Factory, blueprinted, or custom rifle build?

[VuduDoc]

I did some digging on here via search and found some good information but wanted to give context and get opinions.

Question: For me, would a factory rifle, blueprinted build, or custom be most appropriate?

I'm looking to commit to a rifle platform to do almost 100% of my foreseeable hunting. I'm still deciding on the cartridge and I don't currently reload. Cost is a major factor as I have a mound of student debt from graduate school and this build will take ~2-3 years to put together based on budget.

My experience behind a bolt gun is very limited. I've owned a Savage Model 14 in .22-250 Rem that I put 60 shots through. As well as a Tikka T3x Lite in 6.5CM that I put 10 shots through and did a bunch of work to. Sold both to pay down student loans faster. Beside a handful of shots on friend's bolt guns, I've got about ~100 rounds of experience. I shoot quite often but mostly AR platform.

I'm quite the tinker-er and that draws me to a "semi-custom" or custom build but my skills and experience lean more towards a factory gun being plenty for me. I struggle with practicality and being realistic. Would I like a $6k custom? Heck yeah. Do I need that? No. Will I ever have the skills to outshoot a factory Tikka? Potentially but probably not. So is a blueprinted action overkill for me too? Probably.

With that said, which route do you think I should go? and which route did you go and why?

 

[Axlrod]

Tikka Then custom. By the time you dump $$ into a Rem you can buy an aftermarket action, that is better.

 

[Gorp2007]

I voted Tikka. I bought my first one about 9 years ago and I've since swapped stocks, swapped barrels, and now have three bolts for two actions so i can mix and match if I want to. I like the ability to do iterative tinkering but always have a fully functional rifle. Plus the price of entry is much lower than a full custom and you can buy factory take-off barrels for cheap and swap them out in your garage.

 

[CT_MS]

Get what you want. If Tikka fills that void, great. If you have a Remington 700 and want to upgrade it, do that. If neither of that gets you where you want to be, go custom.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Tikka Then custom. By the time you dump $$ into a Rem you can buy an aftermarket action, that is better.

Bingo

 

[vonb]

My last choice would be a blueprinted factory action. This is due to not being able to screw barrels on myself due to oversized barrel threads.

 

[QuackAttack]

Buy an X Bolt or X Bolt 2 and go hunt…seriously. Custom rifles are a fun luxury like a race car that you love but are always trying to tune and adjust. After a pile of rifles, I learned an expensive lesson…buy a good enough rifle, practice with it…and go hunt.

Spend extra money on glass and ammo.

It sort of pains me to say it, as I have a safe full of expensive rifles from LRI, Hagn, and others, but I generally just grab my Model 70 in 300 win mag and go hunt. It’s killed everything from moose to kudu without fail. Only mods were to tune the trigger and I bedded it myself with marine tex. It shoots 180gr TSX into 3/4 MOA.

 

[Reddish]

Just hunt with your AR and spend some money on good hunting ammo. .223 thread is hard to argue with all the pictures of performance. Assuming your AR is a .223/5.56.

 

[Vern400]

1. Blueprinting a model 700 and building it is going to cost you a lot of money. A well built one it's hard to beat.
2. I understand that you want to build something. I can't say anything there because I'm building a rifle now.
3. The other options you mentioned... If Aero Precision has a Solus that would require minimal changes you'll have more rifle for less money.
You are on the" Buy a Tikka" forum. But the Solus platform has a lot to offer even if you still decide to just buy an action. And this is still a bit of a free country for the time being.

Most importantly, I hope you have a great build and it meets your every need.

 

[49ereric]

Cheaper way buy a used savage and rebarrel it yourself with a quality barrel and a better stock.

 

[Lonewolf72]

Dude...if you are paying off student debt...this is a no-brainer...PAY OFF YOUR DEBT! Nothing sweeter than not having bills and a high credit rating! Buy the factory rifle that suits you, good glass and as much ammo as you can afford. Go forth, slay beasts and fill the freezer. Revisit your question after your debts are paid. I've learned this the hard way after many years and several rifles.

 

[huckfin]

Get a custom action in a rem 700 foot print. A defiance classic is only running $900 right now. There are a lot of prefits out there for them now and a lot of great aftermarket parts. It's 200 more than a tikka but you will have way more aftermarket support and won't be restricted with COAL in the tikka if you plan on stepping up to some longer cartridges.

 

[Shortschaf]

Custom actions do not really solve any problems or make your stuff accurate. Custom barrels do. Get a factory rifle and put a barrel on it later if you feel inclined.

If I was broke-broke, I'm getting a Savage and listening to @Lonewolf72's advice

If you can scrounge a little for and want a Tikka, that's obviously a great choice. Lots of aftermarket support and no shortage for tinkering later on. You may never want anything more, and if you do, custom actions will still be out there for you to try

Blueprinting actions only make sense if you already own an action, and want to accurize it. Forget that option entirely.

 

[DangerRanger]

I’ve had both and went back to tikkas so I definitely would not spend the money on a custom build if I was in debt

I could do 95% of my hunting with an ar with a scope change, probably 90% with the right lpvo

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

With limited shooting experience i would go Tikka, you likely won't know what you want in a custom rifle until you get a lot more shooting and hunting under your belt.

It would set you up with a good rifle out the gate and you could upgrade it slowly over time, do a custom build with it, or sell it and go the custom route in a couple years.

 

[Claybuster]

If I were in your shoes I’d pick up a Tikka and roll with it.

 

[fshaw]

Dude...if you are paying off student debt...this is a no-brainer...PAY OFF YOUR DEBT! Nothing sweeter than not having bills and a high credit rating! Buy the factory rifle that suits you, good glass and as much ammo as you can afford. Go forth, slay beasts and fill the freezer. Revisit your question after your debts are paid. I've learned this the hard way after many years and several rifles.

Great advice that I’d second. Having owned a lot of rifles over a lot of years I’d recommend the above and waiting to build a custom until after you’ve had some time and experience to know what you truly want, and why you want it. Lots of good options beyond Tikkas as well. Used rifles can be real bargains if you’re patient and shop wisely.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Dude...if you are paying off student debt...this is a no-brainer...PAY OFF YOUR DEBT! Nothing sweeter than not having bills and a high credit rating! Buy the factory rifle that suits you, good glass and as much ammo as you can afford. Go forth, slay beasts and fill the freezer. Revisit your question after your debts are paid. I've learned this the hard way after many years and several rifles.

Smartest advice in this entire thread.


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