Info needed for first build..

Hey all been reading here for awhile getting info about building a rifle. Want to build a 6.5X284 Norma for long range hunting and target practice. Been keeping a eye out for a donor action, but I have ideas for the other features and parts I want to use which comes to my mains questions.

Should I order my barrel, stock and tools then when I find my donor action I am ready to go. Or should I get the action have it trued then build or not worry about it?

I want to stay on a relatively low budget for the first build to see how it goes.. I have found a used 116 .270 that would work for a donor but price seems high so I might search some more.. Whats a decent price for a used donor gun? stainless or blued doesn't matter to me really.

Thanks...

You should be able to pick up a used 110-111 for somewhere in the neighborhood of $300-400. Add $100 or so for a 116. Armslist is a good place to look, as well as 24hourcampfire and other websites that run outdoors classifieds. Try to get a donor that features centerfeed mags and accuTrigger if you can, and hold off on ordering the barrel until you have an action in hand. You wouldn't be the first guy to order a small shank barrel in advance and then find a smoking deal on a large shank action.....

Thanks well maybe the price of that 116 isn't to bad after all. Got a couple pawn shops to check out that I haven't been to in awhile.. Thanks for the help..

What HotOlds said, Id wait to get the action first. You could get your tools though, action wrench and barrel nut wrench. Those will work no matter the action(large/small shank).
Scooter

I built my 6mm BR Norma by buying a used, but new in box, never fired, Model 12 LRP. I immediately sold the new barrel and stock and got back all but about $300 bucks of my investment. In other words, I got a brand new action and trigger assembly for around three hundred bucks plus the effort of unscrewing a barrel. I suspect a used action would be just as good, especially if you can find an inexpensive donor gun with wear or damage that doesn't affect the action.

Then I bought a 6mm Shilen Match Select barrel and bedded the barreled action to an inexpensive Boyd's stock, which I prefer to my McMillan stock costing 6 times as much. I spotted an ad for a new-in-box scope which had never been mounted, so I saved about 450 bucks there. A pair of scope rings, and I was off to the races.

I now have a pretty nice gun on the cheap. It does well at 600 yd F class competition at our local level.

By the way, I'd forget about truing a Savage action or doing anything else, at least to start with. The floating bolt head makes it unnecessary to do much fiddling around with the bolt. Tossing a hundred and a half or more to a gunsmith for very little improvement (if any) doesn't seem worth it to me. Put that money toward a better scope.

Not sure what the beef with stagger feed is, all mine are SF and never have issues with feeding. Accu trigger is good but someof the older actions accept some tremendous aftermarket triggers too. The old 3 screw triggers (I have one) can really be set precise.

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Originally Posted by handirifle

Not sure what the beef with stagger feed is, all mine are SF and never have issues with feeding. Accu trigger is good but someof the older actions accept some tremendous aftermarket triggers too. The old 3 screw triggers (I have one) can really be set precise.

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I have three issues with stagger feed actions. 1) Savage no longer manufactures or sells them so if you require a different magazine when you switch chamberings you may have a difficult time locating parts. 2) centerfeed magazines allow for longer COAL. With today's long range bullets, magazine length is important. 3) Aftermarket stock availability - there are more options available for the centerfeed crowd.

Its not that the staggerfeed doesn't feed. But then again, try building a push-feed WSM or RUM on a stagger feed and report back.......

I have a few stagger feeds, but if I'm buying another rifle and I have a choice (and I do) I'll choose a centerfeed every time.

I insist on Center Feed and "Top Bolt Release"! :-)