Savage Build

[telecaster1981]

Hey Guys,

After several years of procrastination, I think I'm finally on my way to starting a build on a Savage 10 platform. I'm currently pricing a few new and used Savages as well as the Stevens 200, but I'm also entertaining the idea of building on one of the new Savage competition actions such as the one the F/TR is built on. Basically, my question is, would it there be a noticeable difference in accuracy between the standard Savage action with the magazine cut in the bottom and the competition action with no magazine cut, assuming all other components are equal. Of course, the F/TR has a 30" match grade barrel, but I intend to put a 30" Pac-Nor cylinder contour barrel on whatever I'd build.

 

[rangerruck]

Well, I am no expert, certainly, but the diff in just the way the two recievers are made, much less the bolt assy. or any of the action, would tell me that the F/TR reeiver is super far superior to a regular action. And it is no accident, Savage not only inteded it that way as a selling point for their rifles, but I think whole heartedly intended to get in on a piece of the put together action. I think they started off with as good a platform as one could get anywhere else.

 

[skinewmexico]

I'd buy an F/TR and just shoot it until the barrel went out. Those rifles did very, very well at the F-Class Nationals. Or you could just go to savageshooters.com, and buy an action only from Northlander. Hard to say which would be best, when we don't know what you plan to do with the gun.

 

[eliphalet]

Savage is selling actions now.
http://www.savagearms.com/TA_223_Bolt_Right.htm

 

[rangerruck]

I agree wity ski new mexico, I would just get the savage, do all the tricks and tweeks you can think of to make it even more stable, do a molyfusion job on the bore, and let er rip!!!! If I was F class shooting, I'd deff give it a go.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Me and a buddy are both currently building savage project rifles. I ordered a .223 Stevens for $242 and he ordered a target action for $375

We're both going to use premium barrels mine will be a 1-8 twist .223imp. His will be a 6mm BR.

I was able to order a Choate ultimate varmint stock for less than $200. His stock will cost a bit more $$$ as it pretty much takes a custom stock to get three screw bedding.

I don't know if the target action will = more accuracy or not. But I do know that the round receiver with a right hand bolt and a left hand port is UBER COOL to see.

 

[skinewmexico]

I think Stockade is building stocks for the 3 screw action. I just built my 6.5x47 off a standard accutrigger action that I got a good deal on. Guy I got it from did some great work on the trigger.

 

[telecaster1981]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies,

Guess I left a few things out of my original post. Basically, I want a 100% utilitarian precision rifle in .308 that still prints nice, tiny groups instead of a dedicated paper punching rifle. My tentative parts list is as follows:

-Savage 10 or Stevens 200 action

-Pac-Nor 30" Super Match Cylinder contour barrel

-Choate Ultimate Stock- Hate the name (how much more Mall Ninja can you get?) but love the functionality of this stock.

-Millett TRS 4-16x Mil-Dot scope-a buddy of mine who's halfway through USMC sniper school has one and is very impressed with his, and that's good enough for me...I'm not going to be buying any Schmidt & Bender!

-Harris Bi-Pod

-Timney, Rifle Basix, or Shooter Solutions trigger if I can't get my hands on an Accu-Trigger Savage

So, it's going to end up being more of a 'tactical' precision rifle instead of a competition precision rifle, which is more of what I'm after anyway. Guess I talked myself out of the single shot action sometime between 8:26PM yesterday and 8:20 this evening!

One question for Rangerruck: Is the Moly-Fusion actually beneficial in terms of accuracy/velocity? I've been thinking about ordering some for a few other applications, but I'm hesitant, thinking it's possibly snake oil.

For those of you who have built Savages in the past or are currently building, I'd be interested to know what components you've used and what your results are! Thanks for the helpful advice too...even though I've changed my mind about the F/TR action!

 

[R.W.Dale]

OK Here's what I have going on.

My plans are to build a rifle whose only purpose is to shoot groups at 300m

My .223 Stevens 200 is on the way

I just painted my newly arrived Choate ultimate varmint stock GM Tangier Orange (pics to come)

I'm using a two piece leupold base and rings for now

I'm going to use a 27" Shillen select match bull barrel chambered for .223imp with a 1-8" twist

The scope is going to be either a Leupold VXIII 4x14x40 AO or a 3x12x42 Sightron SII

I'll do my own trigger job for now but later on I'll buy a SSS trigger

and a scorehigh benchrest follower

I've added weight to the stock, I'm hoping I can get this combination to weigh in at at least 20lbs

 

[rero360]

I recently finished my savage build.

McMilan A5 stock
Hart undersized HV barrel
Leupold 6.5-20X50 MK 4 Tactical
badger rings and inclined base
harris bipod

if i could do anything different with it, and am looking into moding it is I wish I had gone with a detachable mag setup.

 

[telecaster1981]

Rero360,

Is there a detachable mag setup available for a Savage? I've seen DBM for Remington 700's but none for a Savage. I was hoping to put a DBM on mine and have been wondering if I could modify the Choate stock to work with M14 magazines. Anyway, how does your Savage shoot, Rero?

