Got My Varmint Rifle - Thanks for the Advice!

[jjduller1946]

Rifle Forum Members:

After reading this forum in general and a thread where I asked for your advice I got my varmint rifle set up. As promised, here is a quick summary of the rifle setup. Total cost including shipping: $988. I include here a picture of the components, where I got them and the costs.

I ended up with a Savage 12BVSS in .223 cal. I mounted a Mueller 8x25x50mm scope with Warne HIGH detachable rings/mounts. I tried Medium high mounts on advice of the seller but they did not give me clearance so I went with the HIGH rings. The picture here is from its maiden visit to the ranch.

The rifle shoots better than I do. It has a smooth tight action, nice finish, fluted barrel. Heavy and solid. I can keep my eye on the target during a shot. Really nice. I have adjusted my point of impact at 50 yards to point of aim. That gives me 1.5 inches over point of aim at 150 meters. I am playing with this. I am shooting 52 gr SPBT from Georgia Arms.

The scope is adjustable down to 25 meters, has great clarity and an adjustable objective lens. It also has an adjustable red dot. So far I am really happy with this scope.

I am really glad I went with Warne rings and mounts. They are solid, strong, great finish.

I am headed to my cousin's ranch in Montana in May to help him manage his gopher population. Will let you know how this setup works out.

Regards,

 

[learningman]

Nice rifle! I am interested in the Mueller scope you put on it. A friend of mine here also has one and until today he was the only person I had heard of having one. Where did you purchase the scope if yopu don't mind me asking?

 

[Davo]

Thats a GREAT looking rifle. You are gonna have fun with it. Let us know how it does and what kind of groups it will shoot.

 

[10-Ring]

Congratulations! Very purdy build

 

[YodaVader]

I ended up with a Savage 12BVSS in .223 cal.

I think you will really like that Savage! I can speak from experience since the last varmint rifle I bought was also a 12BVSS in .223. Had a Weaver V16 on it to start and now has a Burris 12X. As long as I keep mine clean it shoots incredibly tight groups!

Anyway - good luck with your new Savage!

 

[Ghost Tracker]

Savage used to be "fine value - for the money" but...

Now Savage rifles (especially the Varmint styles) are among the most accurate out-of-the-box rifles available from any major manufacturer at any price. There once was a time when Remington 700 & Winchester 70 shooters looked don't their noses at the Savage boltguns as a bargain basement rifle. Now the wise shooters know that, while it may cost more, a Kimber or other high-grade gun is NOT gonna' outshoot a Savage with tuned handloads by much...if at all.

Congrats on your selection. I promise it will deliver sub-MOPD (minute of Prairie Dog) performance. Have fun!

 

[gm]

congrats!you're gonna love that gun.Mueller makes some excellent optics.


Soon, it'll be time to try it out on a prarie dog hunt.

 

[jjduller1946]

Back from Montana, had a blast!

First, I made it through the airport with rifle and 250 rounds of ammo in 50 rd plastic cases. It was a hassle at Dulles but it was pretty laid back in Montana. They are used to rifles in God’s country. Regrettably, United Airlines managed to put enough pressure on my rifle case and Mueller scope to bend the shade tube. I am getting a stronger case.

Still, I got to Montana and zeroed it back in. I was able to hunt in a couple places along the Missouri River. In both places I saw a coyote along with gophers. In one case I was able to get off a shot but the odds were against me given wind and distance. Still a trip.

The rifle/scope performed very well. I used a camera tripod as a rest with a rifle 'V' rest on top. That worked well as I could set it up quickly and it worked grat for standing shots where the grass would otherwise obscure the critter.

My cousins loved my rifle and setup. A picture of your truly set up on hill near Winifred MT is included.

Thanks again for the info and feedback!

 

[Davo]

Cool looks like you had fun. Did you get any varmints?

 

[jjduller1946]

Mueller scope from E arther Brown

Nice rifle! I am interested in the Mueller scope you put on it. A friend of mine here also has one and until today he was the only person I had heard of having one. Where did you purchase the scope if yopu don't mind me asking?

I do not mind asking - after all I asked and got lots of free advice leading me to set up this rifle.

I got my Mueller scope from E arther Brown. They have an email special that beat all other prices I could fine including E-Bay.

I do not have much experinece with scopes. I now own three. I can say the Mueller has been a pleasure. The 4-16x50 is really a good fit for me. I am used to the 4 power (on my 30-06) and when I dial up to 16 power is brings my view up to a point where it feels like if were any stonger I would be distracted by minute movements.

Here is what you get for $209:
EABCO Price Only: $209.95
Mueller Red Dot Scopes 4-16X50 AO Red Dot Scope - Free UPS Ground Shipping - Mueller is made with the best Japanese Glass, Fully Multi-Coated with German lens coatings, Speed Focus Eyepiece, and Lifetime Warranty. But the feature theyre most famous for are their Unique reticles with Illuminated Red Dots. The center dots are red when illuminated and black when the illumination is turned off. The crosshairs are always black. Free UPS Ground and free sun shade for 50mm AO! Here is the site: https://www.eabco.com/cgi-bin/shopper.exe?preadd=action&key=029-41650

 

[jjduller1946]

Cool looks like you had fun. Did you get any varmints?

Davo,

We got a bunch of gophers. I think my longest gopher shot was around 200 yds. (Now I have a rangefinder to help me with ranging.)

My visit to Montana was timed to make it to a branding (excuse for big family get-together). It was the last week of May. This is normally peak gopher season. But cooler Spring weather than normal delayed the season by a couple weeks. We had slimmer picking than expected but it was still great fun.

I found that when I dialed up my scope to 16 power I could pick out a gopher in the grass that my Cousin and I could not otherwise see. I really liked the tripod-camera-rest set up (regular camera tripod with a "V" rest). I was able to raise it to standing height where I could see down into the grass where I would otherwise not be able to see the gopher from a sitting position. Because it is a pretty solid camera tripod, it was very stable and a great substitute for a fence post in the middle of nowhere. Here is a picture of the tripod rest set up.

I had the tripod in a small rucksack and after a while I could set up in a flash and move from one spot to another without fanfare.

 

[Gustav]

That is one sweet package the combo just flows and goes good together.

Allot of people underrate the rifle which is a big mistake it is a very accurate rifle often putting more expensive ones to shame.

 

[browningguy]

Nice rig, ought to be able to keep the prairie poodle population down with that.