... but I am thinking unpure i.e. non-Remington thoughts lately

I've been cleaning house, and seriously evaluating the relative worth of the guns in my over-full gun cabinet (and no, as much as I'd like to, I can't get away w/ just getting a bigger/better gun safe). One of the ones that is on the crap list is my Rem 40XB-KS in .220 Swift. I had lusted after one of these for years, since junior high or so, and a few years ago, was in the right place at the right time, and got a NIB specimen at a gun show. Had some frustrations w/ the lack of durability of the paint on the stock, and while the gun shoots about everything I feed it (btwn 40-55gr) into 0.4-0.5" w/ boring regularity, I can't shake the feeling that for that much $$$, it should be able to do a lot better. Add to that, the first time I took it out in the field (read: non-bench type positions, I found out that the stock is *much* too short and much too low for me. Try shooting rock chucks when you have to levitate your head about 1" above the cheek piece, and not touch the stock to your shoulder either. Talk about needing a chiropractic session at the end of the day!

I could sink additional money into the gun to make it fit me, to the tune of several hundred dollars, and it probably won't really mechanically shoot any better. The other option that keeps rolling around in my head is selling the damn thing and getting a Savage. Yes, an el-cheapo Savage, that I've been hearing so much good about lately. Only problem is, Savage stopped making the 12/112-BVSS-S (single shot) versions in .220 Swift and .300 Win mag. So I'm looking at perhaps a 12FVSS or 12BVSS in either .22-250 or .243 Win. Figure a cheap gun, w/ the ability to upgrade as needed (sounds like I'd need a trigger almost immediately), including switch barrels and the like. I'm mainly looking for a) target shooting, including some LR matches, like the Boomer Shoot, b) coyote hunting, and c) rock chucks and prairie dogs occasionally. I've already got a Rem 700VS 20" in .223, and another (26") in .308, so I'm just looking for something more in the varmint range, but w/ more oomph than the .223.

Suggestions, comments, advice, pluses/minuses, tell me I'm nuts, headed in the right direction, all of the above...?

TIA,

Monte

Milanuk,
Sounds like it's time to put and end to this relationship...... The "karma" is just no longer there..... No matter what you do to try and repair the relationship, it'll never be the same.... You'll find yourself thinking about how much more EXCITING a relationship would be w/ "the other gun"... Then, the ultimate will happen--you'll miss a shot w/ the Swift and think the gun betrayed you ON PURPOSE.... That will be the final blow to the relationship, once you're never again able to TRUST it.... Freqeuntly love is not logical and it sound like this is one of those times. No matter how hard you try to convince yourself the Swift is really good, the emotions just won't reflect your true feelings... It sounds like it's time to make some changes.... Have you considered the flip side of the coin? The Swift more than likely knows how you feel and is also ready to put an end to the charade? Gary T.

I don't own one, but think that if I were in the market for an affordable varminter I might take a long look at the Tikka. They've got some plastic in places I would prefer metal, etc., but their performance seems to be on the upper end of the range, according to the reports. Anyway, the Tikka would seem like a lot more gun than the Savage, and might be cheaper in the long run since the factory trigger would probably be okay to leave in place.

milanuk,

You are in a position that has a very easy solution. Just put the word out that you would like to trade your 40XB even for a new Savage 112BVSS. I'm sure you would find plenty of suckers (myself included)who would knock each other down to make such a trade.

Everybody wins !!

Trade straight across?!? Holy sugar, I don't want to get rid of the 40X *that* bad... not yet anyways

I've been trying to sell the 40X on some of the varmint/target boards for a month or two now, and haven't even gotten any nibbles. Honestly, whats considered a fair asking price for a gun that shoots sub half moa, has an Answer brake installed, but has some wear (it was used more than a little, so things like the paint came off w/ a camo tape job, dropped-n-dinged the muzzlebrake once, but the throat hasn't shown *any* movement over 900rds so far). Including Redding Competition dies and brass?

TIA,

Monte

Damn. I *am* going to have to move this thing soon. I've been sitting here all night contemplating a Savage 12 BV-SS w/ the laminated stock, augmented by a few (1.5") spacers from Brownell's, a BearTooth cheek pad, Rifle Basix trigger set at ~8 ounces, a set of Weaver bases, Burris Signature Zee rings, a Sightron SII6-24x, and (hopefully) a Holland muzzle brake in .243 Winchester pushing something like a 95gr A-Max in front of Varget... Sounds like something close to a rock chucks worst nightmare come true!! Little heavy for the coyotes, but I guess at 6'5", I can stand to hump a small artillery piece around

Monte

milanuk...

