Which of 3 Savages to buy?

TargetNorth

TargetNorth

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Hi All

Please bear with me with these noob questions! I currently have a remmy 700 in .243 and am looking at switching to a savage. My 700 shoots just under 1" at best. I'm looking for something that will usually shoot inside .5" reliably. Here's my choices below, I'd like to know what you guys would recommend. Prices are approximate from what I've seen around online. I have a Falcon Meance 4-14 that I'm going to keep with whatever rifle I'll buy.

I keep leaning towards an aftermarket barrel from everything I read online, eg cleans easier, more accurate. However, when I read posts reading the 12BVSS where mulitple reviewers are getting sub .5 moa, and then the horror stories of bad aftermarket barrels, it's hard to make a decision. The old guys at my gun club (some are national competitors, very experienced guys) say "why would you want an aftermarket barrel? Factory Savages shoot more accurately then you can". That just adds to the fog of course.

1. Get a 12BVSS. Great out-of-the-box accuracy (sub .5moa), check out these two links.
http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/december_1999.htm
http://www.gunblast.com/Savage_12BVSS.htm
Also is SS, which is a plus. I shoot .243 right now so would have to switch to .223, but they are cheaper and just as accurate (seems to be anyway).
Savage $950
.223 Dies $50
Total $1000

2. Stevens 200 with a aftermarket barrel through Mystic Precision, and an aftermarket trigger. I would build a stock out of plywood or I have some beautiful black walnut ready to go, so I am not counting that into the cost. This would leave no box mag (something I would like, but don't need).
Stevens - $350
Barrel - $500
Trigger - $100
Total: $950

3. Savage 11FX Combo Rifle (scope included), with an aftermarket barrel through Mystic, and an aftermarket trigger. Again, would build a stock. This would be similar to #2 except has the box mag which I would like.
Savage $450
Barrel $500
Trigger $100
Total: $1050

I'm looking for a rifle to keep for 5 years at least and put a lot of rounds through, and get my skills up.

Thoughts and opinions welcome. Again, sorry for yet another "hI GUYS NEW TO THE SPORT WHATS BEST..." post.
 
What do you want to shoot? No gophers in the 'knife and no legal 'yote whacking. If it's just for punching paper then definately go with the Savage 12BVSS. I think that you'll have your best success with that rig rather than making a project out of a Stevens or Savage package rifle and ending up no further ahead (other than having a project to keep yourself out of mischief).
 
With your Savage/Stevens prices make sure you remember to minus the sale of your stock parts: new unfired barrel ~$125, trigger ~$40, plastic Stock ~$60

We shoots 100Y and 200Y benchrest matches here in Powell River and I can tell you it's not the factory barrels that consistently win.
 
Not sure which aftmarket barrels were used to cause so much grief but if you get a quality match type barrel, it will shoot. Remember there are some US aftermarket barrels that are made cheap, sold cheap and shoot like......

Shilen and McGowen have a solid track record of offering the performance you are after IF you load properly and setup the bedding properly. Of course, the skills of the shooter not withstanding.

The BVSS is one of my favorite stock styles from Savage so if it suits your fancy, go for it. Whether the barrel shoots or not is a guess. Savage does have a very good track record of producing great FACTORY barrels.

My experience with a bunch shows that 1/2 min at 200yds is definitely a possibility. consistent SUB 1/2 Min, well you would have to be pretty darn lucky.

Remember, What you are asking for is reliable, repeatable accuracy not a once in a blue moon hero group.

For that a quality barrel, properly bedded into a stable stock, decent trigger and good optics are the foundation. Then launching quality bullets in properly tuned ammo is what will get it done.

Jerry
 
Why wouldn't you just rebarrel your 700, prolly the best action to use short of the custom actions???? Call me practical!
 
if you have the skillz and the toolz to build a rifle than have at er. If not then you either have to find a builder to put your rig together or buy a factory or second hand custom. For your info Elwood epps sells the bvss for 789.10 THEY have no 223 in stock yet but they are expecting a shipment soon. I considered building a rifle from a savage lately. , but I came to the realization that I could not do it myself. Heres what I came up with for a price list.

action epps 650
action screws epps 20
rail 130 mystic

barrel mystic 500
stock boyds 128
gunsmithing ??????????????

