SPS varmint 308 for $550- good option for a benchrest build?

colt.45

colt.45

Private
Minuteman
Nov 25, 2020
30
1
Alabama/Wisconsin
#1
What do you guys think of grabbing one of these and tossing the stock for a new HS precsion or McMillan A5? I previously had my eyes set on the the Remington 700 police LTR model, but that costs $1,000 and comes with an even worse stock than the SPS Varmint, so I was pushed toward the Tikka T3xs and Bergara B-14s. Having tested both those actions in person at my LGS, the bergara had an infinitely better action in terms of the cocking mechanism, so smooth that you could almost do it with your finger. Maybe the Tikkas break in better overtime or can be worked on to get rid of the stickyness. I thought for a second that maybe it was due to the heavier weight of the Bergara vs the Lite hunter stock on the Tikka, so I held the stock in place as firmly as I could and tried again but to no avail. That pretty much made my decision for me, cosidering the Tikka lite stock is kind of crappy compared to the rigid A5-style bergara (for a benchrest shooter gun), but yet they cost the same amount, so buying the tikka in 308 I would inevitably fill it with lead or toss it for KRG- pushing my total up to about 15/1600$, rather than 1000$ out the door for the bergara.
(note: to be fair the bolt cycling* forward-back was better on the Tikka action, just as everyone has said, its just got a very sticky cocking mechanism, compared to the Bergara which was smooth in both ways but only ever so slighty less in the forward-back cycling)

Now to be clear I am almost certainly still going to get that Bergara, I'm aware that its a much better gun than the 700 in many other way, but is that SPS a good deal to get for me to do a more custom build and learn more about gunsmithing? The 700 seems to be the Ford F-150 of the gun world and everyone hates on them yet they have 4 in thier safe.

And with a better stock can that 700 start to compete with the bergara in accuracy? I've read guys saying they went from .75 min avg to .5 min avg just from throwing the SPS varmint into a better stock.
Is it an issue that the Bergara is only 20" and the SPS Varmint is a wieldy 26"? (for me shooting out to about 7-800 yds)

another thing to consider the ability to have it rebarreled, pre-fit 700 barrels are everywhere but Bergara is rather new to the scene and when I called the guy was kind of an ass about even telling me if I could have the barrel replaced by them. He said they aren't made to allow for rebarreling despite marketing themselves as a "Remington 700 footprint"

The other option I had for a budget build was the Savage 110 tactical, for its MSRP ($800) I'd rather go for the Remington instead, but when they are around $5-600 then I get more curious. Another accurate budget rifle that gives you a heavy contour 308 threaded barrel + the added benefit of running AICS magpul 10 rounders right out the box

So for a total of about 12-1500$ after upgrades, is that Remington a decent buy over a Savage 110 tactical, for a build specific target gun?- meaning I don't intend to keep either of them the way they come
 
#5
celltech said:
If you have the cash to buy 2 guns I would rather build one full custom rifle that is worlds more enjoyable than either.
Click to expand...
What about for a guys who’s new to the scene. Am I gonna appreciate the performance of a Ferrari when I’ve never even sat in a mustang? then there is the resale problem. I’m willing to guess you’ve been around the block long enough to know exactly what it is you do and don’t like. If you had only had one cheap hunting rifle, could you still apply that philosophy in your very early days of shooting long range? Building a custom rifle seems really cool and appealing to me no doubt, but I feel like I might be spoiling myself if I go that route.
 
#7
colt.45 said:
Target shooting 100-800 yds. Occasional hunt. Don’t care about weight at all and prefer 10-15 lbs total. 90% shooting prone or bench rest.
Click to expand...

In 308, the SPS Varmint has a 1:12 twist. I'd lean towards something with a 1:10 (like the LTR) if your intent is to shoot out to 800.

colt.45 said:
I previously had my eyes set on the the Remington 700 police LTR model, but that costs $1,000 and comes with an even worse stock than the SPS Varmint
Click to expand...

FYSA- The LTR is a handy rifle and comes with an HS Precision stock (not sure why you think it's worse than the SPS stock). It's a sub-MOA rifle out of the box and will get you out to 800 if you do your part.
 
  • Like
Reactions: colt.45
#8
colt.45 said:
What about for a guys who’s new to the scene. Am I gonna appreciate the performance of a Ferrari when I’ve never even sat in a mustang? then there is the resale problem. I’m willing to guess you’ve been around the block long enough to know exactly what it is you do and don’t like. If you had only had one cheap hunting rifle, could you still apply that philosophy in your very early days of shooting long range? Building a custom rifle seems really cool and appealing to me no doubt, but I feel like I might be spoiling myself if I go that route.
Click to expand...
You are already talking about bolt smoothness, feel, and how one might break in more, etc. You sound like you already want the Ferrari experience.

