First off, I am not a true Fan Boy and ended up choosing a Savage BA Stealth Evolution in 6.5 Creedmoor by default. You begin by weighing the possibilities, your intentions, and then assess $ pain threshold. Exactly what I did, and a 6.5 C BA Stealth Evolution was the result, a choice made for a few reasons other than just dollars. The accurate floating/easy to swap bolt-head, and the easy barrel swap both come in handy to add 6.5 PRC capability (in the near future, it’s still to new). With the Creedmoor bolt head, going to a 308 is just a barrel swap.
Savage generally makes it easy to have one platform and several calibers or purposes for it. $200-300 gets you a light weight 308 shorty for the 168s or heavies for hunting. A little more dinero gets you a 6.5 PRC for some ELR fun on a budget; or maybe a screaming fast laser varmint smoker of whatever flavor you like. Yes you still need tools, but a Savage is some easy ‘no smith’ barrel switching, well after the first time anyways. To me the Savage/Drake/MDT Evolution is really the start of a modular BA rifle system. Besides the Savage BA SE giving an upgrade path and modularity, you’re in the PRS game for peanuts.
Why start with 6.5 Creedmoor? Mostly just wanted to try it out, and hey it’s a Savage, if it wasn’t all that, then a factory ‘take off’ 308 is a phone call away. Or maybe try a 6mm or 22 Creedmoor.
I know the BA SE is not the best deal. In 6.5 C both the RPR and basic BA were cheaper, but it is still a pretty good deal. Now why pick the Stealth Evolution over the GRS, or the Ashbury? Even though they aren’t chassis couldn’t they work as a modular rifle system too? Maybe, both are tempting in their own right. They can't be made to fold though, and I always intended this platform to fold eventually.
Without a custom budget, factory or semi custom rifles are the only ticket to the PRS game. Though the MDT/Drake chassis with its removable NV Bridge is right up there, it was the Evolution’s receiver that was at the very top of the plus side of the Pro/Con list for factory choices to use as a semi-custom. Savages generally have relatively accurate receivers/bolts from the factory, but the Evolution's is built more like Savage’s target receiver. For all I know it may even be one just ported for AICS magazines to make it a repeater.
What are the Cons? To be real clear, I am very happy with ours. Or more accurately, I am very happy now...
Though I am 6'1" and 210 lb.s apparently my head is too small, because even with only a 44 mm scope and medium rings I was practically using a jaw weld with the Magpul PRS topped out. I tried adding a 5/8” pad and still couldn’t quite make it work. To be completely honest it was a foreseen problem, because the LR scope picked to be first at bat was going to be a Sightron 10x50x60. Also the grip was uncomfortable for me due to an injury. The accu-trigger seemed to continually degrade once it was adjusted to ‘light enough’. So it seemed that soon ‘not to happy’ turned into very frustrated, and definitely unhappy. Clearly the Evolution needed to evolve…
The Evolution Solution:
So how did it turn out?
See for yourself. Because work has been so crazy, the last day I got to shoot it was a few weeks ago, and though I only shot 3 groups with it (it was the 4th, lots to do, and lots to shoot), and the time before that was back on Memorial Day, I think I still did alright. I pulled or pushed one in each of the first two groups. It seems the rifle is grouping very well everybody is ‘lights out’ with it now. So the next time out I'll zero it at 34 yards to get a 5 inch kill zone MPBR (+-2.5”) with Hornady’s 143 grain Precision Hunter. Max height (2.5”) should be around 130+ yards with a far zero of 225. At 270 yards it will still only be 3 inches low, and very easy to dope in my head to 600 yards.
Bottom Line?
When we finally buy a 338 Lapua, I am pretty sure we'll be looking for a good deal on a Savage BA Stealth Evolution to use for the magnum cases, and then I will probably "evolve" it much the same way; then add a 300 PRC swap barrel, and maybe something in 358 or 375 or…
Savage generally makes it easy to have one platform and several calibers or purposes for it. $200-300 gets you a light weight 308 shorty for the 168s or heavies for hunting. A little more dinero gets you a 6.5 PRC for some ELR fun on a budget; or maybe a screaming fast laser varmint smoker of whatever flavor you like. Yes you still need tools, but a Savage is some easy ‘no smith’ barrel switching, well after the first time anyways. To me the Savage/Drake/MDT Evolution is really the start of a modular BA rifle system. Besides the Savage BA SE giving an upgrade path and modularity, you’re in the PRS game for peanuts.
