Custom build 7mm by rocky moutain rifles, need guidance

N

Nipigon Jack

Regular
Rating - 100%
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Location
Brantford
After seeing a few Rocky Mountain Rifles here on Gun Nutz, I decided to have one built for myself. Having never ordered a custom, I'm not sure where to start. All I'm looking for is help with a few of the basics.
My starting point is
Moose hunting rifle, likely a 7 rem mag. Built to shoot the heavier bullets, such as Berger 180 grain VLD.
Felt recoil must be managable. So nothing too light. We don't walk much so weight is not too much of an issue.
Must be a removable magazine system.
I prefer a top tang safety. My X-bolt has one and I like that better than any other. Operating it is perfectly silent. It can also be operated without moving my trigger finger.
I'm not sure what options they have as far as actions and barrels go but I would like to do some research before I get there to decide what actions might suit my needs best.
There is lots of info out there on actions but I think a lot of them may be more oriented towards bench rest.
What action manufacturers should I be looking at?
Anybody know what actions they noramlly have available?
I'm afraid that some of these may be built to such tight tolerances that I'll get a jam if it gets a little dirty
I won't ask about barrel manufacturers, I've seen those threads before. Everyone has their own opinion. I understand that there is one guy in Canada that cuts the rifles instead of button rifling, which may reduce stress and built in inaccuracy. Not sure if that's an old wife's tale or not.
Needless to say, I want one of these quarter minute guns that everyone else seems to get out of the box. I may not be able to shoot quarter minute groups but with a rifle that's capable of it , I can keep practicing until I can.
 
RMR has their own action as well, very well designed. You should give them a call and talk directly to them. They have awesome customer service and will be able to recommend specifics to you based on your needs and wants.
 
Cleftwynd said:
RMR has their own action as well, very well designed. You should give them a call and talk directly to them. They have awesome customer service and will be able to recommend specifics to you based on your needs and wants.
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I talked briefly with Greg last night but we did not talk about specifics.
 
7mmRem Mag is the no-brainer. Custom action or trued factory action - there is no real accuracy advantage between them. Custom action is cooler! Most important is the barrel. Cut rifled or button rifled - both good. 1:9" twist for heavy, high BC boolits. And the contour of the barrel and how you want the rifle to balance: a #3-#4 at 26" should balance at the front action screw to weight forward (rifle should ~ 7 1/2lbs); #5 is barrel heavy (bare rifle should be 8lbs). Sendero-ish (.830 at the muzzle) is heavy (8.5lbs). Those rifle weights are with typical, hunter-style stocks. The more specialized long range stocks can easily add another 1-2Lbs to the rifle. The type and weight of the stock should get some thought. Tuned factory trigger or custom - both good. For custom and hunting, look at Timney or Rifle Basix, I suppose. Jewel has tight tolerances + dirt = trouble. And find a good gunsmith - that's important too.
 
Corlanes has a decent smith on site, their store is rather small, and the smith shop in the rear looks older than dirt! But they are very well equipped and more than capable! I would recommend Corlanes to anyone, I have 6 firearms from them, when I used to live 30 minutes from them lol
 
Since you want a totally custom rifle the current direction will work.
Perhaps you have have one now that would respond favourably to some custom work.
Being a Remington owner, my route was to use a 700 action.
There are a number of gunsmiths offering custom work and it does not hurt to make more than one contact.
 
