trying to get into long range shooting with something that wont break the bank

[Mikecr]

shuamee it sounds to me like you've already decided on what you want before coming here.
"really looking for a rem in a 308 that is about as good as u can get factory"
Sounds like you want us to tell you to pick up the nearest gun on any pawnshop rack(90% chance of it being a Rem700 in .308)?

Ok here it is: Do whatever keeps your gunsmith happy.
Just buy a gun from him, and keep going back for more & more work as needed..
With this, you'll end up right where you've decided to be.

 

[shuamee]

well if you shoot on a team and thats all you shoot then you should be able to tell me most anything about them. what the diff in the 10 and the 12 models? what exactly is the diff in the bolt? didnt quite follow all that. also how are these rifles bedded from the factory and which setup have u shot that seemed best to you? weight is not a prob gun will prob be on a bipod i have a 3.5-15x56 nxs to go on the gun. i like the looks of the 10fcp-sr but i really like the feel of the mcmillan stocks. keep in mind im not a die hard shooter i like to hit my target at any distance but the gun is just another toy to me

 

[Jake Levi]

This thread is getting very interesting,

I have been thinking of a 700 long action, with SS barrel, and gradually upgrading it, still thinking of the .308, also considering the larger ones. Nothing is written in stone, else I wouldnt be here. I have read a lot of good things about the .338, the only three rounds I have good experience with are the .270, the .308 and the 30-06 .

I am leaving MI this week for NE Wa so even on gun smiths I am wide open.

Which Savage model for a combo Elk and LR target rifle to start with ? What options are available for the Savage?

I do like shooting with a bipod, weight up to even 12 lbs isnt a problem. I hunt with Packgoats and am used to hauling in a pretty good camp so gun accesories arnt a problem. Next year I will have a five goat string. Fwiw.

 

[Lyons7STW]

I gotta throw sako's little bother Tikka T3 in the mix here. I own four. The 308 varmint rig was a half moa outa the box with my loads. And sob moa with fed. Gold medal match. And the price was right.

 

[shuamee]

no nothing set in stone as to what im going to get yet. i like the rems i have and was just leanin that way i didnt know that savage had changed up there stuff i thought they were the same as they used to be so wasnt even considering them. now im open to them gonna go look at some and see what i think bout them. the biggest factor is i want to be able to take the gun to pretty much any smith for work. what im looking for is a 308 cal on the "best" factory platform.

 

[Lyons7STW]

Here's a pic of my little brother's group the other day in a stiff wind with my tikka. If she works why worry with a smith? I might put a bell and carlson stock on one but any smith can bed one

 

[Lyons7STW]

I am a little curious about all the concern with a gun smith. Do you tend to require a lot of repairs? Most smiths are capable of bedding, muzzle breaking, and scope mounting regardless of action if it is fairly main stream. Or do you really like to tinker with one?

 

[Lyons7STW]

Jake you may want to check out my thread "new rig ready for first blood"
I just finished an elk rifle build similar to what you described. Gradually and on a budget. Should have hunting pics next week.

 

[Mikecr]

Gunsmiths grow up on fixing Remingtons. It's what ANY gunsmith knows, and there is enough aftermarket and gunsmithing tools to make Rem gunsmithing a no brainer.
Throw something else into the mix(anything else) & you lose some gunsmiths.

Fortunately, you don't need any gunsmithing/repairs for Savages. You can rebarrel them & change the boltheads yourself, change the stocks yourself, lap rings yourself.
Though I would have any gun bedded by someone known skilled in this specific area(which is NOT a general gunsmith).

I like BAT actions combined with Jewel because they're just so **** precise & standardized. But as far as function, I believe Savage is superior. The floating bolthead, the fine thread preloading AWAY from the boltface, their CRPF & standing blade ejection(with WSM actions), and accutrigger just put a lot of good probabilities their way. And there is quite a bit of aftermarket in Savages these days.
Savage has put efforts toward end user performance, they always have,, and Remington has not.
No wonder **some** gunsmiths would dislike them..

 

[backwoods83]

Like I said earlier, work on a savage yourself, I'm not a prefessional gunsmith, but if you have a new prefit barrel and bolt head, I can turn a model 116 in 30-06 into a 300 win mag in less than 30 minutes, point is they are simple and also held to tighter tolerances than back in the day, the savage 110 platform predates the model 700 by 4 years, in that time they made a few changes! Also they make a model 10fcp-McMillan since you stated that was your stockpreference, but even the low end savages in tupperware stocks are free floated on 2 pillars the model 12 target and lrp single shot rifles rest on 3 in a laminate or HS stock and their trigger can be adjusted in minutes from 6oz to 3lbs,I have had one go down to 4oz. These days I get 700 actions to do customs, factory rifles I buy are savage, tikka, and vanguard/howa 1500.

 

[Jake Levi]

Thanks Lyons, I'll see if I can find it,

excellent site here with a LOT of good input.

 

[shuamee]

thanks mikecr that pretty much answered what i was going for right there. how are the factory barrels compared to heat or lilja or any custom barrel? how do they stand up compared to the cutoms?

 

[kyhareraiser]

easy on the wallet but hard on the varmits..............rossi matched set..........243 win. and a 50 cal. muzzleloader barrel. got mine for 210.00 brand new

 

[milanuk]

well if you shoot on a team and thats all you shoot then you should be able to tell me most anything about them.

Dunno about that. I *shoot* them; I don't get all into the trivia business that some folks do, but I'll try.

what the diff in the 10 and the 12 models?

Functionally, between a model 10, 11, or 12 repeater? Nothing. The 10 series tends to be more LE/Tactical, the 11 tends to be more big game/hunting, and the 12 tends to be more varmint/target in terms of features like stock, barrel contour, caliber options, finish, etc. If you look on their website at a 10FCP vs a 12VLP you should see what I mean. Mechanically... no meaningful difference. The Target Actions have some mechanical differences (small ejection port, most models are solid-bottom single-shot actions, etc.) that may aid in accuracy.

what exactly is the diff in the bolt? didnt quite follow all that.

Same here... not really sure if you're responding to my stuff or someone elses.

also how are these rifles bedded from the factory

Varies wildly on the particular model. My 10PC-SR (20" .308 Win) is in an AccuStock (thin plastic stock with an aluminum spine that is supposed to stiffen it up some. My 12LRP (26" 6.5 Creedmoor repeater Target Action) is in a fiberblass HS Precision stock which IIRC has an aluminum block. My 110BA has a solid aluminum chassis. My 12 F/TR, 12 F/Open, and 12 Palma all have wood laminate stocks with pillars, and have been skim-bedded afterwards to boot.

I like the looks of the 10fcp-sr but i really like the feel of the mcmillan stocks.

So order a 10FCP w/ McMillan stock, get the muzzle threaded by your gunsmith, and if you feel the need, order the bottom metal from CDI Precision. AFAIK, its the same stuff used by the factory, takes AI mags, etc. and then you have the stock you like, barrel threaded for a can, etc. You can get it done in stages if you want, to spread the cost out a bit.