At this point on your journey, a secret bank account would come in handy to prevent your significant other from disowning you. Judging by the opening statement, you probably have a good idea of where this is heading.

Your first custom rifle build

When I initially started competition shooting, I purchased a factory target rifle. If you want to get your feet wet in the sport, I recommend traveling down that road. Suppose you want to get serious right out of the gate. Then, your first custom rifle build is in order.

“A factory rifle is what you shoot while the real thing is being built.” -EC

I know you’re thinking, “You can hire someone to do everything for you.” True, if I had $1 million, I could hire someone to wash my feet, but that wouldn’t be a learning experience. The time has come to put on my big boy pants and build my first custom rifle.

Let’s get down to the brass tacks.

I initially debated having a rifle put together for me from start to finish. Like I said before, what would that teach me? We decided to do most of the work ourselves for this build, shy of causing our brains to short-circuit.

Update: my mind buffered. I now eat through a straw and make messes.

Five things to expect

First, it’s not going to happen overnight. A majority of the parts you require have big lead times. In all honesty, it usually takes a year or two to complete a project. It took a year to receive the components I needed.

Second, Spending quality time researching before ordering your components/parts would be best. You don’t want to learn the hard way that you bought the wrong stuff. A turd is still a turd, no matter how you dress it up.

Third, It’s going to cost some money. The places you go, the people you meet, and the enjoyment you get from the sport quickly erase the financial investment. 

I had to laugh the other day. A gentleman was talking about how his wife always complained about how much shooting costs. He returned from work to unexpectedly find she had purchased a $40,000 brand-new UTV.

About 1/4 of that would buy you the best of everything, reloading gear included.

Forth, Expect to learn some new trades. I am now a woodworker, custom painter, metal fabricator, and armchair engineer. All rolled into one.

Fifth, You definitely will have unexpected setbacks. Even well-planned projects in history hit snags. Try not to get frustrated. It’s all part of the process.

Conclusion

The whole experience is a roller coaster ride when it comes down to it. Sometimes you will feel like you’re jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Don’t worry because the journey will have been worth it the first time you pull that trigger.

I hope you enjoyed this short article on your first custom rifle build and 5 things to expect.

Mac R.

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