Budget Builds - Savage 12FV vs. Remington 700 SPS Varmint

[IndianaRem5r]

In the last year, I have built two rifles from factory configurations. One in .243 from a Remington 700 SPS Varmint and the other from a .223 Savage 12FV. The Savage is the better base rifle for the money and I will tell you why.

In both cases, I junked the factory stocks. They actually went in a trash can and I did not attempt to sell either as not worth the hassle for the small dollars involved. Both factory stocks are awful, so that part is a wash. The Savage is now in a Bell and Carlson A2 Medalist with a DBM installed. The Remington is in an XLR Element with DBM. The XLR is a better stock than the Rem SPS deserves, BTW.

The base Savage 12FV is selling at Cabela's now for less than $400 out the door as it is on sale. I got it on sale with the rebate last summer for under $300 when all said and done. That was an incredible deal. The base Remington 700 SPS Varmint was about $550 from GrabaGun 2 months ago with no tax and free shipping. Already, the Savage has a big cost advantage.

Triggers
The stock Savage AccuTrigger is pretty good. I got it adjusted down to 1.5 lbs. and like it fine. I do not see any need to replace it.
The stock Remington X-Mark Pro is a train wreck. I got it down to about 2 lbs. by "cheating" and adjusting the second screw per a YouTube instructional video. It has inconsistent pull force and breaks poorly. It will get an aftermarket Timney 510 or Calvin Elite. I will have to spend an additional $100 or more to get a decent trigger for the SPS. Stock trigger goes in trash or on eBay. Update - I ordered a Timney Calvin Elite for $180 to replace the stock X-Mark Pro. I have one on another Rem 700 and they are awesome. But, I hate spending the dollars.

Bolts
The stock SPS bolt is very basic and blued. The bolt handle is typical Rem 700 and not very ergonomic.
The stock 12FV bolt is jeweled with a nice big bolt handle. It is quite good and easy to cycle. It is a pretty bolt that works very well.

Barrels
Both are 26". Both are 1/2 - 3/4 MOA once I got loads dialed in. The .243 will burn out after about 1,500 rounds and I will re-barrel in a high quality 6 or 6.5 Creedmoor (Bartlein, etc.). The Savage has the barrel nut system and can be swapped out in a home shop if desired. I'd recommend getting the Savage in .308 and eventually re-barrel to a 6 or 6.5mm on your own.

Conclusions
The Savage 12FV is the better option especially when cost is considered. Neither is available in the popular 6 or 6.5 Creedmoor calibers.

Photo is below of both. The Savage is in front. I welcome your questions.
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[JMGlasgow]

Most of your post is opinion. The Accutrigger will wear out, and trigger pull will change over time (been there, done that). You can do a Remage barrel on your SPS, so no advantage there. Chassis systems suck (my opinion, they're uncomfortable and ugly), there is a very limited aftermarket for Savage (been down that road), and bolt knobs aren't that expensive to swap out or have installed on a Remington. Ejector springs and extractors on Savages have been known to have issues, no so much on Remington. In fact I'm still waiting for replacement bolt parts from Sharp Shooter Supply because the ejector spring and extractor failed. I shot and was a huge fan of Savage early on, still have my first one in 308. Now I've switched to Remington actions and see that they are better overall.

 

[domdoc]

Yeah, I'm pretty much of a Savage fanboy, too. There's even more to the equation when you do get a .308 Win. That is, Savage has either a 24" or 26" barrel, with either an H-S Precision or a laminate stock, respectively. The "more to the equation" that I'm referring to is the twist rate and the chamber throat. With Remington, the twist rate is likely to be 1:12, which really limits the available bullet choices, and either of the Savages can be bought with a 1:10 twist barrel, and your choice of chrome moly or stainless. Furthermore, regarding the throat, the Savage will likely have a shorter throat, and a reloader can get the 155-class bullets close to the lands, and still have fairly long seating for 180-200 grain bullets, especially VLD's. The throat on the Remington tends to be extremely long, which prevents coming within 0.100" of the lands with the 155's. When you try to load the longer (heavier) bullets you run up against the problem of not spinning them fast enough. Winchester has the same issue with twist rate, but the throats are shorter, so the lighter bullets can at least be seated to the proper jump. When you order that after-market custom Savage prefit barrel, make sure you check which reamer throat they are cutting the chamber with, to make sure it will suit your intended usage.

