Built one, then bought one...
For 1000 yard tactical work, I built a 6.5-06 Interdiction Rifle on a 1916 J.G. Haenel 98 Mauser action, using a Krieger barrel, Canjar trigger, Vais muzzle brake, titanium striker, heavy laminated stock, and the whole nine yards. It works as advertise, producing 1/4 MOA 5-shot groups from 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips zipping over 3200fps. It's even centerpunched a golf ball during a certain 500 meter tactical match in the Spring of 1999. Drawbacks? It's a handloading-only proposition, weighs over 12 pounds, and while simple and fairly rugged, is awfully pretty. I've got well over $1500 into it, including the necessary chambering reamer and dies.
Then for reasons only a gunhead would understand, I went and bought a .308 Remington 700 PSS from a wholesaler. (Feinstein and Boxer were ranting about sniper rifles at the time) I installed Leupold rings and bases, added a 4-16 Mil-Dot scope, adjusted the trigger, and left it alone. The darned thing shoots almost as tightly as the above rig, for a good bit less money, and uses off-the-shelf ammo. While I enjoy building one-off rifles, it'll NEVER be cost-effective to do so when excellent rifles like the PSS, VS, or Sendero come straight off the assembly line. You can still build one of your own, but it's gotta be something you want to do for reasons other than cost.
