.243 pistol Build

[hopdoggandgunman]

Building a .243 specialty pistol, Iowa Fox could you provide me with the savage action and Choate varmint stock part numbers for your .243 match pistol build, Please

[Iowa Fox]

Hello Hop. Sorry I'm a few days late.

I started with a Savage 18184 Target action in new the box

The stock is a Choate 24-06-03 Varmint 4.4 centerfeed. I purchased a second since I was going to saw it off anyhow.

the barrel is a Criterion 1-7.5 243 match Light varmint taper

If I could find another new in the box action for the price of the first one I would buy it.

if you have questions I'll do my best to answer them

[hopdoggandgunman]

Thank fox for your help, reading your posts over the last two or three years I value your opinion.

[Iowa Fox]

Thank you for your vote of confidence. I forgot to mention I used a Ross muzzle brake on it. My wife and I had a lot of fun planning and putting it together. It started as a hatched plan three years ago on a hill in Wyoming. Four of us, all very good friends were shooting long dogs ( 1100 yards plus) from a hill top in Wyoming at Wy-Shot using Specialty pistols. While 2 went out to confirm a hit, which is a long way, 3/4 mile, my friend and I had plenty of time to visit about builds we would start when we got home. I told him I was going to use a Savage Target Action as the platform to build from. He was going to use a XP action. Less than 3 weeks after I got home I found a brand new target action still in the box a fellow was selling before using it. From there it was order piece by piece weighing each one when they came in. I had to stay under 12LBs with the complete pistol so I could shoot hunter class at the MOA in Sundance. True to his word my friend built a rear grip xp chambered chambered in 28 Nosler setting in a McMillan stock, Burris 8-40 FFP moa reticle.

[hopdoggandgunman]

I started out building a 243 specialty target pistol, in the process I met a young guy at the range. The conversation turned to how expensive it was to buy firearms, shoot and reload, I assured him that a good collection don’t happen over night it take years of hard work selected buying and no vices. So my thoughts turned to how cheap could l build a specialty pistol. Cabela’s had a savage 12fv in 22-250 for $228.00 after military discount and $100.00 rebate, ordered a Choate blemish varmint stock for $133.00, EGW scope base for $39.94, total $400.94 not counting scope and rings I had on hand.


long story short, cut and crowned the barrel at 20 inches, loaded some 55gr V-max over 34.0 gr. of Varget, at the range i almost stepped on a snake, jumped over it twisted my right knee and fell down, resulting in a emergency room visit, I torn my quadriceps tendon-needing surgery and physical therapy. Don’t know how well the pistol shoots yet, my doctor say three month recovery time.

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[Iowa Fox]

Sorry to hear about your tumble hopdog. I'm wishing you a speedy and full recovery. I really enjoyed looking at the pics you posted of your build. Tell me a little more about the grip bottom, it looks very interesting. Also I don't see any oval holes in the side of the forarm. Did you fill them or has choate changed their stocks since I got mine? Thanks.

[hopdoggandgunman]

Thanks you, and thanks for your concern, I had knee surgery on the 7th of November I think this is the hardest thing I’ve been through, never been this immobile or incapacitated. My wife expressed some concerns about me being immobile, black friday and credit cards. A friend of mine install a Ross Schuler three port brake, I shaped the grip with a file and dremel tool and filled in the oval holds with J-B weld. Love those savages this is my 5th savage specialty pistol, put the TC encores in the back of the safe for a while.

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[Iowa Fox]

Thanks for the info hopdog. That really turned out nice for you. I've stared & stared at the stock where you filled the holes with JB and can't see them, you have a very nice job of filling them. Was the JB that good of a color match? Would you mind if I ask for exact details of how you filled them and got them to turn out so nice? Thanks and hope that knee is doing better every day for you.

[hopdoggandgunman]

Thank you, after taking off the sling swivels I filed a little off the rod they were attached to so the rod don’t stick out on either side of the hold, drilled a few small holds inside the oval hold and fill with J-B weld, lay the stock on it’s side in a way that the JB-weld rise above the hold but don’t run outside it. This leaves plenty of material to file and sand-down, JB- drys to a gray color and takes painting well.