Okay guys I'm kinda new so tell me if I make any mistakes. I am kinda new the rifle area and i don't know a lot of lingo. What I want to do is build a rifle. I reload for my rifle which is a savage model 111 in .30-06, I know not the most accurate but i got it to shoot 1/2" at 100 yrds and just can't get anymore out of it unless I do some work internally like milling the locking lugs and etc. So i figure why not just make a gun to my needs.

Now what i want to do is make a target rifle/hunting i don't care if is nice i will still take it out into the field and shoot it. What Caliber should I get I would like to shoot at or around 600 yrds if not more?
What action my dad likes the mausers and i heard a lot of good stuff about the remington 700?
What are some good if not great barrels (I would like to get a medium to heavy barrel just so i don't have to worry about over heating to much)?

I'd keep the rifle and work up a long range load for it. Before the belted magnums hit the market it was said that the .30-06 would take anything in North America. I know it will shoot accurately past 600 yards.

If you want to build a rifle you can stay in .30-06 and build a heavy barrelled rifle on either the Remington or Savage action. One advantage to a Savage is easy barrel change for other calibers.

Building a rifle to your specs is a labor of love so to speak, but not always the most economical way to go and yet achieve your goal.
Would guess that your Savage is a "long" action and nothing wrong with that, but you will have say a sum of at least 300.00 in Rem. 700 short action, probably between 225-300 minimum in barrel, stock can range from 100 up to the sky, probably end up in the 2-300 range for that as a minimum, 'smith work will add some bucks, barrel installation, etc. and that will be at least 100.00 so as a starter you have some $1000.00 in the basic rifle. Probably already have a scope, but still a cost and add that to the basic rifle pkg. and you are ready to go.
As to the '06, a great round in all respects and absolutely no problem in long range shooting out to the 1000 yard mark and as mentioned will take any game most will ever encounter.
The flip side of all of this is that unless you are dead set on "building" a rifle, might want to consider buying one of those Remington PSS rifles in 308 Win. and the platform is there for doing whatever modifications you may want to do in the future to build that ultimate all around field/target rifle. Good tuneable trigger, good useable stock configuration, barrel is 26" long, a little roughness in the bore from the factory, but could easily be trimmed to 22" and proper crown work, scrub the bore good with JB compound and will deliver easy .5" groups of 5 or less with proper loads. It will do that as new, but will do better with a little work as mentioned. The available after market items for the Rem. 700 is almost endless and pretty much the std. by which good serviceable actions are judged on these days. By far the most used action in LE/match use today. Not the best, certainly not the worst, but it simply works very well. As to cost, a shrewd buyer can normally spend less than 1000.00 to buy one. Finding one may take some looking for they are in demand, but they are available. Again, '06 great round, but beleive the 308 would work well for you as it does for many, many shooters, both sport and serious match work. Not to discourage building a rifle from ground zero, but not really necessary to re-invent the wheel so to speak for it already out there ready to use.
Good luck in whichever approach you take.

Intersting comment about the Savage being more accurate?? Why would you rebarrel, restock, etc. compared to the Rem. 700 PSS which needs none of that work done to perform quite well??
Whatever "floats your boat," but dollars invested would lead me to go with the Remington version.

Well, Butch there is no question that you like Savages and that is just fine with me and I like Remington's and that is just fine with me also. Like I said, whatever "floats your boat."

by the time you get built what you're talking about all you will use of your current rifle is the action. consider keeping your good shooting 30/06 and buying a savage target rifle. in .308 if you want to stay with .30 cal. it will be quite a bit cheaper to do this and you'll still have your other rifle. you can get one thats pillar bedded, has a heavy button rifled stainless steel barrel, target stock and target trigger for 1/2 to 2/3 what it will cost you to have your other rifle rebuilt. a long range rifle will require a different scope and mount set-up than you currently own anyway.

Gentlemen, you both have valid points in the Remington vs Savage argument. Sadly new factory Savages beat factory Remingtons. Remingtons are much easier to customize, although there are more Savage after market parts than there used to be.

Getting back to Phantom's rifle build. He already has .5 inch at 100 yards. The first question for a new rifle is caliber. Then look at actions. As dsite mentions you pick a long or short action from caliber. Then you can build. If yo are hunting than a heavy barrel isn't of as much value. Most hunting won't heat a barrel enough to change impact. But the added weight of the barrel, weighted tactical stock and equipment will wear you down on a day long hunt unless you are in a stand. On the other hand if you are stand hunting and do alot of match shooting yoou can build heavy. Unless you are shooting bench rest a half minute of accuracy is pretty good.

