Pierce Actions

[Josh11]

Are his actions smoother than a savage or remington? I really cant decide on what action to go with. I like the remington footprint but I want it to be smooth. I like the Pierce actions and Surgeon but I want it to work way better than my Savage F Class. Let me know what you guys think. Im lost. Ill be staying with a 6br or dasher.

 

[Nomo4me]

I think there is no doubt that the Pierce action is more inherantly accurate than the Savage. Faster lock time, better firing pin fit, tighter bolt body fit in the receiver, no tricky tilting bolt head to achieve contact on both lugs, jewell trigger availability etc.
Smoothness? I dunno. Mine felt a bit gritty - prolly due to the newness of the cerakote on the inside of the receiver.
I like my Savages for the price point, but sometimes you want excellence rather than justifications around that price point. I can't wait for my 'smith to call telling me my Pierce single shot is now wearing it's Kreiger 6mm/8twist bbl.

 

[David Clark]

John's shop is only about 5 mi. from me and I have been in there several times and I can flat tell you he makes a very fine action. If it isn't perfect it doesn't leave the shop. If you need a barrel have him do the whole thing for you and I am sure you will be very happy.
Dave

 

[skeetlee]

there is simply no comparison!

 

[johara1]

I've had a pierce action for over a year, over 1500 rds. and it is smoother than my new panda F class. the bolt is a PTG. bolt and it' a coned bolt face,sako extractor and ejector. They also have a weld on bolt handle that something the rest don't offer, and it shoot great.......jim

 

[Josh11]

Did you buy that bolt with the action or was that on your part?

 

[Rustystud]

I work on them all factory actions and custom actions. I built a Gary Elesio R1 with a Pierce Action serial number 002. It was a very fine action. The tollerences were so tight one of the more exotic triggers would not fit. I can say a Jewell dropped right in. I shot several 5 shot groups in the low .3s and a few in the teens with all three barels 6XC, 6mmBRX, and 6.5X.284. this rifle was a XC and long range prone rifle.

I can say working with John Pierce was a real honor and pleasure. I spoke to him personally on several occasions. He was straight up and extremely knowledgable.

I do wish he would make stainless actions. He an I discussed this at length.

At the begining his delivery times may have been a little slow but all custom manufactures tend to be a little slow. I can't say what his delivery times are now.

I tell all of my customers about his actions and they are an option for custom builds.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Josh11]

Talked with Pierce eng today and the lead time is 4 weeks. And now they do make stainless actions now. Now all I need is a barrel. Also, what should I go with, a 6br or dasher? That is the question!

 

[Rustystud]

Josh If you are only going to shoot out to 600 yards use a 6mmBR. If you are going to 1000 use a 6mmBRX and you can use the sme dies. The Dasher is a great cartridge but requires special dies. There is little performance difference in the Dasher and the BRX.

All great cartridges.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Josh11]

How much difference is there? I know that the dasher has more neck, but if I get the right reamer then I shouldnt have to worry about seating the bullet about the shoulder neck area. I do have to seat it in that area now with my savage f class. Does that make it less accurate or slower?

 

[skeetlee]

I know that the dasher has more neck,

Josh that is incorrect. The dasher has a rather small neck. Lee

 

[Josh11]

I think I was being confusing. I meant it has a little more neck than the 6 brx. But the dasher has less neck than the 6 br. Thats what the 6br improved page said. You have more experience than I do about those cartridge.

 

[LRCampos]

I am sure the Pierce actions are good. But I dont own one.

I do own 2 Stiller Predator actions and they are smoother than my Rem 700 actions.

But when I put my hands on a BAT VR action... this is a BIG diference on smooth!!!

And it has the same footprint as the Rem700 actions.

 

[Josh11]

Did you mean a big difference in the bat and the stillers, or bat and Remingtons? Is it worth the extra 400 ill be spending already? Im looking for something that will be good for f class. Maybe a good coyote hunt in the winter. Plus I like the personal interaction you get from John. I talked to him for a minute about what to do. Very knowledgeable guy. Im impressed with how he does business, so he is my first choice. But if you guys think its a good idea to wait and save a little more money for the bat, I might just do that.

 

[Flybuster]

Josh I kinda gather that you're building a dual purpose rifle, in 6 Dasher or BRX. Something to shoot F-Class and hunt with. If you build a rifle for both your going to have to compromise both ways. You'll either have a really heavy hunting rifle or a light target rifle.

I think a good F-Class gun would be rather awkward to hunt coyotes with, just because the weight and length. You're already spending all this money so you may as well spend it specifically towards one discipline, that being the F-Class gun because you can hunt coyotes with just about any hunting rifle, but you can't be successful in F-Class with just any rifle.

You can build a gun for both if your just dabbling in different disciplines, but if you want to be serious spend your money wisely.

 

[Josh11]

I see what your saying. I think your right too. thanks for the insight.

 

[expiper]

If you gotta hav a Rem footprint the Kelbly Grizzly II is the same ...I hav a Panda F-Class that is perfect....cocks easily-closes effortsly-bolt travel smooth....20 MOA integral rib...integral recoil lug...what more culd U want...Roger

 

[flatlander]

Josh,
I've got a couple of John's TG actions in Eliseo R5 & RTS tubeguns, and have been very pleased with them. They're both very slick, which is important during rapid fire strings in XC HP matches. I hung Jewell HVR triggers on both, and had no issues there.

I had a bit of a problem with primers cratering in the 1st one (6BR), and had to send the bolt out to Greg Tannel to have the FP hole bushed. I also had to machine the slot in the ejector plunger further to the rear to allow it to protrude farther from the bolt face in order to get more consistent ejection with the short BR case.

I bought the 2nd TG about a year later (its ser.# is 28 later than the 1st), and found they'd addressed the FP hole/FP fit issue. I've shot some pretty warm 6.5x47 loads through it during load development, and have seen no cratering whatsoever. Shot the first XC & a 600yd. any/any match with this rifle yesterday, and was very pleased with the accuracy.

I also own three BAT 3L & one 3LL actions, and have been extremely pleased with them. There is no question in my mind that they're very fine actions; I'm pretty sure I won't be trading or selling them off in this lifetime.

Whether the BATs are worth the extra expense (relative to a Pierce) is mostly a subjective call based on how much store you put in the theoretical advantage of a 3-lug action vs. one with a 2-lug bolt, and how important aesthetics are to you. To my eye, the BATs are a sleeker, more attractive action than any of the M700 clones, but that's strictly a personal opinion. Do the BATs have any inherent accuracy advantage over a M700/clone? I dunno - I also own a Nesika K, and with its Dasher bbl. installed, it's probably the most accurate LR rifle I've ever owned.

Bottom line? - go with Flybuster's recommendation and build a dedicated F-class rifle. A Pierce single shot action will unquestionably serve you well in that capacity. Fair warning though - you might as well start saving your $$$ for a Pierce repeater now, because after you've shot your F-Class Pierce for a season, you're probably going to want another one for that LR coyote hunter.

 

[holstil]

Off topic, please excuse.
Jim

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

Hello all! I personally have been to John's shop in Lansing and let me tell you, it is first class all the way! John is one of the finest people you would ever want to meet! I was there less than an hour and I learned so much it wasn't funny. I got to feel an action that he was in the process of building and let me tell you, it was smooth! John does also fit barrels to his actions and he will put what ever you want on for a barrel. I think he is partial to Krieger barrels himself but, don't quote me on that. None the less, you will get a high quality action at an affordable price and this man stands behind his work. John is a shooter himself so he knows what he is doing.

Mike