Thanks for all the advise and suggestions. It looks like I can get most parts from different vendors. I've been watching the websites and have seen some of the parts available just not in the configuration I wanted. Some of my hesitation comes from getting all the parts, then not finding a smith for the build. I think I should be more flexible regarding this approach.
The suggestion about picking up a good rifle after this season also sounds good. I will be watching to see what comes available.
Thanks again for some very good suggestions.
If you have all the components assembled, don't worry; you can certainly find a capable gunsmith to do the work. As has been noted, check various shooter supply outfits as potential sources for individual components - as an example: Bruno's had a few Bat M actions in stock that matched your criteria as of yesterday. Bugholes (aka Southern Precision) is a great place to look for barrels that are in stock. Regardless of the source, the more "unusual" the item you select, the harder it may be to find and/or the longer you may have to wait. So
identifying the exact components you wish to assemble for the build is as big a part of the process as actually finding vendors once you have decided what you specifically want to order.
Example:
Actions - do you want: Bat/Borden/Defiance/Kelbly/Other?
Barrels - do you want: Bartlein/Brux/Krieger/Other?
Triggers - do you want: Jewell/TriggerTech/Bix-n-Andy/Other?
Stocks - do you want: McMillan/Manners/Kelbly/Other?
I only listed a few of the many possibilities in each category. Until/unless you know exactly which components you want, determining where to purchase them and how long it will take to assemble them all is a challenging task at best.
However, because it sounds as though you may just be starting out in terms of having a purpose-built F-TR rifle, perhaps you are not yet strongly attached to any particular manufacturer(s) of the various components. No worries, you could easily have a winning rifle built out of components obtained from any of the manufacturers listed above. If that is the case, then it may be a little easier to simply look for good deals on individual components that are available now, then let the smith you decide on meld them into a functional unit. One potential downside to this approach is that you have to be absolutely certain the components you select are 100% compatible before you order and assemble them, then ship the whole kit and kaboodle to the smith. As an example, I once accidentally ordered a stock that was not compatible with the action I had selected for an F-TR build, and had to purchase different one that correctly fit, then sell the incorrect stock I couldn't use. So before you order, contact the manufacturer to make certain the components you are ordering will work together.
The second potential downside to this approach for assembling components is that it is much more difficult to be certain in advance that end product will make the 8.25 kg (~18.18 lb) weight limit in F-TR. In addition to the major rifle components, that weight limits also includes the bipod, a mirage band, scope + rings, a leveling/anti-cant device, or anything else that is attached to the rifle. Although there are certainly other choices, a 30" finish length is probably the most commonly chosen barrel length in F-TR. If you need a little extra weight allowance for other components of the build, a heavy Palma barrel may be the best choice. However, if your other components allow a bit extra weight in the barrel, perhaps you might want a slightly heavier contour such as MTU or Heavy Varmint, which will weigh about a pound and one half more than a Heavy Palma barrel of the same length. My point here is simply that you need to have some idea in advance of the components you wish to assemble, or at the very least contact the manufacturers to get accurate of the components as you assemble them so that you have some idea of where the build falls in terms of making weight.
Lastly, I will make a couple suggestions to consider. These are things I didn't find out until after my first couple F-TR rifles had been built that I probably would have done differently had I known. If you're thinking of building a dedicated F-TR rig, then really build yourself a dedicated F-TR rig. Compromise will only make it more challenging to end up with what you really want. I would suggest going with a single port/single feed action. There are no need for extra holes in the body of the action in F-TR, such as for mag feeding, because we exclusively single feed in matches. Second, I would recommend going with a coned bolt face, which makes feeding rounds a little easier. I would recommend getting an extractor, but no ejector, which isn't necessary when single feeding and can create issues with flat-spotted case necks during ejection. If the brand of action you select offers these options, I would also recommend getting an integral scope rail and recoil lug.
In some regards, building a new rifle is very much like the chicken or the egg question, but as you begin to define the components you wish to use, many of the unknown variables will become better defined and the project will begin to take shape. Best of luck with it!
(Bruno's also has 3 semi-inlet Xits)
