1st center fire bolt gun

Hi All,
New member, 1st time poster here.

Im just a regular guy with with a love for toys and doing things outdoors with friends and family.

Last yr was my first experience fishing for lingcods off the coast of La Push WA, I had a blast. This year my friend and I want to do more fishing for salmon and rock and we want to try hunting. Probably for rabbit, deer, coyote and maybe someday for elk and hogs. I've never tasted Elk but I heard it was delish, I want to try it so bad.

I have a few pistols, built several ARs and purchased my first 22lr this past year. It is a FVSR in a Boyd's stock (I did a walnut stain and installed the apache). This rifle is super accurate and so much fun to shoot.

Lately I've been doing research on a bolt action target/hunting rifle. I want to learn to long range precision shoot but I may try to hunt with it.

I just sold a M&P 9 and a 10/22 to free up some cash for this next purchase. I want to keep the rifle under 700, if less the better.

Here is what Ive been thinking.

1. Found a local guy selling a new 26" 308 varmint barrel that he took off a model 12FV for a hundred bucks. I could then try to find a used action to build around. I've been looking and best prices on used savages seem to be around 350.00.

2. Buy a 12 fv 26" in 308 for 419 at cabelas and build around that. This model doesn't have a detach mag but it looks like there are some options to convert.

3. Dicks 11vt 24" in 308 with scope for 550.00.

4. Cabellas in 10t in 308 for 599, I believe savage is offering a 75.00 rebate. Or I could buy this rifle is 6.5cm and buy the 26" 308 barrel locally to have the versatility of 6.5 cm and 308. Just not sure what else would be needed for the converaion.

Looking for insight, thanks!

Seafoo

I would probably go for option number 2. Not sure but its possible that savage will have a rebate on that, and cabelas usually has a sell on those at least once a year. So if you wait around a few months you might find it cheaper.

You get into sorting out what you are going to do to start with and how it might work.

26 inch Varmint Contour is a very heavy barrel for walk hunting. 26 inch's is a long tube. That is a sit and shoot Varmint setup.

You can hunt with it but it heavy to carry walk/stalk hunting and its slow to get on target. You would have to be fairly well braced for accuracy.

On the other hand its fine for target shooting and varmints that you are in one place even if you walk some to get there.


So add into the mix that if you want to swap barrels that's another $150 for tools. I did and am more than satisfied, I have moved barrels around 6 x now so for what I wanted its great, just have to factor that in as an expense.


I would want to know what the 26 inch tube mfg is and if its direct from a barrel maker or a gun smith did it from a blank (mfg will talk to you if there is a problem, gun smith you have to fine out who and if they will or won't)

If I was going to be target shooting with that setup I would go with a Bull and not a Varmint. And don't get me wrong, I am shooting a varmint on my test chassis now, also a lot cooler up here.

If you want to hunt the 10T is a better (not great but better) setup as its 24 inches. Not as great as a heavy hunter or pencil barrel but better than the 26 inch.

Target wise I would go with a bull. You pay the same price, just get a more rigid barrel though a Varmint contour is not bad.

The 308 is a better Elk and all around round than the 6.5. 6.5 is a good deer round and long distance.

So, flip it around, get the 10T in 308 for hunting and get a Bull 6.5 if you want.

Heavy brush or wide open spaces hunting? Or does it vary?

Fun to sort out.

Thx guys, great info and more to consider. I like the idea of 308 24" and 6.5 bull. 150 in tools? It's not like changing an AR barrel, I have the tools for that. If I had 308 and changed to 6.5 bull do I switch to a different mag as well? Anything else to change. Thx

duplicate

6.5 and .308 use same magazine and bolt head, etc.
Only issue is you need to understand HOW to change Savage barrels and understand head spacing. Not hard, though.

Sweet good to know, I love working on my firearms.

Id likely get a threaded 223 barrel too so that I could use my 556 suppressor. I have a ton of 223 ammo on hand as well.
I think I'm either going 10t or 11vt.

A lot of plus to the 10t , accu-stock and 5R rifling, BA extended bolt handle, and of course as the others accu trigger

Tools you need are an Action Wrench (preferred) and a barrel nut wrench. NSS has the best of those two. At least a go gauge for the caliber.
Again some do without it, I prefer it.

Miscl tools like a combo wrench in 3/4, hex - those may or may not be in your shop.

Torques wrench I use, mostly because I have it, not a have to, most do not from what I can gather.

Breaker bar helps for stubborn slotted nut but that should not be a problem if you do it.

The 10T is smooth nut so you have to get that off first, most are easy, some are very hard (applies to both smooth and slotted nuts)

Once the first nut is off the new one does not get put back on so hard nor glued.

NSS also has the nice stainless nuts (slotted of course)

I can't believe it, the 10T went out of stock yesterday online and they are sold out at the closest Cabelas which is an hour and 1/2 from me. Bummed

The 10T is back in stock but the 24" fcp sr can be had for 500.00 right now, 25.00 cheaper than the 10T. I'm unable to see either of these rifles in person. I may shoot suppressed in the future but I don't have a 308 can and don't plan on getting a stamp for one right now. For those that have experience any regrets of one over the other? Is it one of those can't go wrong with either rifle? Thx

They are both good rifles. They are essentially the same, one has a larger magazine. They are very inexpensive and nothing about either of them keeps a person from upgrading various parts as they see fit down the road. Also, Savage does not make certain Model 10 (or 11 or 12 or 16) of higher quality parts or materials than other model 10's. Like wise, all of their barrels are the same quality, etc. If there are any "hidden differences in quality" between Savage products of similar design, it is in their magazine systems. Basically, the "Axis style" detachable magazine and the more traditional "non Axis detachable magazine style" are decidedly different. Even then, the two are clearly different and easily recognized when personally inspecting them.

I have the 10 fcp-sr in 308. Paid more than 500 for it that's for sure! Bought it for the action. I shot about 100-150 rounds or so thru the factory barrel before replacing it along with other things. It's a nice shooting rifle, does good at 100 yards. Never stretched it's legs any further, just didn't feel like moving it down the firing line as it was just something until I got my parts gathered up. Overall, in it's stock form I like it. Great trigger, stock, barrel, shoots good. For a starter or something to work off of I'd recommend it. The 24" barrel is a tactical, fluted heavy barrel with a threaded end for a muzzle break.

I bought the fcp sr in 308 a couple of nights ago. For 500 including my ffl fee I didn't want to pass it up. Looking at a vortex hst for it.