New build: advice needed

[ReRun]

I'm wanting to build a hunting/tactical rig and would like to hear some pros/cons from those who have gone this route. I have a full on tactical rig that's had quite a bit of work done to it but it's 14lbs and gets old really quickly when hunting. I thought about just buying a lightweight hunting rifle but would prefer to have something that works for precision shooting and hunting. Plus just not a fan of classic hunting rifles.

Here's what I'm wanting to end up with:
- 20 inch fluted barrel (for weight and I shoot max of 600 yards)
- manners elite hunter stock
- timney trigger
- must be capable of sub moa
- budget of $1500 for just the rifle (I have the glass)

So, given that I know what I want I can't figure out the best way to get there.

- option 1, take the action from my current savage and buy an aftermarket barrel, stock and trigger. It's an accutrigger short action with an internal mag that I will also want to convert to a dbm

- option 2, sell my current rifle and start off with a new factory rifle that already has a dbm, but the only thing I've found so far with a 20 inch fluted barrel in my price range is another savage.

- option 3, sell the rifle, buy just a receiver and build it from there. I'd like to have a little nicer action but from what I've seen they are nearly as much as a complete rifle and I don't shoot precision rifle a lot during the year.

Any experiences or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Dist. Expert 26]

I think your best bet would be to buy a top quality barrel (I'd recommend Bartlein), get the stock and trigger you want, then send it off to a reputable gunsmith (I recommend Longrifles Inc) to put everything together for you. That should come in right at your max budget.

[the_accuser]

Sell your gun and buy a Tikka T3 CTR in .308 or .260. There are a number of places selling them for just under $900.

[ReRun]

Yeah, I am thinking to get exactly what I want I'm going to have to build but I also have second thoughts on building on the savage action vs something a little smoother. I can do the gunsmithing work on it so I won't have to send it off.

Plus, do the manners stocks come with the bottom metal needed for the dbm? If not I'm going to have to buy that too which by that point I may be better off just buying a receiver that already has a mag.

I also thought about the ctr but it doesn't come with 20" a fluted option that I've found. I really want to get this thing under 9lbs fully loaded if possible.

[andersenvincent7]

I would start with a quality barrel and a good rigid stock or chassis system.

[ReRun]

Sell your gun and buy a Tikka T3 CTR in .308 or .260. There are a number of places selling them for just under $900.

So after much research I decided to go this route. I picked up a CTR that I'm going to put into a krg X-Ray chassis. The tikka seems great and I can recoup some costs by selling off the TRG mag and bottom metal.

All in all I'll be over my original budget but feel I have a much better quality gun now.

[fallenromeo]

how is the weight after all is said and done? Did you meet your 9lb mark?

[ReRun]

how is the weight after all is said and done? Did you meet your 9lb mark?

I'm in the process of ordering the parts but doing the math on their listed weights it's going to be right at 10lbs unloaded.

To get it any lighter I would have to start compromising features or going way up in price. It will be a few pounds lighter than my current setup and I think the balance will be better with the 20 inch barrel so that will make a big difference.

[majohnson]

Have you considered just buying a R700 5R. They are about as accurate as you can get in an off the shelf gun with out spending a lot more money. Then you can rebarrel or pick up an aftermarket stock as money allows. I have a 700 that I rebarreled to 6.5CM, had the action trued and put it in a McRee stock. It will shoot sub 1/2 moa even with factory Hornady ammo. The down side it weights 22lbs with a NF scope, but I wanted it that way since I always shoot off a bipod at the range.

With the amount of aftermarket parts that are made, you can build the gun you want all at one time or a piece at a time.

[the_accuser]

Which caliber did you end up buying? How do you like the rifle so far?

[Primus Pilum]

Rumor is the T3 will be coming out in 6.5CM next year. Sort of a game changer.

Tikka CTR with a Premo Barrel (Hawk hill, Barty, K&P) should be able to sneak around $2k. Sell the stock/dbm/mag and replace with a KRG Xray.

Howa also makes a decent barrelec action that would be leaps and bounds better than savage or Rem.

Were it me, I would buy one of the McM T3 with Fn TBM systems from MGW. Then source you a good barrel, a Win 70 short action and a 20MOA rail.

$400 for stock/dm (which is a steal) + $350 for barrel + $450 ish for pawn shop/GB model70 donor + $50 for OPS 2 Titanium 20MOA rail from MGW + $5-700 Gunsmithing/finish fees =

A killer rifle on the best factory action, trued up, in a very good stock you can do a KMW/LRI loggerhead down the road, a VERY good DBM system with a top of the line barrel finished to a good length (22" for 6.5CM hunting gun). Less than $2K for a legit custom that will run with ANYTHING out there. Can even use the stock Winny trigger as they clean up very nice.

[Tikkatac]

I would say the most important thing is trigger time. I think Equipment comes second.

[ReRun]

Which caliber did you end up buying? How do you like the rifle so far?

I ended up getting the .308 because I was already set up to reload for it and once I shoot the barrel out I can rebarrel into a 6.5. I dropped it into an X-ray chassis, topped it with a Burris xtrii and I'm very pleased so far.

It ended up being a little heavy so I'm ordering a manners eh1 which will bring the weight to right at 9.4lbs. Great mix of hunting/precision imho.