At a crossroads: build or buy?

[Husker Hunter]

I decided a while back that I want a 4-500 yard coyote/prairie dog/pronghorn rifle. I currently have a Remington 700 in .243 Winchester, think it's an ADL (synthetic stock, blind magazine) with a 3-9x40 Nikon Buckmasters on it. It was my first rifle and I shot my first few deer and a pronghorn with it. It shoots pretty good, and I don't really need to do anything to it, but I recently bought a X-bolt composite in 30-06 for deer and I've always wanted a laminate stocked, heavy barrel varmint gun. I priced a new E.R. Shaw 24" #3 varmint contour barrel and Timney trigger installed ($600), a Boyd's Varmint Thumbhole stock ($130), and a Nikon Prostaff 5 4.5-18x40 scope ($400). I could buy a pretty nice rifle with the same scope for that kind of money. What do you guys think? Build or buy? I'm open to suggestions for what rifle to buy if I decide to buy a new one. Want to stick with the .243 caliber and keep total cost as close to $1000 as possible.

 

[Captcurt]

Do yourself a favor and Google Bergara B-14 Hunter. I have ordered 3. The 6.5 CR for myself and a friend and 7mm Mag for another friend. All three are the synthetic model and all three will shoot sub-MOA. Mine was the stubborn one, but I did find a load that it likes. The trigger is adjustable (think it is a Timney), the stock is pillar bedded and the barrel is a little on the heavy side. My LGS sells them for $700 plus tax. BTW, They have walnut stocks too.

 

[Husker Hunter]

I looked at the B-14 before I bought my X-Bolt, they seem awesome and I'll definitely make sure I check one out next time I'm looking for a big game rifle. Cabelas website shows a Savage 12 FV with a 26" heavy barrel for $419 that I can't seem to find anywhere else. They don't offer it in .243 but the .22-250 would be all I need for coyotes and prairie dogs, and I'd still have the Remington for speed goats. Anyone have any experience with this model or know why I can't find it on Savage's website?

 

[Husker Hunter]

$419 for the savage and $400 for the scope would still give me enough to put a laminate stock on it and leave me with money to spend on ammo

 

[cdb1]

If I could buy what I wanted for the same or less than a build, that's what I'd do. If not I'd build. You have the basis for a very good build with your ADL.

The one thing I'd change is buying a nicer scope than the Nikon you are considering.

 

[FL-NC]

For a 500 yard rifle in your budget, buy off the shelf. Unless you have mad riflesmithing skills, you won't be able to "build" a gun that shoots as good as what is available today, and you sure won't be able to get someone else to do it under your budget. Don't forget to budget for your optics. Mine often cost more than the rifle under them,

 

[GooseGestapo]

Before you do anything else, get a decent scope, and try some 65gr Hornady V-Max over 42.5gr of IMR4064 at 2.675"oal, CCI200, Hornady brass. Not max, but close (Hod. says 43.4max).
I had a Savage Axis that with a good scope that would shoot bug-hole 5-shot groups at 100yds and it chronograph 3,600fps from a 22"bbl. I sold it due to hideous stock I couldn't warm up to.

My most accurate, hence 500yd pd gun is a Rem 700ADL in .22-250. It's a pre-lock synthetic w/24"bbl. After free floating the barrel and adjusting the trigger, I occasionally get 5-shot one-hole groups from it. More often a single bullet will open it to .4" or so. 55gr Sierra Varminter, 39.0gr H380 2.350", Win. brass. Nudges 3,700. It's taken a dozen deer with as many shots fired. Either 60gr Hornady or 63gr Sierra over 36.0gr H380. I seldom shoot it in order to preserve the barrel. I originally planned to rebarrel it to .257Roberts, but made "mistake" of shooting it first.
I wouldn't dream of shooting the barrel till HOT, as a former coworker fried the barrel on his Savage 112 HB in a single morning. He was shooting 40gr B.T.'s over 38.0gr of Varget. Shot up over 400rds on a single PD town. He thought accuracy fall off was due to "fouling"! Yeah, that too! Savage tech who serviced barrel said 3" of bore was "gone".
He now uses a Bushmaster HB AR15 w/24"bbl in .223. He's getting 2 seasons on a barrel now.

You may already have your PD gun. I'd start with scope and Boyd's stock.