Custom actions.... are they worth the $$$$?

[Mr.Knowit all]

Like most of the world I have several Rem. 700 action rifles and I have had good luck with them. About 7 years ago I made my first custom rifle with a Stiller TAC300 action and I love it... But is it worth the extra $650??

I may need to get the action trued but I get the same accuracy and longevity out of the factory 700's and most all these custom actions (Stiller, Surgeon, Defiance) are based off the 700 anyway. Right????

What say you guys?

 

[dragman]

Completely depends on the application.

If this is bench rest shooting at a high level and you are trying to win then yes they are worth the money!
If it's a hunting gun or something for fun that is going to be ok for 98% of your shots then nope they aren't worth it.

And for both of those, if you have the money it's always worth it!

 

[JRS]

That depends upon your wants. Is a custom barrel worth more money than a factory Remington barrel? Is Lapua brass worth more than Remington brass? Usually, custom actions are manufactured to much closer dimensions, smoother, made from better quality steel, quality control is there, and if you decide to trade/sell the action, you lose much less money. A used, trued, factory action, is worth no more than a factory action.

 

[Eddie Harren]

That depends upon your wants. Is a custom barrel worth more money than a factory Remington barrel? Is Lapua brass worth more than Remington brass? Usually, custom actions are manufactured to much closer dimensions, smoother, made from better quality steel, quality control is there, and if you decide to trade/sell the action, you lose much less money. A used, trued, factory action, is worth no more than a factory action.

Scripture by God!

 

[CharlieNC]

PTG trued Remington (excluding stock barrel thread) on sale $380. Might simplify the decision.

 

[Joe R]

Like most of the world I have several Rem. 700 action rifles and I have had good luck with them. About 7 years ago I made my first custom rifle with a Stiller TAC300 action and I love it... But is it worth the extra $650??

I may need to get the action trued but I get the same accuracy and longevity out of the factory 700's and most all these custom actions (Stiller, Surgeon, Defiance) are based off the 700 anyway. Right????

What say you guys?

If money is tight then a PT&G trued action for $640 ( http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/ptg-blueprinted-short-action-combo-s-700/2152-extreme-remington-700-short-action-sa-blueprinted-action-bolt-br-fp-assy.html )will do as well a $2k Kelbly action. But it won't compete in the eye candy department.

The action won't win matches, the guy with the most luck and reads the wind best will win.

Joe

 

[BoydAllen]

Is a custom action worth it? It depends on what you are trying to do, and the size of your pocketbook. What are you trying to do? Someone posted that an action will not win a match. I think that that is only half of the story. It may not win a match, but it can keep you from winning. Winning matches is a weakest link thing. If one critical component or skill is not up to it, you will not. Except for those who compete, I find it pretty common for shooters to say that they want the best in accuracy, but draw the line at doing what is required to get it. On the other hand, if they have the money, buying a rifle made with top components only pains their wallet, and that they may be willing to do. Without doing the complete package they are really not getting the most out of their investment, but as long as they are happy, who is to say that they have wasted their money?

 

[dkhunt14]

Then you have the fact that you can get the port configuration the way you want it. You can get a dual port, opposite port, same side port or a drop port. Even a dual port custom is much stiffer because it doesn't have a bottom cut out and the side ports are usually smaller then the big cutout of a Remington. I almost never see a Remington at a BR shoot. Matt

 

[Mr.Knowit all]

Thank you for your thoughts.

Joe- That link looks awesome. Right price and I love the extras that they offer. I will use them my next build. Thanks again.

 

[JRS]

With custom actions, the screw holes for your scope mounts will be parallel to the centerline of the action, and in a straight line. How often will that happen with a factory action? Most customs will allow you to swap bolts from one action to another, without modification. How often will that happen with a trued factory action? There is pros and cons, no matter how you slice it.

 

[mgunderson]

Look at it from a probability standpoint. The custom actions improve the probabilty that it will shoot at a high level. It doesn't mean a factory 700 won't, but a factory 700 has a lower probability of being true and shooting at a high level.

Barrels are the same. We pay more to improve our chances of getting a good one. Great factory barrels happen.... just at a lower rate than custom barrles (much lower in my opinion).

 

[savagedasher]

As far as a action makeing a gun more accurate I think not.
The ability of a action to be loaded faster with ease definitely custom is far better..
Many of the shooting sports without a time limit between shots a custom is the only answer .
Gong shooting is more shooter skill and accuracy then other sports .
You sight in and it can be 30 min before you get to fire your first shot . And about a minute between shots . Then they go down and paint . So it is another 30 minutes without any more sighters. From sight in to finish it is 2 hours . Race guns don't have any advantage . It all about accuracy and reading conditions . I have seen the conditions Change the point of impact is over. 2' About standard for manatee gun club .
Buy a action for what your going to shoot.
And make your reloading the best possible .
Larry

 

[sfldiver]

If money is tight then a PT&G trued action for $640 ( http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/ptg-blueprinted-short-action-combo-s-700/2152-extreme-remington-700-short-action-sa-blueprinted-action-bolt-br-fp-assy.html )will do as well a $2k Kelbly action. But it won't compete in the eye candy department. Joe

I agree Joe - I've been getting many more compliments at the range with my new custom Kelbly Panda Stolle F Class actioned rifle than I ever did with my Remington 700 actioned rifles!

