Opinions on buying or building a target/varmint rifle

[tammons]

I have the itch to buy or build a target rifle.
I have owned plenty of savages before including a super accurate 6mmBR I wish I had kept.

At any rate, now I am thinking about building a target/hunting/varmint rifle, and this is what I am after.

Repeater (I think).
Stock rides the bags well.
Would like to be able to switch from single shot (target) to magazine with a stock change. I know I could just use a follower too and I may do that and stick with one stock.
But if I were to use an F-Class stock for target, I would swap that stock to hunt.

Accuracy in the 6mm BR range. My old setup shot a solid 1/4 moa.
Very low recoil round.
Setup to shoot free recoil target.
26" barrel and not a bull barrel.
Varmints and maybe an occasional hog or deer neck shot out to maybe 300 yards.
Target out to 600 yards.
Would seldom carry too far.

Thinking about a chassis system, but I have never used one.

Would you start with a complete target rifle or a complete varmint rifle or build from scratch ?

I do know that I will want to use an SSS target trigger.
I do know I will use an EGW base.
Not sure about which action, scope or the stock or any accuritizing of the action etc.

[Robinhood]

My experience is a good target stock is nothing like a hunting stock if you do any kind of walking or stalking. I would go for the LRP action if it were me. 243 or one of the other short action 6's or 6.5's ie... 47 or creed. SSS triggers are hard to find unless you are me. Can't wait to see the paint. If I remember correctly you did some nice work with the rattle can paint.

[tammons]

Yeah, I painted a few hunting stocks a few years back.

[Whynot]

I think that you are asking a little much from one gun. But on the chassis question- I have two (a MDT and a McRee) and I wouldn't take either one of them hunting- not very comfortable to carry around. Chassis are becoming very popular- especially in precision rifle matches- But I shoot better from a good "traditional" stock. But it is very nice to have a good magazine system built right into the chassis frame. Every time I try to get one system to do everything- I end up with something that does nothing great.

[tammons]

Yes, I understand.

If I were to use a target rifle for hunting, it would be more for just sit and wait over a large field with minimal walking.

My old 6mmBR I had set up was built on a standard short action, a Savage varmint gun, changed the bolt head, kept the Choate ultra varmint stock,
and added a machined recoil lug, SSS trigger and a Shilen 6mmBR barrel, and nightforce scope.

And it would shoot around 3/4" at 300 yards. That is similar to what I am talking about. I think it weighed about 11-12# or so with the scope.

Although heavy, it wasnt any heavier than the Factory 223 rifle, but I wouldnt want to haul it around for very long.
And the barrel was too long to use out of a box stand, but I have other rifles for that.

I do have a short action staggerfeed I could set up as something just for longer range hunting and then just buy or build a dedicated target rifle.

[psharon97]

I would want to see the Model 12 stocks and how they felt. If you like them, then I would start going that route. I am not familiar with these rifles, so I do not know if they have a magazine in them or not. The Savage Model 10 tactical rifles that use the MDT chassis do not ride bags well. I have a very similar setup and I wouldn't use it for the purpose that you're prescribing. Otherwise I would look at either another platform entirely, or a custom build on a Savage action.

[tammons]

Thanks everybody. I have a few Mausers I can hunt with and one is now a light caliber switch barrel - LOL.
Guess they are finally catching up.

At any rate, I have one M98 that I think I will convert to a 6.5x55 or 6.5 creedmor.
Or I might convert a Remington 700 to 6.5x_ whatever.

Then I will just use the Savage action I have to build a target rifle.