My builds on Savage actions

[Spudgun]

Built 4 savages over the past 10 years. Started with used guns, Mod 12, Axis, and then a Savage Custom Shop model 10 single shot. At this time the only thing that is Savage are the actions with the exception of one Model 12 that I use for factory F class.

My first, model 12, grey stock, 6.5 CM Brux barrel, Timney trigger
My second, Axis, red stock 6 CM, kriger barrel Timney trigger
My third Savage Custom shop build, 6mm BR, Palma stock.
Also a pic of my 6 CM at 1000 yds.

 

[ONE-TEN]

Excellent! I love your enthusiasm. Reminds me of my own.

Were you a member of S. Shooters? Different name? Same? I’m David. I was heavily involved on S.Shooters for a number of years.

 

[K9TXS]

All of those are really nice looking. Who makes the grey stock, it's nice looking?

 

[ONE-TEN]

All of those are really nice looking. Who makes the grey stock, it's nice looking?

I agree. That’s the Boyd’s “At-One” in Pepper Laminate. Very attractive, indeed! If I wasn’t such a fan of Aluminum Chassis, and preferred wood, THAT is precisely the Stock I would choose! And for under $250, it’s an incredible deal!

https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/product-configurator

 

[Creeker]

Tell us about that front rest.

 

[Spudgun]

Tell us about that front rest.

Thanks guys for you comments.

The front rest is a Caldwell adjustable yoke (or joystick) rest. I modified it and replaced the bags on the rest with Teflon pieces. Then I added a aluminum plate to the bottom of my forends. This keeps the gun level in the rest and allows me to slide the gun forward to get back on target. I did modify the Boyd's stock with a bag rider which is parallel to the front plate. This will keep me on target after I push the gun forward on the front and rear bag.

I am happy with the front rest but it could be smoother when adjusting the yoke, but I just could not bring myself to pay over $2k for a front rest.

Excellent! I love your enthusiasm. Reminds me of my own.

Were you a member of S. Shooters? Different name? Same? I’m David. I was heavily involved on S.Shooters for a number of years.

My name on the other forums was Spudgun, but my mommy calls me Larry

 

[Spudgun]

I agree. That’s the Boyd’s “At-One” in Pepper Laminate. Very attractive, indeed! If I wasn’t such a fan of Aluminum Chassis, and preferred wood, THAT is precisely the Stock I would choose! And for under $250, it’s an incredible deal!

https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/product-configurator

Yes they look good and are comfortable when using them. However, if you buy one I strongly suggest you bed and pillar them for your action. Get rid of the nylon inserts the use for the receiver actions. The nylon inserts will cause your receiver screws to change torque and eventually split the laminate.

My first stock did this and Boyd's customer service was very bad. They basically told me to go pound sand. So I pillared and bedded the stock and problem solved.

My second AT stock (red) I knew what I needed to do. My 3rd stock had a flaw in the finish and they again told me that was factory acceptable. (go pound sand again).

If they weren't looking so good and I could buy an equivalent stock for the price, I would have gone somewhere else.

Overall after I figured out what I needed to do to the stocks, I am happy, but there customer service sucks

 

[Creeker]

Thanks for the report on the rest.

 

[ONE-TEN]

Oh definitely! I’d pillar bed any wood stock I was going to use. Even then, the wood still creeps to some extent. No, I’m an Aluminum Chassis proponent. Love ‘em! Torque the Action down and nothing moves….EVER! No playing around with”tuning” torque specs or any nonsense. Torque both screws to 60in.lbs. & FUGETTABOUTIT! Also, I am one who prefers the look of a chassis as well. So it’s an easy choice.

Those Caldwell adjustable front rests are great! For about $165 base cost, it can’t be beat. Honestly, I’ve talked about this before. Some of the front rests cost $1000, $1400, even $1800+! Seriously?? It’s a friggen rest! They don’t do anything magical. Not for nothin’, but you could put a sand bag on a BOX, or a stack of BOOKS, and get very close to the same results. Just saying. I mean, $165 for a nice, heavy & adjustable front mount. Ok, that’s doable. But $1400 or more? Or really, even the others that are like $500 maybe? Even that is crazy. Oh yeah. And most of the expensive ones don’t include a bag! No, you’re supposed to spend another several hundred for one of those! Insanity!

 

[Alan]

Built 4 savages over the past 10 years. Started with used guns, Mod 12, Axis, and then a Savage Custom Shop model 10 single shot. At this time the only thing that is Savage are the actions with the exception of one Model 12 that I use for factory F class.

My first, model 12, grey stock, 6.5 CM Brux barrel, Timney trigger
My second, Axis, red stock 6 CM, kriger barrel Timney trigger
My third Savage Custom shop build, 6mm BR, Palma stock.
Also a pic of my 6 CM at 1000 yds.

The gray stock looks great. Something I'd get. How long do you usually complete a build?

 

[K80skeet]

Oh definitely! I’d pillar bed any wood stock I was going to use. Even then, the wood still creeps to some extent. No, I’m an Aluminum Chassis proponent. Love ‘em! Torque the Action down and nothing moves….EVER! No playing around with”tuning” torque specs or any nonsense. Torque both screws to 60in.lbs. & FUGETTABOUTIT! Also, I am one who prefers the look of a chassis as well. So it’s an easy choice.

