New 204 go factory or custom

[IOWA204]

I am ready for my next 204, and just not sure which route to take. I have been eyeing a couple Factory rifles and also thinking about a build. I currently own several 204s including a
Kimber 84M varmint, COOPER m21, DPMS LR204, Savage LPV, CZ527 varmint, I am very happy with what I have and all shoot well, but its time to add another 1, I am a bit of a 204aholic. I have narrowed my option down to a few just not sure which 1 yet.
1. Tikka T3 varmint, my local scheels has them in stock, I like the look and feel just not sure about the stock seems a little weak, and the loading/ejection port in the action just seems pretty narrow to me. I know most of these have been pretty good shooters.
2. Remington VSSFII I really like this rifle, but have heard of some issues with them here as of lately mostly with the barrels, granted I have not had any issues with any remington that I have owned.
3. I have a Remington 700 BDL .223 that is a nice gun but would be an even better 1 for a build to re-barrel and chamber to a 204. If I decide to do this I would have to find a gunsmith that would do it for me, change barrel , bed etc. I don't know of any in my area that do this work but am sure I could find 1.

This gun will be used for everything from fox to prairie dogs to target shooting. Thanks for any help or opinions you can give me.

[Keith in Ga]

While I don't have that many .204's, I was looking to compliment my Cooper Varminter .204 and decided to go with a Cooper Phoenix in .204. Both guns are real shooters. I do have a couple of Tikka's (.223 and 22-250) and both are very accurate too. While the stocks on the Tikka's aren't anything to look at, they are strong and functional. Plus, it doesn't hurt quite as much as putting a ding or dent in a nice Cooper wood stock. I don't think you would go wrong with a Tikka, but having a custom built is very appealing too. If money wasn't an issue, would probably build a custom.
Personally, I would stay away from a factory Remington.

How does the accuracy of your guns compare? Just curious about the Kimber and Savages.

[glenn asher]

It's your money, of course, but I think I'd go the custom route, since you've got that BDL sitting there. Greg Tannel or Kevin Weaver, or Pac Nor, for that matter, can rebarrel it and do a very good job. For time's sake, Pac Nor is probably the fastest, and their barrels are "pretty darned good"

The two named smiths are well known in the .17 and .20 arena, they do a lot of the work for the guys on http://www.saubier.com, but because they have excellent reputations and are known for quality work, they are VERY busy guys. That's the only downside, the good guys are awfully busy.
Check out Pac Nor's prices, they are quite reasonable, and will true up the action, chamber and install barrel, in a relatively short time frame. They don't do stock work, though, so you'd have to sort that out yourself. Others will likely chime in, maybe with some other smiths you could contact. It's a start................... best of luck!

[Ruger No. 1]

I have a VSSF II in 22-250 and I really like it, however i have been so busy lately that i have not been able to shoot it. But so far all my remingtons have been great shooters. My rem. XR-100 in .204 will shoot well under .5 all day long with 39 gr. sierras. the only problem I have with the VSSF II is that the grip is not quite long enough, the palm swell is great but the grip does not extend down far enough for my whole hand to be on the grip. Here are a few pics of mine:


here is a group from my XR-100

[wadevb1]

I just finished the rebarrel route with two of my Remington actions. I chose two different smiths, both reputable and the results show. Both rifles are extremely accurate with first load recipe. I dropped about a grand each with barrel and blueprint so it's not too far a Cooper buy. I should add that Tannel did one of the builds and he is top notch!

[race4hills]

I fully agree with Glenn on this. Sounds like you have the factory guns covered, may it's time for a custom! I had Kevin Weaver rechamber an XR100 in 204 to a 20 Practical and it shoots great. He is also building me a 20BR, should get it back next month. Build time with him is 4-6 months. Kevin is very good guy to deal with.

I have a Remington vssfII 204 and it shoots factory ammo less than 3/4" and handloads less than 1/2'' groups with 32's , 40's V-Maxs and 39 BK's.

Good luck!

[jo191145]

If your using it for p-dogs a lot you might consider rebarreling your Savage VLP. You can do this yourself right at home with an aftermarket tube.
Now if you want to own a custom match reamer you'll need a Gunsmith therefor you can have it mounted to any action you wish.

I think Pac-Nor has a custom reamer. Mate that to a Savage screw on and your saving enough money to buy two barrels.
Smiths hate Savages!

[KVW]

Where are you from in Iowa. I know 2 smiths that could do it for you. Maybe even 3. One is located in Pella, Ia. One in Bussey, Ia and the other is in Manning, Ia. I know the one in Manning works alot on Savage so I don't know if he works on remington. Let me know if I can help.

[Rick in Oregon]

In February of this year I was faced with the same question. I chose to go custom, and sent Pac-Nor a VSSF barreled action in 223 Rem. With the blueprint job, custom match reamer, new varmint weight barrel chambered and fitted with a custom contour to match the original Remmy barrel and a crown cut to my specs, the entire job took 10 weeks and cost under six bills including the reamer. The two companies are here in Oregon, and not far from one another.

Pac-Nor does not have any custom 204 reamers, but lists a "match" reamer. If you want a snug neck or anything else out of the ordinary, contact Pacific Tool & Gauge and have them send the reamer direct to PN. They do this every day.

[IOWA204]

Thanks for the help and ideas so far guys. I have decided to go the custom route, I have made several phone calls and done alot of re-search this week. Right now I'm leaning towards the PAC-NOR route having them do my barrel work and then sending it to a gunsmith I found in my area that will do my stock and trigger work for me. I have been very lucky with the factory 204s that I have some have taken a little work but all shoot well , the COOPER and KIMBER shoot extremely well. But there is something about a build that has always intrigued me. I am hoping to get started soon, but I am sure this will lead into a winter project. Thanks for the help so far I am sure I will have more questions.

[skipper]

You'll never regret a good custom build. I had a custom rifle built last year on a Stolle Panda action.
I can still remember the excitement the day I picked it up.

[AK204]

I highly recommend pac-nor for a re-barrel job. I never had them do a re-barrel for me, but I do have quite a few rifles that sport their barrels that my gunsmith(s) all fitted for me.

[Orion2see]

I have been considering a custom to augment my factory rifles. Picking the action, barrel, stock, trigger so that I get just EXACTLY the gun I want does seem exciting. Everyone should have a custom rifle done once, and the .204 is my caliber of choice. I want a heavy PD gun that will drive tacks.