• Long Action 223 Build

    On my eleventh birthday, I received a Savage 110 in 270 Winchester as my first centerfire rifle. I received this rifle from a man unrelated to me, but was like a father to my dad and a grandfather to me. I got my first buck that year with it, on my father's birthday - only took me 4 shots to get one hit with all that buck fever.

    Fast forward through high school and college and a couple years working out of state...the rifle sat neglected in a case, a victim of teenage disinterest and non-use. After getting married and buying I house I got the 'ole 270 out, but could not get it to shoot any factory ammo or reloads better than 1.5" @ 100yd; a stock swap improved things marginally but it still wasn't performing to my satisfaction.

    Given the sentimental value a man's first rifle has, I decided to use the action to build a rifle that I would shoot on a regular basis. For me, that meant a 223 due to economy and lack of recoil...and the novelty of a long-action "tactical/practical" build in 223, simply because a Savage gives you such flexibility. The barrel was a used takeoff barrel I bought on Gunbroker, and I bought the stock used from a Savage Shooters member. After getting my components together, I assembled it in my basement and trips to the range have proven it a sub-0.5MOA shooter, putting 5 shots of 75gr HPBT into a 3-group average of 0.9" @ 200 yards.


    Rifle Specifications:
    Base Rifle: Savage 110 Long Action
    Magazine: CDI Precision LA/308 mag box DBM
    Bolt: Savage large bolt knob, extended baffle
    Trigger: Rifle Basix SAV-1
    Barrel: Savage 12FV 26" 1:9 twist take-off
    Chamber: .223 Remington
    Stock: McMillan A5
    Bipod: Harris
    Scope Mount: EGW 20 MOA
    Rings: Burris Xtreme Tactical 30mm Low
    Scope: Vortex Viper HS 5-15x44mm
    Reticle: Mil-Dot


    Preferred Load Data:
    Bullet: Hornady 75gr HPBT
    Powder: 24.0 grains Varget
    Primer: CCI 450
    Brass: Nosler
    Muzzle Velocity: 2860fps

    Additional Photos:







    Comments 10 Comments
    1. CharlieNC's Avatar
      CharlieNC -
      Very nice. It's great to restore and use something of sentimental value! I love pheasant hunting with the Browning side-by-side my Uncle gave me years ago. Any challenges mating the short action dbm up to the long action? How does it feed? I may be interested in doing a similar project.
    1. wbm's Avatar
      wbm -
      Great build....back in the day when Savage had some of their .223 models on long actions I had one....really shot well.

      How do you get the 223 cartridge to feed in the 308 magazine?
    1. BoilerUP's Avatar
      BoilerUP -
      I am using CDI's Savage long action/308 mag DBM that uses 308 AICS magazines, vs. their "traditional" long action DBM that uses 300WM magazines.

      I use AICS 223 magazines; they are polymer, hold 10 rounds, and fit any DBM that uses AICS-style 308 magazines.

    1. rrflyer's Avatar
      rrflyer -
      Congrats on a very nice rifle and a great write up!


      Well done!
    1. dwwalters's Avatar
      dwwalters -
      I like it, I am getting ready to start working on my first bolt gun which was a Savage Tactical 110 LA in 223. I have also neglected this rifle for years and am going to bring it back to life. Im thinking of shortning the barrel and adding a surefire muzzle brake to it and a new stock, cerokoting it desert tan.
    1. NotoriousAPP's Avatar
      NotoriousAPP -
      What did you have to do with your bolt to have it run .223? I have a 30-06 long action and I would like to convert it back and forth between .223 and 30-06.
    1. scope eye's Avatar
      scope eye -
      If you would have a part number, that would be helpful.

      Dean
    1. scope eye's Avatar
      scope eye -
      will this work? or this

      http://www.midwayusa.com/product/548...-223-remington
    1. scope eye's Avatar
      scope eye -
      SSS sells an adapter for the two different bolt heads. and may even have a bolt head.

      Dean