Hardy Custom Rifle Review

Wow @300rum $40k is a big outlay. I guess the definition of "accuracy" & expectations can vary. I'm a hunter so anything around or under 0.5 Moa is my standard. Have done 5 custom builds mostly on R.E.M 700 actions and one Sako75.
All have met the 0.5 Moa or better. Also own 2 other custom builds which I bought as 2nd hand rifles. One wsm which is 0.3 Moa and one 284 which runs in between 0.5 & 0.7 Moa. The 284 is not a full on custom build- just a 7mm08 rechambered to 284. But at 5&1/2 lb it's my fav bush gun & gives me legs out to 700 yds

I got NZ Hunter to build a 7 saum using a Pierce titanium action, McMillan stock and a Bartlein barrel. With a 26 inch fluted barrel and brake it weighs a touch over 7 1/4 lb with scope. Shoots well. Verified my drop drop chart at 500 yards with a 2 inch group. The carry and balance is superb. I'm happy! And it's custom!

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Originally Posted by Ginga

I got NZ Hunter to build a 7 saum using a Pierce titanium action, McMillan stock and a Bartlein barrel. With a 26 inch fluted barrel and brake it weighs a touch over 7 1/4 lb with scope. Shoots well. Verified my drop drop chart at 500 yards with a 2 inch group. The carry and balance is superb. I'm happy! And it's custom!

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Sounds nice got any pics :thumbsup:

Yeah but fu$k knows how to post one!

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Originally Posted by Ginga

Yeah but fu$k knows how to post one!

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click the picture frame with the tree in it at the top of the reply box......two to the right of the envelope.

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Originally Posted by .300 RUM Guy

Through personal experience I can tell you first hand, it's neigh upon impossible to find a good competent gun smith/builder within New Zealand, that can slap together a rifle with any degree of accuracy worth writing home about, and I've been through the best of them, believe you me, and 'yes' brother Dan's been one of them!

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Well I must be very lucky.
I've got two 308 FTR rifles built with NZ components with the help of a NZ gunsmith using Barnard actions & True-Flite barrels.

Both rifles are competitive and accurate. Perhaps these are the exceptions to the comment above.

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Originally Posted by Ginga

Yeah but fu$k knows how to post one!

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Ha ha. You're a tech retard.

Funnily enough I have had probably a dozen rifles built over the years and all from several different people, built stocks and rebarrelled others and all of them have shot well given the spec of the components used and the type of weapon they are...

building rifles isn't rocket science and its not complex machining work. It simply requires solid execution of basics.

Jimmy six cocks. I may be a tech retard but you're a..........fucktard!

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Originally Posted by Ginga

Jimmy six cocks. I may be a tech retard but you're a..........fucktard!

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I am waiting eagerly for special Jimmy to post a pic.....just because he can😆

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Originally Posted by mcche171

I work in the motor trade (Toyota) and i know we put an order through for a Land Cruiser 200 at the same time as I ordered this. In the same period the order has been processed, vehicle made, shipped from Japan and is now with the customer.

If we fucked a customer around as much as they have we would be throwing money, vouchers, accessories etc at them.

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The trouble with that theory is, what 'they' (gun builders, or any retailer, such as yourself, for example) are up against is this... they know full well it's gonna take 6 months (or more) to do your job, why hell, they've got orders from here to Africa, and you're just a speck in the ocean, and you mean NOTHING to them. If they went round telling the customer "hey, it's gonna take six months", then what would you (the consumer) do???

I'm mindful of a rifle I ordered back in, oh, 2005, I think it was, from Reloader's Supplies. They had to import it from the States, 'simple dimple'! Ron Dent told me that, because of the 911 terrorist attacks, it's gonna now take 3 months to land... it's that simple, can't do nothing about it :( I took a deep gasp, not too dissimilar to landing in a pool of cold water, then went ahead and placed my order! Nine months to the day that I placed my order, the thing actually arrived at my door! Grasp that people "NINE MONTHS"! I mean, it was a complete rifle, already built, in the States, all they had to do was ship it! (and just for the record 'NO', I didn't get any money thrown at me, gift vouchers, accessories, accolades or even any free ammo)

I told a workmate about the fact that I was told "three" months, and he straightway replied, 'stuff that, I'd be telling them to shove it', based on only the three months, let alone nine! You see, we're Kiwi's, and we want things done ASAP (preferably yesterday) therefore it's a delicate balancing act of telling the customer 'porkies' (what he thinks the customer wants to hear) and hopefully getting them committed, and then leading the customer for on as long as they possibly can, or, telling the customer the truth, up front, and risk having the customer bolt, and going elsewhere, and buying something different! I mean, you yourself have already stated, in a previous post, that the "only reason I went with Hardy is because they said they could turn it around for the roar"!

