Weatherby - Sako - Kimber - Custom?

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Looking at getting a special rifle next year as a gift from my wife to my self. This will be a rifle I will want to use for mostly deer, and smaller animals and I plan on keeping it for a life time. I wont be happy if it can't shoot under MOA at 100 yards.

I would like it to be in the .25 Cal, or 6.5 Cal range and like the idea of a .257 WBY.

Weatherby - Don't like the Vanguard. Freebore worries me for accuracy. Like the idea of an Accumark in .257 Wby.

Sako(85) - Like the smooth action. Hate the selection of calibers, would go with a .25-06 if it came in a barrel length longer then 22".

Kimber - Never handled one. Would go for a .25-06, and it comes in a 24" barrel.

Custom - Can I get one for around $2000.00 that would be comparable with say a Sako or Kimber in quality? Was thinking about something like a Stiller Predator action, Bell & Carlson or Boyds stock, and any quality barrel.

Like the idea that I would be able to pick what caliber, and barrel length I want, as well as type / colour of stock.

What do you guys think?

Styled
 
If I was going to the expense of a Stiller action, I wouldn't use a Bell and Carlson stock, but rather would go for one of the high end synthetics (assuming I wanted a synthetic).
 
Once you begin thinking in terms of thousands of dollars for a rifle, custom is the way to go. The rifle you end up might be of little value to anyone but yourself, and if you have plans of selling it down the road, this must be a consideration. Generally the more specialized the product the less sales appeal it has. Decide what you want, but above all have good communication with the builder to ensure you get the product you want. Can you get a custom rifle for $2k? That depends what you want, and what you have for a donor rifle. A stock and barrel are going to be $500 each, shop time will run $100.00/hr, anything fancy will be outrageous.
 
Check out the custom jobs over at 24 hour campfire. Lot's of McMillan swirly stocks in some cool action/barrel/stock combo's to really whet your appetite for something unique and one-of-a-kind.
 
Wouldn't get a Sako, you pay too much and get too little (though I like their varmint guns).

Don't worry about freebore, it won't affect accuracy enough to matter on a big game rifle (really, do you need 1/2 MOA instead of 1 MOA?). I do like the MkV.

I've never used a Kimber, but on paper they seem good.

For me, there's just something about CRF rifles. I don't know what, but it just seems 'proper' on a big game gun - though I'm not going to tell you it's 'better' than a push feed. The Remington 798 series really deserves a close look, and I think adding a really nice piece of finely checkered exhibition walnut and having the action detailed would put you into the 'custom rifle' feel within your price range.
 
I'm in the same boat as your are right now looking for a 25 caliber and I really like the 257Wby but really not 100% sold on the free bore I've been trying to get a load together for my 300 wby for a while and have had some issue. I'm not done working on it yet and I will figure it out but it seems really touchy. So I was thinking of a Winchester Action convert to a 257 wby. but I know this gun will run me over 2000 dollars if I want to build it. Best of luck I'm going to go the custom route myself I think.
 
For $2,000 you can get a pretty special rifle.

I picked up a Sako L61R barreled action in 300 Win Mag. The barrel was toast, and the metal pretty rough, although not pitted.

Add a PacNor fluted match grade stainless barrel, a set of optilocks, a Rimrock stock, a mercury recoil reducer, Decelerator recoil pad, accurizing, and powdercoating, and I have a pretty nice custom package. I put a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10x44 on the rifle.

I stuck with the 300 Win Mag, but could just as easily gone to .264 Win Mag.

Now bear in mind that optilocks run almost twice the cost of other high quality scope mounting options, you will likely not want the recoil reducer (having thought of it some more, I'm going to drop it), and you may not want a fluted barrel. If all of these assumptions are accurate, you could have put this package together for $2,000.
 
The Weatherby freebore is one reason the 257 will run as fast as it does. I know one fellow here in Alberta that has one built on a Sako action with a short freebore and he can't shoot factory ammo, too hot, or load to max charges , again too hot....velocity falls between a 25-06 and a 257 with freebore. the freebore doesn't adversly affect accuracy. There are a great many very accurate Weatherbys out there with freebore chambers.
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...&Words=+rembo&topic=0&Search=true#Post1742174
 
Styled said:
Looking at getting a special rifle next year as a gift from my wife to my self. This will be a rifle I will want to use for mostly deer, and smaller animals and I plan on keeping it for a life time. I wont be happy if it can't shoot under MOA at 100 yards.

I would like it to be in the .25 Cal, or 6.5 Cal range and like the idea of a .257 WBY.

Weatherby - Don't like the Vanguard. Freebore worries me for accuracy. Like the idea of an Accumark in .257 Wby.

Sako(85) - Like the smooth action. Hate the selection of calibers, would go with a .25-06 if it came in a barrel length longer then 22".

Kimber - Never handled one. Would go for a .25-06, and it comes in a 24" barrel.

Custom - Can I get one for around $2000.00 that would be comparable with say a Sako or Kimber in quality? Was thinking about something like a Stiller Predator action, Bell & Carlson or Boyds stock, and any quality barrel.

Like the idea that I would be able to pick what caliber, and barrel length I want, as well as type / colour of stock.

What do you guys think?

Styled
Click to expand...

I was in your shoes a month ago. I did all my homework, read read read reviews, comments, questioned on the forums, talked to dealers, shouldered dozens of guns, thought about customizing..... and finally....

Bougth Sako 85 in SS and put a nice Leupld VX 7 on it. Cost over 4 grand but I am super happy with it.

So my vote is for Sako 85. You won't regret it.
 
I would take the action of your choice, have a gunsmith screw on a 260 barrel (if short action) or a 6.5x55 or 6.5-06 (if long action). Drop it in a Mcmillan, custom trigger, yada yada

2 grand buys a nice toy
 
I got a Kimber 8400 Classic in a trade this fall. While a heavy work sch has prevented me from shooting it, I am quite pleased with the rifle overall. Nice wood, good pad, bedding, very smooth CRF action and a 3 pos Mod 70 type safety. You couldn't build a nicer rifle for the price they go for and the target that came with it shows much promise in the accuracy dept with groups between .500" and .850".

Time will tell after I get to shoot it a bit, but so far, so good with this one.


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custom rifle

I just built a custom .257 weatherby on a M700 action with a Gaillard barrel, Mcmillan Edge stock and had the action trued for about $2000.00 including buying the action, that gun shoots consistantly under .5'' with 110gr accubonds and 115gr partitions. I love this cal. for deer size game.
 
My Sako is on order, and factory says 1-2 more months. :) Its a smooth rifle, comes in stainless synthetic, and is uncommon in the field- so it almost seems custom!(?). $1500 still leaves room for mounts and a decent piece of glass.
 
I'd decide on the ACTION you want...PF or CRF? etc...And then decide on the stock you want..

Pick any good barrel maker get the 3 items together, and have a good smith make it.

I'd go fr 25-06...does anythign a 25 should do...:)
 
I just pick up TC icon in 308 out of box with factory ammo this gun will shoot under 1moa. Is nice to handle adjustable trigger over all is a well designed rifle. I think it might suit your needs. Check it out.
 
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