308 test gun: Build or Buy?

[JGAreddog]

I am in need of a 308 rifle to test ammunition. It will be fired from a bench rest or bipod so weight is not really an issue. Looks amount to absolutely nothing for this rifle. Accuracy is a top priority of course. The barrel and action need to be similar to something the everyday shooter would have so when a customer will have the same results as i do. (Within reason of course)

I was thinking model 700 action with a bull target barrel 1-10 or 1-11 twist as i will be shooting 147gr FMJBT and 168gr HPBT as well as a couple others in that range. HS precision stock looks like a winner. Don't know which trigger would be best but i of course want a nice one. Optics would either be a new nightforce or maybe a spare ziess i have.

So do you think a factory rifle would do it or is building a custom the only way to go? Also what do you think a rifle as i described would cost to build roughly?

 

[Z-Michigan]

How about the Savage F-Class Target Rifle (FTR) in .308? It's a .308 winchester single-shot with a massive 30" barrel and a rigid action designed for the 1000yd F-Class competition. All the reviews I've read are terrific.

 

[gvnwst]

1+ on the FTR. without scope, a complete custom gunsmith built rifle will run $3,000+/- Thats jewell trigger, border barrel, Mcmillan stock, custom action, ect...

 

[Bartkowski]

A 1:10" twist will be a little fast for 147gr bullets. They will probably shoot accurately, but a 1:10" is better suited with heavier bullets.

 

[atlanticfire]

Have the Savage 12 FTR in .308 and would highly recommend it.

 

[Wildfire]

Remington.

Hey There;
Sorry guys. Im a Remington nut. No war needed here . Just like my Remingtons.
The 700 is all the rifle you will need.

 

[W.E.G.]

Bolt gun???

DPMS LR-308-T
with Rock River Trigger

100 yards laid over a towel on an ammo can

 

[RugerOldArmy]

It looks like you have a small scale reloading business. (From the OP's sig...)

My advice, based on that, is to get a Savage. You can swap barrels and bolt heads quickly and easily to use the same gun/receiver/trigger/stock/scope to test your loads.

Action length will be the key factor to limit you. You can convert most short action Savages to shoot short action cartridges. You could start with a long action single shot, and shoot either long or short action cartridges.

Many cartridges use the same size bolt heads...30-06/.308/270/280/7mm-08 etc. all use one size. A complete bolt-head is cheap and can be changed in 10 minutes or less. (It is much easier than you may think.)

With such an approach, you could convert a test rifle from one cartridge to another, precisely headspaced, in 15-20 Min in your shop/garage...or at the range.

(Get a barrel wrench, barrel blocks, and go and no-go gauges if you pursue this. The first two, you buy once. The Go and No-Go gauges are specific to a family of cartridges. i.e. one set for .270/.25-06/.280/.30-06)

Savages are generally cheap and have a rep for shooting well. (My experience too, and I have a few swap-barrel setups.)

You can get pre-chambered drop-in barrels, no lathe required. A primo Savage barrel from Shilen or Pac-Nor is about $300. An A&B barrel from midway might be found nearer $100-150.

One last point...for .308 Win, get a 1-12" twist, unless you're going to test specialty rounds with heavier bullets (not the .308's strength)...and then get 1-10" or 1-11")

 

[skinewmexico]

Buy that new factory Remington F-Class rifle. Oh wait, they don't make one. Plus one on the Savage F-Class; 3 of the top 5 finishers at last years F-Class nationals.

 

[benzy2]

I would suggest you go the switch barrel route, even if to only have multiple barrels chambered for .308 with different twist, contour, and barrel quality (shilen/stock/A&B,etc). This way you can give more info than what one rifle with one barrel shot. Who knows if that single rifle will be an accurate representation to the rest of the rifles out there. The F class Savages seem to have a good rep as a great factory shooter. I would go from there, try a few barrels and see how they shoot, and then give the results out.

 

[rangerruck]

If you read the latest rifle shooting mag, you would go with the savage.
Now then, the remmy would be a fine deal, and you could proly build for 700 or so.
That savage mentioned above also comes in a varminter type, with a thinner bbl, and a more conventional stock and weight. To let you know how good the savage is, a dude that shoots for team savage, according to the magazine, pulled a ftr out of the box, and with no warmups or breakin first. Opened it for the first time, at the range. This was a national competition. he shot a record
.875 group for 5 shots, 308 shoot feddy match ammo I think, or Sierra's, at 600 yds., and won the competition, in his class, and i think overall.
All for a custom rifle, costing less than 1000. bucks.
and i also am a huge remmy fan, having 4 788's, and a mohawk, all in either 308, or 243.

 

[benzy2]

Don't get me wrong, Remington makes good rifles and there is decent potential with a 700 action. It is just the ease of switching barrels that gets me when it comes to testing ammo and giving results.

 

[Powderman]

If all you want to do is to test .308, consider a Mann Accuracy Device from CMP. You can have one for $500.00, and it's made to test the .308 round.

 

[JGAreddog]

Thanks to all for the great info! The savage quick change route sounds like the way i want to go. I think i will get a 1-12 and 1-10 twist just to be safe. The second barrel will most likely be Shillen.

Thanks again.

 

[skinewmexico]

So everyone is just going to sit here an pretend they know what a Mann Accuracy Device is?

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Mann Accuracy Device

It is a barrel that was designed to be mechanically held (by another device) in a fixed position to test ammo. Think 'Rifle Ransom Rest' as the goal.