*Update* Custom 6.5 Creedmoor Build, Input Needed

[LynnJr]

Another tip is to buy a rough chamber reamer that can be turned into a reamer for a custom die. Most smiths will have 308 reamers and will cut them to Sammi, and as long as you can measure headspace (on the ammo) you can "find" the chamber dimensions. It's expensive but with a $150 rough reamer and a $150 custom die you can run it through FL and not have to take the extra step of fire forming.

This doesn't apply if you shooting box ammo.

What?
Am I missing something here?
A roughing reamer is used to remove a lot of material fast before switching to your finish reamer.
It is akin to drilling a pilot hole.

[Discogodfather]

What?
Am I missing something here?
A roughing reamer is used to remove a lot of material fast before switching to your finish reamer.
It is akin to drilling a pilot hole.

Sorry, I meant sizing die reamer, ordered when you get the chamber reamer to match it.

[SJ Mosin]

I went way over budget...

SPARTAN COMPLETE BUILD

-Remington 700 short, right, std.

-McMillan A3-5 w/ adjustable clamp bar, Desert

Ambush,4 flush cups (2 bottom, 2 side), one rail for

bipod, Pachmeyer decelerator pad

-Bartlein barrel 6.5 bore, 8.5 twist, #14, 4 groove

-Precision ground recoil lug

-Talley one piece 20 MOA picatinny rail

-Newman Precision DBM

-Timney trigger

-One A.I. 5 round magazine

---------------------------------------------------------------

-Barrel job chambered in 6.5 CM and cut to a finished

length of 24" with recessed crown

-Action truing job including enlarged scope base holes

8X40

-Pillar bedding job with Devcon Steel Putty and 7075

pillars

-Install oversized bolt knob

-Cerakote all metal in Flat Dark Earth

-Etch and label barrel with logo and chambering

-Final assembly of all small parts including extractor,

ejector, firing pin, etc.


TOTAL: $3200

[nic]

Congrats, SJMosin! That's gonna be one awesome rifle when you receive it!

[NiteQwill]

They are using a factory 700 action? Or did you get a custom action?

[SJ Mosin]

I went with a factory 700 action, I'm trying to keep the price down but I may get a quote for a Defiance action.

[Discogodfather]

What is Spartan saying on build time? Are they cool to deal with?

Another option if you don't want to wait on the stock and stock work is to get a drop in chassis like a McRees, KRG, XLR, etc. They do not require bedding or bottom metal. My biggest hangup in the past with customs was the time needed for stock work on the fiberglass stocks.

[SJ Mosin]

Spartan Precision was really great to deal with, he had a ton of stuff on hand so I could check things out before I decided on parts. He spent about an hour with me explaining various parts of the build and where I could best save money without sacrificing accuracy or quality. He estimated a finished rifle in 8-10 months.

[Discogodfather]

There are smiths that can turn and fit a barrel to an action while you wait and then drop into a chassis with similar results in accuracy. Waiting a year is a long time. Worth a trip to LA.

Deviant - $1400
KRG X-ray - $700
Timney - $150
Bartilein - $350
Smith - $250
Trip to LA - $100 worth of gas

Around 3000 with no wait other than ordering the DROS on the action. If you got a Stiller or a less expensive action hundreds less than that.

[SJ Mosin]

I'm totally OK with the wait because I can make payments, also this shop is also about 5mins from my house which makes it really convenient. I may go with the Deviant action after I talk to him tomorrow.

[FourT6and2]

I also made a visit to Spartan a while back. Very nice guy. His work seems great. I think he just upgraded a bunch of shop machinery too (I follow him on Instagram). He's popular with the NCPPRC guys. I wound up going with a different smith but not for any reason that would matter in terms of the final product.

I would go Defiance if you an afford it. Or BAT. Or Mausingfield if you really want to splurge. Hell, any of the custom 700-pattern actions are in the same ballpark as far as price goes: Stiller, Bighorn, BAT, Defiance, etc. I was in the same boat as you a while back when I wanted a bolt action. The folks on this board kept saying no no no no no, you need a cheap POS to start out on. Screw that. Get the best you can afford. You won't regeret it. So what if you shoot the barrel out. Barrels are like tires on sports cars. They are supposed to wear out and you replace them.

I went with:

Defiance Deviant
Bartlein M40/M24, 4-groove, 26" finished length, 6.5 Creedmoor
Surgeon DBM
Jewell or Timney trigger (I have both)
McMillan A5 stock
KMW Loggerhead cheek hardware
Tangent Theta 5-25x scope
For rings, it's either Seekins or American Rifle Company, haven't decided yet

I ordered everything about 4 months ago. But after doing more research after the fact, I'd say I could have even went with a Mausingfield or BAT action. But I don't think the action is going to impact accuracy all that much if you're comparing one custom action to another. It's mostly in the barrel and whomever does the chambering. But the Mausingfield action really impresses me from an engineering standpoint. I respect that sort of thing a lot. BAT actions are pretty sexy too. I want one of each! I've shot a Stiller and a Bighorn and they're nice but I didn't like them as much. Just a feel thing.

Also, it's probably faster if you just buy all the parts yourself and then bring them to your smith, rather than having your smith source everything. I too was quoted like 8-10 months by various people. But I have almost all the parts already.

[vintagearms]

I'm totally OK with the wait because I can make payments, also this shop is also about 5mins from my house which makes it really convenient. I may go with the Deviant action after I talk to him tomorrow.

A Deviant action will run $1350+tax+transfer fee and DROS. Approx $1550 OTD. A Mausingfield action runs approx. $1400+fees.

[FourT6and2]

A Deviant action will run $1350+tax+transfer fee and DROS. Approx $1550 OTD. A Mausingfield action runs approx. $1400+fees.

Where are you finding Mausingfield actions that cheap? They are $1600 from the manufacturer. My Defiance action was considerably less than $1300. But I guess it depends where you buy 'em.

[Discogodfather]

Just not understanding why a build would take 8-10 months other than the fact that they are booked and can't fit anyone in until a certain date. There really isn't that much work to be done. The stock bedding / in-letting takes some time but everything else is relatively easy and pain free.

I just put a Stiller action in the DROS and I have every component, got my Bartlein and Mcrees within a few days. Driving down to LA and having it mounted up as soon as the Stiller is out of the DROS. If it weren't for my laziness I could have had it together in 8-10 days, .375 cheytac.

Some builders just want too much time.

[10's N X's]

spartan is a busy shop and the long wait is mainly leadtime. there are other good smith's out there that you can ship your barrel and action to and they can get it done in a week or two, but that means you have to ship it. then there's the option of making the drive to Van Nuys and getting it done right away depending on Randalls schedule.

I think a custom is the way to go from a "buy once, cry once" standpoint. at the end of the day, you'll have a complete custom built rifle that hammers and you'll have it for as long as you want it and the cost to build it will soon be a memory.

Just a FYI, it looks like there are a number of shops offering prefit chambered barrels for the Ruger RPR. less than 30 day leadtime and you can swap out the factory barrel for a bartlein, brux, krieger barrel chambered the the caliber you want, provided your bolt can handle it and the smith has the reamer.