MtnMann
Well-Known Member
Well after many years of drooling over custom rifles, this year (with the wife's blessing of course) I'm putting together my first custom rifle. Forewarning this is going to be a long post as I go into some detail regarding the "why" behind a lot of my choices.
My overall goal for this project is for it to be a versatile western hunting rig (which has been inspired by many of the builds I've seen in this forum). At the moment I typically hunt in Northwestern Colorado, chasing Elk, Mule Deer, and most recently Pronghorn. However, I wanted a rifle that I could adapt to wherever I decide to hunt and to whatever animal I have the opportunity to hunt in the future. Currently, it's going to be setups as a somewhat compact/lightweight hunting rig.
As such, I'm planning on the following components for this
Action:
Defiance AnTi-X LA nitrided. 24oz
Taylor Stratton at Stratton Custom Rifles in Delta, Colorado is going to time and tune the action as well as chamber the barrel.
The option for pre-fits later down the road was a big reason for selecting this action. Plus, I bought it prior to Defiance increasing their prices so if I was buying nowadays I'd probably consider one of the BAT offerings such as the Vesper from Unknown Munitions.
Barrel:
Bartlein #4 CFW 7mm 1:7.5 twist 21" Blank that is going to be chambered in 7mm PRC and suppressed almost 100% of the time. Estimate after chambering/muzzle threading 43oz.
I'm a big 7mm fan ever since getting my Remington 700 7mm Rem Mag but wanted to play with something different this time around. I wanted something that wasn't terribly overbore and maintained a relatively manageable amount of recoil which meant the 28 Nosler was out.
I had also debated going with a wildcat but wanted the option to use factory ammo in a pinch so 7mm PRC it is.
I originally planned on a 1:8 twist but wanted to try some copper monos, such as the PVA 170gr Cayuga bullets, so went with 1:7.5 to hopefully give me a little better stability.
Trigger:
Bix'N Andy Tacsport 2-stage. Approx. 2.5oz.
Debated going with the Geissele Super 700 as I have a few of them and like them but wanted to maybe try one of the different trigger shoes that can be purchased for the Bix'N Andy Tacsport.
Stock/Chassis:
XLR Element 4.0 MG with stock folder, carbon stock, and carbon grip in Kryptek Highlander camo pattern. Approx. 38oz.
I've had the opportunity to get behind a few XLR chassis and have really enjoyed them. Hopefully this should arrive sometime this summer.
Scope/Rings:
Nightforce NX8 4-32x50 MIL-C. 28.6oz
I'm still partially undecided on the scope as I have been considering the NX8 2.5-20x50, Leupold 3.6-18x44, and the Vortex LHT 4.5-22x50 as well. Currently, I'm really liking the Nightforce options for their ruggedness/reliability as well as the increased FOV compared to the others. Scope might even be a purchase at a later date but either way will use some Hawkins Ultralight Tactical rings. About 4oz
Suppressor:
Rugged Radiant 7.62 14oz
Paired with the M2 Muzzle brake. 1.5oz
The 2022 hunting season was the first time I had used my suppressor hunting and, while I had already enjoyed shooting suppressed at the range, I am now a firm believer in hunting suppressed as well. Even my father and my wife, who were both reluctant when I first purchased the suppressor, have been converted after hunting suppressed for both of their tags last year.
Took the above weight prior to dropping everything off at the gunsmith. The barrel, action, muzzle brake, and trigger (not a Bix'N Andy but for reference) came out to just under 4lbs 11oz.
In the end, I'm thinking the rifle should come out to just over 9lbs with the rifle/scope and about 10lbs with the suppressor attached. I'm planning on doing some backpack hunting trips in the near future, so given the shorter barrel and folder this should stow very nicely in the pack.
My overall goal for this project is for it to be a versatile western hunting rig (which has been inspired by many of the builds I've seen in this forum). At the moment I typically hunt in Northwestern Colorado, chasing Elk, Mule Deer, and most recently Pronghorn. However, I wanted a rifle that I could adapt to wherever I decide to hunt and to whatever animal I have the opportunity to hunt in the future. Currently, it's going to be setups as a somewhat compact/lightweight hunting rig.
As such, I'm planning on the following components for this
Action:
Defiance AnTi-X LA nitrided. 24oz
Taylor Stratton at Stratton Custom Rifles in Delta, Colorado is going to time and tune the action as well as chamber the barrel.
The option for pre-fits later down the road was a big reason for selecting this action. Plus, I bought it prior to Defiance increasing their prices so if I was buying nowadays I'd probably consider one of the BAT offerings such as the Vesper from Unknown Munitions.
Barrel:
Bartlein #4 CFW 7mm 1:7.5 twist 21" Blank that is going to be chambered in 7mm PRC and suppressed almost 100% of the time. Estimate after chambering/muzzle threading 43oz.
I'm a big 7mm fan ever since getting my Remington 700 7mm Rem Mag but wanted to play with something different this time around. I wanted something that wasn't terribly overbore and maintained a relatively manageable amount of recoil which meant the 28 Nosler was out.
I had also debated going with a wildcat but wanted the option to use factory ammo in a pinch so 7mm PRC it is.
I originally planned on a 1:8 twist but wanted to try some copper monos, such as the PVA 170gr Cayuga bullets, so went with 1:7.5 to hopefully give me a little better stability.
Trigger:
Bix'N Andy Tacsport 2-stage. Approx. 2.5oz.
Debated going with the Geissele Super 700 as I have a few of them and like them but wanted to maybe try one of the different trigger shoes that can be purchased for the Bix'N Andy Tacsport.
Stock/Chassis:
XLR Element 4.0 MG with stock folder, carbon stock, and carbon grip in Kryptek Highlander camo pattern. Approx. 38oz.
I've had the opportunity to get behind a few XLR chassis and have really enjoyed them. Hopefully this should arrive sometime this summer.
Scope/Rings:
Nightforce NX8 4-32x50 MIL-C. 28.6oz
I'm still partially undecided on the scope as I have been considering the NX8 2.5-20x50, Leupold 3.6-18x44, and the Vortex LHT 4.5-22x50 as well. Currently, I'm really liking the Nightforce options for their ruggedness/reliability as well as the increased FOV compared to the others. Scope might even be a purchase at a later date but either way will use some Hawkins Ultralight Tactical rings. About 4oz
Suppressor:
Rugged Radiant 7.62 14oz
Paired with the M2 Muzzle brake. 1.5oz
The 2022 hunting season was the first time I had used my suppressor hunting and, while I had already enjoyed shooting suppressed at the range, I am now a firm believer in hunting suppressed as well. Even my father and my wife, who were both reluctant when I first purchased the suppressor, have been converted after hunting suppressed for both of their tags last year.
Took the above weight prior to dropping everything off at the gunsmith. The barrel, action, muzzle brake, and trigger (not a Bix'N Andy but for reference) came out to just under 4lbs 11oz.
In the end, I'm thinking the rifle should come out to just over 9lbs with the rifle/scope and about 10lbs with the suppressor attached. I'm planning on doing some backpack hunting trips in the near future, so given the shorter barrel and folder this should stow very nicely in the pack.
