.243 pistol Build

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

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

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

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.

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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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.

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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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.

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.