1st custom build - new .223 Axis - all comments & suggestions are appreciated

[PDX1953]

When I'm done with this project I don't think I'll be in the "pure as the driven snow" category anymore.

I have a few pistols & rifles I've improved by changing triggers, mag releases, & basic bolt-on or swap-out parts but I want to build something nobody else has. The driving force behind building a low cost custom .223 is that I have a physical disability that makes my muscles weaken just a little more each day. I contracted polio at age 6, recovered enough to lead a full life that included marriage, kids, dirt bikes, (I was bad at that sport) and I had a 37 year career with a Fortune 500 company. I was shown the door at age 56 along with a few hundred others in my age / years category so I took the buy-out, bought an ATV which I nearly killed myself on & decided to return to a safer hobby - guns.

I want a .223 that's as lightweight as possible. I already know I'll have the barrel shortened by at least 4" & am trying to figure out how to lighten it even more. 99% of the time it'll be used to shoot desert rats at max distances of 100 yds and they're usually even closer. If I want long shots I'll use my bull barreled 93r17 with the 6x32AO Vortex scope. I've thought about having the Axis barrel fluted starting somewhere near the barrel nut & tapering off into nothing about halfway down it's length. Since recoil from a .223 is minimal I don't need to add weight & am looking for suggestions to reduce the weight even more. Optics will be a BSA 3x12 Sweet 223 with Warne rings, probably on a rail. I also have a 1.5x5 red dot scope w/ a laser but doubt if it'll see much use.

I joined this forum to gather as much of your collective knowledge as possible. I've read all about filling molding voids & adding stiffeners to the forearm & will probably fill the voids but skip the steel rods. I'll get the lightest/strongest aluminum bi-pod I can find, change or tune the trigger & have the action timed / slicked up. I'll also use an adjustable Kydex cheek rest (like one of the other members made) but that's about it. If anybody ever makes a skeleton stock I'll buy one even if it'll only shave off a few ounces.

So, to all of you veteran Savage owners let me have it, good or bad.

Thanks!

[RkzShockwave]

PDX..think about skipping the bipod and using a shooting stick. Much lighter and easier to carry. What is your stock made of?

[PDX1953]

PDX..think about skipping the bipod and using a shooting stick. Much lighter and easier to carry. What is your stock made of?

I use the bi-pod because I shoot from a portable bench rest / table. Does someone make real short shooting sticks?

Stock is factory synthetic.

[daviscustom]

The further you go out toward the end of the forearm the more limber the stock is. I don't know if anyone has tried it, but it wouldn't be difficult to add a sling stud further back on the stock where it is more rigid. You may have to experiment with the balance point a little to be sure it doesn't become too muzzle heavy. That would make the stock less sensitive to resting on the fore-end.....so maybe you would get along better without the steel reinforcing. If you shorten the barrel it will change the balance point, and enable the bi-pod to be placed further back. It will shorten up the base you are resting the rifle on too, making less movement required on the butt end to change the point of aim.....you will need to decide if that would be a plus or a minus for you....it will be a little less stable but easier to move around while shooting.

[PDX1953]

The further you go out toward the end of the forearm the more limber the stock is. I don't know if anyone has tried it, but it wouldn't be difficult to add a sling stud further back on the stock where it is more rigid. You may have to experiment with the balance point a little to be sure it doesn't become too muzzle heavy. That would make the stock less sensitive to resting on the fore-end.....so maybe you would get along better without the steel reinforcing. If you shorten the barrel it will change the balance point, and enable the bi-pod to be placed further back. It will shorten up the base you are resting the rifle on too, making less movement required on the butt end to change the point of aim.....you will need to decide if that would be a plus or a minus for you....it will be a little less stable but easier to move around while shooting.

Thanks for the point about balance shift. I'd planned on installing a second sling stud for the bi-pod which will allow me to pan the across the field easier. I'll back it up with a chunk of aluminum epoxied in place and lock down the stud with a Ny-Lock nut. I had a Boyd's Tacticool stock on a 10/22 & it came with 2 studs & the stock is in the garage so I know where I'll find the extra stud. I considered building a custom mono-pod for the shoulder stock as well. Since the stock is hollow it may take a bit of engineering but that's half the fun.