So I got a refund, larger than I had anticipated, and I am putting $2,500 of it towards a new build. This will be my first long range precision build. I have everyday access to 100m ranges, monthly access to 500m, and every other month I can make the drive to 1,000yard ranges. Here are the four options I am looking at:
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<span style="font-weight: bold">1) Remington 700P</span> in .308 ($900) + Vortex PST 6-24 FFP mil/mil ($900) + Rings/Base (~$250) + stock (~$500) = $2550.
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<span style="font-weight: bold">2) Savage LRP</span> (.260, or 6.5Creedmoor) ($1,000) + Vortex Viper HS 5-15 ($500) + Rings/Base (~$250) + Reload setup (~$750 for kit and parts) = $2,500
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<span style="font-weight: bold">2.5) Savage LRP</span> (.260, or 6.5Creedmoor) ($1,000) + G2DMR ($1100) + Rings/Base (~$250) = $2,350
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<span style="font-weight: bold">3) Remington 700</span> SPS Heavy Barrel ($650) + Stock ($500) + G2DMR ($1100) + Rings/Base (~$250) = $2,500
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<span style="font-weight: bold">4) FN SPR</span> A2/A4 Bedded ($1600) + Vortex Viper HS 5-15 ($500) + Rings/Base (~$125) = $2,225
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<span style="font-weight: bold">5) ??</span> Buy used? Something not on here? Save money and go for a custom build in year?
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I am leaning towards #2 or #3, because I already own a Savage, and the aftermarket stocks available for them is increasing. I will also be able to do a lot of smithing myself, which I am into, like replacing the bolt knob, barrel, etc. It would also give me ~750 for a reload setup and parts, which could be huge. Or I could ignore that, and put a G2DMR on it instead of the Viper HS...
There really are too many options. I love it, and I hate it. As a settle on a caliber or brand, something else catches my eye. I know the R700 / Savage / FN debate is a dead horse, and people have their brands they like, but assuming you had no brand label on any of these, which is going to be the setup you would go for and why?
I am especially interested to hear from people that have parts of these setups. Any buyers remorse, or do you love the item?
Quick rundown on my thought process on these: The 700P in .308 is something I have been lusting after for years, but I don't like the standard stock it comes with. I would get it threaded and slap a brake on there. But with wanting to eventually add a DBM, a top tier stock, etc it is going to reach the price of a custom build.
The Savage LRP is alluring because I can do a lot of work on it myself, saving me money, but more importantly time. Yes it is in .260 or 6.5CM, and all the others are in .308, so it will be more expensive to shoot. I am not crazy about the stock, but I would rather spend the money on a higher tier scope or a reload setup with the price and availability of .260/6.5 lacking compared to .308.
The R700 SPS Heavy Barrel is the same barrel and action as the 700P, and since I want to ditch the stock on the 700P anyway, it just makes more sense to save $250 with the SPS. But I would have to immediately buy a stock (something used off Snipershide) to replace the tupperware crap stock it comes with. But with the savings I could get the G2DMR.
The FN SPR has little aftermarket compared to the 700 or even the LRP. BUT it comes with a stock I love, and already bedded. I could just slap a scope on there and be done with it. However, with the gun being ~600 more than all the others, it limits my scope budget. I suppose I could slap the Weaver 3-10x Tactical Grand Slam I have on my .22lr trainer on it and save for a bit more.
Alternatively, there are always used builds that pop up on calguns.net or Snipershide I could try and snag at a decent price. I have seen mid tier builds for ~1500 and mid tier customs for ~2k. Another option is just to save for a year and buy a Spartan Precision build.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<span style="font-weight: bold">1) Remington 700P</span> in .308 ($900) + Vortex PST 6-24 FFP mil/mil ($900) + Rings/Base (~$250) + stock (~$500) = $2550.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<span style="font-weight: bold">2) Savage LRP</span> (.260, or 6.5Creedmoor) ($1,000) + Vortex Viper HS 5-15 ($500) + Rings/Base (~$250) + Reload setup (~$750 for kit and parts) = $2,500
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<span style="font-weight: bold">2.5) Savage LRP</span> (.260, or 6.5Creedmoor) ($1,000) + G2DMR ($1100) + Rings/Base (~$250) = $2,350
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<span style="font-weight: bold">3) Remington 700</span> SPS Heavy Barrel ($650) + Stock ($500) + G2DMR ($1100) + Rings/Base (~$250) = $2,500
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<span style="font-weight: bold">4) FN SPR</span> A2/A4 Bedded ($1600) + Vortex Viper HS 5-15 ($500) + Rings/Base (~$125) = $2,225
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<span style="font-weight: bold">5) ??</span> Buy used? Something not on here? Save money and go for a custom build in year?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am leaning towards #2 or #3, because I already own a Savage, and the aftermarket stocks available for them is increasing. I will also be able to do a lot of smithing myself, which I am into, like replacing the bolt knob, barrel, etc. It would also give me ~750 for a reload setup and parts, which could be huge. Or I could ignore that, and put a G2DMR on it instead of the Viper HS...
There really are too many options. I love it, and I hate it. As a settle on a caliber or brand, something else catches my eye. I know the R700 / Savage / FN debate is a dead horse, and people have their brands they like, but assuming you had no brand label on any of these, which is going to be the setup you would go for and why?
I am especially interested to hear from people that have parts of these setups. Any buyers remorse, or do you love the item?
Quick rundown on my thought process on these: The 700P in .308 is something I have been lusting after for years, but I don't like the standard stock it comes with. I would get it threaded and slap a brake on there. But with wanting to eventually add a DBM, a top tier stock, etc it is going to reach the price of a custom build.
The Savage LRP is alluring because I can do a lot of work on it myself, saving me money, but more importantly time. Yes it is in .260 or 6.5CM, and all the others are in .308, so it will be more expensive to shoot. I am not crazy about the stock, but I would rather spend the money on a higher tier scope or a reload setup with the price and availability of .260/6.5 lacking compared to .308.
The R700 SPS Heavy Barrel is the same barrel and action as the 700P, and since I want to ditch the stock on the 700P anyway, it just makes more sense to save $250 with the SPS. But I would have to immediately buy a stock (something used off Snipershide) to replace the tupperware crap stock it comes with. But with the savings I could get the G2DMR.
The FN SPR has little aftermarket compared to the 700 or even the LRP. BUT it comes with a stock I love, and already bedded. I could just slap a scope on there and be done with it. However, with the gun being ~600 more than all the others, it limits my scope budget. I suppose I could slap the Weaver 3-10x Tactical Grand Slam I have on my .22lr trainer on it and save for a bit more.
Alternatively, there are always used builds that pop up on calguns.net or Snipershide I could try and snag at a decent price. I have seen mid tier builds for ~1500 and mid tier customs for ~2k. Another option is just to save for a year and buy a Spartan Precision build.
