Best rifle maker in the world

[WAB]

Define "maker"...
For instance Rigby uses barreled actions from Mauser, so who is the maker?

I would say the best maker is the one who builds the rifle you want, exactlg like you want it. Bee it a classic british style DG rifle with xxxxxxc wood and all the bells an whistles, or a Rem700 blueprinted with a heavy barrel chamber for some vulgar carteridge and duracoated.
Because he made it the way you wanted it.


I do not buy a brand new rifle often, but the absolute best new one was a 375 hh a-bolt stainless stalker. Open box, clean the bore, a quick oiling of the bolt and has worked 100% since.

I believe that is true of Rigby only on their Highland Stalker.

 

[Foxi]

To this one would have to define first of all what the best weapon is.
Reliability, shooting performance, handling and are probably the most important options.
22,000 British Pounds for a standard Holland and Holland rifle is money thrown out for me. Fits oil sheiks, but they are about something else.
Years ago I was with a friend at H+H London.
He wanted a good rifle and wanted to get a taste of it.
There the salesman pulled out a Frankonia catalogue (large German arms dealer) under the table, pointed to a Steyr Mannlicher and said that was a great weapon.......................
Or we didn't look like enough

 

[JMM]

David Miller
Todd Ramirez
Aaron Little

Custom shops that make bespoke rifles. They are functional works of art.

 

[Patton63]

David Miller

Custom shops that make bespoke rifles. They are functional works of art.

The different perspectives are interesting. Personally, I do not view and would not want my rifles to be “works of art.” They are tools to me. I have them built the way I like them, with the emphasis on their functionality. I expect them to get nicked and dinged in the field, and demand they function in whatever conditions I might encounter in the field or at a match.

I greatly admire and appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty in the “best” rifles (and absolutely love the look of a beautiful piece of walnut). I would be scared to death, though, of actually using them.

 

[WAB]

Totally agree. I am a sucker for walnut and use beautiful custom rifles. However I hunt hard with them. If they get scratched or dinged, to me that is a battle scar that reminds me of a great hunt. I have a nice .28 Ga. O/U. My son put a large scratch in it when we were out one day. It would be easy enough to refinish, but to me that scratch is a reminder of a special time with my son.

 

[Buckdog]

I will take an American built precision rifle that shoots tiny groups at a long ways all day every day! You can keep your pretty "bespoke guns", I have visited most of their London shops and to me they are not that special. As others have said there are many small shops in the USA that can make a precision hunting rifle.

 

[jacques smith]

A lot of rifles on this list require the same money as a down payment on a pretty sporty house. I would add Rigby and Dakota On a scale of 1–10 I’d give howa a minus2. Cheers

 

[WAB]

A lot of rifles on this list require the same money as a down payment on a pretty sporty house. I would add Rigby and Dakota On a scale of 1–10 I’d give howa a minus2. Cheers

I hope you’re right on Dakota. They’re building me a Model 10 African in 9.3x62 right now.

 

[jacques smith]

Is that the equivalent of .366? I’ve been happy with mine(400HH). The company is made up of hunters and serious shooters. They will listen to you best of luck with yours
Jacques

 

[GuttormG]

I believe that is true of Rigby only on their Highland Stalker.

Nope, all current production Rigby boltactions are done using Mauser barreled actions.

 

[WAB]

Nope, all current production Rigby boltactions are done using Mauser barreled actions.

Interesting. I was visiting w one of their marketing folks recently and I was sure he told me that they barreled their London Best. I must have misunderstood. Hard to call it a London best if you start with a barreled action!

 

[GuttormG]

https://www.johnrigbyandco.com/guns/the-big-game/

 

[BeeMaa]

I would not equate money spent on a rifle with making it the best rifle (or rifle maker) in the world.

 

[Roan]

The different perspectives are interesting. Personally, I do not view and would not want my rifles to be “works of art.” They are tools to me. I have them built the way I like them, with the emphasis on their functionality. I expect them to get nicked and dinged in the field, and demand they function in whatever conditions I might encounter in the field or at a match.

I greatly admire and appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty in the “best” rifles (and absolutely love the look of a beautiful piece of walnut). I would be scared to death, though, of actually using them.

I looked at a 70 year old Westley Richards this weekend and it was full od little scratches and dents, but it was still amazingly beautiful. Not to say that because a rifle looks like art that they aren’t used the way they should be.

 

[Roan]

I would not equate money spent on a rifle with making it the best rifle (or rifle maker) in the world.

Inwould have to disagree with you here. Tou can buy great rifles off the shelves no doubt. But I am not talking about mass production arms. I want to know what huys think are the top Rifle makers. The guys you would go to if you want to get a rifle that your great grandchildren’s children will still be able to hunt with.

I am not talking about long range paper puncher with carbon barrels and synthetic stocks and all that stuff.

I am talking Craftsmanship of making a rifle by hand that is both beautiful and accurate and that unfortunately usually costs more.

 

[Jon Glajchen]

Rheto Buehler is a another name that springs to mind. His creations appear to have all best custom touches and beauty while still being practical for hard use in the bush.
Remember “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

 

[BeeMaa]

Inwould have to disagree with you here. Tou can buy great rifles off the shelves no doubt. But I am not talking about mass production arms. I want to know what huys think are the top Rifle makers. The guys you would go to if you want to get a rifle that your great grandchildren’s children will still be able to hunt with.

I am not talking about long range paper puncher with carbon barrels and synthetic stocks and all that stuff.

I am talking Craftsmanship of making a rifle by hand that is both beautiful and accurate and that unfortunately usually costs more.

Don't get me wrong Roan, I understand exactly what you are talking about when it comes to "off the shelf" rifles.
I also completely understand the quality of one of these custom rifles is far superior and that they are much more beautiful.
I also understand that at some monetary point, the hunting "tool" is so beautiful that it becomes art.
Owning art like this makes some squeamish about taking it out of the safe for a hunt.
I know a guy at the local skeet/trap range who own a gorgeous shotgun that he only shows off in the back of his SUV, never to be shot.
His explanation? It's too beautiful to shoot.

I looked at a 70 year old Westley Richards this weekend and it was full od little scratches and dents, but it was still amazingly beautiful.

I would hope that all firearms would adorn the hard won scratches and dents of a wonderful hunt such as this WR.
Beautiful firearms, regardless of their cost, were designed to be used in the field and shot at game.

 

[spike.t]

Well have to be Rigby for me...but then I am slightly biased

 

[BobT]

I am sure I could be very happy with a rifle from David Miller, Ralph Martini or Westley Richards. For a semi mass produced rifle at a lower price point a Dakota would be nice I think.

 

[WAB]

I am sure I could be very happy with a rifle from David Miller, Ralph Martini or Westley Richards. For a semi mass produced rifle at a lower price point a Dakota would be nice I think.

I don’t know about their bolt guns, but the conversations I’m having with Dakota on my Model 10 lead me to believe that it is very much a one off build.