It was getting to be more expensive, and I do not have the skill to do it nor ready access to a decent gunsmith either. So I TRaded a rifle for a 223 savage fvss. I ended up trading for savage 12 vss and ordered a boyds stock and action screws. This fit within my budget and my limited skillz. IF someone had a bvss I would have jumped at it and not buy the boyds stock.
 
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pac11 said:
With your Savage/Stevens prices make sure you remember to minus the sale of your stock parts: new unfired barrel ~$125, trigger ~$40, plastic Stock ~$60

We shoots 100Y and 200Y benchrest matches here in Powell River and I can tell you it's not the factory barrels that consistently win.
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LMAO. Where do you live, Fantasyland? Who in their right mind is going to pay you $100 for arguably the most maligned factory trigger and tupperware stock ever devised? Seriously.

I think you'd have a far easier time selling the barrel then anything else.

You haven't once said which M700 you are shooting. I think you're giving up a little too soon on it but who am I to say. Hey, if you want to sell it let me know. I'll gladly take that piece of s**t Remington off your hands providing that the money is right.

I say have a look at the Long Range Precision Varmint that Savage has in .223 Rem. Also consider the 6mmBR option as well. If I were considering buying a Savage it would likely be that model, however, the BVSS wouldn't be a bad choice at all. If you're going that route - act fast. The BVSS is no longer being offered according to Savage's web site.

Don't waste your money on a Stevens. Spending more money to build the equivalent of what you could have just bought from the factory to begin with doesn't make a great deal of sense.
 
Yes seriously. If you spend any time in the EE you know what stuff sells for. FYI the ~ key means about. If it makes you feel better how about 30 and 50. :jerkit:
 
Buy a 6mmBR barrel from Ian or Jerry and screw it onto your 700?
I like the 10FCP series and the LRPV series Savages.
 
Why would you get rid of the action off an $850 rifle and replace it with a $350 action??

Regardless of what barrel you use, you already have one of the safest, strongest, most commonly used actions used in precision shooting. The R-700 is the action on which most full-on customs are based! The top precision shooters in Canada use customized Remington rifles for a reason. Shop around for stocks, triggers, bases, bottom metal and any ther accessory you can name. I guarantee you will find it for a Remington.

I have a good supply of 6mm barrels, and any gunsmith will work on a Remington. There are precision gun builders that will not work on Savage.

Alternatively, order something from Jerry and have it mounted to you gun, but above all, have it done professionally and properly mated to your rifle.
 
pac11 said:
Yes seriously. If you spend any time in the EE you know what stuff sells for. FYI the ~ key means about. If it makes you feel better how about 30 and 50. :jerkit:
Click to expand...

Meh...I've owned both. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to take advantage of someone by selling that junk to them.
 
Hi Guys thanks for the replies!

BigUglyMan, actually there are coyotes up here, and I believe they aren't controlled at all as they aren't a native species... I've only seen them inside city limits though, so I would not be hunting them here. I have a bro-in-law in yote country Alberta though, and spend as much time as possible there. It'll be 95% paper though. I'm through Aklavik every year with work, good to hear there are shooters up there.

2bad4u, it's a Remington 700 BDL SPS DM, pencil barrel in plastic stock. I bedded it and adjusted the trigger, and otherwise it's stock. I thought a lot about rebarreling, but I like the idea of being able to do it myself. I work on my own cars, skidoos, everything I can. I build my own furniture. It often takes longer and isn't as good as new, but the process is most of the fun and I learn lots everytime. I would NOT be comfortable doing a remmy barrel myself, so that's why I'm thinking of going Savage. My remington will be on sale in the EE soon, as soon as I decide what to buy next. It's in good shape, with about 800 rounds through it. Oh, and in .243 win, with 2 mags. :)

Budweiser, why would you not go with the BVSS again? Did it live up to your expectations, or is the stevens just a better setup? (with aftermarket barrel of course). Are you thinking of selling your BVSS?

Mystic, I guess if I get a BVSS I can always put an aftermarket barrel on it afterwards also, if the barrel doesn't live up to my expectations.

Thanks for the comments,
Barry
 
Well.. I can tell ya the box mag is going to add complications if you're looking for an aftermarket stock. You'll have to do the inletting yourself as there isn't a replacement Savage stock out there that accommodates it. It seems Savages were traditionally blind mag'd guns, it's only recently the box mags and hinged floorplates came out.

