new to precision rifles, want to start a build need advices.

vince514

vince514

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Hey guys

I want to start building my first and only ONE precision rifle for hunting and target shooting,

Budget is not really a problem but i dont want to exceed more than 5000$ once completed IF POSSIBLE.

i have chosen an action and chassis.

Rem 700 caliber .308 , already have brass and reloading press. will buy dies soon.

accuracy international chassis.

but i dont know which one ... AX? AT? or AICS? this is the reason why i start this thread.. whats the difference?

the scope im not even thinking about it yet.

Any advices?

Thanks
 
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Budget is $5000 for rifle and scope or just rifle?

If it’s just for the rifle itself you’ve got plenty to probably even go with a Remington clone custom action. Stiller, surgeon, defiance are all quite common. I went down this path over a year ago and it’s just about complete. I went Surgeon action based on a few recommendations.

What area area of the country are you in? We could point you in the direction of some local smiths. Most good ones have pretty long wait times because good work takes time. Insite arms is who I went with for my build.
 
If you can, get behind these chassis and see what fits you.

The AI of a few decades back was my dream rifle. I finally got a chance to play with one and to my dismay, I didn't fit.

With any chassis or stock, try before you buy if at all possible.

Beyond that, you have a solid budget that will allow you alot of options in your build. I doubt you will come close to spending it all but if there is extra $$, put on 2 barrels at the same time. Same or different chambering, the lag time for a replacement can be a bother to some.

There are of course new actions that share many of the positive features of the Rem 700 but the ease of barrel swaps of the Savage. These are becoming very popular as there is little down time to get another barrel on your action. Chamberings are really limited to whatever will fit in your action... and overall costs per barrel is much less.

Once you know what stock/chassis you prefer, the rest is pretty straight forward as the set up of the barreled action is not hard.

Jerry
 
I just ordered a Carbon fibre wrapped barrel from Jerry.
6.5 CM 19 inches.
Got a Savage 10 tr from the EE
And Cadex chassis.

So far I’m in it for $2600.

Barrel $1150
Savage. $550
Chassis $900

I’m going to shoot the 308 barrel ,that came on the 10 tr,until my new barrel gets here.


I cut that down from 24 inches to 19 and it’s much better balanced.


You could cut costs and weight by going with a different chassis.


I threw a Leupold 6.5 -20 VX3I on it for another $800.
 
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We could do a Rem 700 / AI 2.0 308 Win. for under 5k and it will shoot awesome!
We have a few trued Rem 700s with fluted bolts & AI 2.0 Folders on hand

...if the 5 K includes glass we could probably help you come close with a few demo scope options
 
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The AX and AT are actual rifles. You are looking at either the AX or AT AICS (Accuracy International Chassis system).

I have an AX and an AWSM (the AWSM has ergos pretty close to the AT). I would recommend getting behind them before making up your mind. They are also quite heavy so if you want a double duty rifle take that into consideration.

I would go with a Grayboe (A5 copy) and spend more on glass but that is just me.
 
vince514 said:
accuracy international chassis.
but i dont know which one ... AX? AT? or AICS? this is the reason why i start this thread.. whats the difference?
Click to expand...

The Accuracy International AICS is designed specifically for the Remington short or long actions.

There are two main models, the AT AICS and the AX AICS. Within each main model there are some variants with respect the skins (thumbhole or pistol grip), and whether or not the stock folds or not.

The main difference between the two is that the fore end of the AX envelopes the barrel completely, while the AT has no enveloping fore end.

Have a look at the Accuracy International web site for the details: http://www.accuracyinternational.com/aics-chassis-systems/

I prefer the classic AT AICS, mainly because I can get the scope lower to the bore as there is no fore end getting in the way.
 
When you say you plan to hunt with it, do you mean from a tree stand or walking hunting? I built something like you are considering and there is no way I could carry it a kilometer without the drag bag on my back let alone hold the beast free hand. No big deal from the right tree stand with a rest though. My one rifle for all is now 2 rifles (actually 3 :)).
 
My Savage 10 TR .308 ,19 inch barrel weighs 10 lbs ,loaded.
Great for target shooting and doable for hunting.

The barrel is a tank, that’s why I’m going with a CFW.
 
If you're going to use it for hunting as well, I would not go with a chassis. For easy carry and non-snagging, I would go with a fibreglass, pillar bedded stock. Pick a quality stock, like a McMillan, that is not to heavy but still rigid.
 
Take up Insite on their offer
If it’s going to also be a hunting rifle I would go with a McMillan or Manners stock over a chassis.
 
