I am looking into building a rifle. I have never done a custom build before, so I am not even sure what questions I need to be asking or what to look out for.

I am thinking about a .22 Creedmor. Anybody have experience with that caliber? What bullets do you shoot out of it? Any input on barrel length, twist, etc. Any advice on who to talk to or things specific to the rifle itself that I should be considering are much appreciated.

I know I didn't give much to go on, but even just shared experiences with custom builds would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

First question I would ask is do you reload or will you be dependent on purchasing factory ammo? Next question would be what your intended use and distance is? In the meantime I would suggest you read up on bullet weight (heavy or light for caliber) and bullet type (bonded, mono, etc). This will help you decide on caliber and cartridge to meet your needs, then we can help you on the build options/possibilities.

What are you going to use it for?

Budget?

Do you reload?

Have a 22CM switch barrel gun. Would be happy to share info. Heckova cool round. Hammers deer.

Derrick at Horizon Firearms has tons of trigger time on the .22 - Lots of videos on the Horizon Firearms YouTube

Anyone have thoughts on Gunwerks?

Also curious about R Bros custom hunting rifles?

I highly recommend Ryan Hoover at RH Custom Guns in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Great Christian guy and builds some of the finest rifles around. Very cordial, not arrogant like a lot of " gun experts" and will gladly talk and discuss ideas with you. Worth the call for his knowledge.

I would also suggest to do some reading on barrel life of the .22CM. Seems about 1300 rounds is about it but have heard some guys getting 1500 or so. Just sayin.... may not matter to you.

Couple of friends have them in 1/7 twist

matthewj042 said:

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Anyone have thoughts on Gunwerks?

Also curious about R Bros custom hunting rifles?

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Gunwerks make great rifles. However they seem overpriced to me. You can get a top of the line custom rifle for nearly half of their price.

I have had 2 rifles built by Alamo Precision. Also having them spin up a 3rd barrel for me now. I have found them to be a good balance between quality and price.

I have heard good things about Alamo Precision, I did not use them mainly because they don't work on winchester model 70's.

I went with Hill Country on my 300 wm and have been really happy with them.

I think my primary objective is to build a semi-lightweight gun that can be used for predators and whitetail, while not having to be my primary whitetail gun. I am not locked in one way or another on reloads vs factory, but if I am spending the money to build the gun I'll probably reload. I'd like to stay in the $4,000 - $5,000 range. I'm not going to be doing a ton of bench shooting but would like to trust the gun out to 500 or so.

Alamo was going to be the first place I started.

Alamo is who I would call as well. Their prices are very reasonable.

I would lean towards a 6mm over the 22 creed. 22 creed would be fun for a yote rifle. But only for reloading. There is actually 6 creed on the shelf.

I will also vouch for Alamo Precision Rifles. They have built two for me and I'm about to start a third build with them. They've been great in discussing my ideas and coming up with the right design for my needs.

+2 for Horizon Firearms. Aggie owned and operated in Bryan. They work closely with Hornady on load development specifically for the 22 Creed.

Any number of chamberings and any custom rifle (if built right) will do what you stated, but I'm with JJ, since you may decide to rely on factory ammo, I would recommend going 6mm instead of .22 if you want to stick with the creedmoor platform. I would find out what factory hunting ammo (bullet type and weight) is most available and spec your build to that ammo. You will likely be able to reload a close match if you decide to go that route.

As for rifle builders, there are many that can build to whatever spec you want, but the wait time may vary considerably, depending on parts supply and waiting lists. Some of the larger smith shops, like Alamo Precision, may even have something suitable on the shelf. You also don't have to deal with local shops, you can go out of state if necessary, but it might be more convenient to work with a local (Tx) shop if possible. Some of the larger shops will do a group build occasionally and while you may not have as many options to choose from that way, those could save you some money. Probably the cheapest option might be to source the parts yourself and have a shop simply chamber, fit, and headspace a barrel and action and if you are handy you could install the trigger and bed the stock yourself. So, there are lots of options. You just need to decide what components and configuration you want and start checking with the shops. And continue to ask questions and get recommendations as you have.

Another excellent Aggie custom rifle builder is Mike Bryant. Think it's Bryant Custom Precision Rifles, or something like that.

I used Alamo too. Took my sheep last August with the rifle.

Reach out to tx_cowdoc. He builds some very nice rifles.

I've had rifles built by West Texas Ordnance (300 WM), Red Rock Precision (6.5 X 284), and McWhorter (6.5 Weatherby). Have sold all but the Red Rock but all were great shooting rifles. The last few I've built were all done by Suppressed Weapon Systems in Stafford. After shooting their integrally suppressed rifles, I have a hard time shooting anything else. Price on those is better than a lot of places.

Lots of good custom rifle operations these days. Many that use their own custom actions, reamers, etc.

Its the glory days of custom rifle builds, IMO. Gone are the times were you had to find some guy who made a name for himself in benchrest, and turned it into a career of building rifles out of the shop in his backyard. (Trust me, those days aren't that far back).

Today you've got a ton of smooth running operations that will gladly take your $3-$7,000 and produce a really fantastic rifle.

Budget might likely drive your choice.

Get a
ARC Coupe de Gras action
Bartlein barrel
Leupold MK5HD 5-25
KRG Bravo or MDT XRS


Should bring you in right at $4k with gunsmithing for the barrel.

For the barrel pick your length and contour. I'd go 24" that will get you plenty of velo out of a 22cm. I'd look at running 88 ELDM or the 85.5 Bergers. Specify a .219 bore and I'd go 8 twist. You'll have to make sure at your elevations 8 will stabilize those heavy bullets, but I really wouldn't want to go much tighter than 8. Once you start spinning any of these bullets over 300k rpms you can have them blow up.

It is also satisfying to just get a prefit and do it all yourself.