First rifle build action thoughts?

[camelcluch]

I have made the commitment to have a custom rifle built. I am a novice with rifles and do most of my shooting with a bow. My gunsmith likes both the Terminus and Zermatt actions. After looking into specs and such I do like the 60* bolt of the Terminus. I’m sure I’m missing some good comparisons for info. The gun is just to hunt with and shoot for my own fun. Besides cost, what are my pros and cons between the Terminus Apollo and Zermatt Orgin. I’m open to the Kratos if I would be better off.
Rifle will be a 7 mag or prc. I haven’t decided yet.

 

[flyguyskt]

go look at Mack Bros... their pricing is excellent for the quality you get.( much cheaper and is say the same me quality as other high end actions... I JUST finished a build with the Evo Ti... magnum... I'll be posting pics very soon here on rokslide ...

 

[camelcluch]

Thanks I’ll look for sure.

 

[Sevens]

Fan of the Zermatt offerings for the swapable bolt heads and CRF.

 

[Longleaf]

Kelbys Nanook if you like an integrated rail. 26.5oz LA

 

[JohnJohnson]

You first need to define what you want in an action. I'll mention and expand on some features you may want to think about in a new action.

Ability to take prefit barrels?

This one is huge for me now but probably doesn't matter to you, especially in a long action. With some actions you can swap out barrels yourself, very easily. And they're kept to such tight tolerances that you can order prefit barrels without having to send your action in and take the gun out of commission to get it fit. They just spin it up and using some tools you can put it on yourself. Or in the case of actions like the Terminus Zeus it's done with an allen key and no other tools.

Integral scope base and recoil lug?

This one is nice to have from a reliability standpoint (mainly for the scope base) but costs more to get because the bar stock they machine the action out of has to be larger in diameter. There are a few weakpoints in your rifle system as it relates to aiming. Loose scope base screws are one of those weakpoints, so integral scope bases are nice because they remove that variable entirely. But you can also just loctite your scope base screws and it'll be fine as well.

Push feed or controlled-round feed?

It makes zero practical difference, though some people like to mention how CRF is used for dangerous game hunting in Africa. Bighorn actions (and ARC actions) are CRF whereas other actions like the Terminus ones are push feed.

Do you want a 60, 75, or 90 degree bolt lift?

This is just based on your personal preference as it relates to how hard it is to lift the bolt and how far you have to lift it. The smaller the angle, the more stiff the bolt lift will be. The benefit of shorter throws being less chance of your scope getting in the way of you cycling the bolt, and it technically being faster to cycle by some tiny amount. Bighorn actions are 90 degree lift, and Terminus actions are 60 degree.

How much do you care about the weight of the action?

If it's an enormous deal to you, then maybe consider a titanium action but a lot of people aren't big fans of them. Because titanium is a more porous metal than steel, surface finishes are more difficult on it and the bolt travel can feel rougher on titanium actions than it would be on comparable steel actions. There are very lightweight steel actions, like the Defiance anTi action for instance, if weight is a huge factor for you.

Desired coating on the action?

Nitride and DLC coatings are two different approaches to surface finishes on custom actions. DLC is a surface coating while nitriding is a surface treatment which hardens the metal and does not go away if the finish rubs off because the underlying metal is still hardened. Either of these are fine but my personal preference is nitride.

Reputation for reliability in harsh conditions?

Benchrest actions or actions with extremely tight tolerances can be unreliable in harsh conditions such as moondust out west or other things that gum up actions. Defiance is a brand whose actions are known for that, though they always mention that it's within your power to spec your action with looser tolerances. And to be fair to Defiance that's a reputation they got for their Deviant actions which are only one of many they offer. Impact and Lone Peak are two brands very well known for their reliability in rough conditions. Same with the American Rifle Company actions such as the Coup De Grace and Mausingfield. That's not to say other brands aren't reliable though, just certain benchrest brands that feel great to cycle the bolt can gum up.

100% cock on open or 50/50 cock on open/close?

This is one you really won't encounter unless you consider an Impact, which I don't think you are. So I'll mention it but won't expand on it since it's not relevant. It just relates to how it feels to cycle the bolt due to when the firing pin is being retracted in that cycle.

