 action but my gunsmith advised me that the lapua case size was getting into the danger zone of the Remington action, something about the chamber and threads not having enough material to be able to handle the presures that the chamber I want will inflict on the barrel and action, also the length of the case would be to long for a repeater off of a rem 700. so far, without the action I have about $1300 into the barrel, muzzle brake, trigger, and stock and if I can get a action for around $1500, the build will only be around $3500 with the gunsmith machine work and, finish and resizer reamers, and having dies made by my gunsmith. My gunsmith will work out a great deal if he gets the reamers for the work. All and all it is still about half the price of buying a custome rifle from a known rifle builder, therfore it is affordable in my eyes.

 

[JJMoody]

Holy smokes! Gotta love it when the "Affordable long range build" starts off with a Surgeon and some top quality parts! Feenix has it right with the "subjective to the end user" I would love to see some of what you consider to be Full Custom, so i can convince my wife of the relative inexpense of the rifle I really want to put together. You never can tell, but it seems to me that there is always someone willing to buy extra parts and pieces. Good luck on the build and keep us posted on results. As has been said before, I haven't seen anyone say the wish they hadn't bought a Surgeon action (almost like hearing a man say he wish he built a smaller shop), and if you can afford it, then its "affordable"! That XLR stock is a pretty sweet looking set-up too and your end price with the components you list is pretty appealing!

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

$3,500 sounds alot more affordable to me than a $7,500 EDM Arms Model 96 Windrunner or a Springfeild M1A match rifle for over $3000 or a Weatherby Mark V TRR RC long range rifle at $4,200 or maybe a Cross Canyon Arms Tactical Rifle for $6,200 and the list goes on. I am using parts that are not the highest prices on the market like the Pac-Nor barrel, I could have went all out and ordered a custome Kreiger barrel or another top of the list barrel maker but like I said I am trying to make it affordable for myself. I don't know about you all but there are alot of things out there that cost close to the same if not more than what my build will end up costing. Hell, I own a tree service and a new professional large chainsaw puts my rifle build to shame pricewise. I recently had to buy a Husqvarna 3120XPW saw for some very large cottonwood removals. The saw was almost $2000 and then I had to buy a 50" bar and chain that cost over $500 and the bar was used but in good condition. The most affordable custome rifle build I have done to date is my 257 Roberts Improved. It was built off of a old K98 Mauser action I picked up at a gun show for $50. The barrel I bought was a shilen and it was around $300 but my gunsmith had a jig loosen while he was fluting it and cut a little to deep. He could not find a cheaper heavy barrel in .257 cal so he ended up having to replace my barrel with a more expensive shilen premium match barrel free of charge. I slapped on a Bell&Carlson medalist stock and some cheap aluminum scope mounts I had aquired over the years from freinds etc. I don't think the build cost me more than $700 but the rifle is just as accurrate as a custome actioned high end rifle. I don't think that anybody could build a large caliber rifle that has to have a Xlong action for any less than $3500 unless they make the stock and do the machine work themselves. so i'm just saying it is affordable to me.

 

[JJMoody]

Hey brother, no defense needed! I am genuinely happy for you and excited to see the end result! For the class of rifle you're building, it's a great deal. I apologize if my previous post came across any other way.

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

No offense taken, I was just begining to think that I was the only one out here that thought $3500 for a Xlarge action build was cheap. I really don't know, but what other actions would accomodate a 338 Lapua length cartridge in .375 caliber. Was my gunsmith accurate in telling me a 375/338 Lapua IMP would not work on a Rem 700 or other long actions? Is an action like a savage in 338 lapua the same as on any other large magnum savage action or is it the next step up to the XL actions?

 

[IdahoCTD]

The Remington and Savage 338 Lapua's are base on the same actions as the smaller calibers. I've built a few large bolt face calibers on Rem. 700 and I'm working on another now. The reality is you should probably use a custom action made for the caliber as the chamber walls start to get thin under the barrel threads not to mention the potential for lug set back. The cheapest commonly used Lapua based action is a Stiller TAC338 at around 1100.00. A person could also use a Mark V Weatherby action but they lack of aftermarket would lean me elsewhere. The TAC338 Is a Remington based action that is 1.400 OD versus 1.350 for a Remington and it has a 1" barrel tennon length. It's relatively easy to open a Remington stock for one.

 

[MOAaccurateBob]

On a Rem or Sav would you have to cut a notch in the ejection port or will a 338 lapua length case fit through o.k.?