What you think you want may be misleading

[charles p]

Had a lot of deer rifles in my time and still have most.  Even considering custom rifles, I think the best rifle I ever owned was an old original Rem 700 Classic when they were offered in about six different calibers.  I'm guessing about 1975.  I had a used plain vanilla 30-06.  Man, did that rifle ever shoot sweet with an old 3X9 Leupold Gold Ring.  Perfectly ballanced also.
Rebarreled it to 280AI in a match 26" SS Shilen barrel and the resulting rifle and McMillan stock must weigh 12 pounds or more.  Turned a real gem into a safe queen.  Ain't seen the light of day in ten years.  Should have just rebarreled the old Remington in another 22" sporter weight 30-06 barrel.  Thought I wanted a "bean field" rifle like Kenny Jarrett made.  Nope.  Too long and too heavy.  Even my Mod 7s in 308 and 7mm-08 are good out to nearly 400 yds.  Beyond that, my old eyes are no good.  Live and learn. 
Haven't yet been bitten by the AR bug.  At my are I am imune.
Anybody else ever throw good money at a rifle project, and been disappointed with the result.

[StrawHat]

Not including muzzleloaders, I have built 10 rifles for myself.  In calibers from 22 to 50.  The only one I can say dissapointed me was a 45-70 double rifle I had built from a Belgian shotgun.  And that did not dissapoint me until I was much older and no longer liked carrying a lot of weight in a hunting rifle.  So was it the design or me that was at fault?  Probably both.  I have noticed that with each build, I am refining what I think is the ultimate rifle for the purpose.  I have a Ballrd I reworked to 22 WCF and use on varmints.  I also have a Winchester 1895 rifle that was reworked to handle the 405 WCF cartridge.  My latest is a 50-70 Trapdoor I rebuilt using the stock and lock from a 1841 Mississippi rifle.  Each was built for a purpose and each one has achieved it's purpose.  I als built a Siamese Mauser into a 45-70, I have outgrown my need for "Super Cartridges" and have come to rely on the original ballistics of cartridges so that has gone down the road. 
 
So maybe some of my builds have dissappointed me or maybe I have simply outgrown them and refined my needs.  Either way, the next one is always the best one!  And planning is as much enjoyment as actually building them.

[charles p]

I tend to agree with everything you have said.  At 65, I'm not interested in a long heavy barrel, or a magnum cartridge, or an improved cartridge.  The plane vanilla rifles that have stood the test of time are my hunting favorites.  But utility is not the only reason we need to buy more guns.  It's just fun.  Then there are grandchildren. 

[JesterGrin]

   I have to say I have been thinking a bunch about what caliber would do me the most good for things that I do. Which is mainly hunt wild Hog and Deer. With an occasional Coyote,Bobcat or Panther.

   I have a couple of Ole .243's Rem MoHawk that I was given as a child. Great Shooters I have to say but too small overall for what I do.

   And then I have an Old Rem BDL in 30-06 from my Father that is just BEAUTIFUL. It shoots nice but I do not like to take it hunting as I worry about it too much. One because it was my Fathers the other that it is just too darn pretty lol.

  Back to Caliber. After much deliberating and research I came upon two that would work for all of my needs. One is the 35 Whelen and the other a .358 Winchester.

  To this end I had built a 35 Whelen on a Marlin XL-7 Action with a Shaw Heavy Mag Contour barrel at 24 in long and a 1-14 twist with a Boyds Thumb Hole stock with pillars added and bedded with Bedrock. This was my first build this last year and I have to say I am very happy with it but since it was my first build I did not think enough about the build or to say I really was not sure. I feel even though I would have lost some FPS I should have had the barrel cut to 22 in. But that is the only thing I would change.

  My Second Rifle that is being built now is a 358 Winchester with a Short Action Savage Action with a Shaw Heavy Mag Contour barrel cut to 20in with a 1-14 twist. It will be coated with Duracoat Titanium Silver set into a Boyds Thumb Hole stock also pillars added and bedded with Bedrock. Of which I feel will be my most used gun with a handier size.


  And to round things out I am thinking of a purchase of a Ruger No.1 and have it made into a 35 Whelen AI by Jess Reboring.


 And to be honest I am pretty sure I will stop there. As I really like these two rounds for there versatility.

  As the 35's can shoot light Pistol bullets or from 180Gr Rifle Bullets up to 310Gr bullets which will from my understanding cover everything in North America.

[StrawHat]

A custom rifle does not have to be expensive or too pretty to hunt.  A simple restocking can turn a factory rifle into a custom number.  Stocks are available in utility grade through $$$$ and also include sythetics. 
 
While I don't consider sight changes or butt plate changes to be "custom guns" that is also a way to "customize" your rifle.  The 405 WCF I mentioned started out as a 30 Gov't carbine.  It now carried rifle wood, a long barrel, and an aperture rear sight.  Side by side with an original 1895 rifle, you would be hard pressed to tell them apart.  Other of my rifles, much easier.  For example, the Ruger M77/22 that has a Winchester M52 barrel.  None of my rilfes have had fancy wood or engraving but all have been at home being carried about.  I just try to change them to fit my needs.

[roper]

I've never mislead myself on building something that I won't use as one of my hunting rifles.  Most time I have a hard time picking which one I want to take and it really gets bad figuring out which back up rifle to take.

I have had barrels replaced  to upgrade for some of the longer hunting bullets and also wanting to try a different barrel and the weight of those rifles haven't changed much over the last 47yrs maybe +/- lb or so.  I have had some LR hunting/varmint  rifles build in the past that were more gear to past 500yds shots and they weight 12plus lbs and they never sat in a safe because of their weight.

[StrawHat]

... I'm not interested in a long heavy barrel, or a magnum cartridge, or an improved cartridge.  The plane vanilla rifles that have stood the test of time are my hunting favorites.  But utility is not the only reason we need to buy more guns.  It's just fun.  Then there are grandchildren.

Just so you are aware, Kimber is making 5 pound rifle chambered in standard short cartridges, based on the 308 WCF.  For the 06 family of cartridges, the rifle weighs 6 pounds.  Both have 5 round capacity.  Now that is food for thought!