I have several Savages that I rebarreled and put in chassis. They are all sub 1/2" shooters. Does the bolt feel great? No...but they function good enough and hit what I aim at.

Screwing a barrel onto an action and headspacing it is easy. Knowing what I know now I would rather have one gun I *really* love than 2 that are fine. My ARC and Bighorn actions are just so much nicer to use.

But if you want to start from the ground up then get the Tikka and put it in a KRG. Rebarrel at some point and start handloading to get the most out of it. You can always sell it and move up to the Ferrari...
 
  • Like
Reactions: colt.45
#9
slothlacrosse said:
In 308, the SPS Varmint has a 1:12 twist. I'd lean towards something with a 1:10 (like the LTR) if your intent is to shoot out to 800.



FYSA- The LTR is a handy rifle and comes with an HS Precision stock (not sure why you think it's worse than the SPS stock). It's a sub-MOA rifle out of the box and will get you out to 800 if you do your part.
Click to expand...
I didn't know that it came with that stock. The one I saw just looked like a cheap plastic thing and didn't mention HS precision. Whats the benefit of a shorter twist? And is it a plus or a minus to have that 26" barrel? The M40 has a 24" barrel. That said, are the rest of the components on the two guns the same other than the stocks (and barrel length ofc)? cuz even tho HS stock is better I'm not sure its $400 better, especially considering that I'm likely to ditch the stock down the road and could put that $400 toward a better optic.
 
Last edited:
#10
The 1-12 will stabilize anything you are likely to shoot out of it.
The rifle will certainly work for your intended purposes.
A KRG Bravo is an excellent upgrade.
.308 isn't favored much here anymore, but it will certainly do what you want to do.
A couple of Magpul AICS pattern mags and you're pretty good to go.
I have a couple of HS precision stocks, they are pretty well made, but not my favorite.
If I was looking for a decent entry level stock, I'd opt for the Bell and Carlson M40 stock.
 
#11
celltech said:
You are already talking about bolt smoothness, feel, and how one might break in more, etc. You sound like you already want the Ferrari experience.

I have several Savages that I rebarreled and put in chassis. They are all sub 1/2" shooters. Does the bolt feel great? No...but they function good enough and hit what I aim at.

Screwing a barrel onto an action and headspacing it is easy. Knowing what I know now I would rather have one gun I *really* love than 2 that are fine. My ARC and Bighorn actions are just so much nicer to use.

But if you want to start from the ground up then get the Tikka and put it in a KRG. Rebarrel at some point and start handloading to get the most out of it. You can always sell it and move up to the Ferrari...
Click to expand...
If only I could find a Tikka CTR in left hand. Not sold in the States unfortunately, currently pending a request for my LGS to import one for me, but we'll see. No matter what way I look that Bergara just keeps coming back to me as the best option. I just don't want to have a gun I can't work on and improve myself, especially if I could have gotten a better* Remington build for only a little bit more
 
#12
colt.45 said:
Whats the benefit of a shorter twist? The faster twist will stabilize heavier bullets

And is it a plus or a minus to have that 26" barrel? A 26" barrel will be approx. 100 FPS faster than a 20" barrel. Personally, I'd opt for a shorter barrel in a 308 because lugging around the extra barrel isn't worth 100 FPS to me.

That said, are the rest of the components on the two guns the same other than the stocks (and barrel length ofc)? IIRC, the LTR comes with a 40X trigger and the SPS comes with the X-Mark trigger.
Click to expand...
 
#13
Every time I touch a recent non-custom, non-blue printed Rem700 action I just get disapointed. Maybe I've been spoiled by the likes of a Bergara HMR Pro, which ain't even custom, but... yeah I just never like the standard Rem700 guns as a result. But... blue print it and yeah... go for it, IMO.

Personally I'd want to buy a used but good stuff custom action and go from there. Or a Tikka.
 
  • Like
Reactions: colt.45
#14
sirboom said:
Every time I touch a recent non-custom, non-blue printed Rem700 action I just get disapointed. Maybe I've been spoiled by the likes of a Bergara HMR Pro, which ain't even custom, but... yeah I just never like the standard Rem700 guns as a result. But... blue print it and yeah... go for it, IMO.

Personally I'd want to buy a used but good stuff custom action and go from there. Or a Tikka.
Click to expand...
how much does blue printing cost?
 
#16
colt.45 said:
how much does blue printing cost?
Click to expand...
Depends on the level of work done.
Those rifles tend to shoot around 3/4 moa, some are better, some are worse.
For a basic, square the action face and lap in the lugs, you're probably talking 175 or so.
Most will want to true the bolt lugs, true the threads etc... which adds a lot of cost, sometimes that extra work also requires timing the bolt, which is another added cost.
By the time you do a complete blue printing, you would have spent less on a new Mack Bros action, which are priced very well and is a better action to begin with.
 
