Contemplating a bolt rifle, unsure of caliber

[jpwilly]

So, what is involved in a bbl swap on a Savage? I am a pretty mechanically inclined kinda guy and the prospect of shooting multiple calibers from one receiver is very intriguing! What kind of scratch do new bbls go for, and are they any less accurate using a common receiver, or is the receiver for all calibers the same?

Basically theres a wrench and barrel vise that will be needed. The wrench will remove the barrel nut and the barrel can be turned out of the reciever. when reinstalling a barrel the Headspace is commonly set by inserting a specially made headspace gauge (handloaders tend to make theirs) and turning in the barrel until it touches the gauge and then tightening the barrel nut. If you have a Savage short action say .243, because the bolt head is the same for the 308 parent cartrige, only a barrel swap is required to change calibers. Savage barrels can be had in many places from high end match bbls to factory new bbls prices range accourdingly. Many people here have made their own custom rifles this way. Lots of info by doing a Google search too.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

and the prospect of shooting multiple calibers from one receiver is very intriguing!

It shouldn't be - it's way way more trouble than it's worth, when just buying another full (good) rifle is very cheap these days. Your time would have to worth almost nothing for regular barrel swaps to happen, with all that that entails.

 

[Matrix187]

Look into a CZ 550 American in .30-06 or .270. The .30-06 will kick harder than a .270. The CZ rifles are extremely accurate, rock solid reliable (they utilize a mauser action), and just built well.

 

[jackdanson]

I think you already answered it yourself. The .25-06. Maybe a .260 if you wanted to shoot a little heavier bullets.

Other than that, how about .22-250? A lil light for deer, depending how big the deer are in your area.

 

[Biggums]

308 proven accuracy

I'd go with a 308 bolt gun with a 1 inch MOA guarentee from the manufacture. I carry a Kimber Montana here in Montana and the rifle is a tack driver out of the box and only weighs a little over 5 lbs. It has a match grade barrel, match action and trigger and Kevlar stock.

The 308 will take small preditors to Elk and is easy to load. Bucks the wind well and holds its energy at long ranges.