I'm sure this has been asked before, but after searching the forum I didn't find it. Which custom / semi-custom rifle maker in your opinion offers the best rifle for the money. I am a leftie and have two actions I would like to have built with synthetic stocks (I live in Alaska, so no wood for me). Accuracy, light weight and durability are most important to me. The wealth of experience here can't be beat and I look forward to your opinions.
Which rifle maker?
- Thread starter 1BigDeer
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huntindude
Guest
In my opinion Lex Webernik at Rifles Inc builds the best gun for the money and his strata is so light you can't believe it . I've had quite a few custom guns made by good gunsmiths and it's a crap shoot to see if they'll shoot or not, if Lex builds a gun it doesn't leave the shop unless it does. Bansner, Jerrett and a few of the other outfits build great rifles but you're going to pay a premium and it doesn't sound like you want to, I don't blame you.
Dude gave you some good advice, here are a few others Hill Country Rifles, McBros, HS Precision, Nosler (calibers limited)and don't forget Weatherby makes some acurate guns set up to hunt in standard and magnum fare. All of these come in at lower price points than Jarrett and Bansner and they shoot just as well! There are quite a few others out there that build a good hunting gun.
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264Magnum
Guest
As soon as I can find a good model 70 action, its off to Rifles, Inc. for a custom build.
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Farmers harvest. Hunters kill
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Farmers harvest. Hunters kill
If you did'nt already have the actions, I'd say New Ultra Light Arms. What manufacturer are the actions? I've used:
Darrell Holland
Gordy Gritters
GA Precision
New Ultra Light Arms
Gordy Gritters by far produces the most acurate rifles out there.
Darrell Holland makes a nice rifle, but his attention to detail has gone down hill as he is pre-occupied with other business ventures. Turn around time used to be 9 months or less and is now about 15 months.
GA Precision specializes in Tactical/Sniper rifles, but will build you anything you want to your specs.
New Ultra Light Arms builds superlight rifles that shoot bullet holes even when the barrel gets hot. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have a safe full of these.
Darrell Holland
Gordy Gritters
GA Precision
New Ultra Light Arms
Gordy Gritters by far produces the most acurate rifles out there.
Darrell Holland makes a nice rifle, but his attention to detail has gone down hill as he is pre-occupied with other business ventures. Turn around time used to be 9 months or less and is now about 15 months.
GA Precision specializes in Tactical/Sniper rifles, but will build you anything you want to your specs.
New Ultra Light Arms builds superlight rifles that shoot bullet holes even when the barrel gets hot. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have a safe full of these.
bogey
Active Member
- Messages
- 615
Truth is there are LOTS of people out there that can build what you are after. Most are about the same price and a few are a bunch more. You really won't get anything better by paying more. Most all suggestions you get will be of strong personal opinion, since I would be willing to bet that nobody has tried a big enough sample from all these guys to tell you one is truly better then the other. To say one person builds by far the most accurate gun out there has no truth to it and I would be willing to bet that Gordy himself would say the same thing. And that said I have been thinking strongly of having Gordy build me a gun, he does have a reputation for building great guns and THE PEOPLE behind them are winning in long range competition. So are people shooting guns by Tooly, Baity, Scott, Ware, Borden, the otheres listed in the previous posts, and on and on. These guys are good at what they do and most all have a mutual respect for the other and there work. If you can my thoughts(insert OPINION) would be to search for some body close to you. I have never had a problem with one of the guns built by the smith across the country from me, but if there ever was it would be easier to be close, maybe just a piece of mind. You can go to benchrest central and search the gunsmiths there to get a small list of some of the better known smiths and call and talk to them and see which trips your trigger, they will all do a great job for you. I also want the most accurate rifle possible to take hunting, but in truth I still believe that a custom rifle has way more accuracy built into it then I will ever need or be able to get out of it in a hunting situation.
Thanks!
I appreciate everyone that took the time to give their opinion! Having a rifle built is expensive (to me!) and if I can learn something from someone who has already done that is great! This is just what the internet was made for! I'll let you know what I end up with.
I appreciate everyone that took the time to give their opinion! Having a rifle built is expensive (to me!) and if I can learn something from someone who has already done that is great! This is just what the internet was made for! I'll let you know what I end up with.
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huntindude
Guest
RE: Rifles Inc !