Those Caldwell adjustable front rests are great! For about $165 base cost, it can’t be beat. Honestly, I’ve talked about this before. Some of the front rests cost $1000, $1400, even $1800+! Seriously?? It’s a friggen rest! They don’t do anything magical. Not for nothin’, but you could put a sand bag on a BOX, or a stack of BOOKS, and get very close to the same results. Just saying. I mean, $165 for a nice, heavy & adjustable front mount. Ok, that’s doable. But $1400 or more? Or really, even the others that are like $500 maybe? Even that is crazy. Oh yeah. And most of the expensive ones don’t include a bag! No, you’re supposed to spend another several hundred for one of those! Insanity!

I really like my Randolph Rests. They are fairly expensive around $1000.00 with the top. I believe they are worth every penny I spent. Good rests are loke good scopes. Usually, my scopes a twice the value of my rifles. I may sell or trade the rifle but I will own the scopes for a lifetime. Probably that why I own 12 Nightforce scopes.

 

[Spudgun]

The gray stock looks great. Something I'd get. How long do you usually complete a build?

It depends on what I do to it. My first thing is buy a used Savage model 12 in 6.5 Creedmoor for cheap. First find the node of the barrel and reload for it's best grouping. Next is to replace the stock, bed and piller the new one. Shoot it for awhile and if not happy replace the barrel. On my first model 12 I was buying prefit barrels from Wilson. Went through 2 or them then got a Brux barrel and had a friend chamber and thread it. I have been shooting that barrel now for 5 years. Bought a Savage Axis in .308, wanted to build a 6 Creedmoor, Restocked and re barreled with a Wilson barrel. After I shot out the barrel I asked my friend if he could rechamber and re thread the Wilson barrel. He did it in about 1 weeks time. Shot that out and my friend told me at one of your 1000 yd shooting days that he purchased a bunch of barrel blanks from another gunsmith. He gave me a Kriger barrel chambered in 6 Creed. $150 for the works. Still shooting that barrel and it is giving me 5" groups at 1000 yds. All in all it takes me about 3 months to make a build but I am shooting those guns during the build. Trying to improve as I go along.

My last build was a Savage model 12, 6.5 CM for F class factory 600yd IBS shooting. The only thing I did to that one was replace the poly stock with a wood stock. Then the next year the F class factory IBS match were canceled.
Just my luck. That gun will shoot 5" inch groups at 600 yds and 7" at 1000.

My last Savage was a Savage Custom shop build, in 6 BR. Criterion barrel.
Still working on the load data.

My biggest challenge with it, is Varget is the go to powder for 6 BR. However I have 24 LBS of H4350 under my bench. Well didn't want to pay $75.00 a pound for Varget so, I have been working with H4350. Getting close...

It is a fun sport but can be a deep and $$$ Rabbit hole, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for asking.

 

[ONE-TEN]

Well, I can say in all honesty, and without a shadow of any doubt, that a $1000 front rest would not improve my accuracy whatsoever! While it may improve one’s enjoyment, it does not improve accuracy or precision over any other solid platform.

It’s the same with a scope. A properly functioning scope that costs $1000, provides the same accuracy capability as on me costing $3000.

 

[Tacoma]

It depends on what I do to it. My first thing is buy a used Savage model 12 in 6.5 Creedmoor for cheap. First find the node of the barrel and reload for it's best grouping. Next is to replace the stock, bed and piller the new one. Shoot it for awhile and if not happy replace the barrel. On my first model 12 I was buying prefit barrels from Wilson. Went through 2 or them then got a Brux barrel and had a friend chamber and thread it. I have been shooting that barrel now for 5 years. Bought a Savage Axis in .308, wanted to build a 6 Creedmoor, Restocked and re barreled with a Wilson barrel. After I shot out the barrel I asked my friend if he could rechamber and re thread the Wilson barrel. He did it in about 1 weeks time. Shot that out and my friend told me at one of your 1000 yd shooting days that he purchased a bunch of barrel blanks from another gunsmith. He gave me a Kriger barrel chambered in 6 Creed. $150 for the works. Still shooting that barrel and it is giving me 5" groups at 1000 yds. All in all it takes me about 3 months to make a build but I am shooting those guns during the build. Trying to improve as I go along.

My last build was a Savage model 12, 6.5 CM for F class factory 600yd IBS shooting. The only thing I did to that one was replace the poly stock with a wood stock. Then the next year the F class factory IBS match were canceled.
Just my luck. That gun will shoot 5" inch groups at 600 yds and 7" at 1000.

My last Savage was a Savage Custom shop build, in 6 BR. Criterion barrel.
Still working on the load data.

My biggest challenge with it, is Varget is the go to powder for 6 BR. However I have 24 LBS of H4350 under my bench. Well didn't want to pay $75.00 a pound for Varget so, I have been working with H4350. Getting close...

It is a fun sport but can be a deep and $$$ Rabbit hole, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for asking.

Mid south has 8# cans of Varget on sale now with free shipping and no Hazmat fees. I'm tempted myself!