Over the years, the word “custom” has grown to mean “expensive.” Regardless of the industry, it seems that the moment you want a one-off, you’re going to pay for it. However, have we ever stopped to look at where this money is going? While “custom” typically implies the use of premium materials, a significant amount of the cost is to compensate the craftsman doing the work. Therefore, if you can develop the skill yourself, you can own high-end items without having to pay the high-end price. These words ring true to anybody who has assembled a top-tier AR-15, but could a precision bolt-action rifle also be that simple? The answer is yes, especially in this world of standardized and pre-fit parts.
The idea for this project came from my dissatisfaction with many of the left-handed long-range rifles on the market. While I can shoot rather well off my right shoulder, when it counts, I like to stick to my native dexterity. So, I began this build by picking out a left-handed action. There are several excellent contenders, but for something this important to me, I wanted to stick with a product that I had personally confirmed worked well. To that end, I went with a Pure Precision SKLTN based solely on the impression it made when I tested one of the company’s rifles. In a few words, smoothness counts. Aggressive or jittery cycling is enough to bounce you off target in between shots, which can be a serious issue at extended distances.
The Pure Precision action is made to fit the popular Remington 700 footprint and works off a simple dual-lug bolt system while offering a shortened 75-degree lift. The bolt features an M16-style extractor. Buyers have their choice of titanium or stainless steel construction and, most importantly, it accepts pre-fit barrels. This means that if you send the receiver drawing to a barrel manufacturer, your barrel arrives at your door ready to install without the need for professional gunsmithing.
When it comes to barrels, there are quite a few choices out there capable of sub-m.o.a. accuracy. With that in mind, it was hard for me to make a decision. Then, at the NRA Great American Outdoors Show, I stumbled upon an old friend, Shaw Barrels. Shaw’s story dates back to World War I when it first started making barrels to support the war effort. With more than 100 years' worth of experience, I was glad to try one of its precision barrels in this build. Working with the folks over there, we determined that the #3 contour would work best for what I had in mind.
Chambering options were bountiful, but I decided to keep it to the tried-and-true 6.5 mm Creedmoor. I also had the option to add some fluting, so I went with the attractive spiral pattern. This aids in cooling but also stresses the barrel, so there is a trade-off there. However, again, the custom DIY route lets you make that decision for yourself. Pure Precision emailed me the PDF of the SKLTN’s specs, which I forwarded to Shaw so they can ship me the barrel ready for installation. If you’re the kind of builder that would rather have one company do everything, Pure Precision offers a service where they will finish your barrel’s chamber and install it to your action; you just need to get all the components to them to take advantage of this service.
After a few weeks, the barrel had arrived and was ready to be installed. Just like an AR-15, a few specialized tools are needed to accomplish this task safely. Short Action Customs makes everything you need to put together a bolt-action rifle, as well as a wide variety of products to enjoy after completion. For this project, I recruited the help of its Modular Barrel Vice and Modular Action Wrench. Using one of the included spacer sets, the user simply clamps the barrel within the vise. Next, the action is screwed on until about hand tight. Using the Modular Action Wrench with the correct head installed, I slid it into the action where it engages the lug recesses. Next, I attached a Real Avid Torque wrench to the tool and torqued the action to the barrel to 50, 60 and then eventually 80 ft.-lbs., backing it off in between each interval. This process normalizes the threads, helping them to mesh better and ensure a connection that is square. After this, I confirmed that my headspace was correct using a set of Forster gauges, which then led me to my finishing bench.
Assembling a bolt-action rifle is, in some ways, easier than assembling an AR-15, especially once the barrel and action are attached and properly headspaced. Aside from dropping it into a stock, all that is needed for the rifle to function is a trigger. When shooting with little to no support, a light-breaking bang-switch is a must. TriggerTech’s Diamond has always been my go-to for these applications, particularly since they are one of the few available to lefties (right-handed Rem 700 triggers won’t fit left-handed actions). This trigger pack can be set to a paltry 4 ozs. and offers a smooth, almost rolling break. At the same time, this trigger comes free of creep, creating a paradox of a trigger pull that I, admittedly, cannot put into words; press one, and you’ll understand. Pure Precision includes the required trigger pins to secure it into place, so the trigger's installation only took a few minutes.