 

[rero360]

I actually just posted that exact question on the savage forum, waiting for some input.

as far as how it shoots, well when I was able to test her out it was pretty cold out so i didn't want to break out the match grade ammo when I was shivering. From the bench with bags, 100 meter distance, with 190 grain remington softpoints 4 shot group center to center (5th round flyer) of .428 inches acording to my calipers. three clover leafed, fourth just alittle bit away then the flyer about an inch away from the rest.

 

[skinewmexico]

I have a lot of trouble using 30" barrel and utilitarian in the same sentence. You don't need a 30" barrel unless the vast majority of your shooting is going to be over 1000 yards. And I've heard that the Choate is not a very good choice unless most of your shooting is prone shooting.

 

[telecaster1981]

skinewmexico,

I certianly don't want you to think I don't value your opinion, but our definitions of utilitarian are probably a bit different. 30" doesn't bother me...I'm not going to be clearing rooms with this rifle. Weight doesn't bother me, as I'm still 'at that age.' And the fact that the Choate stock isn't great for anything but shooting prone is fine by me. There will be some long shots across fields (at deer) that I'll want to take, but I probably won't have my bench there with me, so that leaves me prone on a bi-pod. While I don't anticipate shooting over 1000 (at deer or paper) much, I want the rifle to be up to task, should I decide to have some fun at extended ranges. But seriously, I respect your opinion and appreciate your concern!

 

[Taurus44]

I started my build with a brand new Savage 10FP in .308 (w/24" barrel and Accu-Trigger). I added a Choate Ultimate Varmint stock (which works fine for me off a bench or prone).

For optics, I got a Bushnell Elite 3200 10x40 and mounted it in low TPS (steel) rings on a Ken Farrell 10MOA, 1-piece base. I have more than enough range in my scope and base to dial-it-up at 1000 yards if I ever need to, and the rings and base are built like tanks.

The bipod is a given.

It shoots pretty damned well as-is, but next on my list is to send (Well... Drive ) the whole thing over to Sharp Shooter Supply to have it accurized.

While it's at the 'smith, I'll probably have the barrel cut-down a few inches, threaded and have some sort of brake (JP probably) installed.

 

[skinewmexico]

No offense taken. You had just said you didn't want a dedicated paper puncher, and I couldn't see any reason to use a 30" barrel unless it was a paper puncher. Read Zak Smith's articles, and I think you'll see most of the practical/tactical guys use a 26", and get 1/2 MOA accuracy. And you won't always be young enough to haul around a giant rifle. I've found that youth has an expiration date.

 

[telecaster1981]

And you won't always be young enough to haul around a giant rifle. I've found that youth has an expiration date.

Point taken! Perhaps a giant rifle to haul around will keep me young...if not, well, I'll find a different barrel or a hacksaw. LOL

I guess my distinction between a dedicated paper puncher and a more practical rifle has to do with being able to carry more than one round in the rifle as opposed to barrel length/heft. Again, different strokes for different folks!

 

[BAT1]

I just got a Stevens .308 and a new 4x12x40 scope and want to Choate it and put a magwell in it. How do you tell if it is a staggered or center mag feed? Does Choate sell a stock with a floor plate setup?

 

[skinewmexico]

If it wasn't built in the last, say six months, it's probably not a center mag feed. If the magazine stays in the stock, it's a center mag. If the magazine stays attached to the receiver, it's probably a staggered.

 

[telecaster1981]

BAT1,

I'm totally uninformed when it comes to staggered vs. centered mag feed, but I'm relatively certain that Choate doesn't make a stock with a floor plate. If I were to attempt modifying my Savage to take box mags, I was planning on opening up a hole in the stock where the floorplate should be. Perhaps I'll experiment a bit with the useless factory stock and see if I can figure something out. Maybe someone knows something about modding a bolt action to take box mags...can I make my Savage take M14 mags, or maybe Enfield 2A mags? Anyone?

 

[skinewmexico]

I think I saw a Savage on Savageshooters.com that had been modded to take M14 mags, but it seems like it was totally custom, and cost a ton of money. You might ask over there.

 

[telecaster1981]

Ok, yeah...almost forgot about this!

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=277093

THIS is what I want! Hallelujah!

 

[telecaster1981]

Another question: Is $399 too much for a short action Savage with an Accu-Trigger, brand new? Cal. is .243

 

[rangerruck]

personally , i am sold on Molyfusion; the rifles i decide to keep, if I see they have an accuracy potential, i do a moly job on them, and will also put a bit on the parts of the trigger group, and on semiauto's, even a bit inside the receiver, or on the outside of the bolt assy.
I have had some really great groups, shot in some pretty standard rifles, and they are easy to clean, and they even help in rust prevent , I do believe.
If you use this, just make sure you super clean whatever you are going to put i t on which surface, and do this in a warm area. I did mine in thehot months, with the weapon outside, in a covered back porch, and turn the rifle 1/4 turn once a day, and kept it in for a week.

 

[skinewmexico]

Another question: Is $399 too much for a short action Savage with an Accu-Trigger, brand new? Cal. is .243

Not bad, depending on the model. If you're going to replace everything, I'd probably just buy a Stevens action for $225. I paid $300 for an accutrigger action for a 0 MOA rail, barrel nut, and SSS recoil lug last month.