SmallCaliberCentral

HI all. I've been off the forum for a while due to work and family constraints, not to mention the weather here in Wales has been so bad I aint really managed much shooting this summer !!
Anyway I have decided to save my money and want to have a custom .204 built. I am currently shooting a Ruger M77 mk11 thats been bedded and had trigger and bolt work an it seems to prefer 32 grain bullets. When I build my new toy I want it to be more focused on shooting the 39 and 40 grain rounds.
So any and all suggestions welcome as to barrel manufacturer, Barrel length, Custom actions and stocks oh and barrel twist of course.
This is what I was thinking :-
Either fully blue printed rem 700 action or a custom action,
Heavy 26" barrel stainless fluted maybe shilen or liljia or krieger,
Timmney or jewel trigger set,
Heavy synthetic stock.

Many thanks
Adam

adam
i think a 1 in 11 would be about right for the 40's and even the 32's could be shot also
robert

As Robert said, 11 twist. Any barrel manufacturer who will give you an 11 twist is the ones I'd be looking at.
I don't know them off the top of my head. Pac-Nor is one not on your list with an 11.

A custom true 12 just might shoot any 40gn bullet nicely. I'd want the extra twist just to make sure it does.

Whats the purpose of this rifle? Bench shooting or foxes.

Cheers jo191145.
My riflesmith has suggested a 1-10 twist for the heavier loads. Not sure which to go with now I dont think I will bother too much with the lighter 32gr bullets as im thinking the heavier rounds will prove more effecient at the longer ranges.
The gun will be a long range crow and rabbit sniper with fox work in the winter. I know it will be a big lump to carry around the fields but the time has come when I want my own creation so to speak!!!
Can anyone rocommend some quality action manufactures? My smith says he can get most. I do like the looks on those actions with the twisted look on the bolts!!!
Thanks
adam

Adam, I had a 20 Practical (223 necked down to 20 cal.) built awhile back and I chose a Pac Nor 1-10 twist. Like you I don't care to shoot the 32gr., my rifle shoots the 40gr Vmax and Nosler BT's under a .5 inch and no loss in velocity do to the fast twist. Ken

adam wrote:Can anyone rocommend some quality action manufactures? My smith says he can get most. I do like the looks on those actions with the twisted look on the bolts!!!
Thanks
adam

Surgeon
Hall
Panda
BAT

Adam: So far this season, I've had great luck with my Pac-Nor 11 twist 204R barrel. It just loves the 39 SBK's.

Another action that has not been mentioned that I'd sure like to have eventually is a Nesika. They were one of the first to offer the spiral fluting on the bolt as you mentioned.

Good luck on the build, but remember, for what you pay a smith to blueprint a M700 action, you could pay for a custom action that needs no post-factory dinking around.

Thanks for the replies gents. Just got to get the build wheels in motion now!!! Its gonna be a long few months !!
Adam

I built a custom 204. What an adventure! Thanks to the good folks on this board I was able to survive the year long ordeal. Spending money and not seeing anything for almost 6 months is an exercise in patients. I would like to suggest you consider a Borden Rimrock Repeater Action. Jim Borden has had an association with Nesika actions in the past but Jim now produces his own actions. He is a well respected gunsmith in the BR world and is the inventor of the Borden Bumps used on many actions now. Here is a picture of his repeater style action. I would mate this up with either a Lilja, Krieger or Shillen barrel and a good Robertson Long Range Hunting stock. Have your smith pillar bed the action and you should have a really nice custom action hunting rifle that can also hold its own in a bench competition. That might come in handy for the next Challenge.

Thankyou Skipper. That does look nice I will have look on net for them. LIke you said it is going to be an exercise in patience, and that is something I am very short of
Thanks again
Adam

Here are a couple of links to the components I mentioned. I would start with a phone call to Jim Borden. He could probably build the whole rifle for you. Even if he doesn't build your rifle he can probably tell you exactly which stocks and barrels are a good fit for his action. He might even know of one that comes already inletted specifically for his action. His advice could save you a lot of time and money.

http://www.bordenrifles.com/

http://www.robertsoncomposites.com/html ... ls800.html

I have been mulling over the same thing - build a custom rifle or buy a factory rifle. I am 55 and have wanted to build a custom rifle for years, just could never justify it. I wonder still ..... a custom rifle will cost me $2500 - $3000, and the Savage 12 LRPV, at 1/3 the cost did really well for several folks at the .204um Challenge recently up against guns costing a whole lot more.