Chassis for my Savage 10, or a different rifle?

[broncoaz]

Most of my shooting is short barrel suppressed pistol caliber carbines and Glock pistols. I usually shoot for speed at minute of bad guy accuracy. I shoot at an indoor range a couple times a month and outdoors at least monthly.

I have been meaning to get more serious about precision shooting. I began by buying a left handed Remington 700 SPS-v .308 in 2013. I added a Choate short action tactical stock, Timney trigger, Badger 20MOA base and medium rings, and a Vortex Viper PST 6-24 scope. I purchased a decent spotting scope, an Atlas bipod, and a bunch of match ammo. I never took the time to get good with the 700, I’ve probably taken it out 5 times and shot no farther than 300 yards usually at around 1.5-2 MOA.

In 2015 I got into suppressors and have a Saker and Omega in .30 cal. In reading about the 1 in 12 twist of the Remington 700 not being as good for stabilizing heavy bullets for the suppressor, combined with finding one for a great price with rebate, in 2017 I purchased a Savage 10 FLCP-SR .308. I liked the 1 in 10 twist, threaded barrel, larger knob, and the Savage seemed pretty well reviewed at the time. I moved a couple years back and haven’t done much rifle shooting since due to work and life, the Savage remains unfired and without an optic mounted.

Life looks like it will be settling down enough for me to focus back on precision shooting. I started looking at options for a left handed chassis for my Savage rifle to replace the accustock. It seems like the MDT LSS-XL would be a good fit for my rifle and budget with the chassis and everything costing about $800. I started looking at other rifle options like the Savage BA Stealth LH that already come with a chassis. The BA Stealth is $960 online, so it seems like a better deal to get another rifle for $160 more than my current one. I’m assuming the blueprinted action would be better than my current rifle. I also saw a post on here about the Bergara B14 Series HMR in left hand for ~$1000, looks like I could reuse my Badger base from the 700. If Ruger made a left handed RPR that would likely be my go to.

The more I looked and read on here, the more it seems that 6.5 creed is a better way to go for caliber for long range (which some people I know do regularly). If I were purchasing a different rifle I could change caliber from .308 to 6.5 creed, but I’m not sure I’ll routinely be taking it past 300 yards so maybe the .308 or even .223 would be just fine. If I buy a different rifle I’ll probably sell both the Remington 700 and the Savage 10.

I have a gas gun in .308 as well, a left handed Stag 10 with a 16” ballistic advantage barrel, SLR adjustable gas block, etc with a Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10 scope in a Larue SPR-S mount. I have another Stag 10 builder set with a .308 bcg in the drawer for a future build, not sure what yet. I also have a CZ 452 American LH that I use for plinking at 100-200 yards.

I’m posting in the stupid questions forum because I probably sound like an idiot who doesn’t know what to blow money on. Here is how I see things playing out: I could mount the Vortex 6-24 on the current Savage 10 and just shoot it, I could do the same and add a chassis and shoot that, I could get my 700 threaded for the suppressor and shoot that, or I could start on a new platform with the Vortex 6-24 and shoot that. Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

No amount of "spending money" is going to make you a marksman, it might make the journey more enjoyable but you still have to put in the time to actually practice.

If you are looking to do it on a budget (you have already mentioned Savage and Vortex) then my advice would be to thread the barrel of your 700.

Rationale:
-threading the barrel is the most "budget friendly" of all your options. You can still sell your other stuff if you want but don't do used car salesman math to get a more desirable rifle.
-it won't be the best as stablizing the heavies but you don't need that at 300 yards.
-R700 has more support than Savage, you can upgrade as you grow OR have an easier time selling if you decide long range isn't your thing.
-you still get to use your suppressor

Maybe that's not what you wanted to hear but it's my opinion. It's not the rifle that's the weak link. Suppressors don't make your fundamentals better.

You need actual trigger time. You could shoot 300yds all day w a 223. You can do it with a fast twist .308.

If your purpose was to be talked into spending money then you are doing that wrong too. Stop pussyfooting around w Savage and Vortex. Get out the CC call Mile High and get yourself the following:
-AIAX 6.5cm
-Sphur Mount
-Tangent Theta Glass
-B&T Bipod

Then go drive that $$$ 300 yards and have fun! It will be fun!!

 

[broncoaz]

Agreed, more practice is needed to become proficient. By “suppressors don’t make your fundamentals better” do you mean that I need to learn to shoot the rifle better can or no can, or is there some negative aspect to running one? I certainly like the recoil mitigation with the suppressor on my AR-10.