I'd love to find a replacement stock for the flimsy plastic one that came on my 111FXCP3 Combo, but I'd hate to buy a $200+ stock, and then f*ck it up with my woodworking incompetence (and probably lack of proper tools) trying to get the detachable magazine in there.
 
TN, ooops, thought you wanted a bench rifle. Scrap the idea of the BVSS. Great stock for the bench, varminting and target shooting. Not so good as a 'hunting' stock.

For coyotes, the VLP is one of the nicest handling stocks for field work. Also comes with the very desireable det mag and accutrigger. both ideal for hunting.

The Hunting and tactical carbines will also be very nice set ups in a more compact format. I have seen some of these on sale for under $600.

Yes, you can change barrels and such in the future so that is not a big deal but you may as well get the basic parts that will stay. Or cost a mint to get in the future.

for field work and hunting, I use the accutrigger and det mag.

Jerry
 
TargetNorth said:
Hi Guys thanks for the replies!

BigUglyMan, actually there are coyotes up here, and I believe they aren't controlled at all as they aren't a native species... I've only seen them inside city limits though, so I would not be hunting them here. I have a bro-in-law in yote country Alberta though, and spend as much time as possible there. It'll be 95% paper though. I'm through Aklavik every year with work, good to hear there are shooters up there.
Click to expand...

Barry. I know they're there, dirty little buggers, but until they're in the regs we can't hunt 'em. I wonder if anyone down there is having much success with the traplines.

But I digress... I still say to go with the Savage. My guess is that you'll be happy with it.
 
a bit of a thread hijack. I have noticed in every thread everyone seems to be real focused on the equipment and mechanical accuracy. The difference between a super duper custom and a decent factory gun is about .5 moa.
which means 1.5 inches at 300 yards. A poor wind call could mean a miss of a foot at 300 yards. Seems like every thread is about the tools and not the skills.
 
TargetNorth said:
Hi Guys thanks for the replies!

BigUglyMan, actually there are coyotes up here, and I believe they aren't controlled at all as they aren't a native species... I've only seen them inside city limits though, so I would not be hunting them here. I have a bro-in-law in yote country Alberta though, and spend as much time as possible there. It'll be 95% paper though. I'm through Aklavik every year with work, good to hear there are shooters up there.

2bad4u, it's a Remington 700 BDL SPS DM, pencil barrel in plastic stock. I bedded it and adjusted the trigger, and otherwise it's stock. I thought a lot about rebarreling, but I like the idea of being able to do it myself. I work on my own cars, skidoos, everything I can. I build my own furniture. It often takes longer and isn't as good as new, but the process is most of the fun and I learn lots everytime. I would NOT be comfortable doing a remmy barrel myself, so that's why I'm thinking of going Savage. My remington will be on sale in the EE soon, as soon as I decide what to buy next. It's in good shape, with about 800 rounds through it. Oh, and in .243 win, with 2 mags. :)

Budweiser, why would you not go with the BVSS again? Did it live up to your expectations, or is the stevens just a better setup? (with aftermarket barrel of course). Are you thinking of selling your BVSS?

Mystic, I guess if I get a BVSS I can always put an aftermarket barrel on it afterwards also, if the barrel doesn't live up to my expectations.

Thanks for the comments,
Barry
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Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful rifle with a stock I like. Right off the bat, no it definitely did not live up to my expectations. It shot about 100MOA off to the right at 100 yards, yeah you read that right. Barrel from factory was Fubar'd, as can happen with any factory rifle. However, Savage customer service was great. It shoots well now, but still with a Savage factory barrel. For the money spent, and knowing what I know now, I would have just built a Stevens from the start.

IMO, For what I intend to use them for, I would never buy another factory rifle to try and use. You pay a lot up front for something that most likely does not shoot as well as a built rifle can. I would put my money into a good barrel and optics.
 
jasonburnsdundee said:
a bit of a thread hijack. I have noticed in every thread everyone seems to be real focused on the equipment and mechanical accuracy. The difference between a super duper custom and a decent factory gun is about .5 moa.
which means 1.5 inches at 300 yards. A poor wind call could mean a miss of a foot at 300 yards. Seems like every thread is about the tools and not the skills.
Click to expand...

A .223 slinging a 80grn VLD at 2950 does have 13" of drift at 300yards..............................in 20MPH wind. I'm still learning a lot but even I can tell the difference between no wind and 20mph... I hope anyway.

If you don't have the tools, you will never build the skills...
 
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