Best 700 clone Action for a build ?

[DLFant]

I would like to get every ones thoughts. What do you think is the best clone 700 out there? and what is the best price they can be had for New? and Used?

Same for Barrels and stocks?

 

[MudRunner2005]

It would be alot cheaper just to go to Wally World and buy a cheap 700 and then strip it down. Shilen Match barrel blanks can be had for about $350-375. And your smith will be doing all the work, I assume? Go ahead and factor in $500-750 in chambering, truing, fitting, bedding, floating, etc... Don't forget your aftermarket stock, trigger, bottom metal assembly, scope, and mounting system.

For a cheap build (not including any optics) you're looking at about $2,000.

If you choose to go with an Aftermarket 700 clone, you're looking closer to $2,500-3,000.

 

[backwoods83]

To answer the ops question

Action- Defiance

Barrel- Benchmark or Lilja (Bartlien, Broughton, rock creek, obermeyer, kreiger, brux, hawk hill, lothar) are good choices as well, I like to avoid Shilen, er shaw, greenmountain, adams and bennet, etc.. for the cheaper grade barrels McGowen and CBI get the nod.

Stock- Manners

 

[Chase Curtis]

I would throw Hart barrels in the "best/good" category

 

[MudRunner2005]

Don't forget to include Douglas barrels in the good category...

 

[backwoods83]

Yes Hart and Pac-nor are also good choices. Douglas can be a great barrel if you get Mr. Taylor to pick you one that gauges less than .0002" and have it lapped.

 

[Hunter2678]

Stiller tac series gets my vote. Great features for a sub $1000 remmy clone. Better extraction as well over a factory remmy too.

 

[BountyHunter]

Actions

Defiance,

Tooley Orion ( choice sako or m16 extractor, melonited bolt for $850) IMO best buy and smooth on the market.

Stiller

BAT- love for a comp gun, but action is too soft metal for reliable hunting gun. I have seen one grain of sand lock a BAT up twice to the point a gunsmith had to take the barrel off.

Barrels

Cut rifled- Krieger, Brux, Bartlein

Button Rifled- Hart, Douglas, Broughton

Stocks

Manners

McMillan

Stockys Bobby Hart LR stock and it is only $300 with bedding block, clear coated, recoil pad installed, with sling studs ready to drop in action. Plus will run with any other stock out there.

Russo if you want a top quality custom wood stock that is work of art.

I think truing a 700 is a big waste of money with todays cost effective and more reliable clones.

Any 700 sells for $400 used before you spend $300-500 on action and bolt and sells for only $450 after and is never as smooth or reliable!!! Absolutely undisputed on that.

Oh, you will have those that say it is cheaper, and I will agree it is "cheaper" initially, but more expensive in the long run and if in a magnum you have a rivited extractor that can and has broken in the middle of a hunting trip. You can fix that by replacing the 700 bolt $250 with a PTG bolt, but when you add that to the truing, you are now at or over cost of a reliable clone and still have a $450-500 action at best.

 

[backwoods83]

700 action 375.00 at best
CEG spiral fluted bolt with pinned M16 extractor 280.00 plus fitting.
Truing, facing, and lapping 125.00
Installation of wyatts extended box 80.00
20 moa heavy duty rail (steel, Nightforce, etc..) 100.00+
Drilling of the reciever for 8-40 mounting screws 40.00
Badger recoil lug 30.00
Tubbs or PTG speed lock 60.00
1090.00+ to get a 700 up to par and as mentioned its "still a 700"

I said Defiance because they have a spiral fluted bolt with M16 stlye extrator and speedlock assembly, much heavier construction, HD integrated recoil lug, is machined with 0 to 40 moa permanent rail, excepts 3.850" mags, larger in some models, also has a nice side bolt release. Did I mention they are smooth as silk! 11-1200.00$

Both will require the same trigger of your choice.

My second pick would be Stiller.

 

[Cascade_Sherpa]

Defiance -

Surgeon -

Bighorn -

It has become very difficult to obtain a surgeon action these days, with some folks reporting close to a year wait. Bighorn actions also a long wait these days. I think my next build will be off of a Defiance Deviant or Mutant...gorgeous actions.

 

[me124704]

I will trying a Surgeon for my next build...

 

[COBrad]

I did a lot of research on BAT actions before using one on a long range 7 mag. The apparently rare instances of the action locking up on a grain of sand was attributed to very tight tolerances, not soft steel.
In any event, I have had no trouble what so ever with mine, but I also don't usually roll my rifle around in the dirt.

My Stiller Predator has given flawless service as well.

I had a rifle built on a trued 700 action once, and it was a fine shooting rifle that also never gave me any trouble. I looked again at a trued Remmy, but by time I had one done the way I wanted, it was within a couple hundred bucks of the Stiller, so I went with the full custom action.
BAT is in a different league.

 

[X-man]

I did a lot of research on BAT actions before using one on a long range 7 mag. The apparently rare instances of the action locking up on a grain of sand was attributed to very tight tolerances, not soft steel.
In any event, I have had no trouble what so ever with mine, but I also don't usually roll my rifle around in the dirt.

My Stiller Predator has given flawless service as well.

I had a rifle built on a trued 700 action once, and it was a fine shooting rifle that also never gave me any trouble. I looked again at a trued Remmy, but by time I had one done the way I wanted, it was within a couple hundred bucks of the Stiller, so I went with the full custom action.
BAT is in a different league.

Its goes from rare to regular in a dusty desert shoot.
Bat isn't the only one that locks up.
Snipers hide used to have a rifles of shame video...pretty telling.

 

[etisll40]

JWPCOLORADO, did you say you had the whole thing parts and build done for 1200 total? Please clarify.