Savage FP-10 Choate mods

[holeshot308]

I've got an FP-10 Choate in .308 Win. with a 26" barrel. Just wondering what kind of work and who can do it can be done to this rifle. It shoots very well using Fed. Match 168 gr Sierra HPBT ammo ( sub moa @ 200 yds) but I know there are things that can be done to a "factory" rifle to tweak just a little more out of it. Just thought I'd check into what mods seem to help. Had to send the Millett 6-25X56 scope in to Bushnell for repair/replacement and figured that while I had the scope off and waiting for its return I'd change the base out to a 20 moa TPS steel base for more horizontal adjustment ( I've got access to a range out here where you can shoot out to 1000 yds.). Anyway if anyone has any input about this I'd appreciate hearing from you. Holeshot 308

[CAPTBEACH]

Which Choate stock are you running? The Tactical or the Ultimate Sniper (dragunov style)?

Bedding may help if it doesn't run the newer machined V-BLOCK aluminum bedding blocks.

A one piece Scope Mount with 20MOA sure helps with adding some elevation for those longer shots.

Some have suggested that removing the barrel, cleaning the threads and re-installing the barrel with teflon tape (pipe tape) may assist in firming up the interface between the action and barrel. Always head space afterwards with the correct head space gauge for that caliber.

A "trigger job" or upgrade is or can be beneficial. Often you can get great results by not adjusting but by simply blasting it with a brake cleaner/high pressure canned solvent, blowing dry and clean and then re-lubing the trigger mechanism. I know I got a really good trigger to go REALLY good doing this.

A bolt lift kit helps and instructions are somewhere here on the site.

Ensure you are completely free floating in the barrel channel, dont neglect making sure the barrel nut is free floating too and is not pinched.

When you re-mount your scope, consider alignment honing the rings with the appropriate honing tool 1" or 30mm.

CLEAN YOUR BARREL...and then clean it some more...a good copper fouling indicating solvent is best.

Consider lapping/polishing your bore.

If you reload consider moly coating your loads.

These are just a few off the top of my head,

[243LPR]

So Bushnell makes Millet scopes?

[holeshot308]

The FP-10 is a "few" years old. The Choate sniper stock has the aluminum pillars in it but the forearm is actually flat where the "Ultimate Sniper stock" has more of a taper to it. The rifle is pre-drop box mag. I broke the barrel in correctly and clean it after shooting with "Sweets". Have set the Accu-trigger to around 3 lb. and the trigger has a smooth pull and break. Really can't gripe about the accuracy since I can shoot surplus 147 gr. FMJ and Federal Match 168 gr. HPBT and get sub-moa groups at 200 yds. that's the max. range at our local shooting range. Have just recently got access to a private range with berms out to 1000 yds. so the new 20 moa base ought to come in pretty handy. Got a chance to shoot it out to 400 yds at a deer lease last year and holding over what my Leupold MK IV rangefinder gave me I was shooting sub groups with the Federal Match. Have heard about re-setting the barrel, need to check further into that. Don't see any reason to bed the action due to the two pillar blocks since the barrel is fully free floated already. The internal mag had a habit of not picking up a round when the bolt was cycled when the rifle was new but after shooting a couple hundred rounds thru it (and leaving the mag loaded for a couple of months) the mag spring and follower function fine now. Like I said, just figure that there were a few mods like the barrel setting and the reworking the bolt face that might get a little more accuracy out of the rifle. It already probably shoots better than I can shoot it, but pushing the limit is what it's all about. The scope is a 30mm tube and is mounted with Badger Max-30 rings. I lapped the rings before mounting the scope, not much lapping required with the Badger rings.

[holeshot308]

No I think they are ALL made in China but Bushnell has bought out Millett AND Simpson. If you call the phone # for Millett Scopes you're going to get Bushnell Outdoors Products. Also may just be a rumor but have heard that Bushnell is going to be bought out by someone else? Have heard that instead of trying to repair the Millett scopes Bushnell is just replacing them, waiting to see what I get back from them. I'd settle for my old scope back repaired but if they just replace it that'd be ok with me.

[stangfish]

If you want to keep that rifle accurate you might consider refraining from shooting the surplus ammo (147's). Some of those nato cases run 2.050. Big time pressure problems can occur without the signs. The primers are crimped sealed and hard. I did it, most of us have done it but it aint wise. Plenty of cheap ammo without shooting surplus.

Try this place if you want cheap ammo.
http://www.usaammo.com/308-Win-150-gr-FMJN-Ammo-Best-Prices-In-Stock-P92.aspx

[holeshot308]

You're right about the ammo, I've been running the surplus stuff thru my FN-FAL and never even considered picking up the spent brass. It's some old bulk Aussie stuff and it's about all gone anyway. I bought several cases of Federal power-shok 158 gr. and Federal Match 168 gr. HPBT ammo back when it was "cheap" ( like pre-obama). I'm hanging onto the Federal brass since I've got all the stuff to re-load it with Sierra 168 gr. HPBTs just in case I don't die before I shoot it all up. LOL

[stumpjumper400]

Which Choate stock are you running? The Tactical or the Ultimate Sniper (dragunov style)?

Bedding may help if it doesn't run the newer machined V-BLOCK aluminum bedding blocks.

A one piece Scope Mount with 20MOA sure helps with adding some elevation for those longer shots.

Some have suggested that removing the barrel, cleaning the threads and re-installing the barrel with teflon tape (pipe tape) may assist in firming up the interface between the action and barrel. Always head space afterwards with the correct head space gauge for that caliber.

A "trigger job" or upgrade is or can be beneficial. Often you can get great results by not adjusting but by simply blasting it with a brake cleaner/high pressure canned solvent, blowing dry and clean and then re-lubing the trigger mechanism. I know I got a really good trigger to go REALLY good doing this.

A bolt lift kit helps and instructions are somewhere here on the site.

Ensure you are completely free floating in the barrel channel, dont neglect making sure the barrel nut is free floating too and is not pinched.

When you re-mount your scope, consider alignment honing the rings with the appropriate honing tool 1" or 30mm.

CLEAN YOUR BARREL...and then clean it some more...a good copper fouling indicating solvent is best.

Consider lapping/polishing your bore.

If you reload consider moly coating your loads.

These are just a few off the top of my head,





Pipe tape on the barrel threads? Let me know if I am way off base here but why would someone ever recommend that?

Steve

[CAPTBEACH]

Couple of Bench Rest guys showed me that a few years ago...both swore up and down it shrunk group size, for one of them about .10" without any additional changes to the rifles...