This may be completely fanciful and off base, but I would like to pick folks' brains:

I am strongly considering purchasing a custom rifle in .300 RUM: 27 inch match barrel with blueprinted 700 action and muzzle brake, chambered to minimum dimensions and throat tolerances.

Since this rifle is going to be designed for accuracy from the ground up, would there be any advantage to having custom bench rest style dies made for this particular chamber, for loading without a press in the manner of Lee dies (hammer etc. etc.) Although I am not a benchrest shooter, I am aware that those who are use this method of reloading.

Question 1: Is there any manufacturer who would make such dies for a hunting caliber, especially one this big?

Question 2: Would there be any appreciable advantage to doing so?

Question 3: Anyone not like this method of reloading? I did it for years in .30/06 with Lee dies and results were fine, except it looked to me like the bullet seating process left a small ring on the bullets.

Question 4: If you were going to use this rifle for long range MD and Elk hunting, how would you scope it? The rifle itself (fluted barrel) will only weigh 7 1/2 pounds, and I would like to keep the loaded rifle to under 9 pounds, which in itself would be brutal enough in the mountains. I am considering one of the Leopold Vari-X III Long Range Scopes, but don't really know how they are used. Are they similar to tactical scopes and do you dial in your range, or would you use hold over? (I would almost certainly never take a shot at an elk over 500 yards.)

Any guidance would be appreciated.

[ 11-28-2002, 02:32: Message edited by: O'Connor's Ghost ]

Neil Jones is your man for making custom dies.

He can make threaded dies for use in your regular press or he can make in-line dies for use in an arbor press...either way they come with micrometer heads and bushings like the Redding Competition sets. All he needs is several pieces of brass that you fired in your rifle.

He's located in Pennsylvania and does some of the best trigger tuning around...not just doing an adjustment....he tunes them. He has a web-site

www.neiljones.com and I can't recommend he highly enough....his work is first rate and he gets work out quickly.

I appreciate the information, Bill. It may be a bit over the top to go that route, but it sure seems tempting to get the most I can out of a rifle as good as this one is advertised. I may chicken out because of the weight. I am also thinking about an ultra light model in .300 WSM for mountain hunting. I won't be able to afford both.