Had been wanting to play with a savage for a while to see how the whole barrel swap thing worked, and since i have also been wanting a .223 bolt gun it only seemed right to try a .223 savage.

thanks to geargrinder for turning me onto this place and words of advice

the bulid
-started with a stevens 200 7mm-08 traded a scope for
-swapped out bolt face, shroud, and extractor for .223
***quick tip: put bolt in a clear plastic bag to take extractor apart to avoid detent ball shooting across the garage*** (got that from someone after my detent ball flew away)
-Mcgowen barrel .223, #7 contour, 1:7 twist, 20" length, recessed crown
-Sharp Shooter Supply recoil lug
-3 screw savage trigger (changed the spring and adjusted nicely)
-Bell & Carlson medalist stock, sanded down forend, floated tang, and installed flush cup sling swivel studs on left side
-center feed .223 mag box to go in the stock
-oversize oe savage bolt handle
-bolt lift kit from stockade gun stocks
-Weaver ffp mil/mil 3-15x50 scope mounted with weaver 20moa base and weaver 6 screw rings.

Ordered a wheeler barrel wrench and a .223 go gauge to get the headspace right. hardest part of the whole thing was getting the factory barrel off.

[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110730_113548.jpg[/img]

Loaded up 2 10 round strings ranging from 23-25.2 grains of varget in nosler brass behind a hornady 75gr bthp.
Loaded to 1.876" length at the bullet ogive. this jumps .001" to the lands on this barrel.
Also put together a few rounds with 24 gr of varget to play with and was impressed with the results.
100 yd 7 shot groups with the 24 gr loads
left is about as fast as i could load n shoot. right i waited a minute between shots.
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110723_192237.jpg[/img]

300yd 5 shots with same load
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110723_205953.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110723_185421.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110723_174421.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110730_113624.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110730_113706.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110730_113518.jpg[/img]
[img width=600 height=448]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110730_113608.jpg[/img]
[img width=336 height=450]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo94/fastbs/stevens%20200%20223/IMG_20110626_154839.jpg[/img]

Only parts i'm not happy with are the weaver rings and stock. They are working fine but the top ring half seems awful flimsy and should have also put a little more time in reshaping the stock fore end. Will replace the rings sometime. Not sure if i want to reshape the stock again or get something else

The ladder test results look like 24.5gr of varget may tighten this thing up a little more and i'll play with loading for it. I'm putting a chronograph on my birthday want list if anybody wants to get me one. ;D

For it's first range trip i feel like i've accomplished something. Pretty neat being able to rebarrel a rifle in my garage.