First Rifle Build

[cxh21181]

Looking at doing my first rifle build. I’ve been a left handed shooter using right handed bolt guns my whole life. Wanting to build a left handed gun. The gun will be used for mostly hunting whitetails on the east coast but will take occasional trips out west for elk, pronghorn and mule deer. I have pretty much settled in on the 7prc. I would like the gun to be fairly light weight but not so light it is difficult to shoot. These are the parts I have considered ordering.

Defiance Classic LH Long Action Magnum Bolt(does this work with Ruckus Pre-fits?) or Zermatt Origin LH Long Action Magnum Bolt.

Proof Carbon Sendero 22 7PRC Prefit

Hawkins M5 Oberndorf Bottom Metal Remington 700 LA (I like hinged floor plates but was thinking about using this incase I ever wanted to switch to a DBM)

Wyatt 7prc MBE-2 Kit

Trigger Tech Primary Single Stage Rem 700 Clone LH

Stockys VG2 Carbon Stock Rem 700 LH LA or AG Composite Alpine Hunter with a M5 inlet


Guess just looking for opinions on this and if all these parts should play nice together? I can get a Nightforce NX8 here local on a pretty good deal. Gun will be suppressed.

Thanks guys

 

[WSMHNTR]

To me the stockys feel cheap and blocky but thats all personal preference. I personally prefer Mcmillan but the AG composite is a solid stock as well.

 

[TxLite]

I would definitely do m5. I did the Hawkins oberndorf with Wyatt mbe4 for my 6 creed and had issues getting it to feed smoothly in my Kelbly. Since I had my stock done as an m5 inlet I was able to easily swap the bottom metal and the mdt flush mags and magpul mags have been feeding like butter.

Expect the stockys to need fitment adjustments, aka dremel work. Also plan on it looking like a blem even if it’s listed as full price. I still like them and have several but for $399 you get a $399 carbon stock. Once the fitment is correct, they work well.

The AG is heavier but is better built with better inletting and generally has less fitment issues ime.

 

[TaperPin]

Sounds like a fun rifle. The 7 PRC/7 mag/280ai/7mm BC/7 WSM are ideal for most western hunting, which is why the formula has been so successful over time. It just is.

Sounds like some solid choices on components. The only thing I would tell one of our kids to avoid is a complicated trigger design. All triggers on all guns need to be cleaned as part of normal maintenance, it’s just a fact of life or weird things happen. Earlier in the summer I was chatting with a friend about what he’s shooting for rifles nowadays - his rifle and hunting budget are many times mine and as a traveling hunter he hits multiple states throughout the year, but we have similar sensibilities and enjoy comparing notes. He has a gunsmith on speed dial that treats him like a vip and if he wants something he gets it quickly. Every one of his and my rifles have Timney triggers set at 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 lbs, because they are consistently reliable, have a great break and feel, easy to maintain, and just work. There aren’t many parts - it’s a trigger not a jet engine. I also had lunch with my friend’s gunsmith who also has maintenance contracts with governmental organizations and he agrees.



With the triggertech’s popularity I was curious and looked up a cutaway to see what all the fuss is about. One look at all the small internal parts and in 60 seconds could tell I’ll never be interested in one of these. The roller sear is a solution for a crisp break problem that doesn’t exist in high quality hunting weight triggers, so that’s obviously designed just to be differentiated some how if it makes sense or not. All the parts that are sold as a better mousetrap aren’t accomplishing anything new. It’s proported to be “taking over the PRS”, without mention that it’s a paid sponsor of PRS and offers discounts to PRS shooters, not that PRS shooters have organically begun using it.

The company will argue the trigger pulling away from finger pressure as the sear breaks isn’t over travel, but the weird change in pressure has the same negative effect on the shooter that overtravel would. Advertising spin that this is a feature and not a negative makes me chuckle. The other advertising spin about. . .

. . . I’ll just leave it at that, or it sounds like I’m ranting. Most folks that like firearms and have a list of components already picked out are already 99.9% set on those so I don’t expect you’ll change your mind, but I say it for those who are trying to sort out good from biased information.