I could use some help. I'm gun shopping again. I want to get a bolt gun in a dangerous game caliber and practice to learn to use it very quickly. I can start with some thing less expensive, then get it worked on. Or just start with something better in the first place. I would like to stay under $4000 or so, less is better of course. I will do all of my own reloading. After I get some suggestions I will do some more research based on those suggestions.
Thanks!

Hmmm; do you have any fav calibers? I take it you mean from 375, to 416 Rem or Ruger, to 458; in that genre? For way less than 4k you can get a good starter factory rifle for practice like a Ruger Alaskan or African or a M70. , then go to a higher end custom that looks prettier if you wanted. I like Model 70 actions; I really like Mausers but are not ideal for the bigger/longer rounds. Several Win 70s on GB for less than a $K; I saw a 375 for $600. Let us know more about your ideas and wants.

Buy a Model 70 or CZ in .375, .416, or .458 and send it to Wayne at AHR or someone else with significant DGR experience and have them work it over. Yo could also do the same with a Ruger.

Personal preference, fit, and feel will help you decide which way to go. Handle some of these rifle and see what you think.

You also might be able to find a suitable rifle that has already bee gone though within your budget.

I'm planing on a .416 caliber though that isn't set in stone.
Most important to me right now is a smooth action. If there is no big difference, I'll probably get a CZ and send it to AHR.

I am a little surprised rugers were suggested. I really like the stainless metal, but for some reason I assumed the quality isn't there. Is that not accurate?

And I'll get to a gun show and see if I can get my hands on some different rifles.

How about the Weatherby? The design looks very good.

AHR can work on Winchester or Ruger as well as CZ.

Yes, any of those will work fine with no "working over". Why are you surprised about Rugers? They are fine, reliable and accurate rifles. I find that most Ruger haters have never actually owned or fired one.
I have owned and used the CZ, M70, and Rugers in DG calibers. I like them all. They all will be "smooth" for you.
Not sure about Weatherby; over-hyped since the 1950s, for me. Smooth actions though.

Nice Win M70 in 416 in the classifieds for $1350; buy that and don't look back.

Find a used Mdl 70 in any WSM caliber. Send it to Brian at SSK and have him build you a B&M in .416 or .458 with an 18"-20" bbl. Even with all the extras and providing you use the OE stock (which he will bed) you should easily get out under your $4,000.00 price point.

Go to the B&M website for some of the best researched loading information available anywhere. Brass can be made from any UltraMag case. These rifles are small, lightweight, maneuverable and extremely accurate with the CEB or NorthFork bullets and the finished rifles have an action smooth as glass.

b-mriflesandcartridges.com

sskindustries.com/bm-rifles

what dpcd said, plus one...

quote:

Nice Win M70 in 416 in the classifieds for $1350; buy that and don't look back.

+1

If this ain't a good enough deal, then I'm not sure what is. Top it with the 1.5x5 or 1.75x6 (like someone suggested) and shoot the hell out of it.

A new Winchester or Ruger.

Another option would be to find an action like one of those older ones,barrel it with a Heym or Krieger and get a good stock maker who knows how to choose good wood to stock it.This way you would have a real rifle.I would be careful not to put the work in hands of guys who will make you wait forever for completion or those that charge too much.

.. well, lots depends on lots of thing

do you reload? if so, the 458 family is the CHEAPEST to feed, if not, a 458 win/lott is of the cheapest .. .458 bullets in every range of price..

do you need a lefty?

stainless?

wood stock or not?

my standing advice as been a CZ in 458 lott - send it for a bob,bolts, bed, and tuning ...

shorten the barrel -- 23" is fine.. 21" works great, 18" 458 lott is can be seen from space when fired!

have the front sight moved back or replaced, and cut for NECG inserts

make certain the irons work for you .. the hogback stock is FAR easier to shoot irons with than the american stock

scope - GET GOOD MOUNTS -- i have grown away from the small leupolds ...why? I've sent too many back to Leupold to be rebuilt, and, frankly, they are darker than they need to be...

trigger - i like simple, get a timney


put a good pad and have the LOP cut to FIT YOU

don't try to get lightspeed... 500gr at 2150 will do it, in a 458 lott -- and that's going to likely be a lower recoil thana 2300gr load..

or the same in 375 ...

but in 375, I would steer you at the 375 ruger and that package... its smaller and lighter

Im gonna be the odd one, but, what about Heym new Express rifle.. Here is what Martini Gunmakers say about them:

http://www.martinigunmakers.com/heym.htm


Slick as snot.. though much more then original budget.

