Action strength

[LHSmith]

A 1.25" blank can be turned to 1.2" very easily. The Remington taper is ~5.9 lbs.

#1/ It takes longer than you realize...and YOU will be paying for the machinists labor....and I don't know if they can make that in one pass.....I do know they can't get too aggressive for fear of inducing stress.
#2/ No, the Remington Varmint Taper blank weigh's 4.5 #....look it up on Kriegers website.
Wanting to do it all with just one gun will require a lot of compromising on your part, and in the end it won't perform it's best in anything.

 

[Surgikill]

A 1.25" blank can be turned to 1.2" very easily. The Remington taper is ~5.9 lbs.

#1/ It takes longer than you realize...and YOU will be paying for the machinists labor....and I don't know if they can make that in one pass.....I do know they can't get too aggressive for fear of inducing stress.
#2/ No, the Remington Varmint Taper blank weigh's 4.5 #....look it up on Kriegers website.
Wanting to do it all with just one gun will require a lot of compromising on your part, and in the end it won't perform it's best in anything.

I have access to lathes, mills, and CNC machines. For a 6mm bore, that's 26 inches long, with a muzzle diameter of .830" and 1.2" at the action face it comes out to 5.9 lbs using the lilja barrel weight calculator. The Remington taper is most likely using a 308 bore and a 24" length. There's the missing weight.

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

I have access to lathes, mills, and CNC machines. For a 6mm bore, that's 26 inches long, with a muzzle diameter of .830" and 1.2" at the action face it comes out to 5.9 lbs using the lilja barrel weight calculator.

Assuming a straight taper, which the Remington varmint profile does not have. 4.5# is about right, based on the MANY 24-26" Remington varmint taper barrels I have.

If you have a $1500 budget, take the advice to buy a used rifle with high quality components. Let the first owner eat the depreciation. Custom-actioned rifles with little use are frequently available in this price range. For a little over $2K you can get a complete, new rifle from Kelbly's with an Atlas action and Krieger barrel. Still, a used rifle is always the best deal, if the rifle has been well cared for.

 

[Surgikill]

I have access to lathes, mills, and CNC machines. For a 6mm bore, that's 26 inches long, with a muzzle diameter of .830" and 1.2" at the action face it comes out to 5.9 lbs using the lilja barrel weight calculator.

Assuming a straight taper, which the Remington varmint profile does not have. 4.5# is about right, based on the MANY 24-26" Remington varmint taper barrels I have.

If you have a $1500 budget, take the advice to buy a used rifle with high quality components. Let the first owner eat the depreciation. Custom-actioned rifles with little use are frequently available in this price range. For a little over $2K you can get a complete, new rifle from Kelbly's with an Atlas action and Krieger barrel. Still, a used rifle is always the best deal, if the rifle has been well cared for.

I didn't take into account the fact that the Remington does not have a straight taper. Which action would you recommend if I were to look into a used rifle?

 

[Raythemanroe]

I would recommend a Remington foot print. Stiller Predator or Tac-30 shown for $849


http://www.benchrest.com/shooterscorner/2013-Gun-List.pdf

 

[GSPV]

If I had access to the machinery that you do, I'd learn to chamber my own barrels. That would save quite a bit of money and time over the years.

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

Which action would you recommend if I were to look into a used rifle?

The most common and cost-effective scenario is a complete used rifle made with top components (custom action, barrel, trigger, stock), and these often come with "extras" like dies, brass, scope rings, etc. At the $1500 price point you will find mostly the custom actions that have been around for quite a few years (e.g., Stolle Panda, Hall, Wichita, Shilen) or the lower-cost Remington clones like the Stiller Predator. I've had several Pandas, a Wichita, and a Predator -- no complaints on any of them. Have shot in the zeros in registered competition with the benchrest actions, and my PredatorV 6BR pronghorn rifle shoots pretty well, too.

Used rifles with trued (and sometimes sleeved) Remington actions often can be found for less than $1000, if you really want to save some money.

It's rarer to see a used custom action for sale by itself, but keep your eyes open if you're patient and budget-minded. I strongly recommend an action that's compatible with a Remington trigger, because there are more good trigger options than for any other action type.

The best place (IMNSHO) to shop and compare prices is here:

http://benchrest.com/shooterscorner/2013-Gun-List.pdf

 

[GSPV]

And in the classifieds here and at www.benchrest.com

 

[apakesha]

Not to change the subject but.......I keep hearing this Beatles song go through my mind....

Day after day,
Alone on a hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,

But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

 

[Raythemanroe]

Lennon would probably love the utopia Obama is making!