Just got my new rig

Fenix.NZ

Fenix.NZ

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Hamiltron - City of the Future , New Zealand
i call it a rig to make it sound manly ,
really its a savage stevens 200 in .308 :D , just using it as a basher mainly, deer rifle etc. ( pics will come )

but its my FIRST bolt gun ... and i love it

but i know im not going to love it when i want to start shooting accurately at about 800+ meters, the light contour bbl wont cut it.

am i better to rebarrell the action.. or buy a better rifle for an accuracy rig ?

im not huge into the long range shooting, there are not many ranges around here, 6-800m is probably the most i can regularly shoot too, but i would like to shoot it well
 
Re-barrel!!!!!


As I keep preaching to people that think spending more money on a factory gun will yield better results, IT WON'T!

A top of the line Remington Sendero has just as much likelihood of being a sub .5 MOA gun as your Stevens.

The three "B's" of accuracy are

BARREL!!! Bullets and Bedding.

Investing in a top quality match barrel (with a proper installation!) will instantly transform that rifle into a match winning contender.

Mysticplayer uses Stevens actions for the basis for many of his match winning rifles. His Stevens-based rifles work better than factory guns costing twice as much.
 
well.. thats good.. the cost of rebarrelling is going to be less than buying a sendero here in nz.. less by about $700

i will definately need to find a new stock though, seriously, this stock is rubbush, hence why im using it for a basher.

i was going to get low grade optics but i may just invest in something nice if its going to be a keeper
 
The Stevens 200 barrel may shoot very well with good handloads. If you wanted a 308 I'd give it a try before you rebarrel it. Shoot it a bit and see.
 
A couple of things to consider...

1) a 308 barrel match barrel will last you WELL in excess of 5000 accurate rounds.

2) If your rifle isn't capable of being accurate, you will never know if the reason you were 5" off at 500M was because you failed to read a condition or if it was because your load was off or it was the gun. You can't learn to be a precision shooter with a field-grade barrel. I'm making an assumption here... you're in a precision shooting forum, so I gather you are in pursuit of a precision rifle.

3) Extreme accuracy is extremely satisfying!

There is nothing wrong with blowiing ammo in a factory barrel for fun, but it does nothing to make you a better shooter.

Above all, have fun!
 
Congrats on your new rifle. Bed the action in that stock. It really makes a difference. Great pillars, generous inletting. Your action is essentially balancing on the tops of those pillars.

Not exactly solid.

Once bedded, these stocks work just fine. Open the barrel channel so there is at least 1/8" gap between the barrel and stock. Rest the stock within a few inches of that barrel nut and it will be stiff enough to give excellent groups.

If using a bipod, epoxying an arrow shaft in the bottom will make an enormous difference. You can also epoxy some light plywood on the sides and voila, rock solid varminter forend.

I have extracted really good accuracy from a number of factory barreled savage and stevens. What they have never done is shoot well when hot.

Keep track of how warm the barrel is and where the shots go. If yours is like mine, it will shoot great for the first 3 rds then walk high right. Gets pretty funny how far off course you can get when the barrel is really hot.

Let it cool and it should be right in the group again.

For my 223, I kept a temp guage on the barrel and when it hit 40C, bye-bye. Keep it below that temp and it would shoot right around 1/2 min. way out there.

There is no reason that you can't find a handload that will make that barrel shoot very well at LR. You get 3rds of fun before taking a break - keep a cooler with cold water and a rag to rapidly cool the barrel handy.

Rebarreling is THE best way to get better and more consistent accuracy. Properly heat treated/stress relieved match barrels will maintain their accuracy even when they get really quite hot. Very hard on throats though.

There are some excellent barrel makers in Aus. Maadco come to mind. You may also be able to get export done through a maker like Shilen.

Lighten that trigger if you wish and have alot of fun.

Rebarreled and possibly restocked, your Stevens can shoot as well as some of the best big dollar precision rigs.

Tell us how your initial shooting goes.

Jerry
 
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