My first steps into this world came to me when I started to become aware that the guns I owned weren’t as accurate as I wanted them to be, nor nearly as consistent as I thought they should be.  So one day, while sitting at the bench and "re"-sighting in my rifle before a Colorado mule deer hunt, I decided that I was ready for the upgrade.

My journey began by zero-ing in on the exact caliber that would fit perfectly for what I intended to use it for, and for me, of course, that meant hunting!  Another full year went by as I contemplated having a rifle built and what size would meet all my expectations in the field. 

Since elk & mule deer hunting are at the top of my wish list (as well as an African Safari), I knew it was going to be a big caliber, something with more “umph” than a 270 and gentler than the crazy ultra-mags that have become the rage of late.  I’m simply not a big enough boy to handle that recoil.  Well, another six months went by as I researched my options.  I read professional opinions & online reviews, listened to friends’ suggestions and then talked to a few gun builders, stirring them all in with my own ideas on what I thought I needed against what I thought I’d be able to handle.  I finally narrowed it down to two choices:  the 264 magnum & the 7mm magnum.

After talking to two of my closest friends who had experience with the 264, and after more intensive research on both calibers, I chose the 7mm mag.  I seemed to have everything I was looking for in a bullet, a flat-shooting round that could go big enough to do the job on a bull elk if need be.  The 264, in my opinion, was just a hair light for that size of a big game animal.

Step 2 - Building a Custom Rifle - To be continued...