build or buy

[gjk5]

To the OP,..
You might want to re-read THIS ^^^ post about, resale value and especially, the bottom line about,.. accuracy. PS; you couldn't pay me, to shoot anything bigger than, a 7mmRM if UN braked ! And I don't like Brakes for HUNTING at "reasonable" ranges.

Been shooting a .30-378 for the last 7 years, I think I'll be OK......

Agreed on the resale part, but that is just something you have to roll the dice on. I am like FJ, if I don't love it the gun WILL get kicked down the road.

I own 2 hs precision rifles and 2 fierce rifles. One is the edge the other is the fury. My hs are great rifles but for half the money I will take the fierce fury. It's light and extremely accurate with almost every load I try. A custom would be fun to build but Im not sure it could be better than my fierce for $2000

That is part of my conundrum for sure.

 

[gjk5]

IMO,.. LOTS of practice, "Field shooting positions" and learning Wind reading skills, will go a lot further than,.. owning an, expensive Custom Rifle.
Then learn how to Track, blood spots,.. just in "case",.. not DRT

Not buying this rifle to make me a better hunter, just buying it because I want to. I don't build AR's in the hopes it will make me a tactical badass, I just enjoy it.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Not buying this rifle to make me a better hunter, just buying it because I want to. I don't build AR's in the hopes it will make me a tactical badass, I just enjoy it.

Well, that's different, I can understand the,.. I want to !
VS,.."need to" spend the Money to get, an awesome shooting Rifle !
Have fun and good luck ! Pick a Cart that, you can shoot a lot as, it's FUN to practice !

 

[Idaho Lefty]

To the OP,. the .300 WSM is being used, in 1,000 yard comp and is more accurate than, the the .300 W M you might want to consider it ! And a Brake and Muff's,.. ALWAYS !

 

[Litehiker]

I say buy unless you are very knowledgeable about rifle components and their manufacturers. Some rifle components "go together" better than others. Then there are the gunsmithing costs which may shock you.

I have a Browning A-Bolt in .300 WM and it is very accurate with several loads.
These days it's a Browning X-Bolt (no more A-Bolts) and they are even better with an even better trigger. Look at the Hell's Canyon Long Range rifles. Very good deal for the money. My more pricey 6.5 CM X-Bolt Pro (carbon fiber stock, etc.) is extremely accurate.
I wanted the lightest rifle with several other bells and whistles like barrel and bolt fluting and the Pro version ticked all the boxes. To get those features in a custom rifle would have doubled the price - but not the accuracy.

Also Bergara makes one of the best, most out-of-the-box accurate rifles available. And they are priced very competitively. Their barrels are top notch B/C that is where their business began, supplying good barrels to other rifle companies. Some Bergaras have US made triggers by Trigger Tech, one of the very best trigger designs ever.

If you look at Kimber remember they have a hit-and-miss record on accuracy. Lately it has been mostly hit.

Ruger American rifles are a great buy for the money except their bolts do not lock. I sold my very accurate 6.5 CM Ruger American Predator for this reason as I was tired of the bolt accidentally opening in the field and losing a cartridge.

Remington has a trigger I don't like and an extractor type that needs improving. Otherwise OK and there are a gazillion aftermarket parts for them.

Good luck, Eric

 

[gjk5]

If the Bergaras weren't such bricks in weight I would already own an HMR Pro. The lighter ones are nice but I would re-stock it probably.

 

[gohring3006]

Why not look at NULA arms and build up the comb, or get a nice cheek riser. Kydex maybe.

 

[teesquare]

To the OP,. the .300 WSM is being used, in 1,000 yard comp and is more accurate than, the the .300 W M you might want to consider it ! And a Brake and Muff's,.. ALWAYS !

Lefty- ( BTW...I am LH shooter too) what about energy at distance - comparing the 2? Does the .300 WSM deliver the same punch for hunting?

 

[teesquare]

I say buy unless you are very knowledgeable about rifle components and their manufacturers. Some rifle components "go together" better than others. Then there are the gunsmithing costs which may shock you.

I have a Browning A-Bolt in .300 WM and it is very accurate with several loads.
These days it's a Browning X-Bolt (no more A-Bolts) and they are even better with an even better trigger. Look at the Hell's Canyon Long Range rifles. Very good deal for the money. My more pricey 6.5 CM X-Bolt Pro (carbon fiber stock, etc.) is extremely accurate.
I wanted the lightest rifle with several other bells and whistles like barrel and bolt fluting and the Pro version ticked all the boxes. To get those features in a custom rifle would have doubled the price - but not the accuracy.

Also Bergara makes one of the best, most out-of-the-box accurate rifles available. And they are priced very competitively. Their barrels are top notch B/C that is where their business began, supplying good barrels to other rifle companies. Some Bergaras have US made triggers by Trigger Tech, one of the very best trigger designs ever.

If you look at Kimber remember they have a hit-and-miss record on accuracy. Lately it has been mostly hit.

Ruger American rifles are a great buy for the money except their bolts do not lock. I sold my very accurate 6.5 CM Ruger American Predator for this reason as I was tired of the bolt accidentally opening in the field and losing a cartridge.

Remington has a trigger I don't like and an extractor type that needs improving. Otherwise OK and there are a gazillion aftermarket parts for them.

Good luck, Eric

Nice analysis...I would say that the only one missing would be the Tikka T-3 Lite. Great out of the box accuracy...and an action that is like a Rem 700..AFTER you pay for a gunsmith to blueprint/accurize the Rem 700 and make it work as it should.

 

[Willib9]

I built one off of a Bighorn TL3 long action, best thing I ever did. With the interchangeable bolt heads I can make it any caliber I want with a simple barrel change. I practice with 6.5 creedmoor and hunt with .300 win mag. My 6.5 and the .300 win mag loads I shoot are very similar out to 850 yds. This way I get all the practice without the added expenses of shooting the .300. You cannot do this easily with a factory rifle.

 

[teesquare]

Willib9: What was the cost of this rifle you describe? With both barrels, bolt heads etc...?

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Lefty- ( BTW...I am LH shooter too) what about energy at distance - comparing the 2? Does the .300 WSM deliver the same punch for hunting?

VERY,.."close" and NOT enough FPS / energy difference, to worry about, but 1,000 yd Match shooters, choose,.. the .300 WSM ! I know a lot of LR shooters, don't like, .277 dia. Bullets but, I love my L-H Tikka T3, lite SS, in .270 WSM as, it's flat shooting, gets the "job" done, to 700 Yards with, 140 AccuBond's at 3,150 FPS and LOW Recoil, in an UN- braked Rifle, that I can "shoot", a ton of practice with. If you want to shoot further,.. go .300 WSM but, be prepared to "Brake" it and wear Muff's.

 

[FIGJAM]

Barrett Fieldcraft caught my eye for a lightweight rifle - they are supposedly coming out with it in 280 AI, which would be hard to top in a super lightweight rig. I know it's not a 300 win mag, but the 300 wm is over rated

 

[teesquare]

VERY,.."close" and NOT enough FPS / energy difference, to worry about, but 1,000 yd Match shooters, choose,.. the .300 WSM ! I know a lot of LR shooters, don't like, .277 dia. Bullets but, I love my L-H Tikka T3, lite SS, in .270 WSM as, it's flat shooting, gets the "job" done, to 700 Yards with, 140 AccuBond's at 3,150 FPS and LOW Recoil, in an UN- braked Rifle, that I can "shoot", a ton of practice with. If you want to shoot further,.. go .300 WSM but, be prepared to "Brake" it and wear Muff's.

Thanks Idaho Lefty!