Custom .308 F-Class Rifle on Savage Action - Guide and Request for Input

[Maxyim]

Hey everyone!

I am building a custom rifle. Highly considering a Savage stainless target action for my starting point. I have done a LOT of research to date, and have trolled these boards quite a bit. I figure that I will go ahead and make a thread in the hopes of refining my plan and perhaps steering a few other lost souls in the right direction.

My profile - novice shooter, this will be my first long range rifle. I am limited to shooting up to 800 yards in my geographic area, however I do plan to build a setup that can push the .308 cartridge to its maximum limit. My short-term goal is to become proficient enough to place high in local prone competitions (this limits me to .308 caliber, as it is the choice of the local gun club), while also being able to do a bit of hunting. My long-term goal is a .338 or magnum-caliber rifle on a Surgeon action that can get me out to 1 mile + by the time that I am ready to compete on a national level - I am sure that this will be the subject of another thread down the road, wanted to make it clear that I do not expect to be a world-class champion with the .308 setup.

My tentative plan at this time for the .308 is as follows (general idea = heavy rifle, minimized harmonic vibrations, not worried about excess weight for hunting but should be no more than 22# with bipod and scope):


RIFLE

Savage Stainless Target Action, Small Port or your recommendation; will be blueprinted by Sharp Shooter Supply (see below). Interested if anyone really hates this action for any reason; all research shows that it is significantly tighter than Remington 700.
McMillan A-5 Stock w. Clamp Cheekpiece, Sniper Fill, 3 bolts; will be glass-bedded to action.
Barrel - looking at Brux, 20-24", as heavy as possible, not fluted, threaded, free-floated. Very interested in your recommendations for this component (which metal, twist and contour, longer length? another manufacturer entirely?). Brux order form is here.
Trigger - Evolution from Sharp Shooter Supply - my understanding is that they only install these on rifles that they have blueprinted; looks like they turned their phones off so I reached out to them already via e-mail. I am a patient man, but would be very appreciative if someone here knows one of the guys at SSS and can get me in direct contact with them.
Scope Mount / Rings - Honestly not sure, Badger?
Bottom Metal - gunsmith recommendation unless you guys have any input; the action is single-shot so I cannot have a DBM.


PERIPHERALS

Optic - IOR Valdada 3-18 x 42 X1 Snipers Hide edition!
Can / Muzzle Break - AWC Thor PSR (titanium, will be interchangeable with the extreme range setup that I will build down the road). I am rather unclear on how the can will impact harmonic vibrations; hence I am leaning towards a shorter barrel.
Bipod - Harris 9-13 S with notch leg.
Sling and Carry Case- open for suggestions! Will need to fly with the gun, so carry case should allow for that; what brands should I look at?
Ammo - will start with store-bought and move to reloading, seems like the general consensus is to get Lapua brass and reload it a LOT; I do understand that I will need to find a specific grain setup for the rifle as each is unique, where should I start?

Timetable - generous; my local gun club won't even let me shoot long-range until I take a course which has an 8 month waiting list, haha. Looking to accumulate all of these components gradually over the next few months.


So, what do you guys think??

 

[longguntoter]

Sounds like a lot of cash that I wish I had to spend on a long range rig! Really, sounds like your off to a hell of a start with that set up. Hope it works well for you.

 

[Sportin Wood]

Ditch the brux and get a Benchmark.

 

[Beyschaefer]

My only suggestion is that perhaps Kevin Rayhill at Stockade Gunstocks may be a better choice than Sharpshooters Supply. From what I've seen (and read about), the quality of the work is equally high, but the turn around is months faster. Some folks have trouble just getting their work TO SSS in eight months, let alone getting it BACK.
Sharpshooters Supply is nearly impossible to get a hold of...as you have noticed.

I have a VBull Precision bottom metal on my Savage, and like it very much, but I can't give a comparison to anyone elses bottom metal.... the VBull is the only one I've used.
Two thumbs up on the McMillan A5. Love mine.

Hope this helps!

 

[JWV]

So I take it your going for more of a Tactical/Fclass rig. If you are looking to have specialized Fclass FTR rifle then I would change several things. Anyway, the BRUX barrel is a top notch choice. Also, the Savage target action is an excellent choice. They don't really need blueprinting but if you want that Evolution trigger from SSS then you have to get it. Be prepared to wait a long time though. I you are looking to compete in Fclass I would suggest atleast a 24x max power if not a 32x on the top end. Don't do a brake unless you intend to be able to unscrew it before a match as they are against the rules. Finally, FTR has a weight limit of less than 22 lbs, I do believe it is closer to 18 pounds with bipod.

 

[rusty815]

If you're going to go through the trouble, just have Kevin Rayhill make you a custom build, his work is excellent and his turn around time is quick compared to others, and plus hes always available to talk on the phone. Stockade can make you a stock, bottom metal, true the action, do basically all the work except for installing the trigger, you can always go with the Rifle Basix SAV-2 or SSS Competition trigger since its going to be very difficult to get a hold of SSS.

