Thanks!
Another question... I am assuming the action will need to go through a FFL dealer?
NO WAY!!
(unless you just HAVE TO!!!)
You want a budget build? Here's a scenario... . Buy a cheap (relatively) action at a gun show, maybe already chambered in . 308... Any caliber with a . 473 bolt face will work, such as . 243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, . 260 Remington, 7mm08..... The action will have have to be squared if it hasn't been done, yet... . Most people charge around $200 for that... ... Then you order you a QUALITY barrel, probably at least a Rem Sendero contour, or #7 Contour... . If you are going to shoot a lot, maybe even a straight 1 1/8" blank... . That's gonna cost anywhere from $200 to $450... I like Broughton barrels.....
http://www.rifle-barrels.net/ Then you'll have to have it chambered in your caliber, with whatever reamer you want... . I'd suggest someone that has a good Pacific Tool and die Match grade . 308 reamer... . That's gonna cost around $400 to fit the barrel, chamber it, crown it, and anything else it might need... . A good stock is next, so the cheapest thing I could even begin to suggest is an H & S around $350..... I'd really suggest a McMillan, Kelbly's, or Manners for Benchrest or F-class, which is gonna run @ $600... . SOOOOO, let's review.....
Short Remington 700 Action- $400 (may even get a Wal-Mart special new if you are in a hurry... . Brownell's currently has them on sale for $400 my cost... . )
Quality barrel - Last Broughton barrel I purchased was $340 delivered. The last . 308 I built was earlier this year, and it took 3rd at NRA National's at Whittington Center, F/TR a few weeks ago..... It's a screamer... . He completely missed one target on Saturday and still took a Bronze medal home... .
Quality Gunsmith - The hardest element!! His labor is going to cost you @ $400 + bedding the stock and anything else you may not do yourself. A good friend of mine -
www.precisionbarrelwork.com Another top-grade gunsmith I've met and looked at a lot of his work lately -
http://tripleggunsmithing.com/index.html
Quality stock - A broad element, it has so much influence by personal user preferences and abilities... . That's hard to price, but let's say $600... . If you will have the gunsmith bed it, you may add @ $150-200 for glass bedding and fitting the action to the stock.....
That leaves us with $1940 in it before we go to pick out a scope, order reloading supplies (or ammo) and shoot it, which will be where you're at with a custom rifle, only you won't have another $4-5000 in it... ...
Now, ordering a custom benchrest action, such as Surgeon (
http://www.surgeonrifles.com/), Kelbly's (
http://www.kelbly.com/actions.html), BAT (
http://batmachine.com/) or Stiller (
http://www.viperactions.com/), to name a few, is going to run @ $1500 for the action, so add @ $1200 to your cost..... That brings you up to $3140 with a complete rifle, no optics or ammo.
Accuracy is subjective to some, and varies with every rifle anyone ever builds. They can guarantee whatever accuracy they want, but sometimes, a good barrel can be installed badly, or a good installed barrel can be no good. The benefit to spending the extra $$$ with a custom, turn-key builder, such as Surgeon, Kelbly's, or the one Mr. Donnely suggested, they will be willing to work with you a little more if it won't shoot... . There are many variables, but if they are the one's supplying the barrel, action, and work, they'll more likely guarantee accuracy. I know the owner at Surgeon will build a rifle that will shoot and will stand behind it. If it won't shoot, he'll unscrew the barrel and put a new one on it. He might want you to send it to him so he can shoot it himself, but if he finds it bad, it WILL be fixed before it comes back to you..... That's just one example.
There are certain providers I would avoid, from my experiences. Shilen and Hart. NO BUENO!! And not just one experience... . I've seen 7 Hart barrels in the last 3 years that were no good... . Shilen's are a crap shoot as to weither they are good or not..... Their facility is not that far from me, and I see a LOT of their barrels... . they are not all good. As a rule, I've had excellent results from Krieger, Broughton, Bartlien, and Lothar-Walther... . Those are only a few, but they are the ones I use the most... . The Broughton barrels have proven excellent. A . 223 I built for F/TR is currently the 600yd Civilian Record holder with NRA..... I built a 6. 5x284Norma that's pretty awesome, too, using a Broughton, as well as a . 300 Win Mag that's just now getting broken in, but proving to be an excellent barrel, even during break-in.....
:information-overload:
I do love to shoot, as you may have figured out.....
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
!
#@$%! HATE!!!! the Savage trigger group... . but, if you can live with it, they often build rifles that shoot well. My dad purchased a Long Range Precision Varminter in . 223 that I took several top prizes in F/TR with at 500yds. Reloading was a requirement for it, though. They also build an F-class rifle in 6. 5x284Norma... . And . 308 Winchester. Thier single shot actions are tough and dependable, yet easily serviced and rarely need much modificaitons for accuracy... . They're the squarest actions produced by the big manufacturers... and I mean by a long shot!! 
I sincerely wonder how the heck SWAT teams and other sniper teams can even use the Remington rifles with factory ammo..... I've seen so much CRAP they've built the last few years..... ugh!! 