Compatibility with BDL or you good with only using detachable magazines?

Some actions, especially ones cut to accept AICS and AW magazines, cannot be used with a hinged floorplate style feeding system. Always something to check if you want to be able to use that.

Swappable bolt heads?

Some actions have swappable boltheads, such as the Zermatt and ARC actions among others. Others like a Lone Peak or Impact you have to just swap out the entire bolt, which is also do-able. Again, not that relevant but something to think about if you ever do another build and want something different.

 

[flyguyskt]

the Mack bros has bolt heads that are swappable... a titanium nitride short action with swappable bolt knobs for 1300$... come on the other guys are all like 500 to 700$ more. it's an easy choice.

 

[JohnJohnson]

the Mack bros has bolt heads that are swappable... a titanium nitride short action with swappable bolt knobs for 1300$... come on the other guys are all like 500 to 700$ more. it's an easy choice.

Titanium may or may not be a selling point for him, depending on how much he cares about weight. It's a more porous metal that not everyone actually likes in an action.

Terminus Apollo

Terminus Apollo isn't even an option for your build unless I've misread their website. The cartridges you want your gun chambered in are long action cartridges and the Apollo only comes in short action. The Kratos is the long action one, out of the two Terminus actions you mentioned.

 

[Article 4]

Huge fan of BAT machine. Bench rest tolerances mentality and some of the best lightweight long actions in the planet. The Vampire is light like Ti but uses a metal matrix that doesn’t act like Ti. More $$ but if you have a get what you pay for mentality and are willing to spend it, great choice.

Whatever you choose, always a good idea for an action based on Remington footprint. Makes all the fitment and other parts so easy to fit and find.

 

[Wrench]

If you've never had a Ti action.....play with one before you pony up. There are close enough steel actions that get you 90% in on the weight with none of the negatives.

 

[camelcluch]

Unless I’m missing something, Mack Bros are out. No lefties listed
Still sifting through all this info.

 

[Wrench]

What are you planning? A light weight in a hunter's edge, chassis...repeater from a mag or bdl?

Details are important here.

 

[JohnJohnson]

Unless I’m missing something, Mack Bros are out. No lefties listed
Still sifting through all this info.

I went back and edited my first post in this thread. I went over some action features people consider when choosing a custom action, as well as as much of the "why?" as I felt is relevant.

 

[camelcluch]

The plan right now but not set in stone. XLR chassis, proof barrel maybe a Bartlein.

 

[JohnJohnson]

proof barrel maybe a Bartlein.

Carbon fiber or all steel?

 

[camelcluch]

Would like CF.

 

[Wrench]

A prefit in a chassis isn't something you need a smith for....that's just legos.

 

[JohnJohnson]

A prefit in a chassis isn't something you need a smith for....that's just legos.

I ended up buying the action from the same smith who's doing the prefit so I'm having him put the two together. Plus I wanted to be a bit picky and get the TBAC CB brake indexed to the muzzle thread shoulder instead of using peel washers to time it. But that's just a cosmetic thing I wanted.

 

[Article 4]

A prefit in a chassis isn't something you need a smith for....that's just legos.

I own 7 rifles with CF bbls. Have experience with hundreds of CF bbl rifles in both Proof and Bart. They both perform.
The Proof CF bbls will be a bit lighter and the Bart #13 is similar to the Proof Sendero

 

[JohnJohnson]

I own 7 rifles with CF bbls. Have experience with hundreds of CF bbl rifles in both Proof and Bart. They both perform.
The Proof CF bbls will be a bit lighter and the Bart #13 is similar to the Proof Sendero

I don't think he was saying anything about CF barrels. Just that if the OP chooses an action that takes prefits, he can put the barrel on himself with a barrel vise, action wrench, torque wrench (90-100 ft/lbs), and a couple other things. Or I guess in the case of the Terminus Zeus, all he needs is an allen key. Then bolt it into the chassis himself as well and the "build" is done, long as he knows how to put a trigger on an R700 style platform.