Savage 308 or 6.5 creedmoore build. Need help.

[Dustinj33]

I've been looking into building a Savage rifle. I've shot a few with the accu triggers and prefer them over my Remingtons.

The optic i plan on putting on the rifle is a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50mm.

I'm looking at either a 308 win or 6.5 creedmoore.

I'm wanting to spend up to 900 at the high end. I started looking into the ER Shaw but the 12month turn around time just turned me off. Plus a few bad reviews here and there.

I mostly Deer hunt and will be target shooting a good bit with this rifle.

I need help with a list as i can't seem to figure out if i get a Action and Barrel will the Barrel fit into a custom stock etc.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Not sure if i order a action and barrel which stock would actually fit a bull barrel.

[Hotolds442]

Two words - Hog Hunter.
308 Winchester, threaded heavy barrel, open sights. Accurate right out of the box and very reasonably priced. An excellent starting platform for any build.

[BoilerUP]

The 11 Trophy Predator Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor is an excellent value.

[masterblaster]

yeah get one of the 6.5's, creedmoor is a good choice

[YDKDY]

I've got most of my parts ordered for my build in 6.5 Swede, and it came to just under $900 without scope. I got my barrel, nut, recoil lug and accutrigger sping from NSS. Then there are tools I bought to do the build (action wrench, nut wrench, go gage) which ran about $115. Some of the tools might be optional or maybe you could borrow to save some cash. From my recent research: Creedmore is great long range especially if you don't reload - good factory ammo available. Other 6.5's options are out there for reloaders.

[YDKDY]

Ha! Forgot to reply to the rest of your post. Do you have your donor action yet? Stock choices will be best if you have or can buy a short action, especially for a heavy barrel. Short action works with the Creedmore, but long action can too. My build is LA w/varmint barrel and budget stocks are limited. Mine is top bolt release, centerfeed with a blind mag, so I'm not too familiar with all the options for detachable bottom mag and newer bottom bolt release. Others can help there.

[stomp442]

6.5 creed all the way. Have you looked at gunshack.com for a barrel? They carry shaw barrels and also Mcgowen. I wouldn't shy away from a shaw they have always shot great for me.

[stomp442]

Forgot to add if they don't have the creed they probably have the 260 Remington. Essentially the same thing.

[yobuck]

Well fact is you will be shooting at a lot more rocks than you will deer at long range.
Both cartridges would be good choices for what your talking about doing.
Main difference will be bullet selection. The 6.5 pretty much stops with a 140 gr whereas the 308
allows for much heavier bullet choices. In my opinion a 308 with a 168/175 gr bullet will be hard to
beat for all round use.

[darkker]

To your question of: Creed Vs. 308

Really depends upon you. So the trick is that the Creed will have a much flatter trajectory to extreme distances, than the 308. Creed brass is more limited, unless you plan on reforming. Bullet selection will be more limited. The impacts of bullets are more difficult to "see", particularly in dry dirt; at long distance.
The 308 has brass available from everyone and their dog, powders from all corners of the earth work with some bullet weight, bullet design and choices abound, MANY bullets have proven safety in crossing the trans-sonic threshold. Does any of this apply to you?? That is for you to decide.

As far as barrels fitting into stocks. Unless sand paper and a dowel seem like daunting technical devices, that isn't a "problem" that should be a concern to anyone; especially if ordering a truly "custom" stock, they fit whatever you tell them.

I shoot both my 308 and Creedmoor to a mile, quite regularly. In the dry dirt, finding impacts with the Creed is a real challange; not so much with the 308.
As with all things, take any "online" load advice for the Creed with a very large grain of salt. Especially from one of the enthusiast sites for it. Unless you are using a very progressive powder(NOT 4350), and have a 28+ inch barrel, shooting the Creedmoor at 2800+ fps, is WAY over pressure. Again, if that doesn't bother you then carry-on; but know the truth.

[BoilerUP]

The impacts of bullets are more difficult to "see", particularly in dry dirt; at long distance.

A 6.5mm 140gr bullet has more energy beyond 600yd than a 30cal 175gr bullet, at typical velocities from a given barrel length.

Are you shooting heavies in your 308?

Also, factory Hornady 140 A-Max chronos around 2840 in my 26" Criterion...it ain't overpressure.

[stomp442]

A 6.5 140 has more everything than a 308 unless 200gr bullets are used.

[darkker]

A 6.5mm 140gr bullet has more energy beyond 600yd than a 30cal 175gr bullet, at typical velocities from a given barrel length.

Are you shooting heavies in your 308?

Also, factory Hornady 140 A-Max chronos around 2840 in my 26" Criterion...it ain't overpressure.


I think the issue with the bullets is how it has the energy. Mass times velocity-squared. The 140's certainly outrun the 175's. But the splashes in the Summer fallow ground are harder to detect at those distances, than the 30-cals are. Big-girl belly flops a little harder:cool:

MZ5 and I hooked-up the Pressure Trace last month, got the Chronograph and tested several loads and rifles. 140-class bullets from the Creedmoor at 2800 fps are over SAAMI pressure limits. H4350 box suggested loads are at full operating pressures. From the two rifles we used(one factory Ruger, and one with an aftermarket match barrel), which have looser than SAAMI test chambers and barrels; so lower pressures, it took approx. 10,000 psi extra pressure to gain 100 fps velocity. The reason I said with 28"+ barrel, is we saw about 75 fps difference between 24-26" barrel length with a couple powders.
So if you are over clocking book velocities, there is a reason. As a reaffirmation of not using brass and primers as a indication of pressure, we did some over-pressure testing in the 308 with some loads. There were several that were in the 75,000 psi range, with secondary pressure spikes, that showed zero primer issues, nor any extraction problems.

[GaCop]

yeah get one of the 6.5's, creedmoor is a good choice +3 for the Creedmoor!

[wbm]

Unless you are using a very progressive powder(NOT 4350), and have a 28+ inch barrel, shooting the Creedmoor at 2800+ fps, is WAY over pressure. Again, if that doesn't bother you then carry-on; but know the truth.

Indeed! Some of the load data and velocities you see online for the Creedmoor fired from less than 26" barrels are just certified BS.