"Sleeper" precision rifle???

Hotwheels81 said:
Ya nobody seems to notice when a Savage or Stevens is exceptionally accurate, most are out of the box :chuckle:... After you tweak em a little ;) I had a thread going on a while back where I bought a stock Stevens 200 in .223 and detailed the work I had to do to get it to consistently group, think I stopped updating it around 3/4" 5 shot strings... A fun weekend project for sure.

If anybody wants a "sleeper" project like you described I have a ole full wood Spanish Mauser in .308 that still has the cleaning rod in the forestock that would fit your description to a "t"... No charge for the rust ;)



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I got a K98 in 7.62x51 as well. Shoots MOA.

I had a Stevens 200, 223 bought many years ago, Shooting cheap 45 grn JHP I was getting like 1.5" groups. So already pretty impressive.
 
Alleycat said:
I've had this idea in my head for a while and resisted posting for fear of sounding like an idiot but just can't take it anymore. I thought it would be fun to build a "sleeper" precision/hunting rifle. In my mind something that looks very plain Jane, perhaps even having an uncared for look but that shoots like heck. Not a rifle for formal competition but more for when you get together with the lads and shoot between 200 to 500 yards and some hunting where not a lot of walking is required, varmints, tree stand etc
The first thing that comes to mind would be a Stevens 200 with a medium heavy (insert quality barrel maker of your choice) barrel. Bedded, floated and a great trigger etc etc Caliber in my mind would be .260rem, .243AI for no particular reason and some good but not overbearing glass.

So what do you guys think? A stupid idea and a big waste of time? or Something that sounds like fun with an actual practical use?? Interested in hearing your opinions....:cheers:
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I'm a Mauser fan too.

I've shot in long range competitions quite a bit and people get to know that. Once I get to deer camp that comes with expectations. If I show up with a competition grade rifle it'll be about 2 minutes before I get tagged with a nick name like Rambo or something like that.

To dispel that sort of thing I show up at deer camp with an old K98 Isreali Mauser in 308 with a vintage Weaver 4x scope on it. In reality all looks aside I glass bedded the action and worked up a load that will hold 1.5 MOA at 200 yards.

I look like a humle bumble and it takes the pressure off. In all reality it's actually one of my favorite rifles. It has personality. It's prettier than the one pictured above though. (Not quite that sleepy.)

Plus I get to ride the guys who miss with their "newfangled gadgetry".

If I miss I can say hey... what a ya expect? It's a hundred years oooold.
 
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Mystic Precision said:
Savage Axis
Shilen SS Select Match prefit
Rifle basix or Timney trigger

Keep the orig plastic stock but bed and open up the barrel channel ALOT

Jerry
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Is there an advantage to a SS barrel?

Do you guys carry the rifle basix trigger? Or can someone point me in a direction that does?

Is the original plastic stock actually usable if you want real accuracy, or is that to keep the sleeper aspect of it?

Who sells a full-length rail for the axis?

As soon as I move my rifle needs some work......
 
I wanted the same thing something a different that performed but as I just hunt varmints and bench shoot went with a .223 for the cheaper cost of shooting and easy to find ammo.

All factory stocks on lower priced rifles leave something to be desired. I simply added some lead wieght to the hollow stock and filled it with expanding foam, also epoxied a metal rod in the front of the stock now it is really solid. The action and stock have metal pillars so the barrel stays free floating.

Not much better then showing off with little cloverleafs. :)
 
I prefer mat finish as opposed to polished blueing, also heard a few people having problems with marring of stainless finishes.

Randy
 
Suther said:
Is there an advantage to a SS barrel?

Do you guys carry the rifle basix trigger? Or can someone point me in a direction that does?

Is the original plastic stock actually usable if you want real accuracy, or is that to keep the sleeper aspect of it?

Who sells a full-length rail for the axis?

As soon as I move my rifle needs some work......
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Select match Shilen barrels are their top tier competition grade barrels

Can offer Rifle Basix and timney triggers

The factory stock can work. Just bed properly and open up the barrel channel alot

EGW carries the base... not sure if they can export.

Jerry
 
I three friends who each went with Stainless Steel rifles.

They decided on this as the finish resists corrosion in the field better then polished bluing.

However they also complained about visible scratches on the mat finish areas of the receiver and scope rings and partially on the barrel as well.

My choice has always been for mat finishes whether parkerized or sandblasted mat bluing.

Here is my latest mat finished rifle purchase,the comments were when I did a mini review on my Hog Hunter unboxing.

Loved the sleeper comment made in the other post, I consider my Savage to be like a rat car, nothing fancy here just tough and does what I want her to do no safe queen at all.






 
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:p


Plain old off the shelf Stevens 200 with a Bushnell x10 fixed target





Slight mod's to the stock like filling the forend with lead shot and epoxy, bedding it with JB weld after opening the barrel channel up a lot and stuffing in a RB trigger, fed a diet of CCI BR's and H4895 in IVI brass and capped with either the 69gr Sierra or 75gr Amax...


Note the blue marker, that was the only contact the action made with the stock from the factory...















Results? Meh... I shrunk groups by about 2" and increased it's consistency... It was a fun project.





 
what comes to mind is this...

m40.png
 
OP, you asked about sleeper rifles. This might also be about "sleeper" shooters... Old guy talking here, so take that into account. A sleeper rifle: Lee Enfield No. 4. Parker Hale (Sile) Supreme Stocks. Bedding as per DCRA. 7.62 barrel. Parker Hale rear and front aperture sights. Old looking guy at end of firing line. 600 yard bull targets. He is going to hand you your ass.....
 
Hotwheels and Randyhub you have a couple really nice rifles there. Pretty much what I was thinking of doing.
Unfortunately after buying a Sightron SIII off of Jerry and a Tikka Varmint off of the EE my sleeper has been slowed a little...lol
 
Potashminer said:
OP, you asked about sleeper rifles. This might also be about "sleeper" shooters... Old guy talking here, so take that into account. A sleeper rifle: Lee Enfield No. 4. Parker Hale (Sile) Supreme Stocks. Bedding as per DCRA. 7.62 barrel. Parker Hale rear and front aperture sights. Old looking guy at end of firing line. 600 yard bull targets. He is going to hand you your ass.....
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No doubt about that Potash. But I figure if I take my beating like a man some good advice on how to improve may follow. I've never shot beyond 300yrds and would really like to give it a try.
Oh and by the way...I'm not that young myself.
 
This would likely qualify as a sleeper. Stiller Predator action / # 2 Kreiger barrel chambered to 30 BR / set in an older Rem 700 BDL stock. 110gr Barnes TTSX leaves muzzle @ 3075 fps.

 
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