My dad is looking to have a custom safari rifle made.
My assumptions are as follows:
1. $ 5-10K Budget
2. Bolt action
3. Nice wood stock

I am looking for advice. Please share your thoughts

If I planned to spend that much money on a rifle, I would first spend a few hundred and attend the American Custom Gun Guild Show in Reno, NV in January-February, look over the work of a number of top builders, decide whose work I liked the best and commission that gunmaker.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
If I planned to spend that much money on a rifle, I would first spend a few hundred and attend the American Custom Gun Guild Show in Reno, NV in January-February, look over the work of a number of top builders, decide whose work I liked the best and commission that gunmaker.

Darn right.....

However I truly don't think one has to spend that much to get a fine DG rifle.

It's all a matter of preference and wood grade and amount of art one wants to buy.

Like you, I am also exploring the possibities and look forward to the replies from those who actually own or know firsthand the best rifles. I only know what I have seen on their websites, or from having had the opportunity to see an example or two of their work, but, great things are said about a good number of riflesmiths. Don't forget that your own (or dad's) personal taste should be part of the decision making process. I chose to have Duane Wiebe rebuild a rifle for me. But when I look at the work done by Ryan Breeding I know that I could also have chosen him as well. Anyway, now you've got two names to look into. I assume you know that you can obtain a very nice DGR from American Hunting Rifles, based on the CZ 550 action, for around $4,000.

Give Roger Biesen a call or check their website. He makes a great rifle that not only will look fantastic, it will shoot and function perfectly.

quote:

vapodog: I truly don't think one has to spend that much to get a fine DG rifle.

Also very true.

AHR a good example.
Also check the used racks at Thad Scott, Champlins, Hallowell, Cabelas, others. Go online (GunsAmerica, GunBroker, AuctionArms). Or attend the Vegas Antique Arms Show or even Tulsa, you can easily find something extremely nice for under $5K.

I am in the same boat as your Dad and Wink..looking at having a nice working bolt action DGR built. I been doing as much research as I can...several folks on AR have been very helpful...

As fla3006 noted, there is a selection of "used" nicely made DGRs for sale...it seems many of these guns are built, shot a few times and put in gun safes...just look at the condition of some these guns...

My choices/options...As far as the stocks are concerned has narrowed. I have a habit of tripping over rocks, getting snag on tree branches, and falling over logs...

I really admire a beautiful wood stock and the workmanship that comes with it but I have banged up enough wood stocks to know that sinking $2,000 to $3,500+ in a wood stock is not for me..at least not right now...

At this stage, it is looking more like I will spend the "stock $$$" on the metal and related options..but I go back and forth on this wood vs syn....Double Square Bridge or not, new machined action or a rebuilt, quarter ribs vs NECG set up, etc...

I know one thing for sure...there is a $$$ amount I am willing to spend on a Bolt Action DGR....above that amount, I am willing to spend more and get another Double Rifle!

It has been fun looking at different options...ie action types, barrels, sights, wood, etc...

You can have a Hein custom made to your specifications with NECG sights, holding 4 down, syn stock for well under 4k.
When I explored this recently that is the road I picked.
http://www.rifleactions.com/
I wanted a no nonsense rifle that I could hunt with every day in Alaska. When you consider what it costs to put together a rifle the price was very reasonable.
If you like wood add $1,800 plus the cost of the blank. Yes, you can get a lot of bang for your buck if you find a "used" rifle. But sometimes you want something built just for you from start to finish.

New rifles are very expensive yet worth every penny if you want exactly what you want. I can offset the cost a little by doing a lot of the work myself and still "project manage" the final outcome.

If I had to guess I would say that doubles the time from conception to completion but I do it for love, not money or time.

If I didn't want to lose money or time, I would follow the advice above and buy a used DGR from a known maker for around 1/2 of the cost of a new rifle. I'd prolly have something nicer than I can finish, too.

buy a used gun, in exactly teh metal you want, and restock to your choice.. most cost effective...

if you spent 5-10k

Empire Rifles...
http://www.empirerifles.com/Options.htm

it's very hard to spend 10k with them...
Just about any caliber you want...

But if you can live with a CZ, call their custom shop.. it is VERY cost effective

and HARD to spend 4k there

jeffe

Check out www.biesen.com and check out their inventory. Roger has a beautiful .375 H&H already waiting on a sugardaddy if the 13 1/2" LOP works for you! I'd have her in my stable but need a 14" LOP.

John Bolliger in Pocatello ID.

Roland

Ryan Breeding at www.rbbigbores.com

Ill throw out: Lon Paul

GDog,

For the argument I am going to assume a .375 H&H, it is often the rifle folks take to hunt dangerous game, heck I have done it myself.

I would look over the used custom guns as suggested by several folks above. I think you can find a fine rifle to start with in the $3,000 to $5,000 range. Let your Dad try shooting that rifle, then have it restocked to fit him and Bob's your uncle.

I have used Chic Worthing (on this forum) to do a custom stock (actually a whole custom rifle). Chic does good work.

jim

P.L. Holehan custom rifles, Tucson, AZ.
520 745-0622

You can check with SCI in Tucson for references. 520 620-1220. Steve Comus or Stan Skinner

Excellent craftsmanship, reasonably priced for the quality of work.

Dennis Erhardt
Frontier Gun Shop
Helena,Mt.
406-442-4533

Dennis will build you a fine rifle that shoots and functions as good as it looks!

Not to hijack (or hitchhike) too much here but....

I want to have a Talley barrel band put on my CZ 550 and my local 'smith doesn't like to solder. Which of the above mentioned rifle makers would you recommend to do this job?
Does anyone know a 'smith local to Denver/Colorado Springs that could do it?

"Thanks for the ride, lady."

Any gunsmith should be able to solder it on, shouldn't affect the bluing even. I haven't tried it myself, but 'they' tell me you can use epoxy or acraglass after degreasing to do it yourself.

quote:

Originally posted by GDOG:
My dad is looking to have a custom safari rifle made.
My assumptions are as follows:
1. $ 5-10K Budget
2. Bolt action
3. Nice wood stock

I am looking for advice. Please share your thoughts

No doubt:

[URL=http://www.heym-
waffenfabrik.de[/URL]

Daniel Cowen, Riflesmith, Renton, WA
(425) 227-9280
Re-barreled my first .375 H&H into a great .416 Rem and then built me a "stunning" custom .375 H&H. Beautiful work.

I don't know about most of you but I view a custom rifle as one being hand built including the action. Seems to me that if a shop builds a rifle on an existing factory action it is just a fancy rifle. A true custom should not be using a "off the rack" action so to speak.
But this is just my opinion, others have different and as equally voiced opinions as well.

Gdog,
I would buy a Montana Rifle Company barreled action in the caliber you want. Then. . .

Buy an Black Walnut stock blank from Robert Watts at
Watts Walnut
Then have all of it shipped to Tip Burns
Tip will add the sights and barrel band that you want. Tip does great work and he the kind of gunsmith that answers the phone!

John Valicek will do the stock


If you don't want to do that, send the MRC barreled action down to Serengeti Stock Works and get one of their laminated stocks.
For a touch of class ship the metal over to Roger Kehr, aka Scrollcutter for some engraving.

Spend the rest of your money on trophy fees!

Just my opine!

I would let Steve Heilmann do the metal work and Gary Goudy for the stockmaker.

Thanks, all. I appreciate all the info.