Question. . .

[Hugnot]

I'll say this…..this past weekend I went to a shooting event and was edged out by a ten thousandth of an inch as far as group size goes. I was shooting a factory Savage model 10 action, Oryx Chassis and a custom 22 BR-A barrel from The Urban Rifleman. The rifle/shooter that BARELY beat me had a Defiance action, Brux barrel, McMillans stock, custom bedding, etc, etc. Considering ALL the variables involved I seriously doubt it was the "custom components" that smacked me for a ten thousandth of an inch. Oh, and "I" was actually driving the rifle off a bipod…..the other shooter from a custom high-end front rest.

It gotta be that "custom 22 BR-A barrel", Savage M10 have good reps for accuracy, bolt lug configuration & other. Then again, your bipod might have saved the day for the other guy by a thou.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Simply put, if factory m700 actions could achieve consistent precision, all the custom actions we have now would not have been created or sell in the volume they do.
But also, they did provide the basis for many features beside the commonly used "m700 footprint" .
MANY features came from the one that was THE action in its time. The Grandfather, if you will. A properly trued m700 will hang with the best of them, today. But by the time you spend the money making it capable, usually you could've bought a suitable custom action ready to roll.
Side bolt release, better extractor, blueprint job, firing pin bushing and upgrades etc.

 

[Deputy819]

Then again, your bipod might have saved the day for the other guy by a thou.

I'd say THIS was more of a contributor than anything……and you know what?!? I'm good with it. Whole different skill set to "driving" the rifle vs. simply setting it in a rest, turning some windage/elevation knobs and pulling the trigger.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I have to say that the barrel is far more important in the grand scheme of searching for precision over which action is used. Chamber dimensions matter too.
To answer the question, no.

Cheers.

 

[Rabid Fish]

If you took a custom action and attached it to a custom barrel and then took that barrel off and attached it to an over-the-counter action would the custom action and barrel combination outshoot the over-the-counter action and custom barrel all the time?

No, but it would probably outshoot me.

 

[Rabid Fish]

I'll say this…..this past weekend I went to a shooting event and was edged out by a ten thousandth of an inch as far as group size goes. I was shooting a factory Savage model 10 action, Oryx Chassis and a custom 22 BR-A barrel from The Urban Rifleman. The rifle/shooter that BARELY beat me had a Defiance action, Brux barrel, McMillans stock, custom bedding, etc, etc. Considering ALL the variables involved I seriously doubt it was the "custom components" that smacked me for a ten thousandth of an inch. Oh, and "I" was actually driving the rifle off a bipod…..the other shooter from a custom high-end front rest.

How can you measure a target to
.0001 th of an inch ?
Even .001 ?

 

[Deputy819]

Ha! Good catch….actually .016. Post # 13 edited for correction.

My 10-shot group at 400 was 1.967
His 10-shot group at 400 was 1.951

 

[FEENIX]

I am curious about what you mean what is your definition of "out shoot?" I have never owned a custom receiver, so I do not know. What I do know is that I use factory Ruger 77 actions (supposedly they are not known to be accurate receivers) that have been trued (blueprinted) and then have a custom "new" (Lilja) barrel fitted to the barrel. I then glass bed, pillar bed and float the barrel on a factory stock. These rifles to date shoot better than I can shoot them. I am shooting sub MOA at 100. I suspect that a custom receiver will shoot better?? This is the best that I have.

Brother Raoul, I do not know if we had this conversation before. I, too, have a couple of Ruger M77 MKIIs. Yes, truing the action, installing a custom barrel, and bedding always help. On my .338 WM, I hated the paddle stock, so I replaced it with B&C before load development. I had trouble with accuracy until I learned what the video below addressed. I also replaced the trigger with Spec-Tech (no longer in business) about 20 years, IIRC. I have harvested games beyond 600Y with it.



ADDED:

My GS has a recommended solution/modification, but I opted out at the time.

 

[FEENIX]

Ha! Good catch….actually .016. Post # 13 edited for correction.

View attachment 768728

My 10-shot group at 400 was 1.967
His 10-shot group at 400 was 1.951

Brother, no matter how you look at it, it's badarse shooting.

 

[Deputy819]

Good thing I have more "brain farts" when typing as opposed to shooting!

