• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Savage Precision Action 6BR Build?

I started out to build an club competition target gun using a spare 700 Remington long action, and the .243 WSSM case. The objective was not to spend a lot on the gun. Gunamonth suggested here that I sit back and have a cool adult drink and think it over before going that route. I did, and more than once... So here is my rethink of the project for comments and suggestions just in case I had one too many!

I thought I would just buy a Savage factory gun in single shot 6BR. However the F Class has a 30 inch barrel and 1 in 8 twist and I'm interested in 100-300 yards, so that does not seem to make sense. They have a varmint gun with the same action in 6BR, but it still has a 26" barrel, and there is the question on barrel quality... However, the 1:12 twist seems about right for my purpose. Either gun here in Canada would likely price out at about $1,100.

So then after reading all the posts I could find here on the Savage action route, and in particular one by the moderator suggesing it was more effective to build rather than buy the factory gun, I'm now thinking that way. Not sure I really will beat the $1,100 pre-built for price though. Here is what I have come up with so far, along with a few questions:

1. Savage Action as shown here, but with the left port instead of the pictured right port.

Target-Actions_RBolt-RPort.jpg


I have a Savage rimfire with the AccuTrigger and really like it. The rimfire pull is rated at 2.5-6 lbs, but with some modifications I have it down to 12 oz, perfectly reliable with no creep. I suspect with the centerfire Target AccuTrigger rated from the factory down to 6 oz., I should not have trouble getting it even lower still. Also the left port idea seems handly.

2. For a barrel I was considering a Bartlein when on the Remington 700 build idea, but with the Savage barrel nut system, it seems much more sensible to go with a drop in? Have looked at the Nor-Pac testimonials, the Lothar Walther, and Shilen. At this point I'm leaning towards a select match grade Shilen 23" in a Savage bull barrel contour in 1:12" twist. Thoughts on that choice? The reason for leaning towards a Shilen is the option of different neck sizes which Nor-Pac does not seem to offer. 0.268?

3. For fitting, I gather with a headspace guage and lug wrench, I should be able to self assemble the barrel and action? I've seen it suggested that if you don't care about factory loads not chambering, you can used a full length resized cartridge to headspace the barrel to get a better fit? Or, a fired case? Thoughts on those options?

4. On the stock, I've seen it suggested that the Sharp Shooters Supply ones are good for the Savage action? At the Rimfire Central form, users of their stuff speak highly of them. Probably would go with the basic Varmint laminate style from them. Any other suggestions to consider?

Sorry for the long post, and I appreciate your taking the time to read it, and make any suggestions. This is a first time build for me, and need all the help I can get from those here that obviously have a ton of experience.

Ron
 
Shilen, Pac-Nor, Lothar-Walther, and McGowen all make pre-threaded & chambered,PTC) barrels that you can screw on your action with minimal fuss. As far as chambers... you get what you get, no fussing around over whether the freebore could be 10 or 20 thou longer, etc. Usually the chambers are cut according to the twist rate i.e. I would expect a fast twist barrel to have a longer throat to accomodate the longer VLD style bullets, and a slower twist barrel to be throated for shorter range 'point blank' bullets. Even so, it might be worthwhile to call the barrel manufacturer and confirm.

Barrel nut wrench, vise w/ padded jaws, and headspace gauges is all you really need to install the barrel yourself. If you can change an oil filter on your car, you can change the barrel on a Savage, IMO.

SSS makes good stocks... for the most part their laminate designs are copies of the fiberglass ones that Stockade used to make for them. McMillan also makes stocks for Savage, but the wait can be long. Then again, I waited 10 weeks for a Stockade Prairie Dog Special, and dang near that for a SSS Dog Tracker. If it ain't in stock, or you ask for a specific LOP, etc. nobody is 'fast' these days.

I would seriously recommend *not* screwing around with your new Target AccuTrigger to get a lower pull... they are a bit touchy @ 6 oz. the way they come from the factory, and I highly doubt you'll be able to tell the difference on paper between 6 and 4 or 6 and 2. Leave that part alone. I've seen more guns,of every kind) go kaput on the line due to trigger malfunctions because somebody couldn't leave well enough alone and had to have a 2 oz. trigger pull.

Good luck,

Monte
 
After a few evenings with Maker's Mark, I came to the same conclusion as you.

I have the Savage Target action,timed and trued by Moreo), SSS BR stock, and a Shilen barrel. Won't make weight in registered events, but has won at the local level multiple times,,, even over custom actioned guns.

I can get my trigger to 4oz, but any bang on the bolt and it won't fire.

If you talk with Shilen they can get the freebore where you want it.

