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First question is what do you wish to do with a long range custom rifle. If you go down to the Fur section you can see some results of one of my rifles. It is for hunting. Killing elk out to 1000 yards is easy if you can find a cooperative elk. Is there some reason you need the 338 Lapua? It has a nonstandard case head that is the same size as the 378 Wby series.
A 308 is really simple and really accurate and will easily make it to a 1K target if you just wish to punch paper. No need to spend a fortune to kill a piece of paper.
The whole issue revolves around selecting the right tool to do the job but we do not know what the job is so you have to tell us.
In any event, AVOID NEW NESIKA ACTIONS LIKE THE PLAGUE they were bought a few years ago and the new management has run them into bankruptcy and the original owner has left to start Phoenix Machine so the current Nesika actions are sloppy with bad tolerances. Phoenix Machine was having some start up problems but may have solved them. If you can find a Nesika action that is at least four years old you will have a good one.
The other company that makes a first class action to fit a Lapua is Bat.
Barney Lawton died recently and his QC was down during his illness but it may be back up to snuff now. Nobody has measured the tolerances of a current action to my knowledge but Lawton might be back to high quality.
Now then, there are two many high quality barrel makers to list but Kreiger is good, Rock, Broughton, Lilja. The thing to do is to select a twist that will will handle the 300 SMKs. Berger is coming out with a new bullet soon that will provide an alternative to the SMK. They have the tooling and are beginning the run up to production I believe.
Scopes depend upon the use. Anything from a Luepold Mk 4, to a Nightforce to a S&B will provide the resolution for long range.
Triggers are usually Jewell @ $200 or you can go cheaper with Rifle Basix. Weight once again depends upon job to be done.
You should have at least a 20 MOA rail and once again depending on what it is you want to do you might go to 30 or 40 MOA.
As far as gunsmiths, I would suggest that you select a gunsmith who has an established reputation for building rifles to do what you want to do. If it is hunting then I know quite a few. If it is some type of competition then I don't know very much about them.
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