Best barrel and reasonable gunsmith ????

[widmn]

I am looking to build a "tactical/varmint",not too heavy) from my 700 action that will give me at least 3/8" MOA at 100yds. Am thinking about 6.5 x 284 but am willing to consider others. Which barrel maker would be the best for this?? Gunsmith???
Hart Schneider, Shilen, Krieger, etc.?????

 

[tightneck]

If you want to build a light weight varmint/tactical with 3/8 moa capability at 100 yards, 6.5/284 probably wont fit the bill. Too much recoil in a light gun to hold into 3/8" consitantly. If it really is a var/tac gun, how it groups at 100 shouldnt matter but how it shoots at long range. I personally would choose a case like 22br,6br for accurate short range varminting,200-600yds) in a gun of no less than 10 lbs and more like 12. If you really want to reach out and touch em, I like 243AI, 6mmAI, and although I dont own a varmint gun in 6.5/284, I,m sure it would do a good job as well.
You will need to have your action worked over pretty well,blueprinted) to get the kind of accuracy your looking for as well as a good bedding job and trigger job,aftermarket triggers are the best way to go but can be a considerable extra cost). There are plenty of good barrel makers out there, you could add at least a half a dozen more to your list and not go wrong. I think that most of the smiths that advertize on this site could do what you want.

 

[widmn]

I already have a long action 700 receiver so that is why I chose the 6.5x284. Can a 243 AI go in a long action?

 

[tightneck]

You only need a short action for a 243AI but you can use your LA 700. One more thing to consider is a custom action. Having said that, I currently own 3 blueprinted 700s and they all work fine for a varmint rifle. But, you are going to spend $150-$200 on a blueprinting job for your remmy, and depending on the boltface, maybe another $100 on a Sako extractor, and it will be worth about the same it is worth as it sits right now. If Stiller had been around when I had all mine blueprinted, I would have bought his Predator action. From all I have heard, they are a GREAT action and they are already srtaight so no blueprinting is needed. They run at $695. You could sell your rifle depending on its condition for probably $500 or maybe more? Save the $150-$200 on blueprinting and you've now essentialy traded your remmy for a custom. The Predator action is also a drop-in replacement for a 700. You may have to wait to get a Predator, but you will probably have to wait for your barrel and stock anyway. When it comes to building custom rifles, you dont want to make descisions based on cheap prices. If you like wood stocks buy a good one, like Richards Franklins or a Shehane. If you like fiberglass, go with McMillan or HS Prescision. I have honed and worked remmy triggers down to where they crisp and clean at a pound,alot of work), but if you put a Jewell trigger on this rifle, you'll want one on every rifle, they are expensive but the best by a large margin. I prefer to use a local smith if possible just so if I want to get to know them I can. I'm lucky because I have some pretty good ones within a couple hours from my house. Ive used Clarence Hammonds and Clay Spencer and they both do excellent work. There are good smiths all over the country, just pick one with a good rep who specializes in building accurate rifles, not a jack of all trades smith.