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what do you think are some of the best actions(bolt actions) you can get custom and factory as well? for me right now it is the Remingtom M700 action but that is the action i have the most experience with. i also like what i know of the CZ actions and i have a Weatherby Mark V in .30-378 but i need a scope and haven't done much shooting with it yet. what do you think of the Weatherby action? if you can make a top 3 list of best actions for me. thanks very much. | ||
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sshhhh......dont tell folks around here that you like the 700, someone will surely tie you to the stake for that one. I'm a LH shooter, so my choices are more limited than others, but Winchester 70 (CRF) Rem 700 Sako Those would be my order of preference for most uses. I have no experience with the CZ, but am thinking that my next bigbore will be built on one, Wayne @ AHR will do the work. Rod -------------------------------- "A hunter should not choose the cal, cartridge, and bullet that will kill an animal when everything is right; rather, he should choose ones that will kill the most efficiently when everything goes wrong" Bob Hagel | |||
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i'm going to get AHR to build me a big bore on the CZ action too. i would like to try the Granite Mountain action but it is too expensive for me to get if i want to get my rifle as soon as i can. and yes i definately do like the 700s but like i said at the same time i don't have a lot of experience with others. but i have 2 model 700s and i really like them and would probably get another. the actions for the first 2 rifles will be for a big bore dangerous game caliber with a 505 Gibbs size rim diameter. the 2nd will be a target rifle in .338 caliber and down the line i want a 25 caliber which most likely will be a 25-06. | |||
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Pez, For Dangerous Game, most prefer the controlled round feed designs. These would include the CZ 550, Winchester Classic or pre-64, Granite Mountain, Saterlee, Prechtl, Dakota, Empire, and a few others...and of course the parent Mauser 98. For an accuracy rifle, the 700 is the foundation for many, although there are quite a few proprietary ones being made now. These would include Stiller, Borden, Sako TRG, Weatherby, Lawson, and others. | |||
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thanks very much Biebs! i'd love to have a Granite Mountain action but i don't think i can get one anytime soon. for now i'm going to get my dangerous game rifle built on the CZ 550 action. | |||
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Wayne from AHR in an email told me they did not build rifles on the Montana Rifle Company Professional Hunter action anymore but didn't say why. he just said they built 2 rifles on that action and won't be building anymore on it. he said the CZ and GMA actions were the best to have a dangerous game rifle built on. i'd like to know exactly why AHR stopped building rifles on MRC PH actions but i'm sure Wayne gets tons of emails and i don't won't to bother him anymore until it's time to build my rifle. | |||
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Probably because the tolerances on the MRC actions have never been very consistent.You'd be better off to build a GDR rifle on a RUGER. IMHO. and the resale value would be about as good.  BTW, the CZs are an excellent action especially suitable tweaked.They also have a world wide rep for functional quality which MRC actions have NEVER had. As to the 25 cal rifle or any non DGR gun nothing wrong with a Rem 700- also suitably modified for better looks ,function and accuracy. | |||
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Kelby, Stiller, and BAT for me. | |||
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Pez, did you see the 600 OK Wayne has, built on a GMA action? It belongs to CCMDOC here, who replaced it with a 600 NE in a Verney Carron double rifle. That rifle was probably $13-$14,500 when built. | |||
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is that the 600 OK they have for sell on the AHR sight now? | |||
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It all depends on what you are willing to spend. From my prospective, I would not be driven by a deadline in having a custom rifle built...when you are going to put down $$$$$ you will be better off getting what you want. I like to buy things once, a lesson learned... By the way, the wait time on a Granite Mountain Action is on average 6 months...not that long. The choice of caliber, budget and intended use should drive what action you ultimately purchase. | |||
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i heard someone say that the 1917 Enfield action is the longest and strongest action that was intended for a magnum cartridge. | |||
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i agree with a lot of what you're saying. is the Granite Mountain action a lot better than the CZ 550 action? | |||
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I think highly of the M70. This is a FN PBR, some of the last receivers made a New Haven Conn. I think these FN made receivers are the best built M70’s to date. The M70 action is smooth, slick, and stiff enough for excellent accuracy. So I got one. Now I can dream for decades about what I am going to do with it.   | |||
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 ----------------------------------------------------- Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Proverbs 26-4 National Rifle Association Life Member | |||
