How do I get an SCR rifle?

The FAQ page is a very good place to start. Reading though the Q&A on this page will help familiarize you with our system and some of the info we will be chatting about when planning your build together. 

1.    Every build is custom and starts with a phone conversation to chat about your desires for the rifle system. You may leave the conversation with a some decisions that need to be made or thought about. 

2.    At the time you decide on a rifle specification you like, you will send me your name, number and email address.

3.    I will draft an invoice with the details we have chatted about and send that to you for your confirmation. 

4.    When you confirm the invoice details are correct you will send me a non refundable deposit for the cost of the components. 

5.    When your rifle is finished you will get me the contact number for your desired ffl holder you want the rifle shipped to. 

6.    I will then calculate shipping cost and the remainder of the bill will be paid for my services including any additional expenses incurred during the project. 

What will an SCR Rifle cost me?

Most of our rifles range from $6000 $7500 before cerakote and without an optic. 

How do I know how to spec my rifle?

A successful rifle build is one that makes the job you’re intending to use it for easier to accomplish. Making these choices requires both knowledge and experience. Experience SCR and those we associate with in the industry have, which allow us to help guide you in making these crucial decisions on component selection. Reading some of the Q&A here will help educate you to learn more about our build processes and why we choose components we recommend. 

Some things you will need to consider are: 
1.    What will you be doing with the rifle? 
2.    Will you be shooting factory ammo or reloading your own? 
3.    Will you be shooting suppressed? 
4.    Are you packing the rifle long distances?
5.    Would you place more emphasis on weight or precision? 
6.    What distances do you expect to shoot with the rifle and what will you be shooting at? 

How do I know what caliber to choose?

There are so many options and so many intended uses out there it is not possible to say one caliber is better than another. However the rifle system is built around the intended use for the rifle. Starting with the intended use, we choose a bullet or specific class of bullet that would accomplish the task best. Then we choose the cartridge and finally we build the rifle system to best suit the caliber picked for the task at hand. Usually there are compromises that must be made in one facet or another regarding weight vs precision and reliability. 

How much should I want my rifle to weigh?

Just like caliber selection there is a lot that goes into this decision. There is no argument that heavy rifles shoot better and they are also more pleasant to shoot. If you are going to be packing the rifle long distances then you may want it lighter but what kind of a shot are you going to be making when it’s go time? What type of terrain and visibility is it going to be? What’s the average expected range you’ll shoot and environmental condition during that shot? So what is more important the weight of the rifle or the quality of the shot you intent to make with it? Every situation is different but the best answer is to spec your rifle as heavy as you can carry it for the intended use. We like most of our hunting rifles 11-13lbs fully set up ready to hunt. 

What is your lead time?

Full builds and prefit barrels are different. 
Prefits and Replacement barrels for rifles we have previoushy chambered we try to get out in 1-2 months as we want to keep you guys shooting. 
Full rifle builds vary based on how many builds are currently in the shop. We strive to keep our lead time at 5 months or less.
Call for a current estimate based on how many builds are currently in the shop. 

What action should I use?

Almost all our rifles are built either on
Defiance or BAT Machine actions.
We believe the action is the heart of a custom rifle build and you do not want to skimp here!
The main value of a good custom action is
in the superior ignition system design, other important features are tighter tolerances, one piece bolt, integral recoil lug and scope rail, nitride finish, reliable extraction and higher resale value.

What stock should I use?

We primarily use McMillan, Manners and Foundation stocks on all our builds. 
For hunting builds we usually prefer carbon fiber McMillan A3 adjustable or Manners LRH. We believe an adjustable cheek is an essential part of a precision rifle. We are all built different and If the rifle doesn’t fit you then the way you interface with the rifle system has a much higher likelihood of getting compromised one shot to the next. 

The A3 is our favorite hunting stock for many reasons. By nature of its design it tracks and balances better than all other light weight stocks we have tested and thus is easy to shoot small groups consistently, even with bigger magnums. With the solid fill buttstock for balance, the highly adjustable kmw cheek hardware and a gradual taper to ride your rear bag, staying on target through the recoil impulse is far easier than others we have used. The A3 usually comes in around 2lbs 9oz.

Our other favorite stock is the highly versatile Manners Long Range Hunter (LRH). Already set up from the factory arca rail equipped for tripod use, manners has roughly an identical buttstock shape to the A3 which is great for tracking. However to shave some weight the LRH has a foam filled buttstock, the bottom of the forend is cut much thinner than traditional stocks and the adjustable cheek piece is a carbon fiber shell with stackable spacers under it. All pros wen it comes to shaving ounces. Although not as adjustable as the A3s KMW cheek it still allows you to set the proper height of your cheek to see through the scope while applying cheek pressure to the stock. The LRH typically comes in around 1lb 14oz. 

For the Tactical side of stocks we typically like either McMillan A6 or Foundation stocks. They are both heavy, well designed and track great!
Foundation builds their stocks out of a material called micarta which by nature of the material is harmonically “dead”, very dense, and they look amazing! They feel very different at the shot than any other stock. “Dead” is just the only way to describe it. The heavier the rifle system the easier they are to shoot consistently and foundation surely helps with that. 

What barrel should I use?

