Proposed Build and Request for Input

[Absit]

I got my feet wet with a bolt gun and now I'm wanting to dive in with something that I'll probably never outgrow. This rifle will punch paper, ding steel, eventually take game, and has a small possibility of being a duty rifle. I currently have steady access to a 600 yard range and a chance of a few times a year stretching beyond a mile. I'd like to focus at 800-1000 and in. The budget is AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE. Here's what I'm thinking:

Howa 1500 Varmint Barreled Action, .308 WIN, 1:10 Twist, 20" Heavy Barrel
-The action has the right barrel length, twist, and profile. I've only seen one person say anything bad about a Howa action, everything else is singing praise. If anyone can tell me why I shouldn't buy a Howa over a Remington, let me know. The fact that there are a billion aftermarket parts and a billion 'smiths that service the 700 isn't a valid answer for me, all the parts I need are available for the Howa and better quality control means I won't need a 'smith to begin with - I'm not looking for 1/4 MOA here. What I've seen seems to say Howa actions are more consistently built truer from the factory. The only problem seems to be finding one for sale..any tips? LSI and Jerry's wont sell direct to me and my local dealers seem to be having trouble getting ahold of anyone that will sell to them. They're not on Gunbroker either.

B&C Medalist Tactical (2998)
-The stock is a no-brainer. I do wonder if anyone's seen any improvements by bedding this particular stock though as opposed to just using the bedding block.

SWFA 3-15x42
-A good all-purpose scope. I also considered the Vortex Viper PST 6-24 SFP (FFP out of price range, mag detents alleviate some of my concern but holding for wind can still cause problems) and Bushnell Elite Tactical 6-24 (Illuminated MilDot only). I actually like the Bushnell for more mag and illumination but I prefer the SWFA reticle. Is that the right choice? If I should re-examine either of those for some reason let me know. Also in the running in case something goes bad is the Falcon 4-14 and PWS/BSA similar scopes.

EGW 20 MOA Base
-It's a 20 MOA base, it'd be bedded if needed.

SWFA Low Rings
-Pretty sure Low should work, if anyone knows otherwise please let me know. I read these are the same as the Burris Extreme Tactical, they look the same to me, and they're cheaper. I don't have plans to lap these, is it going to be necessary?

SWFA Bubble Level
-After checking out MagPul's DVD and seeing how being off-level can throw a shot this seemed like a good idea to me, at least at first as I learn the gun.

If you have real world first or even second hand experience with anything I've mentioned, please chime in! Thanks.

 

[Notso]

What's the diff in $$ between a Howa and a Rem 700 SPS? If not significant, I would definitely get the Rem. Far more options, more accessories, more everything. Savage next. I don't know much about Howas, but they just don't seem to be talked about much at all in the precision shooting arena. If you're talking about 600 yds+ - not sure if the Howa is in the same accuracy league. You might end up being really disappointed after saving just a small amount of money. I would have a hard time believing a Howa is more accurate out of the box than the Rem 700. I'm not sure why you think a Rem has to be "smithed" to be accurate.

AS for scope, I personally like MORE magnification as opposed to less. So I would always choose the 6-24x over a 3-15 for LR shooting. YMMV. I would spend the extra money on a PST FFP 6-24x before I spent the money on a new stock. I would definitely get the Falcon before I got anything BSA.

No experience with the SWFA rings, but I found the EGW base to be just "adequate". And it seemed like soft metal. I had a pair of Burris XTR rings on it and they left indents in the rail. I just didn't like the way rings sat on them, but there was nothing specifically I could put my finger on that was wrong with them.

 

[Jackcrow73]

"Something you will never outgrow" and "AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE" don't really go together. As for your choices, I don't know much about the Howa. I did have a Weather Vanguard for a short time, which is essentially the same rifle. But I cant really compare as it was a .257 Weatherby with a lighter hunting barrel. Not saying it won't shoot well, just don't know much about it. The Rem 700 SPS probably wouldn't be a bad option either. I would also look at the Savage Model 10 Precision Carbine. It has a 20" heavy barrel and you could always put it in a Mcree later.