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Pez, on a custom-built rifle, I wouldn't be as concerned with action selection. Your gunsmith will blueprint it, perhaps change the safety and bolt stop, maybe weld on a different bolt, probably do something different on the bridges, etc. Many won't spend the money for a high-end action, because they won't have the choices for the above, and adding them will just be more money. Oftentimes, the old FN or 1909 Argentina actions provide all the basics they need to start creating your dream rifle. | |||
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Lots of different types for different purposes: BAT or Barnard Stiller Predator, Surgeon RSR or Ed Brown 704 Miller/Echols re-worked M70, Johannsen Mauser 98 or Heym Express Hagn falling block... | |||
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D'Arcy Echols uses Win M70 Classic actions as the starting point on his $14,000+ Legend synthetic stock rifles. Make of that what you will. As for me, I don't quite know how to beat the (earlier) Dakota M76. Good hunting. | |||
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An answer to the question of "What's the best action?" is it depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend. In other words how do you define "best." Best price/performance ratio? Best machined? Best reliable? Best looking? Best bling? Best bragging rifle? Best for wet climate? Best for ultimate accuracy or safety, or speed, or any of a number of criteria. For me that could be a Mauser, CZ, Rem 700 or 722, a Highwall Winchester, or even a Krag or Remington Rolling Block. One of my favorite, and therefore "best" actions is an 1868 Springfield 50-70 trapdoor. For an '06 type cartridge a double heat treated 03 Springfield is at least as safe as a Model 70 and only a Krag is smoother and it might be a "best action." It's certainly one of mine. If it's safe, if it will handle the cartridge you want, and if it's what you want then it's your "best action." Jerry Liles | |||
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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thanks very much for all the info about different actions. i've been reading all of what you posted and will keep on reading it for future reference. the main thing i'm thinking of right now is a CZ 550 action against a GMA action. i'm trying to figure out which action i want my first custom rilfe ever built on. | |||
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FWIW...A few months ago, I was pondering the same question. I phoned 2 very reputable gunsmiths (Yes they frequently post here too). They both said that while the GMA is a good action, neither felt that it was $2000 better action than the CZ. Rod -------------------------------- "A hunter should not choose the cal, cartridge, and bullet that will kill an animal when everything is right; rather, he should choose ones that will kill the most efficiently when everything goes wrong" Bob Hagel | |||
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that's what i'm thinking too. i would love to have a rifle built on a GMA action but if i do it will probably have to wait til later. | |||
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Just save yourself a lot of grief&money.Depending on cal get a pre64 M70 action+custom"Oberndorf" bottom metal.No welded on bolt handle,no extra charge for a "M70" safety,killer hunting trigger free.Go nuts-built up bolt stop,pre-war tang,engine turn bolt&action.1-1.5k up to a Lott&never look back. | |||
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this might be a silly question.... Are these actions available? I noticed that the left side of the action does not have the Winchester name / logo. I wish I could get my hands on a couple of actions. "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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Last fall when I was putting together a new rifle I asked my smith if I should get a custom action. His answer was that he could take a 700 Rem action and make it shoot better than I could. | |||
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That's not a profound statement, IMO. That statement should apply to practically any modern action, and perhaps most old 98 Mausers. Take that statment, and stretch it out to 500 yds, shooting off a very steady bench, just for the sake of discussion and imagination. Then there may be something for comparison, however the differences will be in things that include not only the action. The bedding, the quality of the barrel, the crown, trueing and lapping, the scope, the ammo, etc., etc. However, for pure accuracy potential, in a custom job, the 700 and especially the precision clones are some of the best. I would like to test several rifles, maybe six each of the best custom jobs, (fiberglass stocks - not wood) in a fine precision 700 clone action, compared say to a CZ 550 medium action. I suspect that the 700 clone would perform as predicted - excellent accuracy. But what I would want to know is if the CZ 550 could do the same, or close enough that no difference could be found. I'm talking about shooting targets out there a ways just to test accuracy. I suspect the 550 would perform in the same class, but I still would like to test them side-by-side. Now that I think about it, although I can't test a 700 clone, I can test at least one 550. KB ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ | |||
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Asking what action is best is like asking what automobile is best. Depends heavily on the application. As far as pure accuracy, IME, the action is one of the smallest influencing factors on accuracy. Barrel, chamber, crown, bullet, load, sights, and bedding all rank as significantly more important. Until you get into the most extreme examples of accuracy rifles, I doubt one could honestly prove any accuracy advantage of one type action over another (comparing bolt actions only). | |||
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Is it possible to buy a Mod 70 action alone???
