Gunsmith Recommendations - build

[elsb0048]

Can anyone recommend a gunsmith for a custom build on a winchester model 70 action?

This is my first custom build, I have 30-06 classic stainless hoping to re-barrel to 270win or 280ai and make suppressor ready in addition to a composite stock of some kind. End goal is jack of all trades big game hunter. Mostly for backpack hunting high country mule deer, also used for day hunts for whitetail/blacktail, bears.

I am NOT looking to be talked out of this. The 3 position safety and CRF are important to me and I have no interest in buying an off the shelf rem 700 clone despite that being the fiscally responsible decision.

Located in Bellingham but will travel.
Just looking for gunsmiths to check out and your good and bad experiences with them.

[RB]

Benchmark in Arlington, you are looking at at least a year out for the build.

[Caseknife]

Crown Ridge Barrel Works in Colville will do the barrel work only.  Anthony does good work and his turn around time is pretty quick.  You would have to finish it up with your stock of choice.

[blackdog]

Jeremy Laier builds my rifle’s. Laier Customs, Wynoochee Valley He uses Benchmark barrels.

[okie john]

Brett Evans of NW Armswerkes in Puyallup can do what you’ve listed and turnarounds are relatively quick.

Years ago, I bought a 30-06 Model 70 Classic Stainless from DJ’s in Bothell. It was bedded into a Bansner stock but it wouldn’t group until Brett fixed a couple of minor things with the factory barrel. I later used it to kill a smallish black bear with one shot at 353 yards. That was with a handload, but I've since learned that it makes 0.5 MOA groups with 150-grain Barnes TTSX factory ammo so it’s hard to justify handloading anymore.

That Model 70 weighs 8.89 pounds with a flat Warne rail and a Nightforce 3-10 SHV in SWFA low rings, so it’s heavy for backpacking. Swapping to a Swarovski 3-9x36 Habicht and Burriss Zee low rings cuts that to 7.6 pounds. I can’t think of one real-world task that the same rifle in 270 or 280AI would do better.

Brett has also tweaked a couple of Remington 700s for me with similar results.

Just looking for gunsmiths to check out and your good and bad experiences with them.

I could write a book on this.

The biggest problem with building custom rifles is getting out of your own way. If you walk in with a list of chamber specs, leade angles, twist rates, barrel contours, etc., then the smith will either refuse the job or you’ll get exactly what you asked for even if those things don’t work well together. Fixing your bad ideas is not warranty work and it's not cheap.

You’ll be a lot happier in the end if you tell the smith what you told us

End goal is jack of all trades big game hunter. Mostly for backpack hunting high country mule deer, also used for day hunts for whitetail/blacktail, bears.

then set your ego aside and let him get you there.

These guys know what works. The finished product may not seem like what you wanted but you won't see the beauty of their work until you've hunted it hard for a couple of seasons. You'll be sitting on a rain-soaked hill somewhere after a week of hunting like your life depended on it and look down at the rifle in your lap and think, "You know what? This thing is perfect for what I've been doing with it." That's what you're paying for.

Finally, before you drop a rifle off for a custom build, make sure that you've got another good one in hand, zeroed, and ready to go. A custom rifle is truly a piece of high-performance gear and you'll need to put in some work to get it set up after you take delivery. Even if you drop it off today, don't expect to hunt with it in 2023 or even 2024. After any smith builds a rifle, you still need time to work up loads, identify and fix any eccentricities, and truly be ready to hunt. You could easily be looking at the 2025 season.


Okie John

[b23]

Karl Kampfeld  https://www.kampfeldcustom.com/index.html does top notch work and has one of the fastest turn around times of any gunsmith I've ever worked with as well as Karl is a heck of a nice guy and great to deal with.  He's a few miles out of Sandpoint Idaho so wouldn't be local to you but shipping a rifle is pretty easy peasy and if you ship it to a smith they can ship it back to your address.

[Buckjunkie]

In your location, I would use Benchmark in Arlington. I had them re-barrel one rifle, flute and thread another and thread a third in the last year. Their turn around time varied based on the work. Re-barrel took the longest at 9 months, but the other two were done in three months.

