I'm considering Savage as a low cost semi-custom precision rifle

I'm a do it yourself type of guy and the standard choice of a Remington 700 seems too expensive and requires a lot of specialized tooling to make a custom rifle.

I already spent pretty big money on a Criterion barrelled 6.5 Creedmoor LR308 type AR and now I want a companion bolt gun that is lighter and maybe more compact.

My idea of pretty big money is different from some, if I add it up, I spent less on my whole rifle with some nice glass than some people spend on a new large frame AR without glass.

Now I would like to spend as little as possible on a nice, accurate bolt action in 6.5 Creedmoor with a nice trigger, nice stock and nice glass.

It seems possible, especially if I can find a deal on a used Savage.

Any way, the results I have gotten with my home built LR308 style rifle are fantastic and I'm hoping to get similar in a lighter weight bolt action.

Welcome aboard

Get a trued Remington 700 and purchase a Remage Barrel.

Trued SS Rem Action


Or CS

Welcome from NE Michigan. Savage is the way to go!

Seems to me that you'll need to narrow down what you expect from the "precision rifle". If it's just pure accuracy, and 3/4 to 1/2 MOA is your goal, then you're going down the right path (if there is more or different requirements, you may be better off on another path). Be prepared to do A LOT of work (and have the tools and ability) to make it happen...

Look for a bargain in a Stevens 200 or Savage Model 10 action. Replace the trigger with something that will give you a consistent release (I think you can do well with the Rifle Basix and Fred from SSS has the competition trigger which can get you down to 12 oz). Find a good deal on a nice barrel (if you can swing it, I'd go Criterion - but you CAN find decent factory savage target barrels here). It is feasible to "build" an accurate stock from a Boyds (~ $110 + time and materials to pillar bed the action to the stock). Make sure you get the whole thing PERFECTLY square and concentric from back to front - ba-da-bing ba-da-bang... you'll have a real nice accurate semi-custom rifle. PS - don't forget that you'll need to build your own loads for this rifle if you want to get it to be closer to that 1/2 MOA target.

Keep in mind there are more options on the Savage path that make all this easier (less work), but then again, you'll need to adapt your "low dollar" criteria by a good bit. For example, one of my fav. stocks that'll give you a great platform for accuracy is the HS Precision stock. Hell... just go find a nice Model 12 target rifle and you've got what you need straight from the factory. One thing you MUST be willing to accept... all Savages have a heavy bolt-lift (some better than others, and you can work on that too to some extent - Fred at SSS can REALLY help with that).

Good luck and best wishes on your project - it's loads of fun getting there!

I'm hoping for a little better than 1/2 MOA, my AR seems to do that with factory ammo which just blows my mind.

After some research I am going to try the Savage Custom Shop to get a rifle with everything I want from Savage, then I'll start tinkering.

Welcome to the forum. If you go custom shop, go with the upgraded stock for sure and then go with a heavy profile barrel (varmint or police) those seem to be great shooters and yes you will have to hand load to get the best accuracy from it, but 1/2 MOA or a little better should be reasonable

Welcome

howdy

Here's a recipe which has worked for me. Get a Savage action. In the past I've purchased a new Target action but I also got one by buying a new Model 12 and selling the barrel and stock, recovering all but about $300 of the purchase price. The Accutrigger which comes with these actions is pretty darn good. Then contact Jim at Northland Shooters Supply and buy a suitable barrel which you can fit at home with the help of a "go" gauge, an inexpensive barrel nut wrench, and a home made barrel vise.

Bed the action into a suitable Boyd's stock; don't forget to install pillars too. I use Devon 10110 and I cut off brass pipe nipples for the pillars using a cheap bench-top drill press as my most exotic tool.

You should be able to put together an accurate rifle for less than $1000 not including glass.

For the best glass less than $1000 I've had good luck buying used scopes in that price range which originally cost between $1200 and $1500, often getting rings in the same deal. Check the various forums specializing in accurate shooting. Often the folks there sell used gear in good condition and you don't read many bad stories about being disappointed.

This kind of rig, assuming you can develop decent hand loads, will shoot well enough at 100 yards so that you can put a five dollar bill on a bench rest on a windless day and invite anyone to pick it up if your next 5-shot group is worse than 1/2 MOA. And if you select an inherently accurate caliber like a 6mm BR, you can use ten dollar bills. ;)

Welcome.

Bruce

Welcome!