Are Custom Actions Worth the Money?

When it comes to long range shooting there seems to be a limitless supply of things you need to buy to get the most out of your rifle. Custom actions are one of these things but are they actually worth the money?

Today we are going to go over the benefits you get with a custom action and why you might choose one over truing an action.

Benefits of a Custom Action

Bolt-action rifles are a semi-complex symphony of stacked tolerances that have to work together in order to produce the best accuracy for long range shooting. In all practical purposes this mostly involves the barrel, the barrel fitment, and receiver. But what about the action? 

The action plays a small but pivotal role in the rifle’s performance. It helps with the cycling, loading, and extraction of ammunition. As long as everything is in spec, there is very little difference between actions. But not all actions are created equal.

This is shown in the action’s quality, its parts compatibility, its tolerances, and its timing. Then there are more superficial aspects such as the feel of the action moving. Let’s get into it.

Action/Parts Quality

A good alternative to a custom action is truing an action. This is great if you already have a rifle and want to improve your current action’s function. However, due to the number of actions large companies produce there is a higher chance of a part being out of spec.

An out of spec action will be harder to true if not impossible depending on how bad it is. This increases the cost of truing the action which can rival that of a custom action. It would be easier to go the custom route since the quality and attention to detail will be better due to the lower batch numbers.

The lower batch numbers allow for higher quality steels, aluminum, and even titanium to be used. Which results in better durability, weight, or some combination depending on the manufacturer’s goals. 

Parts Compatibility

The attention to detail of a custom action also helps with parts compatibility. If you are working on a custom rifle, you are going to have higher quality parts (barrels, receivers, etc.) that need to work with your action.

Virtually all Custom Actions have guaranteed tolerances and head-spacing, making it easier for your gunsmith to mount them. This takes out the guesswork and labor cost associated with accurizing your rifle.

Tolerances/Timing

While we’ve touched on it multiple times already, the tolerances of your custom action will matter. Having everything within the specifications for your action’s type will make it more consistent.

This means there will be less bends and warps in the action itself which makes the cycling better. This helps with the timing of the gun, making sure everything is where it should be when it needs to be during the firing/cycling process.

This results in what most people comment about a custom action: the smoothness of cycling the bolt. This smoothness helps with speed and comfort, but it does help indicate just how well the action is made.

Miscellaneous details

Another aspect of custom actions is all the little details that go into them. From bolt throw to recoil lugs to magazine acceptance, a custom action can be found to suit your preferences. 

How Does the Action Affect My Shooting?

Despite the action not having a direct impact on the accuracy of the rifle, Custom Actions can make the rifle easier to shoot. You can spend thousands of rounds with a normal, factory-provided R700 action, but when you start pushing the limits of the rifle and your skills, a custom action makes the experience better.

It also makes your rifle more consistent. This consistency helps remove factors in your shooting process, because once one thing goes wrong in the system, the rest of the system begins to have problems.

If you’re looking to get a custom action for your rifle we have a number of options in-stock like the Pure Precision SKLTN and other offerings from Defiance Machine, Stiller, Impact Precision, and Terminus.

Make sure to match the appropriate action with your choice of caliber, bolt, and footprint.