custom or stock?

[slickest]

I'm just curious what you guys think. If/when your going to buy a new rifle do you start out with a stock rifle see how well you like it? then if its not up to par for you then do custom mods (new barrel,trigger,etc) or do you just build or buy the custom rifle right away?

I'm looking at buying new either factory stock or custom right away. I guess i don't know how to go about it tho. I guess mainly i would really try to get or make myself a tack driver (just like everyone else). Should I just buy a rifle  from a store try some different loads and give it chance? or buy a custom off the get go?

Looking at a .300 win mag  would be 700cdl I would mainly use for whitetail and black bear.
just curious why don't they make the .308 in the cdl model? I thought that was kind of strange..

any suggestions appreciated

[beemanbeme]

If you're gonna add an occassional elk into the mix I'd certainly take a look at the 300WM. If you are gonna just be shooting deer and black bears, the 7-08 is a very versatile cartridge if you can't find you a .308.
IMO, I would never buy a rifle and send it off to be "accurized" or "blue printed" of any of those other vague words without shooting it first. At least to get a base line to work from.  If some high dollar smith lays hands on your rifle and sends it back and tells you "it's shooting .75" with tuned ammo". How do you know it wasn't doing that when it left your hands?  See what I mean.
Also, if you want a custom rifle, I wouldn't buy a new rifle and then start replacing parts of it. I'd buy an action and then buy the components and have a smith put it together. 
You understand, of course, that if you have a custom rifle made, there's no guarentee that it will shoot any better than a OTC box gun. 

[corbanzo]

Remmy 700 in 300 wm will shoot like you need it without much tune up.  Sometimes if you are really picky, like said above, then you are looking for "tuned ammo." 

All of that yadda yadda might make your rifle shoot groups that are 1/4 inch closer, but that really doesn't do much for the general population.