Swampshooter is right about what you'll keep. Even a short action Savage target rifle takes about 15 minutes to swap a barrel into for other calibers.

savage actions are butter. barrels are up there with the best off a factory rifle however. normally very smooth inside. tend to shoot pretty good too.. but a action made a butter

Phantom,

If you want to build a hunter and a shooter, procure a Nesika Bay Hunter action, a Jewell trigger and a Krieger barrel. Put it in a MacMillan stock. Enjoy it for the next 50 years. That is, if Obama and a raft of liberal Democrats don't tax it away, or just take it away, from you...

http://www.nesika.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTG..._Code=Hunter-Actions

Phantom your formula for a rifle at state of the art level is spot on, no question about it, but I don't know if a mere mortal could stand the shock going from a Savage to a NB action, Krieger barrel and McMillan hunter stock!!
Kind of like going from a Yugo to an Aston Martin or Lotus. Price difference similar also, but no question about it, your combo does not get any better. Are they still making NB actions for I heard that they were bought out and now no longer available??

while i agree 100% that a nb or stolle action with a jewell trigger, and top of the line barrel, stock, scope and mounts would be the way to go. this is a $4,000.00-$5000.00+ rifle, not everybody wants to spend that much. he could set-up a savage, which would shoot pretty good at 600 yds. for 1,000-1200. i would suggest a .308 for 600yds. or a 6.5x284 for 800+ the savage rifles are shooting very well in f-class competition.

I understand that the Savages of today are doing fine in F class shooting, but when I shot long range (some 40 years) it was illegal to use any sort of rest other than sling and in fact your forearm hand had to be a specific distance from the mat or the line officer would call it on you. Used to use a wooden wedge to come around and check the distance!! Disturbing while trying to hit that 10/X at 6-1000 yards w/ peep sights.
Some several years ago now, decided to buy me a new Rem. 40X Palma style rifle and could not locate one and lo and behold, Savage come out with a "target model." Price less than half of 40X, then about 1200.00 retail, and bought the Savage for I believe less than 700.00 Well, my shooting buddies laughed at someone paying such money for a Savage and in reality they were correct. Mind you the rifle was for prone/sling shooting and attempting to open the bolt on that thing in prone position without coming out of position was almost impossible. Really hard to open and the trigger was a nightmare w/loads of parts. Then there were very few parts on the market for finishing up a match rifle and yet tons of such items for the 700/40X platform. I have shot the so called new trigger and it is better than the old ones, no doubt, but still not of what I would call match quality. Jewell triggers far superior and do not know if they are available for the Savages?? Serious shooters will most likely trade out the factory barrel after a while and put a Krieger, Obermeyer, Douglas, etc. on and feel they have top line equipemt. Problem with all of that is now they have no one to blame for poor scores but the trigger puller themselves! I am sure Savage has cleaned up their act over the years and hear they have a good barrel as well and for the original goal stated, the Savage would serve well for hunting and casual target shooting. Again, I am still of the school that to shoot off a bench, supported fire or F class is an absolute no, no, but that is just me. Hope the originator of this post can figure out which way to go with all of this sage advise. Good luck whichever way you go and good shooting!!

Hello Butch,
Well you may be right about getting out and doing some shooting with some of the more modern rifles, improved, etc.,but I have been pretty much continously shooting matches,(shot Across the Course 200-300-600 yard this very day - score 492 out of possible 500, that means I only dropped 8 points Butch w/ my well used Compass Lake Eng. 15) long range/prone/sling for those past 40 years and hold High Master Classification. Need to do more work on the XC/National Match position shooting for only a Master. Rifles used in XC shooting has varied from M1A's/ M14's, AR15/16, Master Class built Rem. 700.
By the way, what are your classifications since you are using Savages and aparently more modern equipment?? I earned my High Master rating the old fashion way, outdated Remington 700/40X's, factory, Krieger,and Douglas barrels, Warner, Redfield Palma, RPA, Zelenak Micrometer rears w/ Anshutz front globe.
Must admit that it took me several years to accomplish the goal and perhaps if I had used a Savage would have gotten there sooner. Can't say that I have seen more than three or four Savages used in prone/sling shooting at Perry, Benning, Oak Ridge, Quantico, 29Palms, Malvern, Buntner, Riverbend, and so on and should point out that those who did use such gear were more than likely Marksman Unclassified meaning very little if any experience in match shooting. Again, you or anyone else that likes Savages and shoots well with them, that is just great and would not advise they change one iota.

desiteman, we agree with you,but if a new shooter wrote in and said he wanted advise on purchasing a .22 pistol for 50 yd. shooting would you suggest a $2500.00 or $3,000.00 hammerli.