I am picky about accuracy and they meet all my expectations. As a bonus, their prices were better than other places I have used as well.

[elsb0048]

Okie john- will checkout those guys.

Re 30-06 vs 270/280ai

Sporter barrel is too thin to thread for suppressor. I'm willing to rebarrel in order to make suppressor possible. If I'm rebarreling anyway I'm hoping for a little less recoil so I can shoot more and hopefully be better at it. Hence 270. 280 is tempting just because there's a cool factor but ultimately will probably not bother.

[RB]

Okie john- will checkout those guys.

Re 30-06 vs 270/280ai

Sporter barrel is too thin to thread for suppressor. I'm willing to rebarrel in order to make suppressor possible. If I'm rebarreling anyway I'm hoping for a little less recoil so I can shoot more and hopefully be better at it. Hence 270. 280 is tempting just because there's a cool factor but ultimately will probably not bother.

They can thread your existing barrel and give you an adapter for it, both my model 70's haven had this done. I have one adapter that can be used on either for the 5/8-24 threads on my can, and thread protectors for the barrel when the can is not being used. 

[elsb0048]

My barrel does not have sufficient diameter for a shoulder for either 5/8 or 9/16 threads. The gunsmith I have consulted so far (Only Hits Count in clear lake) has said he's not willing to thread 1/2-28 for .30 cal as he's had bad experiences with cans being able to break the end of your barrel in the case of a fall in the woods or similar with so little meat left. This appears in line with recommendations from I believe thunderbeast (? Could have been another mfgr) and I'm inclined to trust him on this recommendation

[Karl Blanchard]

Karl Kampfeld  https://www.kampfeldcustom.com/index.html does top notch work and has one of the fastest turn around times of any gunsmith I've ever worked with as well as Karl is a heck of a nice guy and great to deal with.  He's a few miles out of Sandpoint Idaho so wouldn't be local to you but shipping a rifle is pretty easy peasy and if you ship it to a smith they can ship it back to your address.

this. Karl builds shooters and he turns them quick. 280ai is a fantastic caliber for big game hunting.  Built one for my daughter last year.

Only downfall to the m70 is a lack of aftermarket options in relation to what's available for 700's, clones, or tikka's. There are options though and paired with a short 8 twist 3b or similar contour and you'll have a great shooter on your hands.

[dreadi]

Sporter tapered barrels can be threaded for suppressor mounts. Typically, 9/16x24 is the correct thread pitch if you’re shooting a .30 cal or larger when you don’t have enough outer diameter meat for 5/8x24.

Opting for 1/2x28 and then adding an adapter for 5/8x24 is stacking tolerances and is not the correct route to go.


BLACK HAMMER ARMS
07/02 NFA Dealer

http://www.blackhammerarms.com
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[BULLBLASTER]

I rebuilt a push feed 70 a couple years ago. Its a 7 rem mag. 2000 ish walmart black shadow action with a benchmark barrel and bell and carlson ultralight stock. Now one of my best shooting rifles.  not as many options for parts like karl said but those bell and carlson sporter stocks work well.

[Wingin it]

Another vote for Benchmark in Arlington. They’ve done a few things for me. I had a 1970’s push feed model 70 rebuilt with new barrel and fitted into an HS Precision stock. It is very accurate, I’m talking half inch MOA.

[elsb0048]

Karl do you have any photos of your daughters 280?

Re suppressors on Sporter barrel. My barrel is .600 at the end. Gunsmith wasn't willing to thread 9/16 without .648 min and 5/8 without .750. This is in line with SAAMI recommendations and several suppressor mfgers as well, thunderbeast has drawings pretty available on their website.

My barrel doesn't get thicker than .650 until nearly 16/18" length which was a little shorter than I wanted to go.  I also hear great things about improved accuracy potential of aftermarket barrels and action blueprinting, in the long run I bought this rifle with the intent of tinkering with it because it sounds fun 😜