"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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Dewey In your opinion, what makes the Husquvarna actios good. There are two rifles with those older FN actions at a local Cabelas that have been there for a long time. One is 8 x 57 and one is 30-06. Both original. Are they worth owning? | |||
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The FN postwar commercial 98-pattern actions are, IMO, among the very finest ever made for serious working bush rifles. I have no interest in teensy groups, 1000 yd. target shooting or engraved works of art with sharp edges and trippy little gadgets to impress "noveau riche" shooting buddies, I am only interested in the best functional rifles for wilderness uses. The FNs have CRF, which I much prefer, are made of the best materials, the parts can be interchanged without tools and are rugged and easy to change in the very rare situation where you might have to. It is easy to keep "rust free", something VERY important in BC and it is not expensive to buy. I would rate the "C ring" FN actions as equal to the Brno-21/22 actions and the Brno ZG actions as the best ever made for hunting rifles and they are also fine for building .338WM rifles that shoot sub-moa, what more can you ask for? The rifles at Cabela's are definitely worth owning and if they are reasonably priced, here is an opportunity for someone to build a matched pair of 9.3x62 working wilderness rifles and that is all one really needs anywhere, IMHO. | |||
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Everyone has their preferences and expectations, I personally prefer 98 Mausers although I have a 700, a MkV Weath & #1 Rugers - I like them all. I will buy a Mauser actioned rifle for say around $300.00, I think it's a bargain if the action is untouched, no holes, no rust and the bolt simply bent. The barrel and stock are, if decent, just a bonus. Many of my latest Mauser purchases have come from Tradeex, for the money I have not been disappointed yet. FWIW --- John303. | |||
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Of a top 3 list, Mauser 98 is going to come out on top for me. After that you can fight over the various CZ-550, 1917 Enfield, M70, Satterlee, GMA, Dakota, and other M98 variants you favor for 2nd and 3rd. Mauser seemed to have the right idea back in 1898, just tweak it accordingly to your liking with improvements from the last century. As to the CZ-550 action, I have one and thoroughly enjoy the platform. I had it tuned up by Wayne at AHR and love it more. The CZ is a great action and I would happily make every custom rifle of mine out of CZ barreled actions and use the savings over a GMA to tweak them to my liking. Ask Wayne about the differences though, he builds rifles from GMA and CZ actions. If anyone could give you a pro and con list, it's him. My personal feelings on a DGR is that it will need to be tweaked. If the animal you are shooting can harm and kill you, you don't want to worry about your rifle. A DGR rifle needs to do what you ask of it, every time you ask it to. If it doesn't, find a gunsmith who can make the rifle do so. ____________________________ If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ... 2018 Zimbabwe - Tuskless w/ Nengasha Safaris 2011 Mozambique - Buffalo w/ Mashambanzou Safaris | |||
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My experience is confined to Savage's Precision Target and Dual Port actions, Remington 40X, M-700, and 788 actions, along with commercial Mauser 98's and Siamese actions, the Wichita and Cooper three lug actions, and the lowly Winchester M-70 (the pre-64 being a clone of the Mauser-98, the post-64 push feed being kindred to the Remington 700). In my opinion there is no "best" action, each has its usefulness for any given application. With the Remington having the advantage of being universally available with a huge selection of aftermarket parts and accessories. My latest build is on a bare Remington 700 action I purchased from Brownell's. It was sent to Greg Tannel to have the firing pin bushed, the bolt double sleeved and the locking lugs fitted. This action is awaiting a barrel from Pac-Nor Barreling that will be fitted with a Savage type barrel nut making it a swap barrel rifle. There are simply no actions offering more choices and accuracy than the Remington 700, or the Savage M-110 style. The only exception to this is the new Shilen DGR (Damn Good Repeater) and DGV actions that also feature a Remington barrel thread combined with a Savage barrel nut, a pinned recoil lug and floating bolt head. This action fits any Remington 700 stock inlet and can be fitted with Shilen's own trigger or Remington pattern trigger. While there are many custom specialty action manufacturers in the marketplace, they are usually small operations with the possibility of disappearing. This leaves long term parts supply uncertain, while Mauser, Savage and Remington have such a large market share parts will be around for the future. So select an action that fits your need first, then consider its long term viability. | |||
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i agree and since i'm making more money now i've changed my mind and going with the GMA action since i really want the best i can get. i'm not afraid to admit i have a lot to learn about this subject and i'm reading more about it every chance i get and trying to learn anyway i can. i've always loved guns but only until recently i didn't go any further in my knowledge about them than just basic stuff like calibers and brands etc. but now i feel i want and need to learn more especially since i am now getting into custom rifles. | |||
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