Savage 11 Youth Rifle Build

[Joelpat]

I've got a Savage 11 in .308 that I want to tear down and rebuild for my nephews (8 and 11 years old). Their dad is teaching them to shoot .22LR now, but maybe it's time to move them up a step. Eventually I'd want them to be able to use it as a deer rifle when they learn to hunt.

For chambering, I'm thinking about a 6.5CM, maybe a 22" light barrel. The younger one is super tough, so I think he could take a lighter recoiling full sized round. If not now, very soon. I don't want to go too light and leave them with a rifle that isn't useful to them in a few years. I can load up light loads for whatever caliber I build the rifle in, but I live 3000 miles away so I want them to be able to find ammo on the shelf too.

I need to get their LOP measurements, but the young one isn't that big, so I need to find a stock that will fit reasonably well today and can adjust upward. If I can't size to the younger one now, I'll size to his big brother. For now they are fair weather shooters, but they live in the Northwest, so when they start hunting the rifle will see plenty of wet weather. Maybe an MDT LSS with a collapsible AR stock?

I've built a few rifles, enough that my safe is pretty full and I'm building this as much for my own enjoyment in the build as their enjoyment in using it. I can't wait to build this for them. I'll be going home to hunt in November, I may try to have it ready for them then.

I'm looking for any ideas or cool products anyone has seen for the Savage or youth rifles, in general.

 

[rbernie]

I dunno that I would choose 6.5 CM unless you handoad. For my youth rifles, I have used 223 center feed actions rechambered to 300 Blackout - it’s plenty of rifle inside of 200 yards (which is all that most youth should be shooting at anyway until they obtain some degree of proficiency). 300AAC has both low recoil and a number of inexpensive factory supersonic factory loads, so that practice sessions at the bench are neither punishing to the shoulder nor the wallet.

The LSS is not that much heavier than a factory synthetic stock, if you use a M0E pistol grip and a CTR stock with three-quarter inch cheek riser. It’s not quite as easy to carry in the field as a traditional stock, but it does look a bit more ‘COD’ and therefore has a visceral appeal to most kids.

 

[horsemen61]

6.5 Creedmoor has as many flavors on the shelf as 30-06 so I think it would be a great caliber for younger shooters American whitetail is what less than $22 a box hell Walmart carries 6.5 Creedmoor now as for stock I like the mdt suggestions

 

[Joelpat]

I dunno that I would choose 6.5 CM unless you handoad. For my youth rifles, I have used 223 center feed actions rechambered to 300 Blackout - it’s plenty of rifle inside of 200 yards (which is all that most youth should be shooting at anyway until they obtain some degree of proficiency). 300AAC has both low recoil and a number of inexpensive factory supersonic factory loads, so that practice sessions at the bench are neither punishing to the shoulder nor the wallet.

The LSS is not that much heavier than a factory synthetic stock, if you use a M0E pistol grip and a CTR stock with three-quarter inch cheek riser. It’s not quite as easy to carry in the field as a traditional stock, but it does look a bit more ‘COD’ and therefore has a visceral appeal to most kids.

300BLK is definitely my first choice, but prices for donor rifles in .223 are quite a bit higher.

I could change out the bolt face for an extra $100 or so. Maybe that's the right way to go? Inside 150yds the Barnes TAC-TX 110g is one of my favorite whitetail bullets, and the 300BLK is perfect for new shooters, so you don't have to convince me there. It would also let me put a shorter barrel on it, making it lighter and easier for a kid to handle. That's an interesting thought. I guess I could convert the .308 to 300BLK and then back up to 6.5CM when they get older with the original bolt face and a new barrel. HMMMM....

 

[VoodooMountain]

Hard to argue with 308 if you're hand loading. H4895 loads, cheap LC brass, with 110 gr bullets and they'll be good for a while. That combination recoils like a 243.

Plus, ammo is of course everywhere.

I use h4895 in almost all my 308 loads. A 150 sierra or speer bullet at 2600 fps with about 40 gr of powder in LC brass has proven to be accurate in most my rifles. Recoil is very mild.

If you do switch the caliber I would go with 243 or 223.

 

[Joelpat]

Hard to argue with 308 if you're hand loading. H4895 loads, cheap LC brass, with 110 gr bullets and they'll be good for a while. That combination recoils like a 243.

Plus, ammo is of course everywhere.

I use h4895 in almost all my 308 loads. A 150 sierra or speer bullet at 2600 fps with about 40 gr of powder in LC brass has proven to be accurate in most my rifles. Recoil is very mild.

If you do switch the caliber I would go with 243 or 223.

Thanks for your comments. I'm approaching it this way:
.308: though it could be downloaded to a manageable round for a kid, you couldn't buy that round off the shelf. At least not reliably. I can't load all their ammo, so I'm crossing that one off.
.243: Obviously this one is a classic. And for Northwest blacktails a 95g would do fine. But when I stack it up against the 6.5CM, it seems like the Creedmore just does more. (I'm not a CM fanboy. Don't own one, only mildly interested)
.223: Great training round, but not enough punch for hunting.
.300BLK: Similar recoil and blast to a .223, but much more punch within reasonable ranges. It's not like they are going to hunt out past 150yds anytime soon.
6.5CM: Might be a little stout for the young one. Probably a good option for the older one. Manageable recoil in a legit round that doesn't compromise in a whole lot of areas.

