What would you do over in your first bolt gun build?

[Eurodriver]

Background: I have owned a Rem700 PSS. I started with a Bushnell 3200 10x42 and unfortunately got bit by the "modify everything" internet bug. I actually spent more time and money upgrading it than shooting it. New scope, trigger, bedded action, etc. then I sold it because...yep, I never shot it. I have professional marksmanship training and am no stranger to the fundamentals of shooting.

I have a limited budget and want to get into the 308 bolt gun world.

My requirements are as follows:

-At least a 10x scope that holds zero and has repeatable reliable adjustments
-<20" barrel Threaded 5/8x24*
-Decent trigger out of the box
-Decent stock out of the box

I'm not looking to win BR competitions with this, nor am I going to be in harms way with it. It will strictly be a range toy. I want a solid 1.5 MOA out to 600 yards. I will do my part. I have a budget of $1500 but I'd like to be less than $1250 as I do not reload and would need to buy quite a bit of match ammo.

* I prefer a threaded barrel because I have a 30cal suppressor and would like the ability to attach it assuming there is no serious accuracy loss because of it. It is not an absolute requirement, but is pretty close.

I have looked at the 16.5" and 20" Rem700s which can be had locally for $700 OTD. They bth have threaded barrels but I have reservations about the stock and trigger. Mainly, my 2009 era Rem700 had a garbage XMark trigger and I don't want to spend $250 on another Timney.

Thoughts? It's hard to spend any time searching these things because 99% of the info out there is "Buy the R700. Toss the stock and trigger. Send it to xxx and have him accurize it for $2000"

What have you learned in your pursuit of range fun? Drop all the knowledge you feel pertinent - I'm absorbing it like a sponge

[Steel head]

I'd do a XLR element instead of the Choat tactical, Element was introduced after I bult it.

[extractor23]

With that budget you have a lot of requirements. It may not be realistic at that price. It looks to me like you have already found probably your number one option in the 16.5 or 20" Remington. You have reservations about the stock and trigger. I don't know where you could jump to at your budget and get exactly what you want? Something with a fancier stock or better trigger is going to be more $$.

If i was going to build a budget gun today that i thought could outshoot me for awhile. I would get a savage and put a SWFA SS Fix 10x on top of it with quality rings. I would get some foam and 100mph tape and add to the stock until i got my desired cheek weld. I think that is a budget setup that will shoot extremely well for the price. I don't know if savage offers a threaded barrel. You have have to get some work done to get your suppressor on.

Have you considered the 6.5mm creedmore at all. I own 2 .308's and am about to get my custom gun rebarreled to 6.5mm creed. Lower recoil and better ballistics than the .308. I think we will see the .308 become like the .30-06 as the military moves towards the .300 win mag for their long range guys. It will always be around and be a work horse but i think its popularity will wane a lot in the next 5-10 years.

[markm]

The 6.5 Creedmore came up in another thread too. No one seemed to know about barrel life. I ask because the 6.5 284 is supposed to be a barrel burner... but it's a different animal than the creedmore.

As far as What would I do if I did it all over? Get the Timney right away, and get a Nightforce right away. Take it in the nuts right out of the gate, and do it right. I'd probably just buy the 5R SS 20" threaded, because you can keep the stock if you just get it skim bedded.

[mark5pt56]

With that budget, a Tikka CTR. In my opinion, unless you want a particular set up, the out of the box AI AT if you have the budget. I've done the basic 700's-also rammed my head into a brick wall before without knowing any better. Done one custom 700, it's gone. The one thing you really don't get back is labor, maybe limited if someone important built it. Another option is a FN PBR, PBR XP or TSR, step up a tad and get into the SPR series, all will be great for out of the box. I took the PBR XP and had GAP do a custom build. Future plans are a CTR, maybe with a XLR Element and a AI AT with different barrels. Do a search on the FN SPR line or if wanting a tad lighter stick, stock with the features--Tikka CTR-plenty of threads on the Tikka's on SnipersHide and elsewhere.
Just do yourself a favor-look at he features you want and write down numbers-do the math to add a trigger, bedding, possibly have it threaded --or fixed, upgrade the stock, bottom metal, etc. Now that $650-700 rem 700 isn't such a good deal.

[HD1911]

The 6.5 Creedmore came up in another thread too. No one seemed to know about barrel life. I ask because the 6.5 284 is supposed to be a barrel burner... but it's a different animal than the creedmore.

As far as What would I do if I did it all over? Get the Timney right away, and get a Nightforce right away. Take it in the nuts right out of the gate, and do it right. I'd probably just buy the 5R SS 20" threaded, because you can keep the stock if you just get it skim bedded.

3k - 3.5k is realistic... same goes for a .260 Rem and 6.5x47 Lapua.

The 6.5-284 will normally be around the 800 to 1200rnd range when she lets go... similiar to a .243 and .300 win mag.

Obviously, YMMV... as there are many Factors that come into play here.

[skimbleshanks]

Well I have a custom bolt gun headed my way from my gun smith soon and if I was to do it over honestly I would have saved money just a bit longer and got exactly what I wanted. Tried to do some stuff on the cheap and durring the wait I ended up just going for the McMillan stock and Jewell trigger and nightforce scope. So now I have bought 2 stocks and 2 triggers and 2 scopes for one gun. Would have been way ahead to have been more patient and got exactly what I wanted to begin with.

[Long Range Trigger Monkey]

Well I have a custom bolt gun headed my way from my gun smith soon and if I was to do it over honestly I would have saved money just a bit longer and got exactly what I wanted. Tried to do some stuff on the cheap and durring the wait I ended up just going for the McMillan stock and Jewell trigger and nightforce scope. So now I have bought 2 stocks and 2 triggers and 2 scopes for one gun. Would have been way ahead to have been more patient and got exactly what I wanted to begin with.

You know having those spares left over means that it will usually breed another build

[Eurodriver]

With that budget, a Tikka CTR. In my opinion, .... Do a search on the FN SPR line or if wanting a tad lighter stick, stock with the features--Tikka CTR-plenty of threads on the Tikka's on SnipersHide and elsewhere.
Just do yourself a favor-look at he features you want and write down numbers-do the math to add a trigger, bedding, possibly have it threaded --or fixed, upgrade the stock, bottom metal, etc. Now that $650-700 rem 700 isn't such a good deal.

I just looked into the Tikka CTR and it looks very nice. You'd never get that much of a rifle for only a couple hundred more than that $700 Rem700.

So the general consensus seems to be save and buy something good. I'm well aware that the optic is where I should be dropping most of my money, but it's getting into prime shooting weather here and I'd like to be able to go out and utilize it.

6.5 Creedmore? How much is that ammo? $50 for 20?

Let's try another question:

If you were building a platform to ping 10" steel plates at 600 yards for the least amount of money possible and you didn't have a reloading press - what would you build?

I've heard good things about the SWFA SS 10x also, but why a Savage over a Remington, extractor?

[markm]

I've heard good things about the SWFA SS 10x also,

That was my first scope. It was Ok.. but mine was Mil reticle with MOA turrets. Not sure if that's still the case. But once you run Nightforce Turrets, you really can't go back to anything else. They're just so much more mechanically solid than Tactical Elite, SWFA SS, etc.

but why a Savage over a Remington, extractor?

No reason I can think of.