Thoughts on my rifle layout

[WeldNFool]

Hello all! New to the forum, first time post, first time Savage owner. Know a few that have the 110BA and they love them.

Briefly, I am new to the rifle build aspect of firearms but in the last few weeks have done a TON of reading and have come up with a project. As is with me I have it all written down, a road map if you will. What I will do with the rifle, shoot holes in paper. I don't do competitions or anything I just wanted to tackle something like this because it suits my nature, it's a challenge, keeps the old gears turning while learning.

What I have, well, soon, it's on order. Bought a Savage 10 FCP-SR in 308, detachable magazine, 24" barrel, accutrigger and stock. Contemplating shooting it while I wait for everything to be made but on the fence about that. Might just sit in the safe.

Here's what I have laid out on this build.

Sharpshooter Supply: Extractor Kit
Custom "Fishnet" fluted bolt. Just like how it looks.

PT&G: Precision machined Bolt head
Savage recoil lug

Barrel: Shilen 26", Stainless Steel match, 11 degree crown, 4 groove "Ratchet" rifling. I am unsure of the rate of twist though. Most I have seen are 1-10. I don't hand load yet, much more stuff to buy and learn before I do that. Ammo for the 308 is relatively cheap compared to the other beasty I have so I'd like to try out Hornady, Federal match grade stuff, 150-168 grain areas. Looking at Shilen's site the 1-10 is good for up to 220 grain and the other I am considering is a 1-13, because that is the only other option near the 1-10 that they have with the 4 groove "Ratchet". Should be good up to 170 grains according to Shilen. Now, experienced shooters, opinions on this? I am only going by what I have read on Shilens site and reading on forums, I am NO EXPERT by any means. I do remember reading somewhere either a barrel website or forum that it would be on the "ragged edge" of unstable and stable. Looking for thoughts on this. I believe the safe bet would be the 1-10 but this is my first build and it's all about experimenting right!

Stock: I have been all over looking at stocks. I already have a "tacticool" rifle so looking for something different I guess. I'm also thinking about going wild and crazy on the paint, automotive grade, high gloss off the wall type of stuff. So, I have looked at McMillan, Manners and today while reading I learned of a place called Stockade Gun Stocks. I also read on several different places that they make some of the best composite stocks for Savages, right up there with McMillan. With that and being self employed myself I figured with the good reviews of them I'd take a chance. I am looking at their Prairie Dog/Tactical or the Long Range Benchrest.

Trigger and Other: I am going to leave the stock Accutrigger in for now, test drive it and see how it is. If it feels similar to an SKS I'm thinking either a Timney or Rifle Basix?? Not sure I got the correct name. Of course a new stainless nut for the barrel/action would be in order.

Scope: Lots of choices out there and will leave that until the end. With all of the stuff to build it will be a year or better but I have a Leupold and after years of using cheap scopes the clarity on the Leupold is amazing!

Any thoughts on my proposed layout? Anything I might have missed? I know the "trued" action is a debatable topic from reading here and elsewhere so my thoughts were to leave that, do everything else and see how it shoots. Seems from what I have learned truing the action may or may not have any benefits other than lightening the wallet a little more. I would be interested in seeing some tests on a stock rifle then truing the action and doing another test to see if there was any improvement. So many different opinion on it with the Savage you wonder if it's worth it.

Thank you for any input, hopefully next year I can post a picture of this thing!

[foxx]

sounds good.

Extractor kit not necessary. The factory parts sometimes need replacing, but I doing so beforehand is not an upgrade. just kinda like replacing all your tires on a new car before running on them.

Bolt head is not an issue, either. Factory bolt head is just fine unless you have a need for something not standard. PTG has nothing over Savage in that regard.

If replacing barrel, go ahead and replace the recoil lug, for sure. It is much more important and a true upgrade compared to the bolt head.

Good luck

[Zero333]

Get the rifle and shoot it as is and change whatever you want as time goes by.

Nothing wrong with the accutrigger. SKS's trigger is one of the worst triggers ever made, I have 2 of them. I'm sure you will like the Accutrigger. I just think of the accutrigg like it's a 2 stage, the blade being the 1st stage.

It's hard to go wrong with any of the prefit barrels.

Best bang for the buck scope has to be the Bushnell 3.5-21 DMR with the G2 reticle.

If you're going to shoot factory ammo, Federal Gold Medal Match 168 bthp is a failsafe option. It always performs. It's worth trying other Match ammo as well because you might find something more accurate than the FGMM for less money. I've even had good luck with some hunting ammo, just not the very cheap ammo. If you handload, even better.

