I have paralysis by analysis and need a reality check

[SolidCopper]

If this is in the wrong place, my apologies.

I'm going to put together a 16.5" barreled .308 bolt gun. My criteria are:

• detachable mag system
• threaded muzzle
• reasonably light (8-9 lbs with scope)
• MOA or better accuracy to five or six hundred yards (arbitrary but based loosely on barrel length)
• rem 700 or clone footprint

I have a Grayboe Terrain stock with Mesa bottom metal (thanks Wade) on the way. My budget for the remaining items is about $1000 (I have glass already, though I'll need rail/rings/mount). I'm thinking I could go one of about three ways:

• buy a Remmy 700 SPS with the 16.5" barrel, swap stocks, call it a day
• buy a Remmy 700 factory action, buy a custom barrel, add gunsmithing, call it a day
• Buy a custom action, custom barrel, add gunsmithing, call it a day

My instinct is to go with the first option but I'm suspicious of the dice-roll of the barreled action purchase. I'm not afraid of option #2, though I'm unsure of the wisdom of adding a real nice barrel to a factory action. I'm not afraid of option #3, however I'm not certain of the wisdom of spending beaucoup bucks on a 600 yard rifle.

I am in need of a voice of reason. I believe we are smarter together than I am alone. Am I on the right path? What are your collective thoughts? Am I missing something obvious due to my inexperience? Thanks for your input and my apologies if you guys are tired of seeing posts like this.

 

[PBWalsh]

Your weight limit will be very difficult to do for the money. The stock is what 3 pounds, scope is probably 1.5 at least, a base 700 action is about 2.5 pounds and the factory barrel will be 2.5-3 pounds. Add in .5 for rail/rings/bottom metal and you easily have an 11ish pound rifle without bipod, muzzle device, ammo.

The only way you’ll make weight (while being accurate/reliable/quality) is with a 100% carbon stock, carbon barrel, and a sub 25oz optic. MCS Platinum stocks will be about $800, Proof carbon barrels are about $850 and the optic depends on what you need.

Besides weight, with your budget, #2 sounds promising. Buy a 700 action from Brownells and look for a prefit barrel to spin on. Of course you need to buy the tools as well, but thats only a one time purchase.

Set your goals and what you want to accomplish with the rifle, is it for fun, hunting, utility, defensive, or to fill any other nitch. Find the purpose for it, then set out your prioities like you have already done, then do your best to work withing those two parameters based on a budget.

Anyways, the bottom line is to get shooting and have fun!

Edit to add: You don’t NEED a gunsmith to put your barrel on if you go with a prefit option.

 

[George P. Burdell]

How strict is your weight limit?

 

[b6graham]

How strict is your weight limit?

and your budget lol

 

[antithesis]

The weight thing has already been covered.

I would do option 1 or 3. Option 3 will give you a solid action for when you get tired of the .3085/16.5 and decide to build something different, but it is more money.

The problems with option 2 are you are going to buy a more expensive trigger than the stock action deserves, and you are going to need to buy $100 worth of headspace gauges, a vise, and an action wrench (assuming you don't already have them) or pay a smith enough money that you could have just bought the assembled rifle.

 

[Notdylan]

Tikka CTR, call it a day.

 

[patriot07]

Tikka CTR, call it a day.

Yep. Accurate, relatively low weight, 20" threaded barrel that you can cut down for cheap if you really want to.

I wouldn't personally start putting that much money into a Remington anything.

As others have said, your stock alone probably takes you out of your weight range, so I'm ignoring it for the purposes of my recommendation.

 

[SolidCopper]

My thanks to all who have provided guidance this far. I understand the the listed budget creates weight management challenges. Mind you, this is more of a handy rifle than a precision rifle (perhaps I should have made that clear from the outset). I wonder if MOA is too much to ask for what I’m willing to spend at this point. I’ll keep reading and see where I land. In the mean time, if anyone has a 1/10 twist tube they wanna sell....

 

[patriot07]

If it's more of a handy rifle, then get a T3 lite and be done with it. Those things are very light and easily 1 MOA capable, and affordable. You can go to an aftermarket stock if you want.

 

[antithesis]

If it's more of a handy rifle, then get a T3 lite and be done with it. Those things are very light and easily 1 MOA capable, and affordable. You can go to an aftermarket stock if you want.

True. The T3 Lite is the only rifle I own that has no modifications. The stock is a little loud in the brush, but not anything that is worth changing.

 

[m6z]

LRI group buy for barrel fitting and action truing $509
Cut rifled blank $335
Remington action $300
Plus shipping and coating costs

An aftermarket trigger or action will drive the cost up further. You could do a Criterion pre-fit with a barrel nut, but then you would have additional tool costs. It would still be less than going the shouldered barrel route.