Savage rebarrel/build

[tlong]

Hey guys. I happend upon an older Savage (pre-accutrigger) that is currently chambered in .223Rem, and bone stock. It is a long action, but short internal box mag. I plan to upgrade everything, to include a DBM stock and probably CDI bottom metal. I would like to make it a medium-long range (500-1000 yards) gun, but I want something other than 308. I am leaning towards .243Win, or maybe one of the 6.5's, but also have kicked around the idea of a wildcat. I will be using this for hunting southern whitetail deer, feral hogs, and the elusive four-cornered circle. I do reload, so finding ammo shouldn't be too hard to come by. I know this is as big of a can of worms as asking which came first the chicken or the egg, but I was hoping to get some knowledgeable input prior to starting this build.

 

[7magcreedmoor]

For caliber, do you want super fast, or just reasonably fast? What about recoil and total weight expectations?

 

[tlong]

Speed I'm not concerned about. I would like to keep it moderately fast, but also have good barrel life. Recoil is not a concern. Weight, it will be a pack rifle, not something I am going to carry slung a lot. I will need a heavy contour to accommodate a silencer.

 

[lightflight]

first thing that comes to mind is a 260AI

 

[IAHNTR]

6.5x47 Great brass, Great bullets, Great accuracy, Great barrel Life.

 

[tlong]

6.5x47 Great brass, Great bullets, Great accuracy, Great barrel Life.

I was thinking about the 6.5x47 or the 6.5-284 as well

 

[westcliffe01]

6.5x284 and good barrel life do not belong in the same sentence, Load development could consume 10-25% of your barrel life, depending on how drawn out it gets... Mine uses a CBI barrel and I have not yet got a load that it likes. All my other barrels are Shillen and have not been as fussy.

Be sure to do everything else that might be needed (bedding, trigger, etc) before starting load development. I have a 223 and 308 training rifle so do not put many rounds through it. I have a similar policy with my 243 Ackley, trying to preserve it. Every time I check it, it is still shooting a 1/2 MOA group and zeroed so its always ready.

 

[tlong]

westcliffe01, that was one of my turn off's to the 6.5-284. I don't want a rifle that I will have to buy a barrel for every hunting season or so. I would like to be able to get a few good years from it, before having to swap barrels.

 

[7magcreedmoor]

The handy thing about using the savage action is versatility. When you pick your caliber, you can either change the bolt head and baffle, or buy a complete bolt assembly ready to go, and keep the .223 setup to switch back when you feel like it. If swapping bolt heads and baffles, be sure to check your firing pin diameter, as there are two specs out there and you might need a new pin assembly for the different head. Magazines can be changed as long as screw spacing is the same. I have a 6.5/284 built on what started as a .270 centerfeed accutrigger model 111. I didn't care for the trigger, so I replaced it with a RifleBasix SAV2. The magazine box for 6.5/284 is unique, and literally snaps in place on the bottom metal. I run that cartridge at a moderate velocity, 2875fps out of 26 inches. It will go faster, but the best groups were what I settled on. 3050 was available with Retumbo, but slightly larger groups, so I pulled the throttle back a bit. We'll see how long it lasts at this speed. I have a second 111 that was a 30.06, now a 280AI. Only thing that had to be replaced to convert was the barrel. It runs fast- 3000 with 168s. If you are looking for a lot of practice life I would suggest 260/6.5Creed/6.5x47 for a milder burning, but plenty fast for hunting out to 600-700 yards or so. If you want more payload weight, go to a 7mm bore, in 7/08 or 280rem, or the AI, but the faster you go the quicker the new barrel needs to be ready. I simply plan on keeping the next barrel always on the shelf ahead of time for mine. Now matter what you pick, it will be a fun project to build and very satisfying to shoot.

 

[desertbull]

7/08 would be a great choice, IMO. Or a 7WSM, 300WSM

 

[Mike 338]

6.5x47 Great brass, Great bullets, Great accuracy, Great barrel Life.

Plus 1

 

[tlong]

Yeah, the more I look and research, the more I really like the 6.5x47. Thank you guys for all the input. I will keep y'all updated on the progress.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Yeah, the more I look and research, the more I really like the 6.5x47. Thank you guys for all the input. I will keep y'all updated on the progress.

I would build a 6.5 SLR off a .260 Remington case. A little faster with a better case design yet. The longer neck will give you an even longer barrel life alone. But the 6.5x47 has a good barrel life as well.
gary

 

[Dgd6mm]

Yeah, the more I look and research, the more I really like the 6.5x47. Thank you guys for all the input. I will keep y'all updated on the progress.

It's a reasonable choice for you. There are so many to choose from, especially when it is going on a Savage action
and pre-fits are everywhere.