Which model and what caliber are you getting? what ever it is you're going to be happy, no worrys about getting a dud from a guy like Lex.
Which model and what caliber are you getting? what ever it is you're going to be happy, no worrys about getting a dud from a guy like Lex.
He will be making my left handed stainless Rem 700 action into a Lightweight Strata in 7 RUM and it will be wearing a 4 - 16 X 50 Swaro with BR reticle. It will also have the spiral fluted bolt and black teflon coating. It should work well in Alaska weather! I can't wait! This will be my first custom/semi-custom rifle and while the cost is high, I'm worried that I will like it so much that I will NEED to have more built! 
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huntindude
Guest
You'll love it, sounds like a great set up and you will want more like it, a gun that light that shoots like a bench gun just never gets old. one thing you might think about and is having the Sako extractor put in it. I had it done to my Bansner Sheeep Hunter because I had several cases stick on me and the standard extractor just wouldn't grip them. it's well worth it on a hunting gun in my opinion, just a thought.
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huntindude
Guest
I think Forbes put one in the Ultra Light Arms action too didn't he? Lex does quite a few and I think it was standard on the Bansner Ultimate.
After using the antenna on my pickup a few times to knock the fired case out of my gun the Sako extractor was getting done. now if I get a sticky one it yanks it out great.
After using the antenna on my pickup a few times to knock the fired case out of my gun the Sako extractor was getting done. now if I get a sticky one it yanks it out great.
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huntindude
Guest
RE: First permit of the year!
Not from me, sounds like you have a top notch rifle being built by a top notch smith. your choice in scopes is great as well, I have 4x12 and 3x10 Swarovski AV scopes I love them. if the Sako extractor interest you and Hunting on Kodiak it would me with those bear, just call Lex and get his thoughts on it, he can do it.
Not from me, sounds like you have a top notch rifle being built by a top notch smith. your choice in scopes is great as well, I have 4x12 and 3x10 Swarovski AV scopes I love them. if the Sako extractor interest you and Hunting on Kodiak it would me with those bear, just call Lex and get his thoughts on it, he can do it.
Extractor...
I spoke with Lex today and he said the Remington extractor has as much surface as the Sako. Whle not a factor on a left-handed rifle, the Sako extractor has a tendancy to throw the cartridge up often hitting the windage knob and falling back into the action. I'll be staying with the Remington action!
I spoke with Lex today and he said the Remington extractor has as much surface as the Sako. Whle not a factor on a left-handed rifle, the Sako extractor has a tendancy to throw the cartridge up often hitting the windage knob and falling back into the action. I'll be staying with the Remington action!
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huntindude
Guest
RE: Extractor...
Interesting, he put one on my gun and said it was a good idea. the surface area is about the same but the function on the Sako is MUCH more positive. it is a bit of a trick to get them to flip the case just right and clear the scope that drove the gunsmith nuts that put the one on my Bansner gun, but he got it right I haven't had to unscrew the antenna on my pickup for a ram rod since. if you change your mind any good smith can add it later it's no big deal.
Another thing to remember is if you have any used brass you were planning on using in your new gun you can probably just throw it away. unless it's from another high quality custom it probably won't fit the tight chamber your new gun will have even if full length resized believe me I've tried. this is what made me realize the extractor weakness on a 700 action when I tried to extract unfired cases I couldn't chamber, this may have tweaked my extractor and made my later issues with it worse I can't say . if you don't have any trouble at the range you shouldn't on a hunt, you'll know.
Interesting, he put one on my gun and said it was a good idea. the surface area is about the same but the function on the Sako is MUCH more positive. it is a bit of a trick to get them to flip the case just right and clear the scope that drove the gunsmith nuts that put the one on my Bansner gun, but he got it right I haven't had to unscrew the antenna on my pickup for a ram rod since. if you change your mind any good smith can add it later it's no big deal.
Another thing to remember is if you have any used brass you were planning on using in your new gun you can probably just throw it away. unless it's from another high quality custom it probably won't fit the tight chamber your new gun will have even if full length resized believe me I've tried. this is what made me realize the extractor weakness on a 700 action when I tried to extract unfired cases I couldn't chamber, this may have tweaked my extractor and made my later issues with it worse I can't say . if you don't have any trouble at the range you shouldn't on a hunt, you'll know.