I have a bunch of 40-XBs (seven) and they are fine rifles. The Swift has never had a reputation of earth shaking accuracy, and yours is probably doing fine (For the caliber).

One of mine is in .22-250, and my biggest complaint is the 14" twist. There are so many really good longrange varmint bullets that are longer than the 14" twist will handle, that I'm considering getting rebarreled... either to a 12" twist .22-250, or a full sized 6MM Rem with a 12" twist.

If you like the rifle, but hate the stock, you might consider getting one of the wooden "Rangemaster" stocks from Remingtom... the cheek piece is very high, the fore-end is long, and wide, and it has a rail for accessories. I have 2 of my 40-XBs in this stock, and I love them.

Also, you might look at the "cheek Ezz" stick on piece... you can get a them in various hights from 1/2" to 1"... I bought a new 40-XBBR in 6mmBR and didn't have any interest in shooting benchrest... I sold the BR stock, and a friend gave me an extra Rem Varmint Laminated Stock. The Cheek piece was too low, and I put one of the Cheek ezz on, and it fits like a glove.

... of course, you might have just fallen out of love, and there is no solution to that, exept a new Hunny in your life... it happens with women and guns

CatShooter.

[ 08-16-2002, 17:40: Message edited by: CatShooter ]

Catshooter,

Thanks for the idea about the Rangemaster stocks. Hadn't really considered those.

As far as modifying the existing stock w/ 'add-ons', I kind of figured it like this: I have to add probably btwn 1.25" and 1.5" to the length of the stock, which is going to then put the existing monte carlo cheekpiece that much more too far forward. I think any subsequent add-on cheekpiece would end up looking fugly or having some wierd lumps to it as it runs into the rear of the existing cheekpiece. I considered grinding off the existing cheekpiece, but I am somewhat loathe to completely disfigure the existing lines of the stock. Add to this that I've had pretty much nothing but trouble everytime I've pulled the barreled action out of this stock, starting w/ the recoil lug being bedded so tight that I could literally hang the gun upside down, w/ no action screws, and *shake* and the barreled action wouldn't fall free w/ out a lot of wiggling. Once we figured out what the problem was, a little relief work on the front side of the recoil lug recess fixed that nicely. But then, I've fought this F$@&ing ADL style blind magazine stock setup from the get-go trying to put it back together. Btwn the magazine follower, that sheet metal box for the magazine and the way it fits into the recesses in the action and the stock, well, it was testing my patience severely a couple of times. Had to put the gun down and walk away more than once. Don't even want to *see* a Remington ADL setup for a good long while! The damn thing is in the Nickel Ads for the next three weeks; hopefully I'll get a buyer. Next guy may have no problems at all. For me, though, the gun is a grade A PITA!

Monte

[ 08-25-2002, 02:22: Message edited by: TBS ]

See, that's kind of the question that was running thru my head. I've been eyeballing various McMillan and HS Precision stocks for a good long while now, plus some of the Shehane Tracker stocks. The question in my mind is whether it's worth it (for me) to dump another $400-500 into a new stock for this gun, when I doubt I'd see much improvement in accuracy. Yes, it'd fit, and yes it would then be usable again, but I'm riding the fence as to whether it would be worth it. I guess one thing is that I already have the dies and brass for .220 Swift, but not (good ones) for .243 Win. Plus time and money spent doing load development (again).

Monte

Monte,

Obviously any 40X is like money in the bank.

Just sit back in your lazy boy, close your eyes, and imagine being without the rifle. Imagine it in the grubby hands of one of those thug vendors you often see at gun shows.

If the money you'll have gotten for it makes it all okay, then I'd say you're safe in letting her go.

I've parted with rifles I ended up really missing, and I've parted with rifles that I considered good riddings.

The Savage you're talking about will certainly outshoot the 40X, plain and simple. I think you're well aware of that fact or you wouldn't be in the quandry.

But the 40X is, well, a 40X!

Best of luck in your decision, and I for one won't blame you for choosing either path.

Dan Newberry
green 788

Dan, I think I know what you mean. When I was into such things, if I wanted pure unadulterated performance, I'd buy a Mustang, and put my money into performance mods. Or I could spend the same amount of money on a Corvette. For all intents and purposes, if I spent the same amount of money on the Mustang, I'd have a hell of a lot better car than the Corvette. But the Corvette would still be a 'Vette, which is worth something to some people.

I bought the 40X because I grew up w/ the almost mythilogical reputation of the 40X series rifles. Then when I finally got one, I found out that for twice the price, I had a gun that really didn't shoot any better than either of my 700VS's.

Well, at any rate, I've got a potential buyer tomorrow. If not, then hopefully someone else local will jump on it. And I hope they enjoy it more than I did.

Monte