I think that most factory rifles are probably better shooters than the people shooting them. I also think that a lot of folks believe it's the money that counts when they want to compete, and that they're no more wrong than anybody who thinks differently. It's their dough and if it brings a smile to their faces, no harm done.
But never judge a rifle by its price tag, especially not in a competition that stacks the stress on the shooter by the bucket load. Some things count more than the bucks.
Is it simple to the point of being foolproof? Is it reliable to the point of being infallible? Is it an easy carry to the point that we know for a fact that every ounce is doing something we can't afford to do without? Are WE up to the task as well?
None of these questions can be ignored.
I am no longer up to the task physically, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to do it even in the least. It drives me to try and figure out how an Old Wheezer like myself might go about doing it anyway.
I'd start with a good chambering, and a good but basic rifle. IMHO that should be a readily available hunter. That was good enough for Carlos, and he was moving around right in the middle of that target rich environment. There are few things better than personal risk to bring home the lesson about paring things down to the barest essentials.
My choice, I already own. It's the
Savage 10 Predator Hunter Max 1. Chambering would be a tossup; .260 Remington for me because I can handload it very nicely, or 6.5 Creedmore for folks who buy theirs by the boxful. EGW or Leupold 20MOA Sloped Picatinny scope base. A really well made 3-12x hunting scope with some allowance provided for BDC aiming points.
The weight and reliability are just enough, not too much. The barrel is heavy enough at the fluted Predator contour without being so much of a heat sink that it takes a lifetime to cool back down. Pillar bedded, Accu-trigger in the Accu-stock, a D/M that can be upgraded with the Darkeagle replacement magazine. A good sling and a Harris-style bipod complete my choices. I find no faults, and just the right amount of nicer features.
There are undoubtedly better rifles out there. But this is my rifle, and I'm committed to it if the time comes for me to be practicing PRS type skills. I have to know my limits, and this rifle can fit well within them. Whatever I have, it needs to be a reasonable carry, quick to acquire the target, and capable of delivering accurate sustained fire to that target if/when such is the requirement. Altogether too many of the nice but complex features will fail me when the hankie drops because I can no longer spare enough of my energy beyond just doing the basics to do them good service. First, the simple; then the rest. Living in my skin, the rest is often more than I can manage. So let them go and concentrate on what's actually possible.
I see the cream that rises above these simple requirements as a luxury I am no longer physically able to utilize, no matter the monetary costs. Given that PRS is turning up the fire under the fry pan, maybe, just maybe, some of those luxuries could actually be distracting the more average competitor into a lower finishing place. First, the simple; then the rest. Do we really need all the rest? Is it more helpful, or maybe less helpful?
I have given the chassis a long hard look. I will pass. The basic advantage of allowing AR adjustable furniture does not appeal to me. IMHO all it provides is additional potential points of failure. If you need something non-generic, see McMillan; they can serve your needs very nicely. When the time comes for a barrel replacement, I'd be getting a Lothar-Walther drop-in Savage replacement barrel; not overpriced, not gunsmithing dependent, mine shoots like the dickens and has been doing so since 2002.
I don't have any personal experience with Howa. What personal knowledge I have about Remington prompts me to hold my nose and look beyond them to Savage. Friends and family have experienced a litany of crookedly mounted Remington barrels, off-centered chambers, and bad crowns from the factory. My only Remington rifle, an M700 VLS .223 was a very satisfying varmint rifle, but frustrating as a match rifle when trying to get that last bit of accuracy. My Savage rifles are a lot easier to shoot more accurately. I gave it to my Son-in-Law, who will likely use it for at least another decade in its best role, as a 'Chuck rifle.
My range queens are both Savage 11VT's, a .223 and a .308, with another .308 for use as a donor for a .260 rebarrel high on my list for acquisitition soon.
All but one of my rifles are factory rifles, and they all use SAAMI chambers. Simpler is just better.
Greg
