Thanks, Tim. I've fired an R700 (well technically an M24) chambered in 7.62NATO- and really like that round's performance, so I'm pretty much set on caliber at .308/7.62. My gunsmith friend already has the cost factored that he's going to charge, all I have to do is bring him all the pieces. But the real question is, is it really worth it to have a fully custom rifle vs buying an R700 in the store?