Custom Rifle Project

[browning308]

So i have an ar-15 and its nice for a 223 and is extremely accurate and fun to shoot. But now i want something new. I was thinking about building myself a custom target/varmint rifle. I would like it to be capable of 1000 yard shots but i would be mainly shooting from 500-600 yards. Im set on the caliber, 308, but was kind of thinking of a 243. Im on a budget also so would a savage target action be good? Also i need help on which barrels i should get and stock. I would like to keep the price as low as possible, but i know its going to be expensive So just any ideas on the action stock and barrel would be nice

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Flyincedar]

A stock Savage heavy barrel, or Remington 700 heavy barrel will get you to 1,000 easily. We shot an 8" steel plate at 1,000 with my bone stock Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308, just a couple weeks ago. That was its first outing. Just broke in the barrel, zeroed, shot some steel at 300-600, then dinged 1,000. Going out to 1K does not have to be expensive at all unless you really must have something high end. Definitely not required. I am more of a Savage than Remington fan, but you'll find others that are just the opposite.

 

[taliv]

243win is a better long range caliber IF you get the barrel twisted fast enough to shoot the longer (105-115g) bullets and you handload.

it can be a little hard to see impacts though.

if you're building it custom, spent your money on a good barrel and a gunsmith that knows what they're doing. cut corners everywhere else if you need to. my recommendation would be to buy a used custom gun. lots of them for sale at the moment.

 

[browning308]

Thanks for the info guys! Flyincedar, i was thinking about doing that. Maybe get an sps-v and customize it as i want. Also what do you guys think about the browning target rifle? And i think i will look for some used custom guns.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[benzy2]

I would go one of two ways. I would either go with a Savage and replace items as the budget allows or look for a used custom rifle.

I would be looking at say the Savage 10FCP HS. Decent barrel and twist rate, decent stock, decent price. New they can be had under $1000 and realistically you won't need to do anything from there but add glass. You could go with a BVSS or VLP. Again, good twist rates and stocks that are fairly decent quality, though I wouldn't expect them to handle as much extreme abuse as the HS stock. You get a little longer barrel with the BVSS and VLP as well. The .243 options don't have quite the optimal twist rate but would still be good options.

Lots of real nice custom options on the market if you look around here and more so on some of the target/accuracy/long range based forums. The big concern with a used custom rifle is round count/barrel life. I would go in expecting to replace the barrel unless you can be certain the stated round count is correct and low. You should get a much higher quality rifle with a used custom but you may need to replace the barrel pretty much right off the bat.

If you can afford it as well as afford a gunsmith to replace barrels then I'd go with a used custom rifle. If not, the Savage is a great option to allow fairly cheap barrel swaps and should shoot very well, both with the factory barrel and even better with an aftermarket barrel.

As for caliber, do you reload? If so then I'd go a bit more exotic. You can get much better 600-1000 yard performers than a .308, at least for punching paper or smacking steel. If not, .308 would be my pick. Federal GMM is top grade ammo and Black Hills makes some real nice stuff too. Picking up some cheaper ammo is possible too, though not near at the quality level of FGMM and BH.

While .308 is not ideal for 1000 yards, it's certainly capable. You have to be on top of wind calls and really learn to read the wind, but if you do, it's scary what even short barreled rifles can do at that distance.

 

[browning308]

Yes I do reload. I just don't think I need anymore than a 308. I have a ballistic calculator that will help with the wind problem. That savage does look nice Also I won't be shooting 1000 yards hardly at all, just 500-600 yards, and I want the bullet to get there very accurately. So i dont think a super ultra hyper magnum is necacsary however the 300 wm is one round I would possibly consider. But the recoil kind of turns me down:/ and I can shoot much more with a 308 and get more practice. Thanks for the info

Chris

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.tobystactical.com/
http://www.snipercountrypx.com/c-836-700ss-r5-mil-spec.aspx

check out these remingtons 308 300 win

 

[browningguy]

I went through the same thought process a couple of years ago and decided on a Savage 12 FV in.243, I later added a Sharpshooter Supply LVT stock, and over the winter rebarrelled it at home with a Lothar Walther stainless 8" twist barrel. The upsides to the Savage, you can rebuild everything including the barrel at home with almost no tools.

As for caliber I find the .243 is much better in the wind than a .308, I'm shooting mostly Berger 95 gr. VLD's and just started working up loads for the 107 gr. SMK. The only downside is that the barrels tend to wear our much sooner than a .308 Winchester.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Browning308, this is what my stock Remington 700 SPS-V does at 200 yards:



I have intentions to take it out to 1000 yards when I get the chance, and I know the gun is capable. Eventually I will probably get a new stock and a new trigger.

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[benzy2]

Maybe exotic was the wrong term. I'd go with something in either 6mm or 6.5mm with a fast twist. Since it's a target rifle and not a hunter there really is no need to go with a .30 caliber when lighter bullets (due to being a smaller diameter) can match or better both trajectory and wind drift while delivering less recoil. A .243 with some of the longer bullets is going to be far easier to shoot at distance, both due to better ballistics and being easier to shoot through the day with less recoil.

 

[TonyAngel]

browning, being a relative new comer to long distance shooting, I was in the same boat that you are a couple of years ago.

You will get many opinions on caliber and brand of rifle to go with; but since you're on a tight budget, there are considerations to give some thought to and perhaps some research. You should consider things like barrel life, cost of reloading components and whether or not you are going to compete.

There is a reason why so many choose to go with a .308. Barrel life is very good at around 5000 rounds or so. Brass is cheap and bullets are reasonable. There are a number of competitions that are limited to the .308.

I don't hunt any longer and all I do is target shoot. Knowing what I know now, I don't think I'll ever buy another over the counter rifle. I look for a used custom or semi custom rifle, which will likely come in a nice stock that has already been bedded and a good barrel, such as a Rock, Krieger, Bartlein, etc.

As was mentioned above, it's all about the barrel. I know that a bunch of guys like the Savages because they can swap the barrels themselves, but that feature really doesn't do much for me. Most guys that I know that prefer Savage actions do away with the barrel nut anyway, in favor of a barrel with a nice thick breech end. In any case, Savage or Remington, get a good barrel.

A good barrel (as opposed to a stock barrel) will reward you with higher velocities (due to a tighter chamber), less copper fouling (due to a smoother bore), better accuracy as the barrel gets hot and more heft for a more stable platform (if you choose to go this route).

Heck, I sold a semi custom a little while back. It was built, by a pretty well known builder, around a Remington 700 action in a Bell & Carlson stock with a Timney trigger and Krieger 22" heavy varmint barrel. I sold it for $900.