Help deciding on a .308 action?

[BadInternetGuy]

Hey all, first post here so please be gentle. Looking to get into some precision shooting and maybe my a semi custom build, but not sure which action I should go with.

Been looking mainly at either the ARC Nucleus, the Defiance Deviant or the Bighorn Origin. Budget before scope and rings is between $2000-$2500.

Is there a clear winner among these three? Or mainly just preference?

Appreciate any help y'all can give me.

 

[b6graham]

i'll pick origin all day. proof prefits from front range precision (get the action from them too) are cheap and accurate.

nucleus is nice too but more limited on barrel options

defiance deviant must have hand fitted barrels versus prefits (you'd want a tenacity or ruckus from defiance)

 

[spife7980]

i'll pick origin all day. proof prefits from front range precision (get the action from them too) are cheap and accurate.

nucleus is nice too but more limited on barrel options

Yep, the nuc and the origin are a tie to me in the niceness of the action but the current wider availability for barrels on the zermatt stuff pushes my rec that way.

Better yet get both the origin and the nuc

 

[celltech]

Love both my Nukes and Origin...but the Nuke wins out for me, IF you have the 16lb spring installed. The feeling upon loading a round is superb. And I have no fear of using barrel nuts...lets me set the headspace as I see fit.

 

[Boxkicker]

I have only built one origin, but I ended up right at 2500 with bipod, nut and action tools and gauges. I had to buy a McMillan “gunsmith special” stock to make this happen. Under 2500 could be done a number of other ways as well. Used stock cheaper barrel borrow tools etc.

 

[DocRDS]

"yes"

All are good choices and have plus and minus, however all build into awesome rifles.

 

[KnowNothing256]

You can also use the PVA spacer to install TL3 prefit barrels on the ARC actions, or two of them stacked to install an Origin prefit. Don't know of anyone doing two spacers like that, but the barrel options are wider than it would seem if you add a $25 reusable steel ring to the rig.

OP, I just snapped up an Archimedes, and plan on doing this if/when I see a good deal on a TL3 barrel. Thinking I might ask a machine shop to spin me up a double-thickness spacer for Origin barrels, then I can have all the prefits I could ever want.

 

[Rob01]

Origin all day. Not only an excellent action but ease of changing the bolt face and you can have other calibers in the same set up. After the .308 if you wanted a .223 then change bolt face and barrel and you have one.

Origin $875
Prefit around $550
Trigger $150
Brake $150

At $1775 so leaves $725 for a stock/chassis. Even an expensive prefit will leave you around $500 for the stock/chassis. You could go KRG Bravo for $350 to keep under $2500.

 

[MarinePMI]

Origin all day. Not only an excellent action but ease of changing the bolt face and you can have other calibers in the same set up. After the .308 if you wanted a .223 then change bolt face and barrel and you have one.

Origin $875
Prefit around $550
Trigger $150
Brake $150

At $1775 so leaves $725 for a stock/chassis. Even an expensive prefit will leave you around $500 for the stock/chassis. You could go KRG Bravo for $350 to keep under $2500.

This ^^^^

Add that it's controlled round feed, mechanical eject, and you have an action that is very tolerant of a wide variety of cartridges.

 

[srt-4_uk]

There's a new Archimedes in the PX for $900.
That would be my choice.

 

[RFutch]

I have two Origins and one Nuke. I still like the origin better but both are awesome. More barrel options with the origin as others stated and I feel like it’s a little slicker than the Nuke.

 

[DangerRanger]

I’m a fan of my tenacity, there may be a reason you were not considering it but it fits with the nucleus/origin group.

Tenacity takes ruckus prefits if that’s your move

 

[Shoots 700's]

I have a few but for the price range you’re in I would go Origin all day.

 

[BadInternetGuy]

Appreciate all the help y'all. Think I'm gonna end up going with the Origin in a Foundation Exodus stock with a prefit barrel. May end up going over my budget before all is said and done but I dont know if I can help myself.

 

[b6graham]

Appreciate all the help y'all. Think I'm gonna end up going with the Origin in a Foundation Exodus stock with a prefit barrel. May end up going over my budget before all is said and done but I dont know if I can help myself.

buy once cry once

and you wont be upgrading a foundation most likely

 

[kthomas]

All good actions.

It just depends on what features you like and dislike in an action - and that's something that comes with time and experience between different action types.

No one here will be able to tell you what action is going to work best for you, without knowing your specific objectives in an action. And when you first start out, you won't really know those. Thankfully, you are starting at a great time, and its hard to pick a bad action, all the options you listed are great.

 

[Andrew863]

I was just in the same boat. I picked up a Zermatt arms origin yesterday. One of the big reasons was the pre fit market for the origin. I contacted them today about swapping a spare bolt head I got with it and they replied in about 5 min and was super helpful. Either way you cant go wrong.

 

[ColdBore007]

Actions that guarantee their headspace should be higher on the list, if you feel you may be inclined to change the barrel (using prefits), yourself.

Impact 737r
Defiance Ruckus
Curtis Valor… among others

The “Remage” set up, from McGowan is another avenue…

If this isn’t important, then Defiance Deviant Elite with a heavy tang should be high on the list.

Falkor Defense is looking pretty awesome these days, as well

 

[b6graham]

Actions that guarantee their headspace should be higher on the list, if you feel you may be inclined to change the barrel (using prefits), yourself.

Impact 737r
Defiance Ruckus
Curtis Valor… among others

The “Remage” set up, from McGowan is another avenue…

If this isn’t important, then Defiance Deviant Elite with a heavy tang should be high on the list.

Falkor Defense is looking pretty awesome these days, as well

you realize the Origin (zermatt) and Nucleus (ARC) were some of, if not the first, custom action manufacturers, to do this right???

 

[ColdBore007]

you realize the Origin (zermatt) and Nucleus (ARC) were some of, if not the first, custom action manufacturers, to do this right???

Indeed. Hence the ….”Among Others”