Kelby, Defiance, or better option?

[Kotes19]

Heard other people ask the question, but never got a clear response.

Which one offers higher/more consistent quality?

I understand price can fluctuate a lot between calibers chosen and the different actions and sizes they offer, so I do not care for price in this question. This is a “if everything was free” kind of question.

I just want to know plainly, which is better.

Would one be better for plinking, or hunting, or vice versa, or is there yet another brand that is even better than these two that I am unaware of?

I’m just looking for general insight, any information would be appreciated

 

[fdkay]

Kelbly's has different actions, geared towards different purposes.
So does Defiance.
So does bat machine.
Define the purpose, which will narrow the choices of the actions you are looking for.
That's like asking, which airplane is better, an F22 or a Boeing 777?
Depends on the mission.

 

[stanley_white]

I own NONE of the actions I am about to describe.

For sustainability without a gunsmith nor owner mechanical talent — Terminus Zeus — quick change barrels and no trigger pins.

For a unique design with loose enough tolerances to run dirty, a light bolt lift, and unique primary extraction — American Rifle Company Archimedes or Coup de Grâce.

For a more traditional design that seems to get a lot of praise in the “runs with moon dust” reliability category and light bolt lift department — Lone Peak.

-Stan

 

[spife7980]

Heard other people ask the question, but never got a clear response.

And that makes you think there is one?

 

[Kotes19]

And that makes you think there is one?

That is the reason I bring up ignoring the price. I understand some are better in certain scenarios but more common that not people seem to argue over which has the better price/value ratio, compared to the outright best quality.

Again, I could be wrong and there probably isn’t an outright best, but if they were all the exact same they wouldn’t have different price points, right?

 

[spife7980]

So you want an objective answer to a subjective question.

 

[Dieseltwotone]

I have a Kelbly Blackbear and Mausingfield with a Prometheus on order. My dad has multiple Defiance Actions, 3 being Devients, a Borden and a Bat. I sold my Impact 737r to fund the Blackbear. I have felt a Kelbly Atlas and is was great. When I make a purchase I factor in the customer service from the company. To date I have not found anything I like as much as Kelbly. Action feel and customer service are great with Kelbly. My dad also likes the Kelbly actions but prefers his Deviants and Borden. Bat is quality and feels good, but they have ignored my questions on the poor ejection of their action. Moving forward I am going with Kelbly. Actions work in all environments ( Desert with sand and rain) and are consistent in feel from action to action.

 

[Kotes19]

Thanks for bringing up service, I completely forgot to factor that in. Glad to hear I seem to be on a good track with companies. Thanks for the insight.

 

[moosemeat]

Kelblys quality is top notch. I would put Bat right there with them. Defiance can be had loose for rugged use or tight. I would lean Terminus over Defiance IF your not ordering a custom action that only Defiance offers the options you want.

 

[Mike Casselton]

That is the reason I bring up ignoring the price. I understand some are better in certain scenarios but more common that not people seem to argue over which has the better price/value ratio, compared to the outright best quality.

Again, I could be wrong and there probably isn’t an outright best, but if they were all the exact same they wouldn’t have different price points, right?

I wouldn't choose a Kelbly Panda RB, LP, RE
for PRS use.

I wouldn't choose an Impact for short range Benchrest.

I wouldn't choose a Stiller Drop Port for PRS use.

I wouldn't choose a Remington XP-100 for 3 gun matches.


I wouldn't choose hiking boots to pair with a tuxedo.
My wife wouldn't choose a little black dress to go with her cowboy boots. (Although, I might like to get a look at that)

You don't choose rain gear to keep you warm.
A football helmet isn't correct for high speed motorcycle racing.



Why did I write that shit above?
Because you need to define your intended use before you can even begin to select appropriate actions. Appropriate actions need to be chosen before you can determine which is best.
Best is still subjective depending on the end user.

 

[Mike Casselton]

No no Mike, we want to know the best but without any metric on which to base our judgements.

I'm sorry, I forgot.
A 1 MOA rifle is 1 MOA capable regardless of the distance....

 

[jsel10]

I own a kelblys atlas and an ARC Mausingfield. I am completely satisfied with both actions as well as customer service at both companies. If I was looking at an action right now it would be the new coue de gra from ARC. With the feature set and quality of there products this thing should be a walk off home run especially at its price point.

 

[Triggerf16]

I chose Kelbly several years ago. I have 5 now. They are really top notch. The QC is very high, so you can order prefit barrels. Some Defiance can do prefits, some can’t. The Kelbly actions can interchange barrels, sometimes a spacer washer is needed to mount a Black Bear/Kodiak/Panda barrel on an Atlas or Prometheus. They have a strong following in the BR community. Their ejector works for my needs, the firing pin has the correct timing and fall. I like trigger hangars and the adjustability they provide.

You have to define your needs, but for me, the Kelbly is a better fit, a better solution.

 

[M4orturnate]

A kelbys atlas tac was my first custom action i was blown away with it. Its damn smooth feeds great and i didnt think it got better....then i got a lone peak. After shooting the lp for a season the kelbys seemed less refined and the mechanical ejector made me run the bolt harder then i want to. Still a excellent action and i wont be getting rid of it.

 

[xphunter]

I wouldn't choose a Kelbly Panda RB, LP, RE
for PRS use.

I wouldn't choose an Impact for short range Benchrest.

I wouldn't choose a Stiller Drop Port for PRS use.

I wouldn't choose a Remington XP-100 for 3 gun matches.


I wouldn't choose hiking boots to pair with a tuxedo.
My wife wouldn't choose a little black dress to go with her cowboy boots. (Although, I might like to get a look at that)

You don't choose rain gear to keep you warm.
A football helmet isn't correct for high speed motorcycle racing.

You need to define your intended use before you can even begin to select appropriate actions. Appropriate actions need to be chosen before you can determine which is best.
Best is still subjective depending on the end user.

TRUTH!

 

[Ocean_Dweller]

I own an Atlas, TL3, Origin, Tenacity, and Deviant. To me, for hunting, the Origin and TL3 are the best because of the features they come with. Not to mention that you can buy shouldered Proof pre-fits for them. For target shooting, I prefer the Atlas. The Tenacity and Deviant are buttery smooth but it's hard to beat any of the Zermatt actions when it comes to value for your money. Keep in mind that the trigger hanger on the Atlas might cause an issue depending on the stock or chassis you choose to put it in if you went that route.

 

[high right]

A kelbys atlas tac was my first custom action i was blown away with it. Its damn smooth feeds great and i didnt think it got better....then i got a lone peak. After shooting the lp for a season the kelbys seemed less refined and the mechanical ejector made me run the bolt harder then i want to. Still a excellent action and i wont be getting rid of it.

I have 3 Kelbly's, Atlas SA and 2 Black Bear LA. I saw they offer a plunger ejector now as an option. On the BR sized cases, the plunger would be my choice. The Long actions run the big cases perfect with the tg ejector.

 

[Triggerf16]

Building up a 300 PRC on an Atlas long action. Bix n Andy Tac Sport Pro 2 stage. Just got finished filling the Bravo stock (W3 fore end) with a mixture of lead shot and duct seal. Got the stock weight up to 8.2 lbs, with no vibration. Have dies, brass and bullets. Waiting on barrel, and looking for powder.

Long Atlas looks to be a winner.