[Boanerges]

Hello there WeldNFool!
Pretty neat direction your are going. Though I too would shoot now and make the changes along the way or as you go.
For me to add anything else would be for me to turn your rifle into my rifle. Build your rifle,then shoot then repeat:cool:
And you best get to learning hand loading. As a matter of fact Brownells has a sale going on plus a factory mail in rebate for the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Kit. Great way to start.

[WeldNFool]

Thanks for the replies. I've contemplated not shooting it until done but due to it being a 308 and cheaper to fire than the Lapua I have, not to mention easier on my shoulder and cheek I doubt I could go long without shooting it! LOL! Plus it would be interesting to see where it goes as the parts go on.

Boanerges, I'll have to look at that sale. RCBS was one of the ones I was looking at, thanks for the heads up!

Zero333, I couldn't agree more with the SKS trigger, like trying to drag a 55 gallon drum of water across a gravel driveway! Thanks for the Bushnell tip, will check that out as I have been looking for something a bit more affordable now to mount, would make me more eager to shoot it now while ordering stuff at least. Am interested in the Accutrigger. All of my current items are older, some pre '62 and one new high end thing with a trigger that is out of this world, so have lots of variation to compare it too.

Foxx, thanks for the tips. I was checking out the bolt face and figured, what the heck, lol, new bolt, why not. With the suggestions so far I will definitely send some downrange with it now and remove/replace as I go.

Thanks again all!

[RC20]

I would shoot it and see how it does.

Agreed on the upgrades by Zero333, he has the experience to know.

Barrel: What you really should be doig here is detemring where you shoot and where you want to go with the gun long term.

100 yds range for its life or the 1000 yard range?

Twists are a crap shoot, what the 1-10 says is that it is most likely to shoot heavier bullets (up over 150 gr, aka more like the 168s and above). It also keeps the value for the gun, someone else buys it they may well want the long range capability.

1-13 tends to shoot the lighter 150s (plus and minus some) it may shoot the heavier fine, it might not. 1-10 are known to shoot down to the 125s quite nicely.

Bit question is do you want to experiment with the most expensive part (short of the gun itself) or go with the solid.

Same for the4 rifling. Reality is that its all cool, standard rifling produces stunning groups, my take is ratchet is a bit of a marketing gimmick. Don't get me wrong, its ok, fun to play with, Shilen is a solid maker and it will not be a negative. I would not let that drive me in the twist area. Get the twist you want, then whatever rifling type that gets you that. 1-11 is out there as is 1-12. I would not buy anything that had 1-13.

If you really are after the best, then the cut rifle barrel makers are the way to go, those are the ones that the top shooters go for (for me its a waste, I can just keep it under 3/4 MOA for the most part. The setup is better than I am (good, I can grow into it). Amazing how hard it gets once you get under 1/2 MOA.

Now its just my take, fun to me is a stock good caliber you don't see much of in guns. My long term is a 7.5 x 55 Swiss. Why? Readily availed dies, component's (Lapua Brass and others) and it shoots 308 bullets (likely 308 barrel with a 7.5 x 55 chamber). Works in nicely with powders I use for 06 and 308.

Someone that likes the cartridge with no old gun limitations that want to really stretch it out to its capability would like a gun like that. Probably sell nicely as its very stock, but different and few available other than the K31s (and limitation of iron sights)

There are other combos out there like that. That one just appeals to me for what I have and do.

[WeldNFool]

Thanks RC, valuable input. That's what has been going thru my mind. 1-10 is tried and true and have seen many with .750MOA or better pictures all over with that. Range closest to me goes out to 500. Another near here is 1250 but would take an act of God to get into. Waiting list of.....forever to become a member. Would like to find someplace to do some 1000 though so a rifle capable of that would be beneficial. Less than 1MOA, dinging steel 500, 600, etc., would be fine for me but tight groups at 100 would be cool to do just to see what the rifle is capable of.

Ok, was going to ask about rate of twist and found an excellent article by Guns and Ammo that answered all the little questions. This is a no hurry project rifle but like you said, at $300-400 do I want to experiment with the barrel, not likely, lol!! Thanks again RC!

[RC20]

You are welcome. That's what the group is about.

My take is thanks to the group that hosts this and allows us to help each other out.