For carbon fiber barrels benchmark is our preferred manufacturer of choice. Their carbon wrap is durable and looks great, but more importantly, THEY SHOOT! Bartlein also makes a great carbon barrel. Their carbon barrels have a bigger steel core so they do weigh more than other carbon barrels on the market. We prefer 4 groove barrels in general as opposed to 5R put in most bartlein barrels, though we do chamber all groove styles. 
For steel barrel blanks krieger is our top pick. We also like benchmark, Brux and bartlein.

What bottom metal should I use?

Since day one SCR has always used Hawkins Precision M5 bottom metals for both hunting and competition. We no longer use BDL style floor plates due to the nature of how finicky BDL‘s can be which can require extensive time to get to feed reliably.
Hawkins M5 Hunter and corresponding Hunter magazine is always reliable. It is a center feed from a mag and as simple a set up as you can get that functions perfect and looks clean. 
Hawkins original M5 for AICS mags remain the standard to which other DBMs are compared and always function as intended. 

What trigger should I use?

Triggers are super important and play a huge role in your rifles ability to shoot small. It’s not all about feel, how adjustable or how light they can go. Your action relies on the trigger sear placement for multiple things involving timing and firing pin fall. Some trigger brands simply do not allow your rifle to get the performance it needs regardless of how good a shooter or how well the rifle is built.
We use both Trigger Tech and Bix n’ Andy triggers. 
Trigger tech is widely known and for good reason. They work and they work well. They have a sealed trigger housing which keeps out dirt and debris better than others, their pull weight adjustment screw has detected clicks so it won’t move on you once it’s adjusted and it will not fall out. If your trigger ever does have a failure they are always quick to replace them for you. 

Bix n’ Andy triggers are appealing to us because of their lighter top sear spring, interchangeable sear heights and they allow us the most pin fall of any trigger out there. All of this equals less cocking piece drag, and more firing pin fall, which all adds up to higher energy transfer and more reliable primer ignition. They are a simple design that have instructions on how to disassemble and clean your trigger so if it does get dirty you can strip it down, clean and reassemble. For this reason it’s sometimes easier than sending it back to get replaced if it ever does malfunction. We personally use and support both brands. 

How much does cerakote cost?

Cerakote can range from one color barreled actions around $300 to full camo patterns that can cost in excess of $1000. Remember cerakote cost is determined by what parts
you want coated, how many colors are involved and camo pattern detail, as well as shipping costs to and from Primal Finish.

Do you flute barrels?

Yes we have barrels fluted, though the work is outsourced. We only flute barrels that are cut rifled as button has a high likely-hood of warping after fluting. 

Do your prefits shoot as good as your full rifle builds?

They certainly have the potential to! All prefits are chambered is the exact same way full builds are. However A rifle is a l complete functioning system with many parts. If your action is giving up ignition energy or the bedding is not stress free for example, then the potential performance, of the barrel can be masked by other problems. SCR specializes in and prefers to do the full build that way no stone is left unturned.

What torque do I put my barrel on at?

We recommend 125ft/lbs for centerfire barrels. 

I plan on running a suppressor, what do I need to know?

If you plan on running suppressed for a light weight hunting rifle, we recommend getting a carton fiber barrel. Lighter weight contour steel barrels don’t typically have
the rigidity or tensile strength of a compatibly equal weight carbon barrel. The result is there is a high likelihood that the suppressor on the light steel barrel may suffer point of impact shift or bad groups when the barrel gets hot. However two ways to get more rigidity out of a steel barrel is to shorten it or get a heavier contour. Call to chat with us about intended barrel length and contour if your thinking about doing a suppressor on a lighter barrel. 
Suppressors on fat contour barrels isomer in prs for example, cause no issue as they are more rigid. 

Can you mount my supplied optic?

Yes, not problem.
 

Will you build a rifle if I supply the components?

It depends. We prefer to stock and use the components we have on hand as we have tested and know they work. If you already have something you’d like to use give us a call and we can chat about it. 

Why don't I see many chassis оn your builds?

At SCR we are all about precision! We prefer a stress free bedded stock as opposed to an aluminum chassis.
Bedding is a better fit by far and if done correctly is a stress free joint for the barreled action to sit in. In every case we have tested a well bedded stock will out perform the same barrled action screwed into a chassis. The stock materials dampen vibrations much better than aluminum and minimizing harmonics is what precision is all about.
Chassis can be bedded but the performance and vibration is still not the same, they are also a hassle clean up bedding in a professional manner. 
Chassis have their place and sometimes, based on your intended use, you may feel inclined to give up the performance and that “dead” feel of a stock in place of a folding 
option of a chassis. In that case we can build you a barreled action for you to drop into a chassis. There are other options depending in your intended use to get shorter and still use a stock such as the Manners MCS CS or EHF1A. 

How do I know what twist rate to go with?

Burger bullets has great tool called the twist rate calculator. You can select your bullet of choice or enter the data for a non berger bullet. Then enter in your worst case scenario you’d use the rifle in (ie. lowest temp, lowest elevation, slowest velocity) you intend to use the rifles in and then hit calculate. It will then tell you what minimum twist you need to stabilize your bullet of choice. 

Can I order my rifle with a brake and put a suppressor on later?

Certainly you may. However understand that your rifle will not shoot the same with a brake as it will with the suppressor on. The weight of one vs the other will affect your barrel harmonics and your load tune as well as your point of impact. If you swap back and forth you will likely need two different loads to keep your rifle in tune and you’ll also need to re-zero your rifle. 
We typically recommend choosing one or the other.