Which 7mm? Advice or Recommendations Please

[bowhunthard]

I am going to purchase a factory rifle and maybe do some modifications to it in order to produce a "lightweight" "walking" long range rifle in 7mmRemMag. Here are the two rifles I would be interested in:

Savage 116 FHSAK. Main mod would be a BC Medalist stock. I know trigger is good. Picatinny rail would be used for optics mounting.


Remington 700 XCR. Mods would include BC Medalist stock, muzzlebrake (probably Vais), and an aftermarket trigger. Leupold 1pc base would be used for optics mounting.


Which rifle would be more worth it? Pluses and minuses? I like both, and I own both brands. I would like some opinions tho.

Thanks.

[royinidaho]

I'd consider the choices to be nearly identical though I don't think one needs a brake on a 7 Remmy.

If the savage has the same barrel length as the Remy excluding the brake I'd definitely go for the Savage.

If the Savage barrel was shorter than the Remmy I'd toss and turn over the decision and get the savage any way. I'm used to wearing full ear protection when considering a shot opportunity.

Any money saved would be applied to the best optics possible.

[bowhunthard]

The Remington has a 26" barrel, the Savage has a 24".

[bowhunthard]

I can get the Savage for under $600, Remington for under $800.

[royinidaho]

That's about a $200 difference. That would mean quite an upgrade in glass selection.

Two inches of barrel is some where on the order of, just guessing, 80 fps at the high end (Toss and turn here, being a velocity hawg.) but then a 168 gr bullet is more apt to be placed right with the brake.

Its a tough decision.

The biggest difference, for me, are cosmetic differences between the two rifles. Niftiest advantage of the Savage (and I'm a tinkerer) is that you can swap your own barrels or its less expensive to farm one out for change.

Gloom, dispair and agony on me............personally I'd own the savage as I don't own any but put together a 7mm REM for my son-in-law and its pretty sweet. Results were a good serviceable rifle that would shot along with any other Savage or Rem.

I'm confident that future DIY jobs I come up with will be on Savage/Stevens actions.

[bowhunthard]

I know it's difficult lol, I'd buy both, but I don't think I can afford it.

[bowhunthard]

I was going to look at a Win Model 70 too, but they're out of stock where I buy. Can't even order. And I don't know if I want a walnut stocked TC Icon.