Is a custom action worth it??

[Thebear_78]

I picked up a tubegun in 308 a couple of months ago. It is an ellesio RTS with a rem 700 LTR barreled action with a jewel trigger. I had great hopes for it but it has not proven to be as accurate as I had hoped. Factory and reloads alike the best I can get is 3/4-1" groups at 100 yards.

Now I have been planning on fixing it up. I have been looking at a bartlein 1-11.25 twist #14 barrel. My decision now is do I get the remington action I already have trued up and rebarrel or should I go all out and get a custom action. The pierce engineering tube gun action. They where designed to work with the RTS chassis.

So whats the better way to go, drop the cash for a custom action and barrel or safe the money, true up the face of the remington action and install the barrel, and use the money saved to invest in a suppressor.

How much of a difference does a custom action really make?

 

[brentc]

I picked up a tubegun in 308 a couple of months ago. It is an ellesio RTS with a rem 700 LTR barreled action with a jewel trigger. I had great hopes for it but it has not proven to be as accurate as I had hoped. Factory and reloads alike the best I can get is 3/4-1" groups at 100 yards.

Now I have been planning on fixing it up. I have been looking at a bartlein 1-11.25 twist #14 barrel. My decision now is do I get the remington action I already have trued up and rebarrel or should I go all out and get a custom action. The pierce engineering tube gun action. They where designed to work with the RTS chassis.

So whats the better way to go, drop the cash for a custom action and barrel or safe the money, true up the face of the remington action and install the barrel, and use the money saved to invest in a suppressor.

How much of a difference does a custom action really make?

http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Thebear_78/media/Guns/IMG_1931_zpsrwqq6kan.jpg.html

Depends on what you're looking for accuracy wise. If you're dead set on shooting .1s consistently go with a custom, but if you're just fine with .2s and .3s with a premium barrel, then rebarreling your Remington will save you some cash for a suppresessor.

Not so long ago getting a custom action was pretty comparable pricewise to a good trued Rem 700. Not anymore though. You can get a good trued 700 for less than $600 now and have an existing one adequately worked for $100-200. The lower priced customs will cost you at least $1000 when you consider applicable taxes and transfer fees. Some guys don't even true their Remingtons, they just screw a premium barrel onto them and proceed to shoot bugholes.

 

[Mossy49]

Wow, you would think that tube gun would shoot better. My father inlaw just put one together up here in Alaska. It shoots lights out, barrel wasn't even broke in and the first 5 shot group was .253. Same chassis ,Borden action and a 30" Broughton 5c 6mm barrel. It's chamber in 6XC. Did you glue the action in or use the 4 screws??? I'm assuming you reload too.

 

[dragman]

Custom, there will be a bunch of different views but look at it like this.

-what accuracy record (that doesn't stipulate factory) is held by a factory gun????

They just aren't that much more. $$$

 

[brentc]

Wow, you would think that tube gun would shoot better. My father inlaw just put one together up here in Alaska. It shoots lights out, barrel wasn't even broke in and the first 5 shot group was .253. Same chassis ,Borden action and a 30" Broughton 5c 6mm barrel. It's chamber in 6XC. Did you glue the action in or use the 4 screws??? I'm assuming you reload too.

Yeah, but it's still a factory remington 700 barreled action. A Bartlein barrel would be a significant upgrade.

 

[ohiohunter]

Custom actions have tighter tolerances = more accurate. The question is are you willing to pay a few extra $ to get tighter groups? Is this a target gun, long range hunting rig, or just playing around see how well I shoot today gun?

Honestly only the shooter can decide if it is worth the extra cash or not... everything has its cost its just a matter of are you willing to accept that cost? Just like scopes you can get a good one at X dollars or you can get a slightly better one at XX dollars.. bottom line is how much do you want to invest and is it financially sound? No need for your kids to starve so you can have a panda action... though some would disagree hahahaha.

 

[BountyHunter]

Go with the custom and do not look back you will not regret it IF you are after max accuracy!
$100-200 of basic work on a remington is not close to a custom.

In the 308 heavy bullets are the key is I would go 10 twist.

 

[Mikecr]

I don't understand why you thought the gun would shoot particularly well to begin. Bling kit aside, the actual gun is what it is.

I invested heavy in a real tube gun once(Tubb2000 tactical), in 6XC. It would do exactly what it was built for (competitive grouping) but had no cold bore hunting potential. Sold it off.
While the chassis allows for more comfortable position shooting, it's not beneficial to actual shooting results from a rest(bag/bipod), over a standard gun build.
So I don't know your intent for the gun, but IMO, it's not gonna do better in that chassis than a good barrel will provide.
I would just replace the barrel to begin.

If it were a standard gun build/stock, I would suggest both an aftermarket action & barrel.
In this case, I would not invest heavily in a gun that would ultimately be worth no more than a another donor Remington - half arse -slap together gun.
The gun with an aftermarket action will always be worth more than a Remington gun.

 

[Thebear_78]

I took the rifle to the range again today with several good factory loads and a couple of reloads. It started out great shooting the best 5 shot group to date with 168 MK with target.


Unfortunately that was the one shining moment as the rest of the groups where running closer to 1" and 300 yard groups 4"+. I'm pretty sure its not just me as my 260 rem was driving tacks all day coming under closer to .5 MOA out to 300 yards consistently.

I've wasted enough bullets and powder on this rifle. I had a chat with the guy at Peirce engeneering and will be going all out with one of thier tubegun actions. I'm going to be sending a a bartlein 1-11.25 #14 barrel out to them to be barreled on thier tube gun action and chambered using his favored reamer for 155-175gr MK bullets seated to magazine length. I figured anything worth doing is worth doing right and Peirce reputation speaks for itself. The guy I talked to there couldn't have been nicer to chat with and I'm sure it will turn out right.

This rifle will be a paper and steel puncher. I doubt I will ever do much or any hunting with it as its going to be a touch heavy for the style of hunting I normally do. I have a buddy with a pair of TRGs that shoot spectacularly and am tired of him outshooting me consistently. It would be nice to have something to compete with his rifles.

I'm going to stick the remington LTR action into a traditional stock and sling it to offset my cost for the action and barrel.