Caribou Gear

Custom vs. Manufacture Rifle

I have 4 Browning A-Bolts and one X-Bolt. I spent a lot of time at the range with each one when first purchased and could get 1/2 MOA from all of them when I was on and conditions were right. I really don't shoot for groups once I know the rifle will do its part. The only thing I did to each rifle is adjust the trigger down to 2.5 lbs of pull which can be done with a screwdriver in your kitchen. I was really happy with the triggers on my A-Bolts, but the trigger on the X-Bolt is even better.
 
BuzzH said:
IME, consistent 1/2 moa is a tough nut to crack with factory wares...
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Agree with above but if you take a factory rifle and put a custom barrel,good bedding job, trigger adjusted properly, adequate optics and do your part - you can come close.

The problem I have with someone telling me their rifle will shoot 1/2, 3/4, 1" or whatever is - was it done once or can they repeat it time after time. Too many people only remember that 1/2" group on the day the stars were aligned just right.

I shoot as much practice as anyone on here and some days I might as well go home - usually those are the days with varying winds, sub par light, or me having drank a pot of coffee and although I know my rifle/load/setup is capable of "X" moa I sure as hell don't do it each and every time. I tend to try and do my practising with varying winds, sub par light etc. due to the fact that we just don't get perfect days up here hunting.
 
"The problem I have with someone telling me their rifle will shoot 1/2, 3/4, 1" or whatever is - was it done once or can they repeat it time after time. Too many people only remember that 1/2" group on the day the stars were aligned just right."

Ain't that the truth. I think a good rifle is capable of 1/2 MOA accuracy every time, a good rifleman is not and a lousy rifleman is never capable.
 
Thanks for the input. The rifle is mostly for hunting. My last rifle that was recently stolen was a Weatherby Mark V 300 Win Mag and that thing shot really well, 3/4 moa without much effort at all. Now after getting a taste of it's accuracy and becuase I need to buy a new rifle I want even better.

When I was shopping for a rifle last time, I was wanting a 7mm WSM but came across a smoking deal on the 300 mag. That 300 shot so well and I now have some loading equipment for it that I'm considering getting the exact same rifle again but I do have hesitation that the one stolen will find it's way back home someday and so maybe I should go back to looking at a 7.After reading Critters post on his new 7mm WSM I'm considering going the same route, even in discussions with they same builder, very knowledgable too by the way. But if I'm not gauranteed to gain 1/2 moa, is it worth twice the price? The Weatherby ultralights are pretty dang slick but they don't make the 7mm WSM.

So trying to decide if caliber is important (I'll be using it for backcountry deer mostlyand the hopeful wolf) and if a difference of maybe 1/2 moa is worth the cost. I don't have a cabnet full of different rifles either so this will be my go to rifle for any hunt.
 
My rifle is a factory Ruger in 30-06. Had a trigger job, full length bed job, polished feed ramp and target crowned. Leupold 2.5x8x36. Hand loaded Sierra 165gr Gameking BTHP to a mild 2750 fps. 1/2 " @ 100 yards all day long. 3" @ 300 yards. That's as far as I can shoot.

Its my hunting rifle. If I can't get it done with that I need to quit. Point is I have a grand total of $1200 into my rifle and it will shoot.

Before I did anything to it with all types of loads it grouped everything I ran though it 1 1/2" @ 100. Honestly I could have left it alone and still done just fine,
 
Baerman said:
So trying to decide if caliber is important (I'll be using it for backcountry deer mostlyand the hopeful wolf) and if a difference of maybe 1/2 moa is worth the cost. I don't have a cabnet full of different rifles either so this will be my go to rifle for any hunt.
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My thoughts on this is caliber is my second decision. I figure out what bullet I want to use and at what speed I want to do it at. If that doesn't work out on real life shooting I go to bullet choice #2 bullet and on and on.

When I figure out what I want done on hide/fur then I look at calibers. You need to know what size bullet and speed you hope to accomplish to even determine what twist you need in a barrel.

I have never seen a caliber kill anything but I've seen my share of kills with bullets.

You can not find fault with a 7RM, 7WSM, 300WM or 300WSM - they are all good calibers and are are capable of shooting well if they are set up correctly and shooter does his part.
 
6.5's and 7mm's shoot very flat having lot's of downrange energy without causing a major flinch in a carry rifle or requiring a muzzle brake. A 160gr high BC 7mm is fairly pleasant.

The big bores are great, not knocking them at all but I know a few guys who have .300 mags or bigger and can't hardly keep their eyes open shooting them off a bench.

Hard to beat a .308/30-06 too. Everyone has a favorite. A .243 well placed is better than a bad shot with a turbo mag.
 
good topic and some very good points made above - "conditions" that apply to my personal accurate hunting rifle search are: weight - I can find all kinds of well made accurate rifles in the 8 - 9 lb class but I want a true lightweight - I just acquired a Kimber Montana in 280 AI that I am excited to get to work with, so very nearly bought the Mountain Ascent, called Kimber to ask particulars of "either or" and settled on the Montana due to bang for the buck - I will have a (hopefully) 3/4" cold bore rifle with Leupold 4.5x14x40 vx3 and an XLA bipod that will come in very close to 71/2 lbs with total package and under 7 lb sans bipod under $2000 w/optics - keep in mind that many "customs" come with the maker's load as the most accurate one and the bullet used may not be in your top choice list - finding a riflesmith that will guarantee that kind of accuracy with any load you want might be impossible "if" lightweight is your goal - BTW, I REALLY like the "shoot once on successive days" method, hunting rifles are different than bench guns or varmint rifles
 
I have a custom .284 Win,that my wife inherited from her Grandfather,the late great outdoor writer /hunter Clyde Ormond. It is absolutely a tack driver. But my latest, a B-Day present from my wife and daughters, a Savage model 16 bear hunter in a 300WSM topped with a Vari-X 3 CDS is my favorite, It is truely an out of the box shooter. What it can do out to 500 yrds is unreal (longest yardage I have tried) Would I trade it for a expensive custom gun,,No freakin way!
 
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nice targets

I had a Savage 110 in 270 (pre Accu-Trigger) that would do that @ 100 yards with any 150grn ammo I put through it. The 130's not so much, of course I was 25 years younger and could actually see 100 yards( LMAO). True some rifles will need some tinkering, but I have a couple that will put three into 3/4" when I do it right; a Rem 7400 in 280 and a 1951 Savage 99 in 300 Savage. No trigger work on either one, but it was all done with handloads (that's the key for me)
 
Bob Vetter said:
Had a trigger job, full length bed job, polished feed ramp and target crowned.

Its my hunting rifle. If I can't get it done with that I need to quit. Point is I have a grand total of $1200 into my rifle and it will shoot.
Click to expand...

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. I bought a Winchester model 70 'Coyote Lite' in 7mm WSM used for about $600. I just sent it out for "accurization" for $650.

Including the deal noharleyyet found on Zeiss glass, I'll have $1600 in a semi-custom rifle topped by a 3-9x40 Zeiss with hunting turrets.

We'll see how it shoots in June when I get it back from the gunsmith.
 
I ended up picking up a Winchester Model 70 Weather Extreme in a 300 win mag. Ordered a Vortex Viper HSLR 4-16x50. When I ordered the scope from Cabelas they told me delivery would be two weeks. It never showed so I called and come to find out delivery is 10-12 weeks! Looks like all I can do is clean the rifle and stare at it for a while.
 
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