Tom is a good fella for sure, and i think his actions are pretty nice. they are almost a little to heavy for a LV rig but if your careful they will work. Toms actions are straight, thats for sure. Tom doesn't shoot much benchrest though, and sometimes i wish he would go to a big shoot and observe a little more. Tom did start making coned bolts, and dual ports on his actions, and that is huge in this game. At first he didnt want to do this. I think Gordy finally talked him into it, thankfully. I called tom,or emailed rather about buying another one of his actions a few weeks ago. I wanted a dual port, and he wouldn't make me one until next year, so i passed. I will buy another for a prairie dog rifle build that i have been thinking about doing sometime next year. Yep, they are good actions and you sure could go dam worse than a haverkamp. Tom really needs to go to the big shoots, and campaign his actions if he wants to sell a bunch of them though. Most short range guys know nothing about them. He needs to go to the super shoot with his rifle so folks can see them. This is my opinion of course. tom is one of those fellas that would bend over backwards for you to help, and he is a good man for sure. i wish him all the best. I enjoy seeing good people succeed in life.
I would like to add and stress that these actions are indeed straight and true. I have had mine checked by a very competent gunsmith, and it was dead nuts true. Not all custom actions are perfectly straight, they just aren't. I have paid top dollars for actions that were not 100% straight, as have some of my good friends. Just because they are custom made, doesn't mean they are dead nuts true. On the other hand i have seen some custom actions that were not dead nuts straight and true shoot pretty darn salty, so it makes a guy wonder just how important some of this really is?? Good luck with your action as i think you will enjoy it.
Not sure were your coming from with your comment of being turned off by other benchrest shooters just because your new to the game though. Most of these men around here are fine people, and if they think your a worthy person, they will do what they can for you, for nothing in return. There are a lot of type A personalities in this game, so if you cant handle that, then perhaps this isnt the game for you. I think you will be fine thought but dont stereo type benchrest shooters as a hole if you had one bad encounter with one man, simply isnt fair. good luck friend! Lee