After getting headspace where you want it, witness marks speed things up in the future.

I suggest staying away from Knob Creek "Neat" when making important decisions. I have found that it leads to bringing home Cooper's the next day. Much easier to get that kind of money past the wife when you do it a piece at a time.
 
Thanks for the comments. They are very helpful. I've been there and done that with the AccuTrigger locking up at the range. Fortunately they are quite easy to adjust back up to get you out of trouble. I found the breakthrough in getting them reliable was to stretch the sear spring to put more force on the sear. Once I got over that, then I found the spring on the AccuTrigger leaf had enough force in it to lock up the thing as well. I changed that out for one cut from a Bic lighter spring. See photo:

BladeSpring.jpg


You may be very well right that 6 oz, is quite good enough in any case.

On the barrels, I have noticed that all the Savage prefits offered by Shilen have a receiver end diameter of 1.060". Is that because of the retaining nut system used by Savage? In other words you can't go up to the more typical 1.230" or so allowed in the varmint class?

In the McMillan stocks which models will fit the Savage -- The Edge model?

I appreciate the help,

Ron
 
Just a thought to throw out there.. Gary Eliseo is now going to be making his B1 tube gun stock for the Savage single shot target actions.
 
What makes the Savage barrels "prefit" is the barrel nut. It requires the smaller diameter to thread onto. If you want to go to 1.250" diameter you need to mount it the same as with a Remington or custom action. One option to the 1.250" diameter is to use the 1.060" and just go longer with it. Makes a well-balanced set-up and shows a little gain in velocity. In reality, very little accuracy difference can be found between 10.5 and 13.5-lb. rifles.
 
I just did the very thing your talking about. All the barrels your talking about are good ones. If your worrying about head spacing then get a go and no go gage and do it yourself. Pacific tool and gage sells good ones. As far as the stock goes I called the Savage factory and bought the new laminated stock that comes on the new target action long range rifles. Fits like a glove and is an awesome stock. Good thing is I got it in less than a week. I bought a Rayhill stock last year for the new target action and it is far from a "drop in". A lot of folks that comment on the Accu-trigger are not familiar with them. It is true that they get a bit sensitive when you get around that 6oz pull weight. However the only thing that happens is that engages without firing. There really is no safety issue here at all just a little annoying. You can buy just the Savage Target action from a place called Northland shooting supply out of Minnesota. Shipped to an FFL for $419 bucks. Why buy a rifle and then not use the barrel or stock? Hopefully this helps.
 
before you go further with this excellent project, and before the Wild Turkey is gun, read Gun of the Week #75 for great advice and links.
 
bigstickpilot said:
before you go further with this excellent project, and before the Wild Turkey is gun, read Gun of the Week #75 for great advice and links.
Thanks for the suggestion. I had seen this one, which has been very helpful:

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek036.html

But, not the one you gave. He has some very interesting ideas for that gun which I will have to consider. Have bookmarked the article. For one I see he has used a Gaillard barrel, which is made in Saskatchewan, Canada, and was on my list for a barrel supplier. Not sure if he makes a chambered drop-in though. If anyone has thoughts on Gaillard barrels compared to the big name US ones I would appreciate them.

The most popular competitions here seem to be light and heavy varmint at 100, 200, and some 300 yard ranges. So my thoughts were to go for a gun that I could qualify as a light varmint, but try to compete in both. However that makes for quite a different gun than what he came up with for the F-Class. I have considered making my own stock as I have a pretty well equipped shop for woodworking. Have not done the math yet on weight, but thinking alternate laminations of sitca spruce and red cedar. Plywood, as he did would be much too heavy.

Have not got down to the fine numbers yet but for weight thinking 6 for barrel, 2 for action, and 1 1/4 for scope & mounts. That leaves me 2 1/4 for the stock. Anyone have a weight for the Savage Precision single shot action? My 2 lbs is a pure guess.

Ron
 
savageguy said:
Most savage prefit barrels are for the small shank and should be 1.055. The target action should be 1.120, and my target rifles are the heavy varmit contour 1.250 and I use a recoil lug and screw the barrels in without the nut like a remington. This takes the user ability to switch a barrel out in minutes away but adds alot of rigidity to the barrel. You can use a 1.250 barrel on either a small shank or large shank action if your not using the action nut, I have done both. Your question about the stock, you just have to specify you have the target action when you order. I currently have a mcmillin bruno and a stockage long range stock for these actions, it just has to be inletted for the three bolt action. To simplify my answers, yes you can use a 1.250 barrel and get a edge stock for these actions.
Hope this helps
Chris
Thanks, that helps me understand the situation a lot better. The attraction of the Savage action is to be able to install and change barrels myself, so probably would not go the route of a true fitted barrel. Since I'm currently aiming for a gun that will qualify as light varmint for weight, it probably is not a bad idea to lose a bit of barrel weight in any case.

