8k to spend on a rifle: high end custom rifle or blaser R8?

[HonestJohn]

I’ve bought and used a LOT of rifles. I’ve never paid more than £500 for any of them as far as I recall. They’ve almost all shot 1/2”
groups with a bit of bedding and massaging. I have never bought a new rifle.

£8k on a rifle, that’s a lot of money. Even if I was wealthy, I’d struggle to justify it.

But, ‘if’, probably buy one of Joel Dorleacs buy-back custom Mauser 98 rifles. New are £20k ish, but many of his customers buy them, use them a few times and sell them back to him for an upgrade, they are remarkable pieces. His all weather precision rifles are amazing too, that’s a good option in fact!

 

[cjm1066]

Doesn't bother picture of the Borden answer the question.

If you are spending 8k you are unlikely to have only 1x rifle. You want something special and nice that brings a smile to your face every time you handle it.

No factory rifle does that, they are mass produced.

 

[Shootgun]

No factory rifle does that, they are mass produced.

Yes it does.
The Blaser R8 is heavily customisable…
Stocks, bolts , triggers, barrels, engravings, just to name a few.

 

[JockStalk]

Yes it does.
The Blaser R8 is heavily customisable…
Stocks, bolts , triggers, barrels, engravings, just to name a few.

Like a remmy then?

 

[scotch_egg]

£8k budget.....


I can put you together a rifle based on remington 700 footprint. As you call it a custom. It will not cost £8k. Probably just over half that.

Or you could go back to a Bergara in PSE stock and it will probably shoot just as well. But won't be bling though.

As per the replies on here, customised rifles don't have a good resale value, they hold value to the original owner. Blaser R8'S will loose less.

Use any rifle and treat it as a consumable. Barrel's are like tires and wear out. Any second hand rifle IMHO should be looked at as the value of the parts minus barrel. I am aware of a .243 that has just been purchased second hand, it wasn't as described with the barrel not performing.

A Casio does the same job as a Rolex. It is all in the eye of the beholder....

 

[cjm1066]

Yes it does.
The Blaser R8 is heavily customisable…
Stocks, bolts , triggers, barrels, engravings, just to name a few.

That's the options list. Custom is made for you.

 

[sauer]

Yeah made for you from a pile of obtainable items
So is that “custom” or is it gun plumbing throwing a set of items together ?
So what’s different from Blaser option list ?
Again a set of obtainable items of your choosing plumbed together to your spec ….. customising?

Is a true custom is made from scratch ?

You say tomato I say tomatoe

 

[viking90]

Yeah made for you from a pile of obtainable items
So is that “custom” or is it gun plumbing throwing a set of items together ?
So what’s different from Blaser option list ?
Again a set of obtainable items of your choosing plumbed together to your spec ….. customising?

Is a true custom is made from scratch ?

You say tomato I say tomatoe

That sounds like gun plumbing to me. Nothing "custom" about it if Joe blogs can go and buy the exact same thing

 

[Malxwal]

I could live with a Blaser for stalking and short range plinking. To be fair @Norway seems to do alright a bit further out with them

 

[BE Precision]

is the barrel rust on the Blaser option list, or does that come as standard?

 

[bowji john]

As per title

I’d have both

J

 

[20ppc]

Yep 100%
One man’s delight is another’s nightmare
My thoughts would be to find the rifle you like and enjoy shooting, otherwise you will be looking again in the near future

I shoot blasers because I like them and they fit me easily but the rifle that keeps popping up for me is the sauer 404 with thumb hole and cheek riser with a standard fluted barrel,I've shoot a couple of them and they are very very accurate.

I have a very expensive custom rifle and a Sauer 404 XTC, which as you say is very accurate. The custom rifle just doesn’t get used anymore.

 

[Ronin]

Just buy a bugara with the 8k and have 7999 left over to spend wisely

 

[scotch_egg]

I have a very expensive custom rifle and a Sauer 404 XTC, which as you say is very accurate. The custom rifle just doesn’t get used anymore.

Is that the custom that weigh’s the same as a small family car

 

[Dunwaters]

U

Yes it does.
The Blaser R8 is heavily customisable…
Stocks, bolts , triggers, barrels, engravings, just to name a few.

Choosing bits from a standard catalog of parts and having someone in shipping slap it all together doesn’t constitute a custom build in my book.
If it did, we’d all be driving “ custom “ cars.

 

[bowji john]

I’ve spent a silly amount of wonga on rifles

Some were worth the money (6.5 creed by @Ronin)

Some were an absolute shambles!!!

Three that stand/stood the test of time

1. Blaser R8 (in a multitude of calibres)
2. @Ronin long range creation
3. Cz 452 as, now with about 200,000 rds through it, I’m quite familiar with it

 

[scotch_egg]

As I have said before these rifles are “customised” to the user’s specifications.

Even so, each spec is individual to the user and probably doesn’t suit all.

However a small business Remington clone with improved features improves feel and use.

For example the American Rifle Company Cru De Grâce action has a built in picatinny rail, controlled round feed that allows top loading and feeding, uses Accuracy International AW magazines. Utilises an oversized bolt to allay bolt bind. Of course once it’s in the U.K. expect to pay £1200-£1300 just for the action.

Cut barrel fitted £850-£1200 (+£400ish for carbon)
Trigger £200-400
Stock £800-£1400
Bottom metal £100-£200
Bedding £250-£400

So top price would be £5300, with a conservative £3400 at the very bottom end. That’s with carbon barrel and carbon stock. The cabon stocked blaser and sauer rifles are about £2700 more than that and don’t have carbon wrapped barrels.

You could also build in stages to stave the large bills and it some how feels like they cost less.


That should be about it, don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.

A well finished parts bin rifle will feel just as sturdy and reliable as one that came out of a factory as a finished rifle. Unlike some kit cars that you would not dare to sit in on your mates drive.

 

[PasqualeM]

With full custom i mean for example manners stock, bartlein barrel, defiance action with also a lot of customizations on each of these components. I know because i did it, in Italy, maybe in the UK prices are a but different but i think the price would be similar. An important assumption is that the builder of the custom rifle must be a respected professional and in the 8k is included also his payment.

What characteristics do you value in a rifle?

 

[dropmdead]

I would suggest that I do like the shopping list concept that gives you options of brand that fits your needs, one over the other trigger (for example B&A or s/h jewel).
Some prefer chromoly barrel or stainless or carbon wrapped. Also, cut or button, rifling twist.
Even the thread on the muzzle you have the choice...


As mentioned above, I like the idea of the ARC/Zermatt Origin/Ultimatum Deadline action that you can change the bolt face easily and cheaply, don't need to worry about recoil lug or rail.
These are the starting points of what custom is.
Custom is not using a prefit barrel
Custom is using your own reamer with a specific free bore
Custom is twist rate for your chosen bullet
Custom is more than just paint, but picking your piece of walnut, your lines per inch chequering and any particular inserts.
Custom is engraving

The list goes on to be honest...

 

[randello88]

Pal…you asked a question, “Custom or Blaser R8. You then go on to say”I don’t like Blasers”. Maybe you don’t like customs either? (That’s a question mark, ergo…I’m asking a question).
Buy a Tikka.
DG

A question mark does imply a question. A question can be asked for 2 reasons:
1) asking suggestions
2) not asking suggestions

I tried to make it pretty simple, let's see if this time we make it

Edit: i like Tikkas even less than Blasers. If you wanna go cheap and save some money it can be a good way to go, even if i have heard many complaints about those rifles due to their pretty low quality