Factory versus Custom Rifle Builds

With the selections of rifles at the local sporting goods store, can you buy a rifle that will shoot as well as having someone build a custom rifle?

Do custom rifles really shoot better?

What do you prefer

JH

i’ve gone to TC Encores, having the barrels custom made. TC barrels are very good, i.e. < 1 MOA, but if you want 1/4 MOA you need to custom made. I actually send the shell out now that i want the barrel matched to and they do seem to be tighter. OR, maybe i smoked too much weed as a kid…

the short: No difference to 100yds, maybe 200, but from 300 to 500yds, it IS different.

308 168grn!!! (lead, of course)

Using gross generalities, a custom rifle from a reputable and experienced custom maker will often shoot very well.

Better than a factory rifle? Well, it depends on what factory rifle.

You are engaging in an apples to oranges comparision here. There are lower-end custom jobs which are basically just a barrel and trigger job. When compared to something from, say, Sako’s higher end ranges, these “custom” rifles should be very afraid. At the end of the day, there’s nothing magic about custom rifles. A custom maker is still a manufacturer so the quetion is how good of a manufacturer are they?

But if you compare a mid-grade custom against a box-stock Remington, well, it’s pretty obvious which will, on average, win.

Of course, the devil is in the details. What maker, how much “better” is better, at what cost, and with what practical effect? A comp or benchrest shooter is going to have different requirements than a hunter whose deer will be no deader if the rifle shoots 1 inch vs .5 inches.

Grouse

Like Grouse & Stu stated, its which factory – AND what your expectations are.
You want to hit a 24″ plate of steel at 500yrds – no. Most mass produced POS rifles are capable of repeatedly doing that. Most factory rifles in combination of “hunting grade” ammo will start to fall off at 700 to 900 yrds. Better quality and matched parts with the right ammo will get you that 800 – 1000 range, but usually with a pretty sloppy group.

Now, if your looking to start your comparison at 1000 and up, there are huge differences to be had, along with $$$$$ and builders. Some builders start with a mass produced machined action, some go all out and start with a blue print. How accurate and at what range do you want that accuracy? In my quest so far for having a build for 2016, I’ve been learning a lot, still have more to learn, and very intrigued with some of the myths out there.

A vital lesson I learned so far is in the ammo. So many of us have used hunting grade bullets and use that as a comparison. Many hunting bullets have a very distinct loss of stable trajectory after they slow down or experience a percentage of energy loss. Match grade bullets for punching paper that you generally wouldn’t use for hunting, have much better flight characteristics. So your 1/2 MOA at a 100 yrds, may hold well to 400yrds, then can fall into a 2 MOA at 600, and be 5 or 6 MOA at 800yrds. (describing some hunting loads) This is where some guys get extremely frustrated with their first attempts at shooting extended ranges. BUT, the ammo is still only one part of the puzzle.

Also, just to reiterate, there are many different levels of custom, price points, and objectives. You need to identify your end goal and work the solution backwards to identify if the cost is worth the value to you.

I don’t know much about Tikka’s but they are suppposed to be tight shooters. I always heard that the Savage LRP and LRH are factory rifles that shoot lights out. There are folks talking of certain factory guns that really do shoot well and as stated something as simple as factory ammo can make or break one’s opinion on accuracy.

I have had a some experience in the custom build side, as stated you really need to research the Gunsmith’S background.

I have come across rifles that were ok to tack drivers and then the class that has taken advantage of the customer and got away with it.

There are some very good precision gunsmiths out there, don’t take me wrong as trying to drop a bomb on customs.

JH

JH, I’m not going to drop names, because I am not a gunsmith. I’m a student. But I really had that feeling with a few “custom” builders I met at the Shot Show. I found that there is custom builders and then there are custom ASSEMBLY of other’s parts.

Randy Wieland wrote:

I found that there is custom builders and then there are custom ASSEMBLY of other’s parts.

Most true statement ever!

Has anyone ever seen a listing of true high end gunsmiths, a list that does not have a personal agenda or gains in relation to the true expertise in the end product.

Some folks say that it really doesn’t matter because most custom guns will out preform the majority of the folks pulling the trigger, I disagree with that statement and believe it is a scapegoat for doing average work.

JH

I would argue that most stock factory gun’s will shoot better than the ability level of the average person pulling the trigger (don’t kid yourself about who the average shooter really is). Which in turn would make the answer to the original question subject to each individual person that asks it.

I am by no means an expert marksman, but I would argue I am somewhat above average, but for myself I don’t see custom being worth the cost for what I do, I’m just not a long range shooter, just not my hunting style.

So for what my 2 cents is worth i’d say there is no blanket answer to the is it worth it question, going to depend on each persons need and ability.