LRShooting
Member
Well, as far as bullet weight, I wanted to get accurate at 100 first. Than Id work up heavier loads for longer range. Of course this means more testing, but Id find the capabilities of the gun at least given that the heavy bullet weights would stabilize correctly.IMO, you choose the right platform to start your shooting hobby. I've owned a lot of different firearms in the last 20 years and will tell you that Savage is my favorite action.
The Savage action is not as refined as other aftermarket (IE Tikka/Sako), but it's a great starting point. The best part about buying a Savage is that you can do all or most of the work yourself. Which, saves you time and money and you get the self satisfaction knowing you did the work yourself each time you look or shoot your rifle.
I sold my 308 Savage last year...it was a hammer and the most accurate rifle I've ever owned. There wasn't much stock OEM parts left on that rifle. That Shilen select match barrel I had on it was lights out.
I was using Varget 44gr and 178gr Hornady Amax. If you want to shoot "long range" I would suggest thinking about going with 175/178gr bullets. Many use 168gr and that's fine for short range 500 yards and less, but once you go beyond 600 yards, you will notice that 308 will drop significantly and the 175/178gr bullets take over.
Don't rule out EGW for your base. I only use EGW bases because they offer quality parts at reasonable prices. You just missed out on their 10% discount for black friday. I always buy 20MOA bases to give you more adjustment on your optic.
I would recommend that you pass on the DBM until you can afford a better stock. The Boyd's is alright, but if you want a good stock, you are looking at Manners or a chassis system and that's some serious bucks.
You also don't need to purchase both GO/NO GO gauges. You can get away with just buying the GO gauge and using tape to make the NO GO gauge.
Heck, I'll loan you my GO/NO GO gauge since you are a college student on a budget. I'll even loan you my nut wrench and action vice too. That way you can save the money for college. Just please take care of my items and return them to me in same condition. If you are interested, PM me your info.
Not trying to change your mind, but if this was my project, I'd start with something other than 308. The 308 is great for a starter rifle, but since you mentioned that you reload, I'd recommend going with a 260 Remington. You will get much better performance.
As far as the stock, how much would that really affect me getting a cheaper stock? I have to do all the inletting, free floating, and bedding, so does it matter from that perspective?
Lastly, wow. Thanks but I dont think I could just accept you tools. Id be worried something would happen and I think its pretty crazy you have enough faith to just let someone use your stuff. Sure, PMing makes it more personal and what not, but with how people are in todays world, it seems likely you may not get your stuff back sometimes. Thanks a lot anyways.