Round or Flat Bottomed action?

[WhelenMan]

I'm looking at actions and the more I look the more I'm unsure of my choice. It's going to be a custom action and my first and I like the looks of the round action but when it comes to bedding is the flat bottomed action going to be superior and more stable. It just seems to me that the bedding would be simpler with the flat bottom and have a better distribution of forces. Am I worrying about something that doesn't amount to a lot of difference or should I just get what I think is most pleasing to the eye?

 

[wnroscoe]

Look at one of the equipment list from one of the 1k matches. You'll find flat and round receivers listed. For a full blown F-Class Open or BR gun I'd opt flat, for an occasional F-Class, Hunting, Plinking and or playing gun either will do fine. I have both but prefer the flat for BR.

 

[TRECustom]

The flat bottom actions might have a slight edge in a stock that doesn't have pillars installed, otherwise, I don't know of an advantage. They're no harder or easier to bed. Action stiffness is a plus, whether round or flat, and I think that the larger and heavier the barrel tenon is the better. I have problems occasionally with any action that has the 3rd screw, trying to get them to settle down; Remington ADL's and Win M70's. I haven't barreled any of the custom actions,so no experience, but the home page for this site has a good guide for some custom actions and good descriptions of them.

You know what you want the rifle to do, so select an action that has the most features that you like, and don't hang up on whether it's round or flat. Check on stock availability.

If you're not going to do the work yourself, talk to the 'smith or 'smiths you might have build it for you, and get their advice and recommendations to help you decide.

Good luck; enjoy, Tom

 

[WhelenMan]

Thanks for the replys so far guys. I've been looking at all the different manufacturers and the web sites really leave a lot to be desired as far as specifics about the actions. Some sound like you need to give them your first born child to get them and their lawyers to think about building you an action. Others kinda have a poor picture of an action that says they build actions. I'm wanting a bolt in bedded rifle and would like to do some of the work myself other than the barreled action. It will probably be a 6br or version thereof long range light gun benchrest class. I just don't want to build something that later I wish I hadn't put together poorly. I'm just picky that way. I'm leaning heavily to the flat-bottomed Viper action if I can get a stainless to make weight. Otherwise I may go with a smaller round stainless action for weight savings. I've thought about the Predator but wonder about it's full potential. Let's hear from someone who built one of these. Thanks.

 

[Forum Boss]

For "long range light gun benchrest" are you thinking 500-600 yards or out to 1000? If you have 1000 in mind, get an action that's big enough to handle something like a 6.5-284. That's not to say a 6BR or Dasher can't perform very well indeed at 1000, but the "leader board" is still weighted in favor of the bigger calibers.

For a 600-yard light gun, if built to 16.5 lbs, you can pretty much choose any action, unless you're planning to run a 32", straight contour barrel or something extreme like that. Personally, for the 600-yard game I like drop-port vipers, but that will limit you to the PPC/BR/Dasher sized cases if you want drop-port function. I also wish Stiller made the aluminum Viper with a Picatinny Rail option, simply because I like the value/performance of Signature Zee rings and Burris doesn't make a Davidson rail model.

 

[WhelenMan]

I'm thinking of a HV contour 1-8 28 inch barrelled 6BR or BRX primarily for 600 with rare 1000. That'll give me enough barrel for a later setback & redo. Your thinking on the rings and bases are exactly my thoughts. I'm just hoping I can make it without going over 17 but a NF scope may not be in it's future because of weight. I dearly love the idea of the machined in Picatinny rail on the SS version with Burris Signature Zee Rings. That built in mount means just one less set of threads and things to go wrong. Me and locktite are old buddies. I can eliminate a lot of the variables with the rifle except for the loose nut behind the buttplate. Thanks for ideas.

 

[george]

hard to beat the value of a VIPER ...i've had many vipers built not a bad one yet ! thay feel a bit ruff till thay break in. and after that smooooth.....and yes flat bottom action's bedd easyer.