My first custom rifle was a .264 win mag built off of a model 700 action. I got the rifle in a trade, for a sig p226 elite. The rifle was nice aesthetically, but what made it unique was the gunsmith. Greg Tannel of Gre-Tan customs built the rifle, and his masterful touch was on every component. Greg's work was evident in each and every part of the rifle from the crown at the end of the barrel to the bedding of the stock, his work and care was evident. What really sets Greg Tannel apart from other gunsmiths is that he makes the tooling that many other gunsmiths use! He truly is a master gunsmith.
When I took the rifle range out to a local range for the first time I wasn't shooting anything special, just some Nosler Accubond 130gr. But, once I got the rifle sighted in, this was my first group at 100 yards:
Now I am not a great shot and will never claim to be, but this rifle could shoot the lights out! This is when I got the idea that all of my rifles should be custom, so I sold all of my factory rifles (even very nice ones) and from then on bought the best custom rifles I could get my hands on. I set my bar high and wanted guns from only the best of gunsmiths. Since then I have owned rifles made by Greg Tannel, Dan Dowling, Dave Tooley, and James Dietz. Now I know there are factory rifles that shoot good to excellent, but my personal passion is to have a rifle in which thought has gone into each component, and each component has been tweaked to perfection. But I in no way have the monetary means to have custom rifles made for me, for all of my shooting needs, and thus I became a trading gypsy (or that is at least what my good friend calls me.) So I have set out to live within my means, but have the finest of rifles.
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