dpopl8r said:
7mmRem Mag is the no-brainer. Custom action or trued factory action - there is no real accuracy advantage between them. Custom action is cooler! Most important is the barrel. Cut rifled or button rifled - both good. 1:9" twist for heavy, high BC boolits. And the contour of the barrel and how you want the rifle to balance: a #3-#4 at 26" should balance at the front action screw to weight forward (rifle should ~ 7 1/2lbs); #5 is barrel heavy (bare rifle should be 8lbs). Sendero-ish (.830 at the muzzle) is heavy (8.5lbs). Those rifle weights are with typical, hunter-style stocks. The more specialized long range stocks can easily add another 1-2Lbs to the rifle. The type and weight of the stock should get some thought. Tuned factory trigger or custom - both good. For custom and hunting, look at Timney or Rifle Basix, I suppose. Jewel has tight tolerances + dirt = trouble. And find a good gunsmith - that's important too.
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My X-bolt scoped and sling is 9.7 pounds.I'm okay with that. A little more weight would be okay as well but nothing as heavy as my BRNO.
I can hit a dime at 100 with my first shot out of a cold barrel with the X-bolt but it starts to open up as the barrel heats up. Its all I should need for hunting but I want a rifle that will shoot tight groups. Once I have a rifle that I know is capable of groups then I can work on my abilities.
I think the barrel on the X-bolt is just a little wippy. Hopefully they can build something with a heavier barrel than the X-bolt without adding too much weight.
 
Cleftwynd said:
RMR has their own action as well, very well designed. You should give them a call and talk directly to them. They have awesome customer service and will be able to recommend specifics to you based on your needs and wants.
Click to expand...

The action they use the most is manufactured for them by Defiance machine, they may have designed the RMR logo though. ;)
 
I actually own Rocky mtn rifles and custom rifles, scopes from there..
just my taste but wouldnt get 7mm in custom. just less selection then 30-06, 300wm, 340 weatherby mag, 308.
my 1 cent of my side.

I have one in 30-378 with their huskmaw scope since corlane is authorised dealer for that scope. i actually ordered krieger match grade barrel for it with custom stock and action. the package is set me back at little over $8000 dollars but it is a fun toy to shoot. the gun is at 9.5lb + scope.

My other one is set at 6.5lb with hunting montecarlo stock. both shoots decent at 100 yards and if i get lucky i'll get into 0.1-0.25" @ 100 but most likely random since i do make mistakes!

anyways you can get custom rifle under $3000 with good action, trigger, barrel that will last you a life time and corlanes do know and talk to you for weeks on what you exactly want to build and always check up with you if they have an idea. so the gun will come out exactly as what you had in your mind.
 
kimmer82 said:
I actually own Rocky mtn rifles and custom rifles, scopes from there..
just my taste but wouldnt get 7mm in custom. just less selection then 30-06, 300wm, 340 weatherby mag, 308.
my 1 cent of my side.

I have one in 30-378 with their huskmaw scope since corlane is authorised dealer for that scope. i actually ordered krieger match grade barrel for it with custom stock and action. the package is set me back at little over $8000 dollars but it is a fun toy to shoot. the gun is at 9.5lb + scope.

My other one is set at 6.5lb with hunting montecarlo stock. both shoots decent at 100 yards and if i get lucky i'll get into 0.1-0.25" @ 100 but most likely random since i do make mistakes!

anyways you can get custom rifle under $3000 with good action, trigger, barrel that will last you a life time and corlanes do know and talk to you for weeks on what you exactly want to build and always check up with you if they have an idea. so the gun will come out exactly as what you had in your mind.
Click to expand...

I agree with your assessment.
 
Corlane's (Rocky Mtn Rifles) have mentioned several times how they have found such great accuracy and overall performance from the 300WSM.
If I were to have another custom rifle built that is the chambering I would choose. I have shot one of their rifles and found this to be the case.
 
Tang safety is not a must.
7 Rem mag is a caliber that I know I can shoot comfortably in a lighter rifle. A .30 cal would be interesting but in a lighter rifle, I would be concerned about the amount of recoil.
 
I have a short action Stiller Predator, Krieger barrel, Robertson stock rifle which I had made a few years ago. It's chambered in 260 - but that's irrelevant. The Predator is basically a 700 without the the fuss of truing. Mick McPhee but the metal together and I shipped the assembly to Ian Robertson, who nestled it into one of his hunter stocks.
 
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