For months now I've been waiting for the new Savage 12BVSS-S with the Accu-Trigger to come out. I had thought about getting it in .22-250 This rifle would be for longer range groundhog shooting ,i.e, 400 yards and beyond. I figure I'll be able to get this rifle for about $550-560 out the door at my local dealer.

On the other hand I have a Remington 700 Custom Deluxe that I've had for a few years. It's a good deer rifle but has always been a little disappointing on the further groundhogs. It shoots MOA with deer loads but with the 85-87 grain bullets it's so-so. It has a 24" barrel which I understand is sub-optimal for this caliber. It is glass bedded and has a decent factory trigger.

I took the 700 to my local dealer and he will give me $350 for it....presumably because it has several scratches on the stock. I had previously decided that if I couldn't get $400 for it I'd walk.

On the way home I started thinking about parting out the 700 and keeping the action and using it as the basis of a long range varmint rifle. 25-06 maybe in a longer barrel... or 6-284 or 6.5-284. Pac-Nor maybe?

So what would you do? I want to end up with a nice longer range varmint rifle. Should I sell the 700 and re-invest the $$$ in the .22-250 Savage or go the custom route?

Go custom for sure. A big part of what I love about my 250 is it is mine. I had a new barrel put on it and I did the rest and love the fact that it is a 1 of a kind. If you want to buy a 250 to have one then I say go for that but if you are really only looking to have one or the other then go custom.

Either way, once you are set up, all you have to do is replace barrels when the are shot out. You aren't going to get your money out of either choice, so go with whatever action gets your juices going...... JMO, Dutch.

Keep trying diff bullets for your 250, I know mine was very bullets picky but did finally find something that works excellent. Besides its one of my fav calibers.

Well, for better or for worse I traded the 25-06 BDL today for a 7mm Remington Magnum Sendero. So I'm rid of that high gloss BDL stock and the 24" barrel, the two reasons I didn't like the rifle. I figure at least I got a better stock (aluminum bedded) and a Leupold one-piece base and a set of Redfield rings for the $100 I shelled out. 7mm Remington Magnum? Well it isn't exactly a caliber that came to mind in considering a long range varmint rifle. The Sendero appears to be in pristine condition. So, it looks like I may be moving in the direction of custom. Now about that caliber...hmmmm.

turn the remington into a custon.I myself like the smaller calibers. I turned a rem. 700 BDL into a custom tack driver.the gun was 380.00 new. all said and done (2500 later) i can hit dogs out to 550 consistantly and still outrun the 22-250.everything is custom(stock,trigger,floor plate,barrel,bolt)with a leupold varxIII long range on top. The caliber is 22 lapua match.(20 tactical isn't a bad idea)

I do not have 2500 in a custome rig , but I can kill ground hogs out to 700yards for less than a grand.

clerkofkirk, If you want a custom 22-250 that will shoot there is one available from me that was just finished last week. It is a 700 stailess action with a 26" Douglas air guage Match barrel turned to the contour of a Remington Varminter, action blueprinted, Laminated and bedded stock. The barrel has been broken in by the gunsmith and comes with 50 loaded rounds for the rifle. Let me know if you want pictures. $1000 +shipping. During the barrel break-in it was doing 3/10 @150 yards and has only had about 40-45 rounds thru it. The gunsmith does everything he builds to BR specs! everything is indicated to less than .0001!! The chamber is a minimum dimension chamber and a standard neck. GHD

[ 02-28-2003, 21:27: Message edited by: groundhog devastation ]