#19
fdkay said:
Depends on the level of work done.
Those rifles tend to shoot around 3/4 moa, some are better, some are worse.
For a basic, square the action face and lap in the lugs, you're probably talking 175 or so.
Most will want to true the bolt lugs, true the threads etc... which adds a lot of cost, sometimes that extra work also requires timing the bolt, which is another added cost.
By the time you do a complete blue printing, you would have spent less on a new Mack Bros action, which are priced very well and is a better action to begin with.
Click to expand...
I don't know anything about blue printing, but I was under the impression that it neither enhances the accuracy of a rifle nor seeks to. I thought it was something people did to make the action feed, extract, and cycle smoother. On some of these forums a lot of guys pointed out that unlike other custom upgrades it won't make an inaccurate gun/shooter better, but can enhance the ergonomics and fit which may in effect make the shooter themselves better at using it. Is this right? I would consider blue printing only after doing what all I could do with my own supplies to smooth up the action. The cocking mechanism on my Ruger American is horrendous, however very smooth back and forth, especially considering its a 400$ gun.
 
#21
Why would anyone choose a stock over a good chassis? A good aluminum chassis isn't that much more, if any than a good stock and is a more accurate platform!
 
Last edited:
#22
Fxdwgpig said:
Why would anyone choose a stock over a good chassis? A good aluminum chassis isn't that much more, if any than a good stock and is a more accurate platform!
Click to expand...

Because Manners Composite Stocks


To the OP what is your budget? Are you looking to buy a gun then build it or just buy and shoot as is? Ive had a few 700’s, trued one left the others alone, replaced everything on the gun and IMO I would either buy something nicer like Tikka and etc... or just buy an Origin and build off of that. Like i heard the other day “It’s 2020 and everyone is making a better remington 700 than remington”
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nebulous and colt.45
#23
colt.45 said:
I don't know anything about blue printing, but I was under the impression that it neither enhances the accuracy of a rifle nor seeks to. I thought it was something people did to make the action feed, extract, and cycle smoother. On some of these forums a lot of guys pointed out that unlike other custom upgrades it won't make an inaccurate gun/shooter better, but can enhance the ergonomics and fit which may in effect make the shooter themselves better at using it. Is this right? I would consider blue printing only after doing what all I could do with my own supplies to smooth up the action. The cocking mechanism on my Ruger American is horrendous, however very smooth back and forth, especially considering its a 400$ gun.
Click to expand...
No. It is true that some actions are beyond improvement, but that is rare.
Have you ever heard of a bone stock SPS winning a benchrest competition?
No. You haven't. Most of that is the barrel and chamber. But you need a square action face at the very least to maximize accuracy. Many will argue that you also need the threads to be absolutely concentric to the bore, as well as the bolt lugs, which insures nearly perfect alignment.
So, no. Truing an action isn't about making it operate smoother although that is a byproduct of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: spife7980 and colt.45
#24
I would not recommend a SPS to anyone. They are roughly built, poorly finished, the have awful factory triggers, their chambers suck (I tried to find a more appropriate description but couldn’t). They cost more to upgrade than they are worth. Look around more.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Fxdwgpig
#25
First custom gun I had built was on a rem 700. Built by GAP and shot just as well as my GAP guns built on defiance actions. It may not have felt as robust or cool but it did what I wanted it to. Said this many times but I regret selling that rifle.

GAP will true and blueprint your action for $100 if they are the ones to chamber and install your barrel. It will shoot lights out. The issue in value starts when you decide you want a larger bolt knob, side bolt release, screw holes opened up for your base. At that point your throwing money away. Just buy a custom action or better out of the box rifle.

If money is a issue I'd just save up and buy a better rifle then the sps. Lots of great rifles at great savings in the PX section. I would look there first.
 
#26
Out of the box accuracy-Buy a Howa HCR, Oryx, KRG Bravo, MDT or APC with a 26 " #6 HB or a Savage Axis II Precision. 700 is rough, barrels are average at best, stocks are throwaway or boat anchors at best. Triggers are junk. You will save money by buying one already customized at time of sale or production. A Manners stock is for someone who can afford to build a custom rifle. They are as expensive as most top quality barreled actions. You could buy a Tikka T3 for less than a good Manners stock sans barreled action. The post was about $550.00 for an SPS. Who buys a $550.00 dollar rifle and puts a $1200.00 stock on it? No one!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Buy or build ?
Replies
16
Views
655
b6graham
b6graham
D
New member here , looking for advice on building custom hunting rifle
Replies
11
Views
749
Dennis5374
D
B
SOLD R700 SPS Varmint Magpul Hunter .223 w/ Bushnell Match Pro
Replies
10
Views
945
Bmitchell448
B
Icenberg
Looking for options Long Range 22LR
Replies
37
Views
989
Cody S
Cody S
D
New to building and reloading
Replies
15
Views
635
Vinootz
Vinootz
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts