So I've been really wanting to build a custom rifle for hunting. while there's a good chance I'll get to travel to Alaska and Africa to hunt someday having a dangerous game rifle doesn't appeal to me now. I'll just have a 375 h&h when or if the situation presents itself. And I'm fine with taking the 308 elk hunting if need be. And the 308 ability on deer/black bear is obvious?

Here is my conundrum. When ingot out of high school in 90 my old man bought me a cheap savage 110e in 308. It has a $75 bushnell 4x12 from Walmart on it. I consistently shoot around 3/4" moa at 100 yards. Every deer I've ever shot at with it died nearly instantly like it was hit by a frikkin death ray. So I was thinking about building a 338 federal or 358 Winchester. But I want to shoot it a lot and 308 ammo is so much cheaper than nearly anything especially those. Then I looked into a 6.5 of some sort but they're barely ahead of .308 for any kind of target shooting I'm likely and will do. So then I thought about building a 308 custom rifle but indoor honestly know if a custom would shoot any better than the one I already have. I also own a 243 and a 45-70 so I have those ranges covered.

So if I already own a rifle that performs perfectly how can I improve on it? Yeah I know, first world problems.

Y'all have any thoughts?

My 35th birthday present (wow that was a long time ago...) was a full custom rifle from Hill Country Rifle in 270 Weatherby. It punches way out of its weight class and with the right bullet it will take almost anything walking in this hemisphere or any other. Light recoil, flat shooting, Death Star like effectiveness. Ammo is expensive, but it's not a target rifle.

My other favorite that is often overlooked is the 338 WinMag. Great round. It's a stomper on all things big and small. And you can handload it down to 30-30 ballistics if you want too.

Be careful about odd calibers in hunting rifles. Ammo does get lost by the airlines, or by you...and if you cant get it at a gunstore in BFE you will be in real trouble when that happens.

Does it need to shoot better? I agree with gibberish. You don't have to need it to want it.

And Playboy is right in watching out for ammo if you go with an odd or an old caliber. But I think that is where the fun is. Both the 270 WBY and .270 WSM are both supposed to be(I have never owned either) awesome rounds.

300 Win is great if you ever want to travel and hunt.

gibberish said:

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Honestly, functionwise you're covered already. So just admit it's a want not a need, pick a caliber, and go for it.

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For me, going custom was for the ability to control every component of the gun to exactly what I wanted. Weight and balance, look, feel, etc.

The increase in accuracy was a bonus. Plenty of factory rifles shoot sub-moa. Some high-end production rifles have 1/2 moa guarantees. My custom has shot 1/4 moa 5-shot groups. These differences really only mean anything when shooting for groups at long range (well out of my hunting range).

Caliber selection is typically splitting hairs when you are considering a .308 and similar. I do think 6.5s offer a nicer platform for shooting steel all day. But for a hunting gun that you'll target shoot occasionally it's hard to argue against any of the all-around standards: .270, 7mm RM, .308, 30-06.

What are you looking for in your custom? Ultra-light mountain gun, stable target shooter, deer stand, extreme weather, fancy wood, brown bear country...

I built sort of a hybrid hunting/target rifle in .260. It's heavy enough to hold it's own long range, but handy enough for deer and antelope hunts. Is it more effective on deer than the factory rifle it replaced? Not at all. But it is a lot more fun to shoot.

How about a custom small caliber? My brother in law has a .222&a half and is a blast to shoot.

It would be a reason to get into handloading if you haven't already.

There's a custom builder in Papillote, TX that's building for myself and a lot of friends. Older guy, VERY knowledgeable. I'd suggest you talk with a pro and decide.
You're gonna get too many suggestions on this board based on personal preference ( evidenced by my suggestion).
PM me and I'll give you his info. He's hunted all over the world and builds one of the finest rifles I've ever shot!

Something small/intermediate caliber, like .223 or .22 hornet. Or a CZ in 7.62x39? It could be rebarrelled to 6.5 grendel, which would be a cool little gun.

Other option in line with the .358 would be .35 Whelen, or if you really want to go old school, .348 Win & a Model 71.

300 WSM...

I went thru this same process several years ago. I had used a .308 for over 20 years on deer and elk and it was a killing machine. I finally wanted a rifle made for me, with my choice of action, barrel, stock, etc... I decided on getting a 30-06. It is a do anything caliber and if you reload, the choices of bullet are amazing. I can shoot 110 grain Barnes TTSX at 3500 fps and it is a lightning bolt on deer/antelope size game. I can load 200 grain Partitions and take anything in North America. The extra grain capacity of the 06 helps a lot if you reload. If you plan to travel to Alaska, Africa, South America and take your rifle, 30-06 ammunition is available everywhere.

My secondary choice if I picked another caliber would be .35 Whelen. It is also a do anything cartridge and fits in a standard action.

My next gun will probably be a lever action, and you can get a little diverse that way, too. Pistol cartidges, all sorts of .45 lengths. .44 mag lever gun sounds interesting to me.

45-70 is a great choice in a lever gun

.338 period

257 Roberts

I'm a fan of and will personally add to my collection a long action .257 Roberts.

Now you just need a vx3 to go on top.

Even though I just sold one VXIII I have another in the safe along with a Viper PST that are just itching to be on a rifle. Unfortunately I have yet to decide what direction my next build will be, one thing is for sure I already have glass for either a tactical build or a nice hunting rig.

Yes. .257 Roberts is kick ass.

6.5 SAUM

I had a .280 Ackley built several years ago on a pre 64 Winchester action. The good thing about this round is that you can shoot .280 Remington in it. I did this to get some brass for reloading and it would still shoot 1 MOA! With my handloads it will shoot sub MOA. It is right up there with the 7MM Remington Magnum as far as ballistics go with a lot less felt recoil.

Lots of great info here!

Stick with normal cartridges.
Don't get too "wildcatty!"
Keep your reloading simple ( i.e. You don't want to be making brass I would assume). Most Ackley Improved cases can be fire formed off of the parent case (i.e. 270 AI off of a 270 Win.) Not to sure about doing a 6.5 SAUM instead of a 270 WSM. You're splitting hairs and forced to make your own brass.

Do you mean Papalote and are you serious?

If you get a caliber like 22-250 or 204 Ruger, you'll be covered from groundhogs through grizzly bears with the other rifles in your arsenal.

Yes sorry for for the misspelling

25'06
338 win mag
22-250