No, would not suggest such an expensive handgun for a beginner, but if you will note, my first posting was merely to suggest that he consider the Remington PSS rifle, not an expensive gun when you consider the rifle is very shootable and useable out of the box. Often times I have seen new shooters do just what you descirbe though. Equipment certainly does not have to be "top drawer" for a new shooter to enter the match shooting game and your point is well taken. Does not always apply to new shooters for see some more experienced shooters always buying that "new rifle..., new "stuff" and their scores really do not improve. Such money could be well put to use in sending "rounds down range..." in practice. We have a name for those who seem to enjoy buying continously new items and it is "point buyers." The Savage works fine I am sure, but as I mentioned, not a lot of them seen on the type of matches I participate and again, if it were the gun to shoot, the experienced match shooters would be using it. What works and what does not work does not take long to be discovered by serious shooters. Again, your point well taken.

Hello Butch,
I answered his question some posts back in suggesting the Rem. 700 PSS. You seemed to think that was the wrong approach/selection. You obviously prefer the Savage and as for match shooting, you mentioned that I had not been active and unaware of current offerings or rifles used these days. Well, I answered you on that point and as for you being a great or good benchshooter, that pretty well sums it up.
I take it you do not have a classification?? That bench is kind of like the old Am. Exp. ad, don't leave home without it!!

PS: It is not "master craft..," but High Master.

Hello Butch,

Well said. Many of my freinds shoot benchrest and are indeed fine shooters and have respect for their accomplishments. Other than the military, benchrest shooters have contributed a great deal to load development and many of the cartridges being used to day on a regular basis would not be here if it were not for that group of dedicated shooters. Lot of once wildcat rounds are today commercially produced.
I will say though that in sharing the same ranges at times, the bench shootes are always better dressed than us highpower shooters and it is a common joke(frindly one) that their trousers are always creased and are neatly attired. We highpower shooters are a pretty grubby lot compared to them and we think nothing of shooting the gun 20plus rounds in 12-14 minutes which is tough on the throat area. My bench shooter buddies are always telling me "let your barrel cool..." I know where to get good barrels since I live about 10 miles from my friends at Douglas. Take care and good shooting.

i just got the barrel broke in on my new savage #12, f-class rifle in 6.5x.284. just threw together some loads to use breaking in the barrel. using shoot 1 shot and clean method this bbl, copper fouled pretty bad for the first 6 rds. then started copper fouling less with each shot. after the 9th shot there was no sign of copper fouling after i got the carbon fouling cleaned out. now firing 3-shot groups and cleaning. no signs of copper fouling after 2, 3-shot groups. both 3-shot groups were 5/8" at 100yds. conditions were good, load was 45grs./ surplus 852/ 140 sierra mk/ ww lr primer/ lapua brass/ no case prep as this is going to be shot only to break in bbl. bolt lift on this rifle is no harder than 4 remington 700,s that i own.

Hello,
Sounds like you have it going your way and glad to hear the bolt works easy. The one I had seveal years ago was indeed a half minute gun w/ the right loads, but the bolt issue on that particular Savage was a real pain in the butt.
Glad to hear they have improved and working well.

some of the gunsmiths l have talked to call
working on a savage,Lemon-aid.l have had four
savage varment guns.all gone,all my Remingtons
will shoot...Good luck with whatever you do.
Just my thoughts......

Quote from dsiteman: Phantom your formula for a rifle at state of the art level is spot on, no question about it, but I don't know if a mere mortal could stand the shock going from a Savage to a NB action, Krieger barrel and McMillan hunter stock!! Kind of like going from a Yugo to an Aston Martin or Lotus. Price difference similar also, but no question about it, your combo does not get any better. Are they still making NB actions for I heard that they were bought out and now no longer available??

Quote from swampshooter: while i agree 100% that a nb or stolle action with a jewell trigger, and top of the line barrel, stock, scope and mounts would be the way to go. this is a $4,000.00-$5000.00+ rifle, not everybody wants to spend that much. he could set-up a savage, which would shoot pretty good at 600 yds. for 1,000-1200. i would suggest a .308 for 600yds. or a 6.5x284 for 800+ the savage rifles are shooting very well in f-class competition.



My recommendation for the Nesika Bay action and the other stuff is for a gun that someone would have for 50 years. Over that time, the elevated cost of such a fine piece of equipment is negligible. And it could be bequeathed to an heir and still be a very valuable item above and beyond its sentimental value. That is, if Obongo and Obiden haven't taken away our guns by then...