Scott85
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That rifle is awesome!!
Custom bolt gun options
- Thread starter p_ham
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p_ham
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It's heavy, but that's all in the cheap stock. Good enough for a prototype.
Scott85
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Maybe that’s your production market.
noharleyyet
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Easy, name a price, don't stutter, and keep quiet til the customer says deal . . . move forward accordingly.
Potsie
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Put it on the list for when we’re done with the RUM. Threaded for a can, adjustable stock, possibly a chassis so it can go all the way up to big boy fun. Good one to have ready.
Again, Addicting makes a lot of sense. Especially w ith smiths moving toward the composites and chassis for stocks. My buddy at Hammer did a rifle spruce up and they were complete with ammo or the data if desired when sold. Not sure it worked very well. He would be more than happy to discuss how it went. mtmuley
p_ham
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Steve?
Yes. They had some Browning rifles they sold. Not sure of the extent of the mods. He's always up for guns and bullets talk though. He also might have an idea of how things are in the rifle market. mtmuley
p_ham
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Thanks, I'll get ahold of him.
BAKPAKR
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To get an idea of what some smiths are charging for Remington and Tikka packages, look at the Hill Country Rifles Deluxe Accurizing package (Remington) and the Hells Canyon Armory Tikka Carbon Killer package.
noharleyyet
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And ask about their waiting list.
longbow51
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Might be useful to talk to folks who failed as well, i.e. Cooper. I would guess it was somewhat the former gov's Covid lockdown in part, plus lifetime 1/2 MOA guarantee, where incoming repairs occupied all the time, but just guessing.
I do know when they tried to be all things to all people, to say, ultralight market, classic market, tactical market they were likely stretched too thin. Not unusual in that scenario to lose focus and satisfy no one.
From a completely outside perspective, your strength is precision and beauty without over-the-top exhibition stuff. There are tons of folks doing rifles for the synthetic/ceracoat/extended mag crowd.
Focus on a good honest MOA rifle with factory ammo, nicely sculpted walnut, and I'll bet you would have a waiting list.
My friend Kirby Allen (Allen Precision Shooting) built a following on LRH, then by word of mouth, and his rifles are esoteric, to say the least; wildcat cartridges where powder is loaded with a front-end loader. He's out 2 years last I heard.
Your next step is a business plan; cost of components, how many rifles can you build, what income do you need? Insurance? Hiring new folks if demand explodes?
Anyway, best of luck.
I do know when they tried to be all things to all people, to say, ultralight market, classic market, tactical market they were likely stretched too thin. Not unusual in that scenario to lose focus and satisfy no one.
From a completely outside perspective, your strength is precision and beauty without over-the-top exhibition stuff. There are tons of folks doing rifles for the synthetic/ceracoat/extended mag crowd.
Focus on a good honest MOA rifle with factory ammo, nicely sculpted walnut, and I'll bet you would have a waiting list.
My friend Kirby Allen (Allen Precision Shooting) built a following on LRH, then by word of mouth, and his rifles are esoteric, to say the least; wildcat cartridges where powder is loaded with a front-end loader. He's out 2 years last I heard.
Your next step is a business plan; cost of components, how many rifles can you build, what income do you need? Insurance? Hiring new folks if demand explodes?
Anyway, best of luck.
Got to shoot with Kirby and his rifles. A memorable day to say the least. And Cooper is still in business as far as I know. Production was moved to Arkansas unless something has changed. mtmuley
Wind Gypsy
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Yep, it’s real close. I’d like to get my hands on one to try. Hard to tell distance from trigger to grip but doesn’t looks as close as I’d like but also not crazy far.
I’m guilty as well. Trying to turn a corner and focus on shooting more than the latest wiz bang magnum that I’m afraid to fry the barrel on.
Last I saw they didn’t have repeatable headspace for prefits and the reviews indicated pretty rough operation. If true then they’d be lesser than a tikka for prefits, not run as well, less reliable trigger, and more money. But they’d be a true short action length and work with m700 stocks.
Brad W
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Why do you need to build the rifles before you have the order? I think you would be much better off putting together a menu of the components you want to use(and can reliably source), run the numbers, put a price list up in a variety of calibers and see what sells. You might be surprised and you won’t have to invest in inventory to test the market. Based on the builds you’ve posted you have all the skills, but my question is what aspects do you love to do: the machining, coatings, design, woodworking, marketing, production efficiency, etc? If your joy is putting exquisite metal work in beautiful wood stocks then you should find that market, if you want to compete in the ultralight l carbon suppressed hunting rifle do that. If you love the craft, you will not be satisfied five years from now if you chase a market you are not interested in. I’ve worked in the custom woodworking arena for 13 years and that’s the way it’s been for me. Good luck!