Dead right. An update for you all. The rifle is on its way to me. Had a call from Ian who put his hand up and admitted it wasnt good enough and was too long. He threw some stuff in to butter me up a bit, which is appreciated.

I will let you know how the thing shoots.

ian is a top man to deal with I have found.
I have had great customer service from him personally.

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So i have just got the rifle back. Finish looks good. Ian put in the targets from his range session when he sighted it in and did the drop chart. Now he said is range was flooded so he shot from sand bags off the truck. in saying that the targets were not impressive at all. The best group was 1" with the other 3 groups being 1.4". Would expect better from a rifle that has had a chamber specifically made for that bullet. I hope with more shooting it settles down and shoots better. Attachment 69919

$5k+ for one inch groups after load development. Ouch.

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na thats not a full blown rifle. Just the barrel. $1600 for the barrel plus the rifle

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Originally Posted by mcche171

So i have just got the rifle back. Finish looks good. Ian put in the targets from his range session when he sighted it in and did the drop chart. Now he said is range was flooded so he shot from sand bags off the truck. in saying that the targets were not impressive at all. The best group was 1" with the other 3 groups being 1.4". Would expect better from a rifle that has had a chamber specifically made for that bullet. I hope with more shooting it settles down and shoots better. Attachment 69919

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And you sold the factory barrel before you shot it ???? Bugger....:(

Haha yes i did indeed. ill put another box or two through it and get back to you.

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Originally Posted by mcche171

Haha yes i did indeed. ill put another box or two through it and get back to you.

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Thanks, Good luck you will need it :(

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Originally Posted by mcche171

So i have just got the rifle back. Finish looks good. Ian put in the targets from his range session when he sighted it in and did the drop chart. Now he said is range was flooded so he shot from sand bags off the truck. in saying that the targets were not impressive at all. The best group was 1" with the other 3 groups being 1.4". Would expect better from a rifle that has had a chamber specifically made for that bullet. I hope with more shooting it settles down and shoots better. Attachment 69919

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I haven't read the whole thread so I may have missed it. What caliber is the rifle?

And to put your mind at ease if you don't already know, proper load development can take ages depending on what your expectations are.

If it shoots close to an inch now I reckon with the right attention it will shoot better again.

I doubt they would have had the time to have tested several projectile, powder and primer combos.

I have a carbon wrapped barrel that will shoot from 1" with one load down to ridiculously small with another using the same class projectile.

It might end up like mine and only shoot 1 projectile extremely well but shoot another couple of brands adequately for hunting.

Looks to be a nice job on the barrel and I am sure you will get it shooting how you want.




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6.5 creedmoor . Its running factory ammo at the moment. it has only shot one box of one ammo. It was also having the barrel broken in, cleaned etc when that box was going through. The chamber was designed to run the 143gr eldx precision hunter ammo. I have also bought a box of 129gr to try. At a later stage when I have stopped travelling around the country every week for work i will buy some dies for it and get into loading.

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Originally Posted by mcche171

So i have just got the rifle back. Finish looks good. Ian put in the targets from his range session when he sighted it in and did the drop chart. Now he said is range was flooded so he shot from sand bags off the truck. in saying that the targets were not impressive at all. The best group was 1" with the other 3 groups being 1.4". Would expect better from a rifle that has had a chamber specifically made for that bullet. I hope with more shooting it settles down and shoots better. Attachment 69919

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It looks sexy enough. If you don't kill em with accuracy, you'll kill em with looks!

I am doing load development for a mates creedmoor when I get home.
He just had a suppressor fitted and bought a heap of components and asked me to go for it. He reckons he shoots it close to an inch with factory ammo now but admits he has not done much shooting after a long stint overseas.
I am looking forward to mucking around with it.


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A mate from work had Hardy build him a 260, it's shooting mint. Luck of the draw I guess.

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Originally Posted by R93

I am doing load development for a mates creedmoor when I get home.
He just had a suppressor fitted and bought a heap of components and asked me to go for it. He reckons he shoots it close to an inch with factory ammo now but admits he has not done much shooting after a long stint overseas.
I am looking forward to mucking around with it.


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I found Hodgdon Superproformance works great in the Creedmoor with the 143 ELD X .

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Why do you only do 2 shot groups.😆

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Originally Posted by 25/08IMP

I found Hodgdon Superproformance works great in the Creedmoor with the 143 ELD X .

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Was on my list of powders to try.


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There are several gunsmiths who have been putting together quality rifles since Adam was a boy ie the Collings family (trained by Din) and also barnard etc

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Originally Posted by mcche171

6.5 creedmoor . Its running factory ammo at the moment. it has only shot one box of one ammo. It was also having the barrel broken in, cleaned etc when that box was going through. The chamber was designed to run the 143gr eldx precision hunter ammo. I have also bought a box of 129gr to try. At a later stage when I have stopped travelling around the country every week for work i will buy some dies for it and get into loading.

