Well DP, D.ID and Jamie,

Seems you really didn't read my post all that carefully either.

I have a bunch of guns. Only two will reliably shoot 5-6" at 1000 yds. Both are Savages, both have Savage PTA's and all were assembled by me including finishing the stock,
pillar bedding and glass bedding the stock, mounting the scope. I started with a pre-fit Shilen barrel and graduated to buying my own reamers and paying a gunsmith to chamber the barrels I bought. If you choose to go the pre-fit way you can save yourself $250 or so for the gunsmith.
Strange you think 5-6" isn't much. I shoot club matches often at both 600 and 1000 yd and we shoot 5 shot groups with light gun and 10 shot groups with heavy gun. I shoot the same gun for light and heavy as most folks do. 5" is a common average aggregate group for heavy gun art 600 yd! At 1000 yd, 5" will get you a single target prize!
And, yes, I do get off on beating folks that shoot the $5000 guns with my home made Savage!

And, yes, the price I quoted above is for a realistic gun capable of consistent 5-6" groups at 1000 yds. It is what I paid for all the parts I built them with with $250 extra for my gunsmith to chamber my supplied barrel. You won't find many shooters at long range matches with scopes less than $1500 or so and a lot are using the new Night Force Comp. at $2300.