Why start with 6.5 Creedmoor? Mostly just wanted to try it out, and hey it’s a Savage, if it wasn’t all that, then a factory ‘take off’ 308 is a phone call away. Or maybe try a 6mm or 22 Creedmoor.
I know the BA SE is not the best deal. In 6.5 C both the RPR and basic BA were cheaper, but it is still a pretty good deal. Now why pick the Stealth Evolution over the GRS, or the Ashbury? Even though they aren’t chassis couldn’t they work as a modular rifle system too? Maybe, both are tempting in their own right. They can't be made to fold though, and I always intended this platform to fold eventually.
Without a custom budget, factory or semi custom rifles are the only ticket to the PRS game. Though the MDT/Drake chassis with its removable NV Bridge is right up there, it was the Evolution’s receiver that was at the very top of the plus side of the Pro/Con list for factory choices to use as a semi-custom. Savages generally have relatively accurate receivers/bolts from the factory, but the Evolution's is built more like Savage’s target receiver. For all I know it may even be one just ported for AICS magazines to make it a repeater.
What are the Cons? To be real clear, I am very happy with ours. Or more accurately, I am very happy now...
Though I am 6'1" and 210 lb.s apparently my head is too small, because even with only a 44 mm scope and medium rings I was practically using a jaw weld with the Magpul PRS topped out. I tried adding a 5/8” pad and still couldn’t quite make it work. To be completely honest it was a foreseen problem, because the LR scope picked to be first at bat was going to be a Sightron 10x50x60. Also the grip was uncomfortable for me due to an injury. The accu-trigger seemed to continually degrade once it was adjusted to ‘light enough’. So it seemed that soon ‘not to happy’ turned into very frustrated, and definitely unhappy. Clearly the Evolution needed to evolve…
The Evolution Solution:
- Lost the Night Vision Bridge. Next, dumped the Evolution's native MDT/Drake rail. Then installed a set of (Medium) Hardcore/Extreme's Force Recon Tactical Rings mounted on their True Level 20 MOA pic rail. That allowed the Sightron to wear medium rings and clear the barrel.
- Swapped the PRS stock for MDT's Skeleton Rifle Stock in the short version to allow the addition of their folding adapter and still keep the LOP range correct. The stock with folder is real game changer, and there is little I would change at all if I could, and it was worth every penny and it fits great in any shooting position.
- Swapped the grip out for the more vertical Royal Arms and it is GTG for my hand/wrist.
- Never a real fan of the Accu-Trigger conceptually; I had heard so many good reports I held out hope it would be great. In truth it wasn't really very bad, until the pull weight was light enough. Then it would randomly disengage from the sear, and it occurred ever more often. That finally got me so frustrated that I swapped it out for a Rifle Basix SAV-2. Also a super good choice BTW.
So how did it turn out?
See for yourself. Because work has been so crazy, the last day I got to shoot it was a few weeks ago, and though I only shot 3 groups with it (it was the 4th, lots to do, and lots to shoot), and the time before that was back on Memorial Day, I think I still did alright. I pulled or pushed one in each of the first two groups. It seems the rifle is grouping very well everybody is ‘lights out’ with it now. So the next time out I'll zero it at 34 yards to get a 5 inch kill zone MPBR (+-2.5”) with Hornady’s 143 grain Precision Hunter. Max height (2.5”) should be around 130+ yards with a far zero of 225. At 270 yards it will still only be 3 inches low, and very easy to dope in my head to 600 yards.
Bottom Line?
When we finally buy a 338 Lapua, I am pretty sure we'll be looking for a good deal on a Savage BA Stealth Evolution to use for the magnum cases, and then I will probably "evolve" it much the same way; then add a 300 PRC swap barrel, and maybe something in 358 or 375 or…
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