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With handloading and good load development you will likely improve the grouping dramatically.

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Originally Posted by GWH

With handloading and good load development you will likely improve the grouping dramatically.

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But you should not have to

When you pay good money for a "top" barrel then it should shoot period, with every thing you feed it.There should be no excuses.

Load development should make it better but it should be well under MOA from the get go given factory rifles do this "out of the box".

I have personally seen good custom rifles shoot well under with no load development. Recently a 30Nosler springs to mind. Load development should only make them better but should shoot well to start with

I hope your groups improve with load development in fact I sure they will but why should you have to wear the barrel out to find a good load after all they have a finite life

It's a given that 99% of the time a tuned handload will out perform factory ammo.

We are also assuming in this case, the test groups were shot as good as they could have been.
The fella doing the shooting could have had a less than ideal day. Still managed 1-1.5 inch groups which I would find encouraging if it were my rifle.

A rifle that shoots 1" with factory ammo will nearly always improve with a handload.

Saying it should shoot one brand of factory ammo straight from the rebarrel into tiny groups because other factory rifles do it is a bit of a stretch in my experience seeing it is carbon wrapped.

Carbon wrapped barrels are generally stiffer so in turn have different harmonics which can make them fickle when developing a load.




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Originally Posted by mcche171

Haha yes i did indeed. ill put another box or two through it and get back to you.

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Well what's the latest cobba, how'd she shoot? Have you taken it to the range lately?

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Originally Posted by .300 RUM Guy

Well what's the latest cobba, how'd she shoot? Have you taken it to the range lately?

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No not yet. Don't have access to a range in Chch at the moment. Does anyone around Chch have a paddock or something I could use? I normally shoot at the farm at peel forest but haven't made it down this weekend. Heading back to Hamilton on Monday so can't make hand loaders Tuesday night.

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Originally Posted by R93

It's a given that 99% of the time a tuned handload will out perform factory ammo.

We are also assuming in this case, the test groups were shot as good as they could have been.
The fella doing the shooting could have had a less than ideal day. Still managed 1-1.5 inch groups which I would find encouraging if it were my rifle.

A rifle that shoots 1" with factory ammo will nearly always improve with a handload.

Saying it should shoot one brand of factory ammo straight from the rebarrel into tiny groups because other factory rifles do it is a bit of a stretch in my experience seeing it is carbon wrapped.

Carbon wrapped barrels are generally stiffer so in turn have different harmonics which can make them fickle when developing a load.


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Considering they have a " Reamer specifically made for the 6.5 CM with 143 ELDX" & have built many rifles the same, getting it to shoot sub moa should be easy.

To get a Tikka 7RM, to shoot sub moa with 162s mag length for instance is "easy"

A custom or semi-custom rifle should not go to the client until it is shooting sub moa.

After all the Tikka's & a few others now have sub moa guarantees with factory ammo

They are just mass produced rifles, not a custom rifle from a manufacturer who assures me "Our tolerance for the chamber no matter where you measure is runout no greater than 0.005mm centric to the bore"

Pretty bold statement that :)

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Considering they have a " Reamer specifically made for the 6.5 CM with 143 ELDX" & have built many rifles the same, getting it to shoot sub moa should be easy.

To get a Tikka 7RM, to shoot sub moa with 162s mag length for instance is "easy"

A custom or semi-custom rifle should not go to the client until it is shooting sub moa.

After all the Tikka's & a few others now have sub moa guarantees with factory ammo

They are just mass produced rifles, not a custom rifle from a manufacturer who assures me "Our tolerance for the chamber no matter where you measure is runout no greater than 0.005mm centric to the bore"

Pretty bold statement that :)

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Didn't know about the specific reamer, so fair enough. I agree maybe it should not have gone out shooting the way it does. I would be interested to know how many wrapped barrels they have done in the caliber and if they shot to expectations.


I will look forward to seeing how the owner shoots it.😆





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I took my Hardy 7RM out to the range for load development and it shot moa or less for every charge weight. But when I hit the sweet spot I'm 5 shot grouping at 1/3 moa.
What I also like is that I can buy a factory box of Hornady Superformace and they are about 2/3 moa.

Almost as good as a standard Tikka then? :ORLY:

yes that's why I own 2 of them. But the Hardy tikka is my favorite, real nice to shoot.

Has anyone had any time with one of those SSRNZ carbines? (Looks as though they're singe shot?)

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Originally Posted by IngloriousFame

Has anyone had any time with one of those SSRNZ carbines? (Looks as though they're singe shot?)

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Yeah, I've seen it and handled it.Single shot. It was a one off for Scott himself and apparently too expensive to repeat. It was beautifully made. 7x39.