Dana,

If you have plenty of money or the skill to do it yourself then a custom rifle will make sense. However if you add up the cost and examine what you really have in some old Mauser with a new stock it's really not a sensible investment.

The thing is that custom rifles don't bring much at all in the used market.

I just can't think thru the features of a M77 or some Mauser and say it will the best. Consider the slow locktime that Mausers have and the fact that it takes a lot of money to get a M70 type safety on one.

Many however enjoy the custom process. If your the kind that likes to write stuff down and make up a specification sheet then go over to 24hourcampfire.com and search for the posts by JimF. Jim has all the data on each component of a rifle.

Some factors that come to mind are that a sporter barrel changes one ounce per inch, a cored stock such as a Bansner is about a half pound less than a regular composite stock and every little bit really adds up.

As to the 6.5x55 vrs the 260 they are similar and each will do about the same thing. If I were ordering a new barrel for a 260 Rem I might get a 8.5 or 8" twist however.

Whatever turns your crank is fine with me. Having been there and done that I just buy a Kimber Montana, get it in one week and shoot it. Others like to have a custom rifle. To each his own.

Recoil w/ either cart. is really no concern, no matter how light you go. The .260 in a M7 or M700SA is going to get you into a light package than a Mauser or Ruger. The 6.5x55 really needs a med. or long action & that means a bit more weight. I built a .280 on a M70 w/ a very slim walnut stock, 23" bbl. it weighs in just over 7 1/4# all loaded up & ready to go w/ a 3-9comp. If I went w/ a M700 & 21"bbl. I probably could have shaved another 1/4# off.

Some of the things you want run at cross purposes to each other. You will likely have to make some compromises.
The lighter the weight the heavier the recoil.
The heavier the bullet, and the faster it goes, the heavier the recoil.
The 6,5 x 55 SE was designed around the 160 grain bullet. It does very well with 130 grain Barnes TSX bullets and 140 grain Nosler Partition bullets.
I have no personal experience with the .260 Rem/6.5-08.
The 6,5 x 55 will require a full length action.
A used Mauser action for 6,5 x 55 with a 24", #1 contour barrel in a Mark Bansner made High Tech Specialties (20 ounces) stock would give you a very lightweight and capable rifle indeed.
In the .260 Rem you could use a Remington short action with a lightweight barrel in one of the new lightweight McMillan stocks. That set-up would cost you a bit more.
Have fun.
JCN

I have Kimber Montana in .260....love it...tips the scales at 6lbs 1oz with a Nikon 2-7 Monarch...You'd be hard pressed to to building something this light with a 22" bbl. for twice the price...

Look at the bright side. All the options are attractive.
I just went through the same analysis. After much rumination I decided to move from a .257 Bob, 6.5x55 or .260 (all great calibers) to a 7mm 08 because I don't reload, and the factory ammo options are much better in 7mm 08. I expect the amount of difference in recoil will be negligable. I wanted stainless. The Tikka T3 is avail. in 6.5x55 but only available in blued steel. The Win Featherlite is blued steel only. I also looked at the A-Bolt Ti, the Montana and the Rem. 700 Ti. The A-Bolt Ti. is only in .25WSM - way too much gun. In the end I chose the Rem. over the Kimber because I could get 3 oz.Talley Aluminum scope mount/rings for it. Mounts and rings can weigh more than I realized. With a 2.5-8x36 Leupold scope my whole rig will weigh in at about 6.5 lb.s, and sould be a match for any whitetail out to 300yrds.

I like Ruger 77 Mrk II's but their heavier than most of the guns I looked at. If you like Rugers in blued steel you might at least try looking for a used one in 6.5x55. They made them from about @2000 to @2003.

Have you considered rebarreling a Rem. Model 7 with a 22 or 24 in brl?

Enjoy.

Thanks for the input everyone.

I was thinking of going 2 ways. Buying a good used action with a shot out barrrel and having my favorite gunsmiths (High Plains Gunshop, Topeka, KS) put a new barrel on it. I guess I should explain what I meant by a "lightweight" My current suite of guns are tack drivers, both are Ruger VT's in .308 and .243, fitted with the good glass, bipods, sling, the .308 weighs in at a little over 13.5 pounds and the .243 about 11 pounds. Both shoot a little over .5 MOA or better

So, when I mean lightweight, I should have said "not over 10 pounds". I am leaning to a new Ruger or Kimber in .260, or a used Ruger in 6.5 x 55. Then I will decide to work it over if warrented.

I know, some don't like Rugers. I really like the integrated scope rings system they have, and a timney trigger is not a problem to put in. That may be why the Ruger action weighs a little more.

I would like to get out of the .308 brass thing, owning the complete series if I get a .260. However, I have read that the 6.5 x 55 will out do the .260 in newer stronger actions. Why the 8 or 8.5 twist?

I am NOT going to go the "new magnums" route. IMO, it was just a marketing ploy. I will not trade 100-200 fps velocity increase for the increase in recoil. I feel that is a bad trade off to make with a technology (rifles) which are so critical on the user interface, which is effected very negatively by recoil.