Your suggestion and rationale to just thread the 700 makes perfect sense as it’s already basically set up well for a budget build. I would be asking the same question about chassis or a better rifle with the 700. I’ve never been satisfied with the Choate stock on the 700, the grip is huge and featureless making it difficult to get a decent hold on. I purchased it because it was left handed, inexpensive, and superior to the wet noodle that Remington called a stock that the rifle came with. The Magpul 700 Pro looks interesting because of the ambidextrous features. Resale on LH specific accessories is poor if I didn’t like it. Still, it’s ~$730 on a rifle I originally paid $500 for.

I like the term “used car salesman math”. Ultimately I could expand the budget to whatever I wanted if this were my primary interest, but I’m more interested in paying off my mortgage early than spending $10K on a precision rifle setup. I have reached that point where the safe is full so the idea of two out and one in is sounding good. If I sold both the rifles I had now and the vortex glass I would probably end up with $1800, add on the $730 I’m willing to spend for a chassis on my 700 and I would have $2500 for a new setup from scratch.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Agreed, more practice is needed to become proficient. By “suppressors don’t make your fundamentals better” do you mean that I need to learn to shoot the rifle better can or no can, or is there some negative aspect to running one? I certainly like the recoil mitigation with the suppressor on my AR-10.

Your suggestion and rationale to just thread the 700 makes perfect sense as it’s already basically set up well for a budget build. I would be asking the same question about chassis or a better rifle with the 700. I’ve never been satisfied with the Choate stock on the 700, the grip is huge and featureless making it difficult to get a decent hold on. I purchased it because it was left handed, inexpensive, and superior to the wet noodle that Remington called a stock that the rifle came with. The Magpul 700 Pro looks interesting because of the ambidextrous features. Resale on LH specific accessories is poor if I didn’t like it. Still, it’s ~$730 on a rifle I originally paid $500 for.

I like the term “used car salesman math”. Ultimately I could expand the budget to whatever I wanted if this were my primary interest, but I’m more interested in paying off my mortgage early than spending $10K on a precision rifle setup. I have reached that point where the safe is full so the idea of two out and one in is sounding good. If I sold both the rifles I had now and the vortex glass I would probably end up with $1800, add on the $730 I’m willing to spend for a chassis on my 700 and I would have $2500 for a new setup from scratch.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/left-hand-converted-krg-bravo.6940508/

Not going to win a fashion show but it's a good chassis. It's well below budget and if it sucks you can likely sell it for what you have into it.

 

[Steel head]

You could throw the savage in a chassis and get a decent pre fit barrel.
I ran something like that happily for quite a while.

This savage was a shooter that kept up with some far more expensive rifles and got me hits on steel to just under a mile.

 

[Lthrt]

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/left-hand-converted-krg-bravo.6940508/

Not going to win a fashion show but it's a good chassis. It's well below budget and if it sucks you can likely sell it for what you have into it.

What all needs done to convert a krg bravo to left hand?

 

[broncoaz]

What all needs done to convert a krg bravo to left hand?

It looks like it needs to be inlet for the bolt handle and the safety.

In response to DevilDocAZ, that left handed KRG Bravo isn’t selling, it’s sitting. I might buy it at sub $300. I haven’t decided on what I’ll do yet, but if I get a chassis for the 700 it will be the Magpul 700 Pro model. It’s ambidextrous, so a much larger market down the road if I were to sell it. I still like the looks and specs of the Bergara B14 HMR rifle, I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

It looks like it needs to be inlet for the bolt handle and the safety.

In response to DevilDocAZ, that left handed KRG Bravo isn’t selling, it’s sitting. I might buy it at sub $300. I haven’t decided on what I’ll do yet, but if I get a chassis for the 700 it will be the Magpul 700 Pro model. It’s ambidextrous, so a much larger market down the road if I were to sell it. I still like the looks and specs of the Bergara B14 HMR rifle, I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.

I think you are doing the right thing. Work it out in your head as best you can. It's free.

 

[broncoaz]

I ended up getting my 700 threaded and ordered the Magpul 700 pro in FDE. I handled the Bergara HMR and really like it, but I can’t find a LH model in stock anywhere. I think the plan will be to purchase the Bergara rifle in 6.5 later (or maybe I’ll have moved up to wanting something custom) but first better learn the basics while shooting up the ~600 rounds of .308 match ammo I already have first. I’ll post a picture after the stock comes in. I’m going to sell the Savage 10 FLCP-SR .308 as I really don’t have a use for it. The Magpul chassis should work on the Bergara action or something else later.