Heym is about 3 times what OP said he wanted to pay. Get the 416 Model 70 and spend the rest on a good scope and practice ammo. And some left over for practice hog hunts.
Nothing wrong with the 416 Rem; excellent round that might be better than either the 375 or 458. I have built them for customers but I do not actually own one.

You can buy a darn nice custom rifle for around $3500 from some of these younger gunsmith that are still trying to make it in the trade, even some of the established gunsmith will make you a nice rifle for that kind of money..

I would use a nice Mauser 98 action such as a 1908, Chilean, Puruvian, A Lothar walther barrel, but a Douglas would do, a mod. 70 or Buehler safety (your choice) Timney trigger, 1909 bottom metal or Swift bottom metal.. Buy a real nice but not exhibition Turkish walnut blank..You can do this for about $3500. give or take a few hundred...Lots of nice stuff out there for that kind of money.

A nice used custom rifle can be had for less money, the Internet is full of deals on nice custom rifles at 25 to 50 cents on the dollar and they come guaranteed with a 5 day inspection.

I bought a new CZ 550 mag in 416 Rigby and am thrilled with it. I had to do some basic DIY work to smooth the action. You can search in the gunsmithing forum and find my thread. It was easy to do & the results were great. Total cost was less than USD $2k.

Wayne from AHR was very helpful with his emails and advise.

There are people out there who can build you a real rifle.One that will feed anything and all the time.One that has wood as tough as steel and will not crack around screws or from whatever.One that has screws that will never loosten.One that has a good trigger.One that shoots where it should.One that you are proud to own.Unfortunately to find the guy who can do the job might not be easy and sometimes you find the right guy after spending a bundle and wasting alot of time.The right skills in building such a rifle are not easy to come by despite what anyone tells you,IMO.There is a lot to know in building a real rifle.I would bet that most of the big name rifle builders don't have the knowledge to build such a rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by frank4570:
I could use some help. I'm gun shopping again. I want to get a bolt gun in a dangerous game caliber and practice to learn to use it very quickly. I can start with some thing less expensive, then get it worked on. Or just start with something better in the first place. I would like to stay under $4000 or so, less is better of course. I will do all of my own reloading. After I get some suggestions I will do some more research based on those suggestions.
Thanks!

Watch this video... Merkel Helix if you can find it in the right calibre.

http://youtu.be/b43aF4R0h40

Absolutely 100% agreement on an AHR rifle from Wayne Jacobson. I have owned several .416 Rigby rifles and the AHR is the best looking, most accurate and smoothest feeding of them all.

I agree with shootaway, and I will add that a person who loves fine rifles needs several years of study/experience or whatever you want to call it to determine just exactly what a fine rifle is, and what it is that he really wants..

Its not a simple process and a lot of mistakes are made along the way. Building a big bore rifle that will stand the rigors of Africa and Alaska, constant recoil, and whatnot is a whole different ball game, than what is required with a custom .270 for instance..Many gunsmiths can make a beautiful rifle, but fewer can build a using rifle that feeds, functions and holds together and is still beautiful, a lot of misinformation is out their about what a real hunting big bore rifle needs. I attribute that to the fact that so many gunsmiths don't have the time or finances to actually hunt the far cornors of the earth for big game, and though they have the skills they lack the experiences needed to build the big bores..not saying this is written in stone but its been my consenses for a number of years, dealing with guns and clients in the hunting fields, but with the strong insurgence of African hunting in the 1970s and 1980s much of that changed for the better, as the big bores and double rifles once again were on our shelves and ammo was available across the counter .

unfortunately in the last 8 years, foreign hunting has reversed, a lot of folks can no longer afford those hunts, hunt costs have skyrocketed in the last 10 or more years, travel is risky to say the least, ammo and components are unavailable in or stores, our second amendment is under constant attack and the world is in turmoil most of which can be blamed by our own totally incompetent world leader and administration. Sorry I got off the subject, its just frustrating.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
AHR can work on Winchester or Ruger as well as CZ.

+1