mass produced or custom 338 lm?????

[kshekailo919]

I'm am by far not a rich man. But I do like the finer things in life and I'm prepared to wait if need be. I'm extremely interested in learning to shoot long and extreme long range. the question is do I buy a mass produced rifle like a rem 700 or savage 110 fcp or wait save the money and build a custom. I was looking to go with a surgeon xl1581 action with a cadex or ai stock and still not to sure on the barrel. I'm a guy that's a "buy 1 and done" kinda guy. but is it worth 5k+ to build a 338 or just buy a 1500$ rifle.
its pretty much going to be a target rifle and seeing just how far I'm capable of shooting and pushing myself and rifle to its limits. I have a friend who shoots long range and will teach me to shoot. what do you think I should do.

 

[FearNoWind]

Over the counter rifles can be a crap shoot and if you need warranty work you've got to rely on the company's acceptance, turn around time, and their promise to do quality work on any repairs. I'm OK with using a factory action (Remington, Savage, ...) and a good gunsmith to build a good rifle on that foundation. But that's about it. I'm partial to McMillan stocks and Bartlein barrels. Had very good luck with those combinations.
You've already got your eye on an extraordinarly high quality action (you've got nice taste - expensive, but nice) so if you're willing to put that much into an action I'd say take on the whole enchilada and build what you truly want.
Just remember that long range competence only comes after excellence in short and medium range shooting. IMO, starting at long range isn't the best way to enter the sport.

 

[gohring3006]

I picked up a Savage Model 112 magnum target 338 Lapua.
It's the only rifle in a factory configuration that I saw, that would give me the best possible chance of good accuracy at the 1200-1500$ price range.
It has a heavy 26" barrel with the Savage target trigger and a very stiff, solid single shot action. And it was a good choice. It's shooting hex coated 300 grain hybrids at 1/2 Moa. I am working on some 285 ELDs to see how they do.

 

[jeff 300]

Buy a savage and shoot it more than likely it will shoot great. Every savage i have shoots great down the road put a new barrel on it and your done.

 

[FearNoWind]

OK, looks like it's gonna be required that we post a factory recommendation.
It shoots straight as a string, functions smooth as glass .... check this out - you'll find one in this group that will make your mouth water:

All rifles | Tikka

Nothing against Savage, but I like these better.

 

[kshekailo919]

Tikka and sako are both amazing rifles and are other options I was looking at. But at they are both over 4k so I might as well just build a custom one then.

 

[johnnyk]

It would make more sense to start out with something you can manage, something comfortable to shoot, easy to learn from and economical enough to become proficient with from 300yds to 1400yds. Something like a .260 Rem or .308 Winchester with a varmint profile barrel.

Factory rifles that come to mind and are more than up to the task are the Rem700 (VS, SPS and Long Range), the Savage 10 BA Stealth, 12 Long Range Precision, 12 F/TR, 12 Benchrest.

Get the best glass you can afford; scope and range finder, run 2-3000 rounds through either of these calibers and you'll be ready for the shoulder mounted ballistic missile you mentioned (.338 Lapua) earlier.

Good luck in your endeavor. JohnnyK.

 

[Rick Richard]

Reading into your post, I believe you want a custom. If so, DONT purchase a factory rifle since you will probably go the custom route anyway.

Also, like most folks have indicted purchasing a factory product is a "crap shoot". The best results I've had is with Savage. Very bad experience with Tikka and Beretta USA.

Good luck in whatever you do.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Tikka and sako are both amazing rifles and are other options I was looking at. But at they are both over 4k so I might as well just build a custom one then.

$4000 !! Wow, I haven't shopped for rifles in a while. I never thought they cost that much.

 

[yorke-1]

As much as I want to say that a full custom gun is the only way to go, I just dont think that's true any more. You can buy a Savage 112 magnum in 338 Lapua for about $1100 and have a sub MOA (often .5 MOA) capable gun. Will it look, feel, or impress your friends like a $4k custom? No; but it will shoot well enough to accomplish what you're looking to do.

I've had and have custom guns built by big name smiths on custom actions and they're beautiful tools that are a pleasure to shoot and hold. I'm a performance oriented buyer though. I have Savages that I pieced together on my work bench that are capable of shooting just as well as a custom gun and cost less to build than just a custom action may cost.

My suggestion is to buy a factory gun, like a Savage 112 magnum, and shoot it for a while. If you like how it shoots, you're done. The reality is that the more you shoot it the better you'll understand what you're looking for in a LR rifle. The 338 LM may not be the right chambering for you; maybe a 300 Norma would be better. You might find that you like the feel of a more traditional BR style wood stock instead of a chassis. Maybe a single shot will work for you or maybe a repeater is better for what you're doing.

If you haven't owned or had a chance to shoot a lot of different guns, it's hard to know what you want. I've built a lot of guns that I thought I wanted only to realized I was wrong. With a factory gun you can sell it and recover a good portion of what you invested. A custom gun that cost $4K to build new may only sell for $3K used. I've picked up some great deals over the years by buying other people's mistakes.

 

[Wedgy]

I have seen three of the Save 112's and all three are superb shooters. There was a thread recently about the 112LM that had great things to say about it.

 

[Broken arrow]

I've owned a Sako TRG, a Savage 110 BA and a Savage 110 FCP. All three shot less than 1/2. I've seen many custom made guns not come close to that kind of accuracy. I'd start with the FCP and see how it goes for you. You could go with the 110 target but it's a single shot and a good bit heavier. The 110 FCP you could actually hunt with and holds 5+1 cartridges.

 

[toddc]

For a target rig the M112 is the rig.
The solid bottom 3 screw action is a vast improvement both in stiffness and more importantly bedding area. Bedding area is probably 7x greater than the magazine action rifles.
The M112 red blade trigger will go into the Jewell area of pull weight and travel.
If by some chance the barrel doesn't shoot (mine is under .5 MOA) unscrew it and slap on a Mcgowen or other and I will promise you it will roll under .5 MOA all day long for under $1500 with a custom barrel.
The FCP is on sale right now at Cabelas for $1150 or so and would be my second choice.

Getting a custom to shoot with the M112 is not a sure thing. A M112 may walk all over a custom or of course vice versa. Of course you could buy 4 M112 to try before you outspent the custom.

 

[toddc]

And BTW the M112 is factory blueprinted I ripped mine apart and the fit and finish is totally on another level from the average Savage. Recoil lug is ground flat, receiver face is flat, nut etc. Lugs and receiver definitely much better machined than a regular Savage. They advertise these as factory blueprint and while that may not be custom level it is not comparable to ANY FACTORY offering including SEMI-CUSTOM rigs that I have looked at.