Building my first rifle . . . help!

[game4lunch]

I want a .243. I've always wanted to try my hand at building (assembling) a rifle. I have the skills, just never pursued.
But I don't know what to get as far as parts list and brands that will do.
I want a gun that will be accurate, huntable, pleasure to shoot, not really concerned with looks. I figure, If I'm gonna buy a gun, I should take this opportunity to put one together.
Also, which brands/suppliers do you recommend?
I don't (usually) buy the most expensive, but I never buy the cheapest stuff. I try to find the middle ground and look for value over price.

[Wilds]

Remmy 700 SPS is Good Gear at a bargain...

Scope it with a VX 1 or VX 2, slam the whole works in a McMillan......and rule the world.

[Dan in Alaska]

I'm a Remington fan myself, and there's lots of stuff out there for 'em. I like a stainless rifle, and a good stock. For a hunting rifle, I prefer a fairly lightweight rifle with a shorter barrel. I like them to be 7.5-pounds or lighter, all up. With that in mind, here's what I recommend....

Remington 700 action
Light contour stainless barrel of your choosing, 22-23" inches.
McMillan Classic or Mountain Rifle stock, in the ADL configuration
Williams triggerguard
Talley lightweight 1-pc scope mounts
Leupold scope of your choosing - I like their 2.5-8x and 3.5-10x variables
Tune the factory trigger



Since you've settled on a common factory chambering, there's a lot to be said about Wilds recommendation of starting with a Remington SPS. Chop the barrel a couple of inches, recrown, tune the trigger, drop it in a McMillan, and mount up some glass in Talley LW's.

You could keep it the BDL configuration or make the change to an ADL-style, when you restock. In this particular case, you'd be staying with the factory barrel contour, so you could probably find a McMillan stock as one of their "specials" on their website. This save you a couple of bucks, but more importantly, it will eliminate the 6-month wait versus simply ordering one.

[Wilds]

The Youth 700 SPS is diamond in the rough....roughly 4 Grants cheaper than a CDL, and chambered both right and left handed in .243 and 7-08. Talley LW's are the right move to make, as well as Leupy Glass......

20" tube.....

I just did it myself, and am taking it this afternoon to my 'smith for an AI punch out....

[game4lunch]

OK . . . I gues I don't speak as much "gun" as I thought.
Thanks for the info . . . and patients.
What' SPS, ADL, BDL, Talley LW's?
Tune trigger?
A1 punch out?
I got the Remmy action (700), but what brand barrel? Trigger?

[Dan in Alaska]

What' SPS?

"SPS" is a model designator, used by Remington. A model 700 SPS, is the cheapest version of their model 700. It has their matte "special purpose" finish, and is in a BDL configuration.

ADL, BDL?

Remington used both of these as model designators. The ADL's were the cheaper versions, and the BDL's were fancier versions of the model 700. Today, "ADL" and "BDL" are commonly used as slang to distinguish the different magazine configurations. An "ADL" has a blind magazine that must be both loaded and unloaded from the top. A "BDL" is loaded from the top, but has a hinged metal floorplate to allow faster unloading of the magazine from the bottom of the rifle.

Talley LW's?

Talley is a brand name. They make a couple of different varieties of scope mounts/rings. My first choice for hunting rifles is their 1-pc Lightweight series. They are very light and really strong.
Link

Tune trigger?

Tuning a trigger usually involves lightening the pull weight, and taking all the slack or "creep" out of it. A tuned trigger should break cleanly. Personal preference determines how light it should be, but somewhere around 2.5 - 3.5 pounds of pull should be decent for a hunting rilfe.

A1 punch out?

AI is short for "Ackley Improved". More information can be found here: P.O. Ackley

I got the Remmy action (700), but what brand barrel?

There are lots of very good aftermarket barrel makers......Lilja, Kregier, Hart, Pac-Nor, Shilen, Bartlein, Douglas, etc. You can Google each manufacturer to get more specifics and prices.

Trigger?

The Remington factory triggers are usually pretty heavy (the new ones are a little better), but can be adjusted fairly well. A "tuned" factory trigger is a decent set-up, but there are several aftermarket triggers as well......Rifle Basix, Timney, Jewel, Shilen, etc.

[skb2706]

SPS , ADL, BDL are all Remington rifles in different grades. SPS is relatively new low grade (cheap) with plastic stock and very few frills finishing. The ADL is an older designation of their low end bolt rifle, plain wood stock or plastic no extras. The BDL is a more refined finished rifle with a floor plate, cut checkering typically in a a decent piece of wood or possibly a fiberglass stock. They all use the same basic bolt parts with different degrees of finish.

Talley LWs are in reference to Talley 'lightweight scope ring/mounts'.

To tune a trigger is to hone the sear surfaces to get a clean break and a desired pull weight. Typically this work is done by a gunsmith and often instead of tuning a trigger you can replace it with a aftermarket of better quality than the factory.

An "AI" is a chambering that has been re-cut to enlarge the riflechamber.
Example 22-250 or 22-250 AI. The chamber of the rifle is cut larger allowing the standard round case to fire in it but after firing the case takes on a larger, less tapered, sharper shouldered configuration allowing for slightly more powder, thus more bullet speed. The AI will require new dies and new data.

There are many after market triggers and barrels. You will find nearly all are superior to factory barrels and pricing runs the distance. I like Shilen barrels but others have their preferences. Are far as triggers a Jewel is good so is a Riflebasics.

[Wilds]

There's no flys on the new Remmy triggers...

They've paid attention to past pitfalls, though I've never not had good luck with the old ones.....................

[eldeguello]

For supplies, I recomend Brownell's. Their selection of parts and gunsmithing tools/supplies is about the most extensive I've seen. And their service is fast. In addition, there are many sources of good gunstock wood, both pre-carved and blanks.... (I assume you are going to use wood, and not plastic, for the handle.........)

I have had excellent results using Douglas Premium Grade barrels, but many others are as good-Shilen, Hart, Krieger, etc.