Ron
 
ReedG said:
What makes the Savage barrels "prefit" is the barrel nut. It requires the smaller diameter to thread onto. If you want to go to 1.250" diameter you need to mount it the same as with a Remington or custom action. One option to the 1.250" diameter is to use the 1.060" and just go longer with it. Makes a well-balanced set-up and shows a little gain in velocity. In reality, very little accuracy difference can be found between 10.5 and 13.5-lb. rifles.
I've looked at this option, but unless I'm reading the rules wrong, I'm going to have to go to a bit shorter barrel to meet the muzzle diameter rule? The heavy varmint allowed tapper is from 1.250" at 5" to 0.900" at 29". My spreadsheet tells me the Shilen Savage Bull Barrel breaks through that allowed diameter profile at about 21", or diameter of 1.013". Are the rules typically enforced to the thou? or is there some tolerance? The problem is that the Savage bull barrel profile is almost cylindrical, and the heavy varmint has quite a taper.

The reason I would like a bit longer barrel as you suggest, is to squeeze a bit more free velocity, and possibly allow for a setback in future to correct for throat erosion.

Ron
 
I've just completed a build with the Target RBLP action and the Shilen 30" 6BR 1-8" Bull barrel, mine measures .990 at the muzzle. I bought a used LRPV stock off of the classifieds and have 875.00 total in mine. Used a piece of new brass to headspace with, pulled the accuracy load for the 107SMK/Varget and preceded to shoot 4 3-shot breakin groups in the 2's. Very boring, no neck turning, fire forming, sorting brass,in fact no brass prep at all!). Barrel cleanup was a snap, left the trigger the way it came, about 6oz. Probably the easiest and quickest build I've ever done for this level of accuracy....boring!
 
Who carries this action? I saw a few at a recent F-Class match here in NC and would like to build a 7MM-08 ack with one.

Thanks,
 
Gaillard barrels are very highly regarded here, but his website is not that good. Much easier to call him, I've heard he doesn't read email.
 
btrapr-

jerry's sportscenter is one big distributor that ussually has them in stock, have your ffl try there...
 
I was told by a gunsmith that the Savage Target Action would not make a good 100/200 yard Benchrest rifle. It would not be as good as a Custom Action.

I do not understand, because the barrel and chamber there in are the most important part.

Why would the action be a problem?

TS
 
I have 25BR with a Savage Target action and it'll shoot with my Hall or other $1100.00 actions.At 100-200yds..A good barrel/reamer/gunsmith are a must..
 
It may be more to do with the "smoothness" of the action. My savages out of the box will disturb the rifle in the bags too much to "run and gun" in a steady condition. Once they are worked over by Fred, though, they are as smooth as most customs.
There is also the lack, currently, of a 2oz trigger. The accutrigger will get down pretty low with some mods, but safety can be an issue i.e. slam fires and such.
The action itself is capable of outstanding accuracy, but its the little things that make the difference in a competitive shortrange bench gun...so I've read.
Mike
 
The differences between a Savage target action and a custom are small, but when added up are significant to the competition shooter. If you just want an accurate rifle the Savage is a good option. If you are in competition, it will come up short.
The action is heavy, and being so, it will limit you to shooting in the 13.5lb class. That's not such a bad thing, but most competitors will shoot in both 10.5 and 13.5 classes with the same rifle. The firing pin in a custom is precision machined to fit the bore in the bolt, and to be perfectly in the center. To get that in a Savage requires some more money to be spent. The firing pin can also contact the pin that holds the portion of the bolt with the lugs and extractor which can affect the blow delivered by the firing pin, causing errant shots. And, as has been mentioned before, the trigger only goes to 6oz.
None of these may sound like very big problems, that is until you put them all together, go to the range numerous times trying to get rid of fliers and shoot some consistent groups, that you realize that spending the money for a custom action would have been worth it.
 
Short range benchrest where you are talking hundreds or even thousands of an inch seperating the crowd. I would go with a custom action.

However F-class Savage Target action isn't a bad option. I would have the action smoothed and trued and also for ultimate accuracy I would have the barrel installed at the smith to true threads and get it as tight as possible.

That 1k F-class target is dam tough. The good thing about having the action priced at 1/2 the price is you have more money to make another target rifle:)

RHINOUT!
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
166,264
Messages
2,214,881
Members
79,496
Latest member
Bie
Back
Top