 

[wadebrown]

You say you want to build an F-class gun and it is a 308 so I assume you are going to be competing in FT/R and not F-open, if this is the case you have a weight limit of around 18 pounds. My first question about which class you are going to shoot is really because you say you want it under 22 pounds, F-open, but include a bipod (FT/R and you chose a caliber that very few people find competitive in F-open. I do not want to start an argument yes you can reach 1,000 yards with a 308 but not nearly as consistently as you can with a whole bunch of other calibers, just go to state, regional or national match sometime. Another thing to keep in mind is there are no muzzle breaks or cans allowed in F-class competitions so the 338's of any flavor are real hard on you when you need to fire upwards of 100 rounds in a day and not flinch.

Are you planning on competing at mid-range (300 and 600 yards), longrange (800, 900 and 1,000 yards) or both? Most competitive F-class shooters with any caliber are running barrels from 28-32". The most common scope you will see on the line in a F-class match are Nightforce 12-42 SFP, FFP scopes are not needed as you have a target with known sized scoring rings.

When you mentioned being ready to compete at the national level I assume you meant F-class and if you really want to do that understand it is extremely competitive and to start off with a rig that has some design flaws in it will make it more competitive for you. I reccommend you find some matches close to you and maybe start shooting with what you have and learn more about the sport and the equipment more-seasoned folks are using.

 

[svons7]

You say you want to build an F-class gun and it is a 308 so I assume you are going to be competing in FT/R and not F-open, if this is the case you have a weight limit of around 18 pounds. My first question about which class you are going to shoot is really because you say you want it under 22 pounds, F-open, but include a bipod (FT/R and you chose a caliber that very few people find competitive in F-open. I do not want to start an argument yes you can reach 1,000 yards with a 308 but not nearly as consistently as you can with a whole bunch of other calibers, just go to state, regional or national match sometime. Another thing to keep in mind is there are no muzzle breaks or cans allowed in F-class competitions so the 338's of any flavor are real hard on you when you need to fire upwards of 100 rounds in a day and not flinch.

Are you planning on competing at mid-range (300 and 600 yards), longrange (800, 900 and 1,000 yards) or both? Most competitive F-class shooters with any caliber are running barrels from 28-32". The most common scope you will see on the line in a F-class match are Nightforce 12-42 SFP, FFP scopes are not needed as you have a target with known sized scoring rings.

When you mentioned being ready to compete at the national level I assume you meant F-class and if you really want to do that understand it is extremely competitive and to start off with a rig that has some design flaws in it will make it more competitive for you. I reccommend you find some matches close to you and maybe start shooting with what you have and learn more about the sport and the equipment more-seasoned folks are using.

well said wadebrown

 

[Jedi]

Well if your building a Tak rig then your in ball park
But for a dedicated F class rig your not even close

Action
IMHO you might as well go custom as spend $$ to blue print an action
Stock
Most F class guys run laminate stocks, thou fit is more important
Barrel
28-32 any of the big names will serve you well
Trigger
Any good 2 stage will work
Optic
nightforce 12-42 BR seems pert much standard thou lots of others work
DO NOT RUN FFP on a dedicated target rig

I could go on but you get idea, your original list is not even close to a dedicated f class rig
Suggest you do some research as to what is needed

 

[chakup]

If going to that extent I'd add a PTG bolt just because. And also highly second (well fifth or tenth now) ditching SSS and going with Rayhill. SSS does good work from all accounts- IF you can be extremely patient and get lucky.

 

[nhm16]

I have a F-Open gun built around a right-bolt, left-port Savage action that has the SSS Evolution trigger and their time-and-true (mandatory with that trigger). It took me over 9 months from the time I paid for the action (less their services) to when I had it in my had.

If you want an F/TR gun built around a Savage, I would buy the factory Savage Palma gun (which has a much nicer stock than the F/TR gun) and replace the factory 1:13 twist barrel set up for 155gr bullets with a nice 32" cut-rifled 1:10 or 1:11.25 twist barrel, in something like heavy Palma contour (might have to open the barrel channel) and throated appropriately; up to you whether you keep the barrel nut or go to a traditional shouldered barrel. It's already got pillars so you don't really need to skim bed it. Doing all that you will be out less than $2000 and have it a lot faster.

Top it off with a NF BR or the a Sightron SIII with 1/8moa clicks, Benchsource base, and Burris Signature Zee rings.

 

[ALEXANDER]

I say buy a stock Savage F/TR put a NightForce 12-42 NXS on it, learn to shoot the damn thing, sell the rifle, keep the scope for your custom build.

 

[surprise]

I say buy a stock Savage F/TR put a NightForce 12-42 NXS on it, learn to shoot the damn thing, sell the rifle, keep the scope for your custom build.

I like it!