New Varmint Rifle Project

This is my first post on the forum so if this is in the wrong place, please be kind. My friend invited me to go prairie dog shooting with him next summer so I decided to get a varmint rifle. I talked to a couple of buddies and they recommended Savage varmint rifles. I sold a few things and picked up a new Savage 12FV and started work. I can say that I was pleasantly surprised at how simple the rifle seemed to be.

The best part of the story was that shortly after I told my dad I was going out west to shoot dogs he called me and told me to come by his house and get all his old gunsmith tools as he said he was "retiring from the shooting business". His eyes are pretty bad now so I understood. I went to his house three weekends in a row and brought home all his old carving tools, reloading equipment and about 1k rounds in .22-250 and .25-06. He also gave me his personal target rifles. One is a heavy barrel .22-250 with double set triggers on a Mauser 98 receiver with highly figured walnut stock that he built in the '60's. The other is a Rem Sendero he customized back in the '90's. Both shoot very well out to long ranges.

So I get back home and get organized to put together my own rifle trying to follow in Dad's footsteps just a little bit.

I have started the following blog to document my own Savage Rifle progress: http://lscraig1968.blogspot.com/

Thanks for looking.

Welcome to the forum! I'm relatively new here as well. Lots of great info on here from a nice bunch of people. I checked out your blogspot, good info and pics. Just wondering, which model scope base is that? Do you find that it interferes with loading the rifle at all? Thanks.

1ShotKing

1shotking:

Thanks for looking.

It is a weaver single rail. And yes it interferes with loading. I am either going to mill out the right side so I can load it easier or change the style to a contoured single rail style.

This is my first Savage Centerfire. I am still figuring out how I am going to customize it. I know that I really like the Accu-Trigger. It is really crispy. I can't wait to shoot it. I have been working on the thing for two months and haven't even fired it yet.

LSC

I have a Weaver Tactical picatinny rail on my Stevens 200 which has the internal mag like yours. The part # for that one is 99495. It is higher and also is machined to allow easier loading. It comes with Torx screws instead of slotted ones which also is a bonus in my opinion. Here's a picture, not the greatest but the best I have right now.

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/t...00/photo19.jpg

1ShotKing

I think that is the same base as I have. The base does not prevent loading, but it is not quite as free as I am used to with my other rifles. This rifle will most likely get loaded one at a time so it will probably not be an issue. I am going to put the glass on it this weekend and see how it shoot and loads etc. if I don't like the scope mount I may change it.

LSC

I have the same style mount on my 7mag (an EGW, my winchster has the weaver unit). It does make loading the wide body cases a bit of a PITA. Smaller cases like .30-06 aren't such a problem.

Put the glass on today and took it down to the local indoor range.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J...0/IMG_0962.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...2520target.jpg

The rifle shoots good in the range and I can't wait to stretch it out at the local 200 yd range.

How do you like that scope, thinking of getting one like it?

I like it. I like the parallax focus knob. I haven't tested it outside yet. been kind of busy with work etc. I am not sure if Tasco sells this particular scope any more or not. It was given to me by my dad as NIB never installed on a gun. Even though the scope is "new", the box is dated 1994 :). The set-up is pretty solid but it is heavier than it looks. Shoots really nice off the bench.