 

[NewsShooter]

Most of your post is opinion. The Accutrigger will wear out, and trigger pull will change over time (been there, done that). You can do a Remage barrel on your SPS, so no advantage there. Chassis systems suck (my opinion, they're uncomfortable and ugly), there is a very limited aftermarket for Savage (been down that road), and bolt knobs aren't that expensive to swap out or have installed on a Remington. Ejector springs and extractors on Savages have been known to have issues, no so much on Remington. In fact I'm still waiting for replacement bolt parts from Sharp Shooter Supply because the ejector spring and extractor failed. I shot and was a huge fan of Savage early on, still have my first one in 308. Now I've switched to Remington actions and see that they are better overall.

I've got a savage that's over three years old and has about 2500 rounds through it. I haven't had an issue with ejector springs or extractors, and I wouldn't hold your breath getting them from SSS. And Remington have been know to have similar issues. I have a custom rifle now with a timney trigger and truthfully I like my savage target trigger better.

 

[Lionsbreath]

+1 Remington- Dig the XLR chassis, I have only stocks but would like to try an XLR.. Simple and beautiful

 

[JMGlasgow]

I've got a savage that's over three years old and has about 2500 rounds through it. I haven't had an issue with ejector springs or extractors, and I wouldn't hold your breath getting them from SSS. And Remington have been know to have similar issues. I have a custom rifle now with a timney trigger and truthfully I like my savage target trigger better.

And mine has well over 5k rounds through it with countless dry fires. You will have issues with the trigger and extraction/ejection with Savage.

That's disappointing to hear about SSS, they billed my card two days after I sent the order form. Guess I'll be firing off an email (they won't answer their phones), and it's been over 2 weeks since I was charged.

 

[fdkay]

There are pros and cons to both systems.
The remington offers superior "feel" to working the bolt (bolt lift).
I have had x mark and x mark pro triggers that were quite serviceable, I have had ones that were trash.
While the aftermarket options are available for the savage, the many changes in action screw spacing, placement of the bolt release etc... are an unnecessary bother.
KRG makes two different styles of bolt knobs for the remington that are very reasonably priced.
That being said, i prefer the way the savage bolt handle is attached.
Both tend to shoot very well, especially considering the numbers they both produce.
Try running your savage hard, operating the bolt very quickly. They tend to not feed as well as other systems.

Howa and Tikka both make better, out of the box rifles. Aftermarket support on both of those has a LONG way to go to catch up with the 700.
By the time you bought the savage, the new stock, inlet and purchase the bottom metal, you could have had a ruger precision rifle that comes with two excellent magazines and is available in 6mm, 6.5 CM and .308

 

[IndianaRem5r]

There are pros and cons to both systems.
The remington offers superior "feel" to working the bolt (bolt lift).
I have had x mark and x mark pro triggers that were quite serviceable, I have had ones that were trash.
While the aftermarket options are available for the savage, the many changes in action screw spacing, placement of the bolt release etc... are an unnecessary bother.
KRG makes two different styles of bolt knobs for the remington that are very reasonably priced.
That being said, i prefer the way the savage bolt handle is attached.
Both tend to shoot very well, especially considering the numbers they both produce.
Try running your savage hard, operating the bolt very quickly. They tend to not feed as well as other systems.

Howa and Tikka both make better, out of the box rifles. Aftermarket support on both of those has a LONG way to go to catch up with the 700.
By the time you bought the savage, the new stock, inlet and purchase the bottom metal, you could have had a ruger precision rifle that comes with two excellent magazines and is available in 6mm, 6.5 CM and .308

Yes, agreed, the RPR is a good deal and also with a threaded barrel. All that being said the B&C A2 stock is really nice and I prefer it (and the XLR) to the RPR chassis. The RPR buttstock especially is light duty. I would take my Savage build .223 over an RPR all day long. These are my build costs below. Much cheaper than an RPR in .223 and better, IMHO. Also, the KRG bolt knobs are f-ing plastic. That is not going to happen. I have run the Savage 12FV bolt hard in competition and it performed flawlessly.

Savage 12 FV - Cabela's - .223	$ 275.00
Bell & Carlson A2 Medalist at Stocky's	$ 300.00
Base - EGW 80300 for Savage	$ 55.00
CDI DBM + Magazines (2@10 rnd.)	$ 300.00
Total	$ 930.00