[scuzzy]

my thoughts on your build....

i'll gladly take all your unused take-off parts for a greatly discounted rate!

In all seriousness, my fear would be dropping all the money you are looking at dropping, and getting a rifle that doesn't shoot any better than the one currently sitting in your safe. those are fine shooting rifles from the factory.

if the goal is to customize for the sake of customization, then shuck that oyster! i can understand!

[WeldNFool]

The most expensive thing so far, aside from the scope is the stock. Higher than a giraffe's butt!! Found a barrel thru a vendor on here that had the brand I wanted on the shelf. Got my custom bolt coming from another vendor. With the cost of the custom stocks I'm thinking I'll shoot the heck out of it bare bones factory mode. Then strip it down and see what I can do about adding custom color to the Accustock. Add my new parts to it and see how it shoots. Might just bypass the custom stock altogether. Wish it was in the safe. The gun store still hasn't called yet to tell me it has arrived! LOL!! Got a new barrel coming and technically don't even own it yet! LOL!! Yeah, I know, crazy right!

[scuzzy]

they can be made to look respectable.

http://i68.tinypic.com/21bmub.jpg

[Hersh5317]

FGMM loads are historically accurate. I, however, had an old Savage 10 that would only get MOA with it. The 180gr Remington Core-Lokt would consistently shoot .5-.6 MOA and was much less expensive. Try a few different loads, even the "cheap" stuff. This was with an unmodified rifle, and before the Accutrigger.

[WeldNFool]

I was checking out the factory stock and figured something could be done with it. Then I ended up back at Sharp Shooter Supply and was admiring their LPBR stock. Price, where I want to be. A quick email to Lisa this morning, an email back from Lisa this afternoon. Price is right, time frame....not 6 months, so SSS stock it is.

On that note. I have read several comments bashing SSS and after talking with Lisa yesterday for what must have been 45 minutes about all manner of things I'll be happy to buy a stock from them. It'll go well with the fluted bolt I bought! LOL!

I'll save all of my new takeoffs and probably piece together a beater rifle or do something.

[WeldNFool]

I have seen a lot that are using or highly recommend the FGMM. Definitely will be on my list and figured I'd buy some Privi trash or something to break in the barrel.

[Maztech89]

I will just say that I too read the horror stories of SSS but I gambled this spring and ordered a stock from them. Lisa was very quick to respond to all my emails and gave me a guesstimate lead time of 6 weeks. 4 weeks after order it shipped. So hopefully you luck out like I did and get a quick turnaround on a custom stock. I tried Stockade first and they told me minimum 6 months. Hell no im not paying up front 100% for something to take that long at a minimum.

Don't waste the money on a PTG bolt head. If your factory bolthead has a sloppy firing pin hole send it to Gretan and have it bushed.

[WeldNFool]

Just wanted to update this. Got my Shilen barrel from Northland, James over there was very helpful! No long wait for the barrel. 28", Stainless steel, 308", 1-10 bull barrel. Contacted a company about doing a themed paint job on the stock. Sadly, if he can do the stock the way I want I might never shoot this rifle when I get it completed! Time to get to work on the barrel and put a nice mirror finish on it.

[M9Powell]

Now its just my take, fun to me is a stock good caliber you don't see much of in guns. My long term is a 7.5 x 55 Swiss. Why? Readily availed dies, component's (Lapua Brass and others) and it shoots 308 bullets (likely 308 barrel with a 7.5 x 55 chamber). Works in nicely with powders I use for 06 and 308.

Someone that likes the cartridge with no old gun limitations that want to really stretch it out to its capability would like a gun like that. Probably sell nicely as its very stock, but different and few available other than the K31s (and limitation of iron sights)

There are other combos out there like that. That one just appeals to me for what I have and do.

I too am a huge fan of the 7.5X55 Swiss & have contemplated re-barreling my Savage 308. Unfortunately a 7.5 Swiss reamer won't clean out a 308 chamber. You left out one excellent reason for doing this. The issue Swiss ammo is the most accurate military load in the world bar none. The Swiss didn't make match grade or Sniper ammo because the std stuff is so good. A lot of Swiss shoot competitively & they all shoot the std GP11 ammo even in custom target rifles. The issue bullet is a VLD design. I also think a Savage short action can be made to work with this medium length rd.

[jpdown]

Order a Target Accutrigger Spring ($7.00;Gunshack) and replace the standard Accutrigger spring. You can then adjust the Accutrigger down to around 1.5 lbs without replacing the trigger.