 

[ntsqd]

The argument that I've seen in favor of the custom actions is that by the time you have a factory action truly "blueprinted" that you spent nearly as much on the action and the work as what a custom will cost. And quite possibly have more overall time invested in it than in waiting for a custom. Grandad used to tell me that I can't count my time when I'm working for myself. However, when spare time is finite I feel that it has to be counted. If only as the opportunity cost/lost.

My ownself, I'm pretty sure that the tuned factory action will cost a little less than a decent custom, but the custom will have features and functions that just aren't practical to somehow include in a tuned-up factory action.

So it becomes what Feenix said in post #12.

 

[Alibiiv]

Brother Raoul, I do not know if we had this conversation before. I, too, have a couple of Ruger M77 MKIIs. Yes, truing the action, installing a custom barrel, and bedding always help. On my .338 WM, I hated the paddle stock, so I replaced it with B&C before load development. I had trouble with accuracy until I learned what the video below addressed. I also replaced the trigger with Spec-Tech (no longer in business) about 20 years, IIRC. I have harvested games beyond 600Y with it.

Brother Ed, I have been tightening that front recoil lug for years. I bought an inch-pounds torque wrench from Amazon because I an incapable of getting that much torque with my hands and needed the leverage. I also pillar bed and torque the rear action scre to 40 inch pounds once that screw is pillar bedded. I tighten the center action screw just enough to keep it from backing out an d to keep the magazine box in place. I also have a Ruger 77/22 that I glass bedded and floated the barrel on. I know the action screw setup is different than the full sized Ruger screw setup, but if I play with the torque on the rear action screw the accuracy will improve. I am finding that 40 inch pounds is the best torque for accuracy.

I just finished working on a 1979 Ruger 77 tang safety in .270 Winchester. The owner told me the rifle was junk and not worth shooting because it was so inaccurate. That front recoil lug screw was set at about 40 inch pounds, the rear action screw was barely tight at all. The barrel channel was so tight that I could not slip a $1 bill anywhere between the barrel and the stock except for a small section of the stock before the barrel tapers out near the chamber. Once I started floating the stock I found the barrel to be seriously hitting one side of the stock more than the other. I spent more than 3 hours before I finally got the barrel floated. I plan on shooting this rifle in a couple of days. Due to the way this rifle was bedded there is no way it could have ever shot accurately.

 

[Alibiiv]

Brother Raoul, I do not know if we had this conversation before. I, too, have a couple of Ruger M77 MKIIs. Yes, truing the action, installing a custom barrel, and bedding always help. On my .338 WM, I hated the paddle stock, so I replaced it with B&C before load development. I had trouble with accuracy until I learned what the video below addressed. I also replaced the trigger with Spec-Tech (no longer in business) about 20 years, IIRC. I have harvested games beyond 600Y with it.

Brother Ed, I have been tightening that front recoil lug for years. I bought an inch-pounds torque wrench from Amazon because I an incapable of getting that much torque with my hands and needed the leverage. I also pillar bed and torque the rear action scre to 40 inch pounds once that screw is pillar bedded. I tighten the center action screw just enough to keep it from backing out an d to keep the magazine box in place. I also have a Ruger 77/22 that I glass bedded and floated the barrel on. I know the action screw setup is different than the full sized Ruger screw setup, but if I play with the torque on the rear action screw the accuracy will improve. I am finding that 40 inch pounds is the best torque for accuracy.

I just finished working on a 1979 Ruger 77 tang safety in .270 Winchester. The owner told me the rifle was junk and not worth shooting because it was so inaccurate. That front recoil lug screw was set at about 40 inch pounds, the rear action screw was barely tight at all. The barrel channel was so tight that I could not slip a $1 bill anywhere between the barrel and the stock except for a small section of the stock before the barrel tapers out near the chamber. Once I started floating the stock I found the barrel to be seriously hitting one side of the stock more than the other. I spent more than 3 hours before I finally got the barrel floated. I plan on shooting this rifle in a couple of days. Due to the way this rifle was bedded there is no way it could have ever shot accurately.

 

[Alibiiv]

Ha! Good catch….actually .016. Post # 13 edited for correction.

View attachment 768728

My 10-shot group at 400 was 1.967
His 10-shot group at 400 was 1.951

I liked your original post better! I'm like **** how did they measure that target anyway???