Well what little advice I can offer would be "bullets,barrels,and bedding", there is also the "mini chassis" system by Manners which reduces the "bedding" process. I've had the AICS "thumbhole and really didn't find it that comfortable, and they are "heavy", so consider that for hunting purposes. I'm building a 300WM and have chosen a Manner's MCS-T5, which is a thumbhole style stock, but much more comfortable for me, and lighter. I find the "pistol grip" AICs stock more comfortable than the traditional thunbhole. My advice is to try a few out, take into account the weight and make the best decision for you? Good Luck.
 
I found it difficult to make it ideal for both hunting and target shooting.
You want a heavier barrel for target but a lighter gun for hunting.
The only way to get both is gonna be pricy.

Pierce titanium action,CFW barrel, MDT light weight chassis, would probably accomplish both, but $$$$.

Ive decided to go with Savage action,CFW prefit barrel,Cadex chassis with a CTR stock.
That should keep it under 10 lbs, not ideal for hunting but doable.

In any event, I have my 7mm Browning XBolt SS for hunting,when I need it.
 
By target shooting do you mean PRS competition? MPA has a new hybrid chassis out. Barricade shooting has challenges and the MPA accessories are built around barricade shooting. The carryover is huge for hunting applications... have a perfect shot at 500 yards, but can't go prone because of terrain, but there is a cattle-gate close by? Then use the MPA wedges... The only problem I'd see for hunting is that the foreguard of the chassis is exposed aluminum and could be cold to the touch. The cheek pad and grip are not cold though. The hybrid weighs 3lbs, so that is pretty good for a chassis. I think the manners carbon fiber ultralight weighs 2lbs.

Personally, I'd go for a two rifle setup. Shooting a lot burns out a barrel. And for longer shots, I'd want more oomph for longer shots than a standard caliber can provide. While it is true that a 6.5 caliber has the same or similar ballistics than a 300wm, it does not have the energy payload of the 300wm. Energy delivered being the key to an ethical hunting shot. There are guys that have taken down elk sized game from 800 yards with a 6.5-284, but using that caliber will burn your barrel out quick... And you'll be going through barrels like mad.

If you did go that route, I'd get an action with an integral recoil lug, as barrel swaps are much easier. But then, an action that has lots of pre-fit support would be optimal. So, I'd consider an action like the Nucleus action (or maybe Insite could make a bunch of pre-fits for your specific action?), where pre-fit barrels are easy to come-by (maybe a little tougher to get the barrels in Canada): "Another plus with this setup is after you burn out that first barrel, you can order a new one from Patriot Valley Arms without having to send in your action. That means you won’t be waiting months on a gunsmith to keep your rifle match-ready. Josh said he’ll be offering those replacement barrels for $500, which is a good deal for a chambered, match-grade barrel with a threaded muzzle" (from the PRS blog write-up on the Nucleus).

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2018/02/10/shot-show-2018-mpa-hybrid-chassis/

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2018/01/27/shot-show-2018-nucleus-action-american-rifle-company/

Here's a quick video talking about LR hunting calibers. Oh, carbon fiber barrels are pretty awesome. I've handled one in 300wm that was 7lbs, and it was weird, because usually you expect them, with their big bulls barrels, to handle like most other precision rifles, you expect them to be heavy. But they are not and it's kind of weird to get over. However, they are sometimes twice, or more, the price of a regular stainless match barrel. I would not want to shoot one for target shooting as it would burn the barrel out too quickly. That's why I personally am opting for the two rifle setup. A carbon barreled precision/hunting rifle and a dedicated competition shooter. Anyway, there's my two cents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KQcyNeaOCQ
 
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vince514 said:
Hey guys

I want to start building my first and only ONE precision rifle for hunting and target shooting,

Budget is not really a problem but i dont want to exceed more than 5000$ once completed IF POSSIBLE.

i have chosen an action and chassis.

Rem 700 caliber .308 , already have brass and reloading press. will buy dies soon.

accuracy international chassis.

but i dont know which one ... AX? AT? or AICS? this is the reason why i start this thread.. whats the difference?

the scope im not even thinking about it yet.

Any advices?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I thought the same as you did and a few years back I went with a 700P LTR in .308. Turned out to be a heavy hunting rifle and not very good precision gun. In short I now own a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless and a T3x Tac A1. If you want to stay around 5k with glass I'd maybe go with the RPR. And since you already have the brass get 'em both in .308 but know that 6.5 Creed is a superior round. But like Jerry said get behind whatever you're purchasing and make sure it fits! However if you're going to hunt with a precision style rifle, hopefully it's from your tripod / hog saddle.
 
thanks everyone for your advices.

Im still uncertain what chassis ill be getting, but i got my eyes on another model.

What you guys think about KRG X-Ray? and maybe tac-21 looks good also but i already have an ar15 :( wanted something new so....
 
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