With the entire firing assembly complete, it was time to cradle it into a chassis. I didn’t come this far to have a gun not fit perfectly, so I chose MDT’s ACC Elite Chassis System to finish the rifle. In short, shooters can tweak this stock to fit every imaginable feature of their body and shooting position. Starting with the buttstock, you can adjust not only the height of the cheek riser but its horizontal axis as well. This pairs nicely with the stock's ability to vary its length of pull. Final tuning comes in the form of buttplate cant, which serves the modern, more squared rifle shooting position rather well. Most of these adjustments can be conducted with the press of a button, which can also be locked down for greater permanence.
The ACC Elite’s oversized grip can also be canted to meet the unique geometry of your hand and is served with a thumbrest that can be adjusted for both position and angle. Moving forward, the magazine catch can be adjusted to adapt to slight variances in magazines, and dowel rods are provided to tighten up the fit of those that leave slack inside of the well. Finally, the elongated ARCA fore-end floats even the beefiest of barrels while offering 270 degrees of M-Lok and nifty skate tape to help it hold onto barricades and shooting bags. Also impressive were the well-illustrated step-by-step directions that had me looking at a finished rifle in less than 20 minutes.
Chomping at the bit to send some rounds downrange, all that was left was to add glass and a muzzle device. Interestingly, the two choices are somewhat related, as long-range shooting requires not only magnification but also the ability to watch your bullet arrive on target. Trijicon’s 4.5-30X 56 mm Tenmile has the zoom and clarity to watch a 6.5 mm bullet impact moist dirt over half a mile away. It also has what I refer to as the "right amount of subtensions." there are enough marks on the reticle to determine aiming solutions, or a correction without covering so much of the impact area that you cannot see where your bullet landed.
Of course, if recoil has knocked you out of this zone, none of this matters, which is where a good muzzle brake comes into play. I used this build as an opportunity to work with American Precision Arms’s latest Fat Bastard muzzle brake. This device not only tames recoil but features a set of customizable ports in the 12-o'clock position to tune out muzzle flip. This allows you to dial in the precise amount of compensation needed, ensuring that you don’t overdo it and wind up with the opposite problem. I affixed it using the company’s Cone of Shame Nut, which secures it to the muzzle while offering forward blast deflection to help keep the peace with your neighbors on the firing line.
Range day began with a shortened barrel break-in procedure, followed by typical group testing. Initial results were beyond satisfactory, as many five-shot groups hovered around the half-m.o.a. mark. The rifle seemed to have a preference for Hornady’s 140-grain ELD MATCH load, but adequate performance was also achieved with Federal’s Gold Medal Berger. Winchester’s USA Ready also showed promise as a low-cost practice load, particularly if we keep it to shorter distances.
Settling on the Hornady ammo for a full practice session, I ran some numbers and built a rough DOPE card for 500, 600, 700 and 1,000 yards. Using an Armageddon Gear Gamechanger bag, I engaged these targets from a variety of common barricades in improvised shooting positions. The results were spectacular, as I was able to produce first-round hits on all of these targets, save the furthest. However, the setup was balanced enough for me to observe the impact and rechamber a round for a second-round hit before the wind change. This is a product of the sheer weight of the rifle coupled with the efficiency of the muzzle brake. The setup was perhaps a bit too efficient, and I found better recoil stability when I plugged about half of the compensator holes, which indeed proved the concept.
Walking away from the range, I was extraordinarily pleased with the outcome. Having a rifle that fit me in the way that this one did illuminated a lot of what I had been missing for my entire shooting career. It provided everything that I wanted without having to make a single concession, and doing it myself saved me close to $1,000 when compared to similar custom-built rifles. In truth, those savings will only extend into the rest of my lifetime, as I’ll use the skills that I learned in this experience to build future firearms, too. That being said, I might have just picked up an ability that is going to cost me thousands in the long run. Oh well, here’s to shooting better rifles.
Custom Left-Handed Rifle Specifications
Action Type: bolt-action, repeating, centerfire rifle
Chambering: 6.5 mm Creedmoor
Barrel: 26" Shaw Rem. #3 Varmint; 416R stainless steel; 1:8” RH twist, threaded 5/8” x 24 TPI
Receiver: Pure Precision SKLTN; stainless steel
Magazine: AICS-pattern; 10-round detachable box
Sights: none; pinned picatinny rail
Stock: MDT ACC Elite Chassis System
Length of Pull: 13.25" to 14.75”
Drop at Comb: 0.25” to -0.25”
Drop at Heel: 0.25”
Trigger: TriggerTech Diamond; single-stage, 4-lb., 3.2-oz. pull
Overall Length: 47.75" to 49.25”
Height: 7.18”
Width: 1.58”
Weight: 15 lbs., 2 ozs.
