Travis Bickle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Upper Lower Middle Alberta
Well about 3 months ago I decided I wanted to get out of my primarily milsurp addiction and get a scoped precision rifle.
However, I wanted to build a set-up that wasn't going to destroy my bank account. I try to keep my shooting hobby to a very frugal limit.
So my requirements were:
1- The rifle had to be inexpensive.
2- The caliber had to be very inexpensive.
3- It had to be a bolt action.
4- It had to be very accurate.
I did much research on the topic.
Eventually after reading a lot of U.S. gun forums I settled on a Savage Stevens 200 in .223 Rem.
So I set out to find one in bare bones stock condition. I'm so damned cheap I even found a second hand brand new condition one vice paying retail.
Cost for the rifle with no optics $280.
I then wheeled and dealed a little and traded some old stuff I had kicking around for a used folding Harris bipod. Cost: $0
I then hit the EE for a used Bushnell Trophy 3 x 9-40 scope Cost: $80
Next the mount.
I picked up an EGW picatinny round back rail. Cost $30.00
The mount/rings I picked up in the states. Again, I got this item in a trade so total cost again: $0 However, I could have easily just bought two rings for about $40-$50.
Total cost to me: $390.00
I assembled the items to the rifle.
The result:
I took it out today to the bush. After driving off a track to my favourite less known spot. I paced out 100 meters. 140 steps with my stubby legs
I fired all shots from the prone using the bipod and nothing else.
Ammunition was old '82 bandolier Canadian surplus in average condition.
After a couple of wingers and the barrel heating up a little, the groupings started to dial in a bit.
The fit and finish of the rifle is great.
The trigger pull is very light.
The Stevens bolt is a little overcomplicated for my simple pragmatic tastes but the accuracy of the rifle more than overshadows this.
The action is very smooth and chambers rounds very easily.
However the single stack box magazine is a bit of a ##### to load. Especially with the optics on the rifle.
It's much easier to just chuck a loose cartridge into the breech and pick it up with the bolt one at a time.
The stock is not pretty, it's a hard durable polymer in a camo green. It's ugly, it's rugged and it works.
I shot 3 very impressive groups for such a cheap "out of the box" bare bones rifle.
Again all shots from 100 meters in the prone using the bipod.
Here is the first good 3 shot group aiming for dead center, the coin is a Canadian dime:
Another 3 shot aiming for the "8", again with a dime for reference:
This 5 round group was all 5 shots as fast as I could accurately shoot. I learned something important about my fundamental shooting abilities today, I actually shoot more accurately when I take less time to focus on my shots! Albeit I tend to apparently shoot high and left when I take less time lol:
In the end though, what I have found is that the Savage Stevens more than lived up to it's American reputation as being an incredibly accurate and extremely functional and reliable "out of the box" rifle for a very low cost.
I can only imagine what a trigger job, a heavy barrel and some quality, non surplus, or even hand loaded rounds could do, bedding the action or mounting some stupid expensive optics but again all that would defeat the purpose of my initial personal challenge of building the poor mans precision rifle.
All these factors has allowed me to personally rate this rifle as having incredible value for the price.
And all this considered has earned itself now the title of:
DISCOUNT SNIPER C1A1
Some more pics of the ugly little discount rifle that could
And just because this is CGN, a picture of my vintage minty Stevens 311A
12 ga which I use for BEAR DEFENSE when out in the deeper bush
Cheers!
However, I wanted to build a set-up that wasn't going to destroy my bank account. I try to keep my shooting hobby to a very frugal limit.
So my requirements were:
1- The rifle had to be inexpensive.
2- The caliber had to be very inexpensive.
3- It had to be a bolt action.
4- It had to be very accurate.
I did much research on the topic.
Eventually after reading a lot of U.S. gun forums I settled on a Savage Stevens 200 in .223 Rem.
So I set out to find one in bare bones stock condition. I'm so damned cheap I even found a second hand brand new condition one vice paying retail.
Cost for the rifle with no optics $280.
I then wheeled and dealed a little and traded some old stuff I had kicking around for a used folding Harris bipod. Cost: $0
I then hit the EE for a used Bushnell Trophy 3 x 9-40 scope Cost: $80
Next the mount.
I picked up an EGW picatinny round back rail. Cost $30.00
The mount/rings I picked up in the states. Again, I got this item in a trade so total cost again: $0 However, I could have easily just bought two rings for about $40-$50.
Total cost to me: $390.00
I assembled the items to the rifle.
The result:
I took it out today to the bush. After driving off a track to my favourite less known spot. I paced out 100 meters. 140 steps with my stubby legs
I fired all shots from the prone using the bipod and nothing else.
Ammunition was old '82 bandolier Canadian surplus in average condition.
After a couple of wingers and the barrel heating up a little, the groupings started to dial in a bit.
The fit and finish of the rifle is great.
The trigger pull is very light.
The Stevens bolt is a little overcomplicated for my simple pragmatic tastes but the accuracy of the rifle more than overshadows this.
The action is very smooth and chambers rounds very easily.
However the single stack box magazine is a bit of a ##### to load. Especially with the optics on the rifle.
It's much easier to just chuck a loose cartridge into the breech and pick it up with the bolt one at a time.
The stock is not pretty, it's a hard durable polymer in a camo green. It's ugly, it's rugged and it works.
I shot 3 very impressive groups for such a cheap "out of the box" bare bones rifle.
Again all shots from 100 meters in the prone using the bipod.
Here is the first good 3 shot group aiming for dead center, the coin is a Canadian dime:
Another 3 shot aiming for the "8", again with a dime for reference:
This 5 round group was all 5 shots as fast as I could accurately shoot. I learned something important about my fundamental shooting abilities today, I actually shoot more accurately when I take less time to focus on my shots!
Albeit I tend to apparently shoot high and left when I take less time lol:
In the end though, what I have found is that the Savage Stevens more than lived up to it's American reputation as being an incredibly accurate and extremely functional and reliable "out of the box" rifle for a very low cost.
I can only imagine what a trigger job, a heavy barrel and some quality, non surplus, or even hand loaded rounds could do, bedding the action or mounting some stupid expensive optics but again all that would defeat the purpose of my initial personal challenge of building the poor mans precision rifle.
All these factors has allowed me to personally rate this rifle as having incredible value for the price.
And all this considered has earned itself now the title of:
DISCOUNT SNIPER C1A1
Some more pics of the ugly little discount rifle that could
And just because this is CGN, a picture of my vintage minty Stevens 311A
12 ga which I use for BEAR DEFENSE when out in the deeper bush
Cheers!
