Favorite Custom Action?

cattleman99

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
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178
Location
USA
Whats your favorite and why? Im fond of Bighorn actions because of their usability and the east of changing calibers.

Bighorn
Impact
Defiance
BAT
Kelbly
Curtis
Stiller
Terminus
Lone Peak
American Rifle Company
Ultimatum
etc. etc. etc.
 

rayporter

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
4,406
Location
arkansas or ohio
lots to choose from out there for sure. the only ones I have owned are bats and kelbly pandas. and they are not for hunting. for ease of changing barrels you certainly cant beat them. just unscrew a barrel using a barrel vice and screw on a new barrel. you can screw it on by hand and shoot but it will shoot loose in a while so you should torque it down.
I have 13 panda barrels and they can go on either of the 2 pandas I have left.
 
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cattleman99

cattleman99

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Oct 10, 2019
Messages
178
Location
USA
lots to choose from out there for sure. the only ones I have owned are bats and kelbly pandas. and they are not for hunting. for ease of changing barrels you certainly cant beat them. just unscrew a barrel using a barrel vice and screw on a new barrel. you can screw it on by hand and shoot but it will shoot loose in a while so you should torque it down.
I have 13 panda barrels and they can go on either of the 2 pandas I have left.
There are tons of option out there now that allow that. Bighorn, Impact, Kelbly, etc. all keep their tolerances so tight that the headspace will come the same from action to action. That's the beauty of custom actions. Just screw a barrel on, torque it down, and go.
 

codym

WKR
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
543
Location
Las Cruces
Bighorn hands down, can get any cut you want. User swappable bolt faces, shouldered prefits or savage small shank prefits and a completely field serviceable bolt. I’ve moved to all tl3’s SR3’s and origins. Just order a barrel and change in my shop takes 10 minutes.
 
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
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1,735
I’m favorable to Defiance actions. The Deviant GA Hunter and Deviant Ultralight hunter models are on my “need” list!
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Messages
510
I don’t have a lot to give experience from. For the Lapua bolt face the kelbly tactical action is an affordable piece. Have my 300 Norma improved on that action and is a pretty nice setup for the cost. Short action an impact is pretty tough to beat. I see a lot of guys run those in the local PRS circuit.
 

USMC-40

WKR
Joined
Nov 22, 2016
Messages
564
Location
NW Missouri
Had a bunch of the ones in your list, but Defiance has the best ‘feel’ to me. They are lubricated glass smooth.
 

Citrusdude

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Joined
Jul 12, 2019
Messages
153
Location
Colorado Front Range
I am partial to the pre-64 Model 70 actions as well, but mine are all original Winchester builds. The only custom I have was built on a Stiller Predator a while back and it is superb.
 

tdhanses

WKR
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
5,916
LPA.....because it’s the only one I’ve used 😂

I do have a donor Howa action being turned into a semi-custom even though it’ll be the only factory part. We’ll see how that turns out.
 

Ryan Avery

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Staff member
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
8,978
Defiance for a magnum bolt face too?

I should have been more clear. Defiance has a long bolt throw like all 700 clones. Curtis has a short 60-degree bolt throw. IF I was building a Lapua bolt face I would go Curtis personally. But for all others, I would go Defiance UL.
 

WestexSBK

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
154
I’m a long time bighorn user. Owned bat, stiller, surgeon, and defiance. Do not see any reason to change. My only gripe is they don’t offer a lapua bolt head....yet!

If bighorn went out of business or something I would make a complete move to Kelbly actions. They are veryyyy nice.

Joe S.
 
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