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how nice your rifle looks on the firing line!

 

[carlsbad]

I don't think a custom action is more accurate than a remington action except in extreme circumstances. And I've never had to deal with these extreme issues, but I've heard the stories.....

A custom action is absolutely worth it if you like the action, appreciate the upgrades, and have the money to pay for them. Will a lexus get you to the grocery store any more accurately than a Toyota? No, but you may enjoy it more.

I've gotten to where I do the following upgrades to a remington action for my personal use:

True bolt and action lugs with skim cut
Bush firing pin
Add side bolt release
Replace bolt knob

I don't single point the threads as I haven't found them significantly off.

That said, when you add up what I charge to do all of those items, it becomes less than $650 to upgrade.

Now I've seen custom actions that didn't meet my standards for quality of work so there is no guarantee you'll get perfection in a custom action, especially the less expensive ones.

--Jerry

 

[1shot]

Is a custom action worth it? It depends on what you are trying to do, and the size of your pocketbook. What are you trying to do? Someone posted that an action will not win a match. I think that that is only half of the story. It may not win a match, but it can keep you from winning. Winning matches is a weakest link thing. If one critical component or skill is not up to it, you will not. Except for those who compete, I find it pretty common for shooters to say that they want the best in accuracy, but draw the line at doing what is required to get it. On the other hand, if they have the money, buying a rifle made with top components only pains their wallet, and that they may be willing to do. Without doing the complete package they are really not getting the most out of their investment, but as long as they are happy, who is to say that they have wasted their money?

I agree, the weakest link MUST be the shooter. Buy the best equipment your budget will allow, then spend lots of quality trigger time to learn the fine points of that system.
Folks will say "it's the Indian, not the arrow." Since there are two sides to every coin, I don't know of a single tribe that survived shooting crooked arrows!

Lloyd

 

[dkhunt14]

I don't think a custom action is more accurate than a remington action except in extreme circumstances. And I've never had to deal with these extreme issues, but I've heard the stories.....

A custom action is absolutely worth it if you like the action, appreciate the upgrades, and have the money to pay for them. Will a lexus get you to the grocery store any more accurately than a Toyota? No, but you may enjoy it more.

I've gotten to where I do the following upgrades to a remington action for my personal use:

True bolt and action lugs with skim cut
Bush firing pin
Add side bolt release
Replace bolt knob

I don't single point the threads as I haven't found them significantly off.

That said, when you add up what I charge to do all of those items, it becomes less than $650 to upgrade.

Now I've seen custom actions that didn't meet my standards for quality of work so there is no guarantee you'll get perfection in a custom action, especially the less expensive ones.

--Jerry

A Lexus is a Toyota. How many BR shoots have you seen won with a redone Remington? Many Years ago they shot them, even sleeved them to help with rigidity. Even saw them where they changed them sleeved ones and made dual or opposite ports. Reamed bolt raceways and soldered on metal and returned bolts to give tighter tolerances. In the end they switched to customs because they couldn't win against them. MATT

 

[Liven The Dream]

I have Barnard's at $1200 .

I have Rem.SA with PTG Bolts

I can not out shoot anyone of them.
People love looking at those Barnard's

In the shooting Game in which I play Palma and 1000 yard Prone iron sights.
Those Barnard Action don't win me any more points. Or Money won't make you a winner.

It is not the Arrow ! It's the Indian .......

 

[JRS]

Crooked arrows don't fly straight

 

[carlsbad]

How many BR shoots have you seen won with a redone Remington? ... MATT

Many at local level. Including rifles I've built.

By the time you're competing at the national level, the investments you make would seem silly on a less expensive action. It would be like a competition race team starting with a stock car from the dealership floor. It could be done but why would you do it. Your budget has grown beyond that.

Just because big budget shooters use custom actions does not indicate that Remington actions won't shoot.

Note that I started out by saying that custom actions were indeed worth it if you can afford them.

--Jerry

 

[JRS]

Many at local level. Including rifles I've built.

By the time you're competing at the national level, the investments you make would seem silly on a less expensive action. It would be like a competition race team starting with a stock car from the dealership floor. It could be done but why would you do it. Your budget has grown beyond that.

Just because big budget shooters use custom actions does not indicate that Remington actions won't shoot.

Note that I started out by saying that custom actions were indeed worth it if you can afford them.

--Jerry

You can compete with "stock", they will work and shoot, however, your chances of defeating or gaining superiority are essentially zero, unless everyone else breaks down.