Addicting
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Cooper and Montana Rifle company both had my eye when I first started but the hit or miss reviews swayed me away from them.
A solid 24” stainless barrel and nice walnut or B&C stocked rifle with a nice trigger is what I wanted.
I didn’t know about barrel manufacturers or care about twists. I was willing to spend 15-1700 back in 2015.
I think with a good 700 clone you could do well in the sub 2k bracket.
Spedray
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I really like the sako actions. Put it in a good vertical grip carbon fiber stock with an adjustable trigger and add and a 24" fluted barrel with an extend coal mag for heavy for caliber bullets to seat them out further. Not a whole lot on the market in that configeration. I would skip the optics like others have said. Too much of a personal preference. Keep to the tried and tried calibers. 7mm rem mag, 300 win mag are good options. Maybe thrown in some sa calibers like 308 win and 6.5 creed. I have a early model fierce with a titanium action in 7mm rem mag in this configuration. Light weight, easy to find ammo and shoots everything to the same point of aim. Problem is price. They are very proud of their guns. If you could do some in the $2500 price point I think they would sell.
Wind Gypsy
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Yep, those are the two i was familiar with. My idea differs from them in a handful of ways.
VS HCA carbon killers
- Better functionally
- to the point of me keying on the stock design, HCA uses the altitude stocks that have a large drop at heel (creates a moment under recoil and more muzzle rise) and have a steep toe like that makes it easier for the butt to drop under recoil if rear support is underneath it. So two basic design aspects that contribute to muzzle rising/butt dropping.
- Give me a premium steel barrel over a HCA carbon wrapped one any day. I had $4k into a HCA fully trued tikka + rem style recoil lug with carbon barrel that just didn't shoot well. Replaced HCA barrel with steel krieger and wala, bugholin everything. And I just don't have a high level of confidence in quality of work from HCA.
- Value
- Not paying for a carbon barrel that has worse odds of shooting well
- Not paying for a fluted bolt that saves little weight, allows more shit to get in your action, and if anything makes bolt operation less smooth
- (i didn't mention this) but i would just do a matte stainless finish to save $ vs cerakote if possible
Hill country is basically just cerakoting a tikka and slappin it in a mcmillan stock. The micky stocks they have listed have much of the same criticism as I had for the altitude stock in the HCA built. I just don't see a significant value add.
Lots of folks praise the factory tikka barrels, i haven't been blown away by the lite contour rifles. The few i've shot do just fine but not special. I'll be able to compare a new factory 6.5 creedmoor chopped/threaded @18" with a benchmark an 18" benchmark blank 6 creed soon. Really the value drivers of my idea are: A top notch steel barrel with appropriate muzzle threads and a stock that is actually designed for breaking triggers without disturbing aim and managing recoil. There are already proof pre-fit barrels readily available or carbon6 custom orders for people who want Carbon, PBB does cheap pre-fits, there are a number of carbon stocks that people can buy and stick their tikka in. The gap IMO is people who want top end functional stock and barrel/smithing without the non-functional cost adders. This is the anti "i want to overpay for a carbon stock, carbon/fancy fluted barrel, fluted bolt, cute paint/cerakote custom because those things look sound cool" rifle.
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longbow51
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Yes, Cooper is now owned by Nighthawk. But, it was a frantic sale. Cooper's employees hadn't been paid. So, they did in fact fail.
Nighthawk Custom Gives Us A Cooper Firearms Update
To help put the minds of Cooper fans at ease after its purchase, Nighthawk distributed a Cooper Firearms update via email blast.
www.alloutdoor.com
Hated to see them go. Right down the road from my house. Should have scraped together the funds and bought one. mtmuleyYes, Cooper is now owned by Nighthawk. But, it was a frantic sale. Cooper's employees hadn't been paid. So, they did in fact fail.
Nighthawk Custom Gives Us A Cooper Firearms Update
To help put the minds of Cooper fans at ease after its purchase, Nighthawk distributed a Cooper Firearms update via email blast.www.alloutdoor.com