 

[horsey300]

Thanks for your comments. I'm approaching it this way:
.308: though it could be downloaded to a manageable round for a kid, you couldn't buy that round off the shelf. At least not reliably. I can't load all their ammo, so I'm crossing that one off.
.243: Obviously this one is a classic. And for Northwest blacktails a 95g would do fine. But when I stack it up against the 6.5CM, it seems like the Creedmore just does more. (I'm not a CM fanboy. Don't own one, only mildly interested)
.223: Great training round, but not enough punch for hunting.
.300BLK: Similar recoil and blast to a .223, but much more punch within reasonable ranges. It's not like they are going to hunt out past 150yds anytime soon.
6.5CM: Might be a little stout for the young one. Probably a good option for the older one. Manageable recoil in a legit round that doesn't compromise in a whole lot of areas.

Boyd's at-1 it'll add some weight but everyone in my family, EVERYONE, loves it. Hornady offers lite loads for many offerings, if you can't handload all their ammo, they may have to order it in. My oldest one is kinda recoil shy, whilst the younger girl is fearless. The .243 is rarely undergunned, BUT the Creedmoor loaded with 100 partitions or btips at full speed won't be terribly worse than the .243 anyway.......downloading the .243 (as I am for the oldest) is a different story. The factory loaded lightest recoiling hardest hitting cartridges I can think of are the .22-250 and .224 Valk. Federal offers some very nice options for on game performance. There's also the Grendel and x39. I'd honestly try them with the lightest factory loads you can find in 6.5cm on the at-1 stock (the weight will help with recoil) maybe add a muzzle device, and get em a good bipod. Otherwise, a lighter cartridge in a lighter gun may be needed for a while yet.

 

[rbernie]

I could change out the bolt face for an extra $100 or so.

Converting a short action to an intermediate chambering requires changing the bolt head, bolt baffle, and the magazine itself. Best feeding for intermediate cartridges will be found using a center feed action rather than a stagger feed action.

I have built a 16" 30AAC and a 20" version, both barrels in Savage sporter contours, and I prefer the balance of the 20" barrel. If you get a 16" barrel, I recommend getting the magnum contour to keep the rifle balanced on the front receiver ring.

Boyd's at-1 it'll add some weight but everyone in my family, EVERYONE, loves it.

My family (and I) hated the blocky feel and lack of comb rigidity in the Boyds AT-One, and I largely use either the ProVarmint with adjustable comb, B&C Medalist with adjustable comb, or the MDT LSS chassis if I'm not using an OEM stock. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.

While I built the kids some 300AAC rifles, just to get them started, my 'one size fits many' rifles are based on the 257 Roberts. Since I handload, the Bob gives the best range of light-to-firm load options for varmint (75gr) and light game (100gr-120gr). For the non-handloader, it's really not a good choice.

I've done a bunch of range work, but no hunting yet, with some fast-twist (1:8") 22-250 builds. I've become convinced that a modern 65gr-80gr 224 hunting bullet (e.g. Gold Dot, Scirocco II. TSX) is plenty fine for whitetail within customary shooting ranges, and the 1:8" barrel does quite well shooting both 55gr 22-250 factory ammo for range/varmint use and 75gr-80gr hunting bullets. The real benefit of 22-250 is that it's a pleasure to shoot; low recoil and not intimidating at all to shoot. You could start them on a fast-twist 22-250 (same mag box / bolt head as your 308) and move them to a larger caliber as they need. Federal now sells the 22-250 with a 60gr Partition and Nosler makes a 64gr bonded load, just for this reason.

 

[horsey300]

Converting a short action to an intermediate chambering requires changing the bolt head, bolt baffle, and the magazine itself. Best feeding for intermediate cartridges will be found using a center feed action rather than a stagger feed action.

I have built a 16" 30AAC and a 20" version, both barrels in Savage sporter contours, and I prefer the balance of the 20" barrel. If you get a 16" barrel, I recommend getting the magnum contour to keep the rifle balanced on the front receiver ring.

My family (and I) hated the blocky feel and lack of comb rigidity in the Boyds AT-One, and I largely use either the ProVarmint with adjustable comb, B&C Medalist with adjustable comb, or the MDT LSS chassis if I'm not using an OEM stock. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.

While I built the kids some 300AAC rifles, just to get them started, my 'one size fits many' rifles are based on the 257 Roberts. Since I handload, the Bob gives the best range of light-to-firm load options for varmint (75gr) and light game (100gr-120gr). For the non-handloader, it's really not a good choice.

I've done a bunch of range work, but no hunting yet, with some fast-twist (1:8") 22-250 builds. I've become convinced that a modern 65gr-80gr 224 hunting bullet (e.g. Gold Dot, Scirocco II. TSX) is plenty fine for whitetail within customary shooting ranges, and the 1:8" barrel does quite well shooting both 55gr 22-250 factory ammo for range/varmint use and 75gr-80gr hunting bullets. The real benefit of 22-250 is that it's a pleasure to shoot; low recoil and not intimidating at all to shoot. You could start them on a fast-twist 22-250 (same mag box / bolt head as your 308) and move them to a larger caliber as they need. Federal now sells the 22-250 with a 60gr Partition and Nosler makes a 64gr bonded load, just for this reason.

Agreed again on the .22-250! The blockiness has been a non issue for us, but the lop adjusting from the youngest shooter back up to me has been the versatility we were needing the adjustable comb doesn't have flawless rigidity, but it's stable enough for our purposes. That pro varmint adjustable might wind up on my stw though, nobody else in the house wants anything to do with it!

 

[Newtosavage]

Here are my thoughts -

Don't saddle a kid with a .300 BO and don't punish them with a .308.

I think a 6.5 CM is a great choice for what you're goal is. Modest recoil with plenty of energy downrange and not something they will need to replace someday unless they just want to.