Savage build

[midmo]

Hey all,
I am lookin at doing my first build. I have found a LH savage Long action rifle. It's an older model and has the blind mag. I was hoping to upgrade the trigger and add bottom metal or dbm but I haven't found much out there for bottom metal to switch the rifle over. I will be getting a new stock and barrel. Any advice? I only have until tonight to make the purchase.

 

[mudygmc]

Hey all,
I am lookin at doing my first build. I have found a LH savage Long action rifle. It's an older model and has the blind mag. I was hoping to upgrade the trigger and add bottom metal or dbm but I haven't found much out there for bottom metal to switch the rifle over. I will be getting a new stock and barrel. Any advice? I only have until tonight to make the purchase.

To buy the gun, or all the parts for a build? Crazy amount of options for parts.

Ptg and cdi make great bottom metal. They accept aics and mdt mags. If that is something your interested in.

Timney and rifle basix are great trigger for $100.

Barrels is a huge selection. Lots around. Many prefit in more standard calibers.
Even alot on eBay, McGovern, pac Nor, bughole, shilen, criterian, er shaw, eabco. All have standard prefits.

Stocks are many options too. Boyds laminets are very common and readily available around the $150-200 mark. Mdt has a great little chassis setup. Hogue, and bell and Carlson make cheaper composite stocks.

James at Northland Shooters Supply is a great guy and can help you out with everything youd want.

Good luck and enjoy your build. I'm sure you will be pkeased with something you created on your own.

 

[wjarrell]

An older flat back Savage was my first build as well. I tried to keep the project as cheap as possible. I kept the 3 screw trigger and worked it over to about 2.5 pounds. Boyds Pro Varmint stock and a light varmint Criterion pre fit in 260 rem. My gun weighs in at about 12 pounds with a Vortex HSLR, heavy but manageable. Shoots 140 vlds at .5 moa with very little load development, I'm gonna try eld's this winter because they are cheaper than the bergers.

Just a heads up be prepared to be addicted to building rifles. I built this gun 2 years ago and have built one every year since.

 

[wbm]

Any advice?

Yep. Assuming your Savage is a flat rear receiver, blind stagger feed magazine, with a synthetic stock you would do better buying a Savage LH long action that is already set up for what you eventually want in the older one to be. Something like Savage's Hunter comes to mind. I have built rifles for myself and others exclusively on Savage receivers for over thirty years so I kinda "been there done that" more than once.

 

[can1010]

the old blind mag actions will need the back of action milled out to accept the dbm bottom metal and the face of those old actions are not very good will need to be squared to threads have seen the flat back actions out .008-.010. it can all be done but getting a newer one and just switching barrels might be cheaper

 

[wbm]

getting a newer one and just switching barrels might be cheaper

Can almost guarantee that. All you are really starting with is a Savage receiver and trying to make it into something it ain't and may not ever be.

 

[HRstretch]

I think you have a great plan. I gather you are not trying to build a bench rest quality rifle and the plan of yours is sound. Buy the action and start gathering parts. It is most satisfying when you take your first game animal from a gun you put together yourself. The guns I built are great for hunting and I regularly hit still out to 823 yards (that's as far as my range can go). Good luck and have fun putting YOUR rifle together.

 

[Gregg C]

You did not mention the price. Cheap enough, you could always resell it of you decided to go another route. Shucks, I might be interested.

 

[midmo]

Well I was outbid and lost. I will keep saving and wait until I see another. Thanks for all the info. I will be looking for a new model. I have a .30-06 rem 700 that I or a Timney in and out a aftermarket stock on that has since been bedded. I love this gun but it's not a lefty. I really want a lefty. I love my remington but for what I want to do it will be a lot cheaper to build a savage. If I can find a decent deal on a remington or even just an action I might go that route.

 

[midmo]

I am thinking about .260 or 6.5x284. Not sure which I want more. .260 would have better barrel life but the 6.5x284 really intrigues me.

 

[midmo]

I know they don't make a lefty but does anyone have any experience with Howas?

 

[sedancowboy]

Take it from a lefty and shoot left handed guns. You will thank me years latter. let right handed people shoot right handed guns. Savages are great to build on. I bought one new last Dec for $379 after the rebate. never even shot it. Tore it down and made a 6 Creedmoor With a B&C stock and CDI Bottom metal. Northland shooters supply is your friend.

 

[midmo]

Thanks for the advice after a while I just go back to shooting a right handed gun. I always want a lefty but end up getting a righty because I can't find a good lefty.

 

[sedancowboy]

Don't give up there are plenty of LH guns out there. Look at a Bighorn Arms Origin action good value for the money and available in LH I have one and it is a nice action.