Need advice on barrel and glass

[ldlfh7]

I have been slowly building a Savage short action into a bench gun and feel a bit overwhelmed looking for a good barrel. I know there are better options out there but based on my situation, this is going to be in .308
Ranges I will be shooting should rarely go beyond 600 yards with 800 being the extreme maximum.
This will NOT be used for any sort of hunting, I already have my hunting rifles.

Question - how much of a difference do the different type of rifling make? What length of barrel would be optimal here? Would 26 inches be long enough to work out to 600?

Glass - I have been researching scopes for a long time and just wandering what would be considered an adequate piece in terms of price and performance for what I am trying to do. I would rather not spend $2000 on glass but also do not want to spend $200. Just looking for the happy middle ground before I would hit diminishing returns.

Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

 

[LiveLife]

Glass - I have been researching scopes for a long time and just wandering what would be considered an adequate piece in terms of price and performance for what I am trying to do. I would rather not spend $2000 on glass but also do not want to spend $200. Just looking for the happy middle ground before I would hit diminishing returns.

Athlon Optics Argos 10-40x56mm SFP ... Free 2 day shipping with code 2DAYAIR (10% off $459 if you sign up for email notifications) - https://www.opticsplanet.com/athlon-optics-argos-btr-gen-ii-10-40x56mm-moa-rifle-scope.html

My thread on the Athlon scope - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...0-40x56mm-side-focus-30mm-blr-sfp-moa.902061/

I got a chance to look through Arken EP5 5-25X56 FFP at 100 yards under low light and was impressed for $549 - https://www.brinkexcursions.com/store/p326/EP5-5-25X56-FFP-VPR-Reticle-with-Zero-Stop-34mm-Tube.html

 

[HowieG]

Is your plan to actually compete in something with this rifle?

 

[ldlfh7]

I will not be doing any formal competitions, just shooting at my ranch. Strictly a pleasure build.

 

[HowieG]

I will not be doing any formal competitions, just shooting at my ranch. Strictly a pleasure build.

Well in that case, get a barrel from any of the top manufacturers. They are all more than adequate for what you have in mind. Availability and price would make the decision for me. The last time I looked into the matter, the PRS boys were sucking up all of the Bartlein barrels and the wait was immense. I have a Shilen on one of mine and it's fine. I am sure Krieger or Brux or any of the others would satisfy me as well, but at the time, I got a deal on a Shilen.

If I was doing a 308 on a bench rifle, I would go with a 24 inch tube. 308 is not a barn burner that makes you worry about the last bit of velocity. Also, I would have trouble storing a 26 inch tube. If it was a carry gun, I would opt for a 22 inch tube.

I am betting you don't shoot well enough to outshoot the potential of any of the top name barrel manufacturers. I certainly don't shoot that good.

 

[ldlfh7]

Yes, you are correct. I certainly do not have the skill to outshoot any reputable barrel manufacturer. Thanks for your input.

 

[HowieG]

As far as glass goes, in Asian scopes, I look for glass made in Japan or the Philippines. I do actually try to buy US optics, but that isn't always possible. Since you don't actually need PRS capable competition glass, that will save you some money. I have a Bushnell Elite Tactical on my AR15 long range gun and I like it fine. Made in Japan. Leupold makes good US optics. Like you, I don't feel like dumping 2000 bucks on a scope. That is more scope than I need. I think you probably hit those diminishing returns after about 800 dollars street. No need to pay for super toughness if you aren't going to beat the scope up.

 

[Seedy Character]

Any name brand barrel, choose what you want.

Leopold is never a bad answer.
Hawke best value available. They are amazing.

 

[HowieG]

Be advised that all Hawke scopes are currently made in China.

 

[JFrank]

Yes, you are correct. I certainly do not have the skill to outshoot any reputable barrel manufacturer. Thanks for your input.

I have been slowly building a Savage short action into a bench gun and feel a bit overwhelmed looking for a good barrel. I know there are better options out there but based on my situation, this is going to be in .308
Ranges I will be shooting should rarely go beyond 600 yards with 800 being the extreme maximum.
This will NOT be used for any sort of hunting, I already have my hunting rifles.

Question - how much of a difference do the different type of rifling make? What length of barrel would be optimal here? Would 26 inches be long enough to work out to 600?

Glass - I have been researching scopes for a long time and just wandering what would be considered an adequate piece in terms of price and performance for what I am trying to do. I would rather not spend $2000 on glass but also do not want to spend $200. Just looking for the happy middle ground before I would hit diminishing returns.

Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

308’s make lousy bench guns, on the other hand I took a model 12 savage and replaced the barrel with a Criterion prefit chambered in a 6 br Norma with a 8-32x56 Sightron scope, I shot that for 600 yard competition with excellent results

 

[HowieG]

308’s make lousy bench guns, on the other hand I took a model 12 savage and replaced the barrel with a Criterion prefit chambered in a 6 br Norma with a 8-32x56 Sightron scope, I shot that for 600 yard competition with excellent results

Hey, Jim, don't you think 308 is fine for informal recreation shooting on your own property? OP stated that he was not going to shoot competition. I am not a 308 fan myself, but a ton of people are, and I don't have a problem with it. It does have certain advantages in the component availability department.

 

[JFrank]

Hey, Jim, don't you think 308 is fine for informal recreation shooting on your own property? OP stated that he was not going to shoot competition. I am not a 308 fan myself, but a ton of people are, and I don't have a problem with it. It does have certain advantages in the component availability department.

Check this out Brother…I shot a 308 benchrest rifle before I re barreled to an inherently accurate cartridge that shoots a third less powder, 200 fps faster with almost no recoil and to top it off I can hit an apple at 500 yards or gongs at 800 .My groups shrank and my scores went up the bullets cost less and my brass last way longer.
It’s hard to find a downside to a 6 br when you are considering a barrel swap or getting talked into a upgrade.
Sorry for the rant guys I’m convinced the 6 br is the easy button like a small block chevy engine.

 

[HowieG]

Check this out Brother…I shot a 308 benchrest rifle before I re barreled to an inherently accurate cartridge that shoots a third less powder, 200 fps faster with almost no recoil and to top it off I can hit an apple at 500 yards or gongs at 800 .My groups shrank and my scores went up the bullets cost less and my brass last way longer.
It’s hard to find a downside to a 6 br when you are considering a barrel swap or getting talked into a upgrade.
Sorry for the rant guys I’m convinced the 6 br is the easy button like a small block chevy engine.

I have no problem with any of that, but OP says he is building a 308. I have no problem with that either.

 

[ldlfh7]

I understand 308 is not the ideal bench gun caliber but for many reasons I would care not to go into, 308 it is. Also - 600 is about as far as I can physically shoot due to terrain.
Sounds like I could probably get a decent barrel and scope under the $1500 price tag?

 

[JFrank]

Lance at Buchanan accuracy can hook you up with Sightron scopes at a super price point.

 

[HowieG]

I understand 308 is not the ideal bench gun caliber but for many reasons I would care not to go into, 308 it is. Also - 600 is about as far as I can physically shoot due to terrain.
Sounds like I could probably get a decent barrel and scope under the $1500 price tag?

Easily. Criterion lists prechambered barrels for 400 bucks. Even if you dumped a grand on a scope, you would still be under.

 

[ldlfh7]

Anyone have any personal experience with Arken scopes? Never heard the name but keep reading good reviews online. Are they legit or Chinese junk?

 

[ldlfh7]

Lance at Buchanan accuracy can hook you up with Sightron scopes at a super price point.

How would I go about doing that?

 

[HowieG]

Anyone have any personal experience with Arken scopes? Never heard the name but keep reading good reviews online. Are they legit or Chinese junk?

Arken scopes are made in China. Can't say they are junk though. Haven't even seen one other than pics. I personally have tried to avoid Chinese stuff because I don't think we are doing ourselves any good by supporting the Chicoms. I especially try to avoid them now since they are in bed with the Russians and are we are staring WW3 in the face.

 

[JFrank]

Ok ,no worries mate just trying to help…


idfh7 wrote..
Thank you in advance for any and all advice.

 

[ldlfh7]

I have to agree with you there, very valid points. Price is attractive but I will look elsewhere, definitely do not want to support the Chicommies.

 

[LiveLife]

Burris scopes are made in Philippines and some Bushnell scopes are made in South Korea.

But keep in mind that most scopes are built with Chinese glass with some Japanese glass that meet the manufacturers' specified quality (I believe even for Leupold).

So we are talking assembled in US vs assembled in China.

 

[HowieG]

Burris scopes are made in Philippines and some Bushnell scopes are made in South Korea.

But keep in mind that most scopes are built with Chinese glass with some Japanese glass that meet the manufacturers' specified quality (I believe even for Leupold).

So we are talking assembled in US vs assembled in China.

Leupold plainly states that they source lenses from domestic, European, and Asian sources. They don't specifically state China. I realize that it is getting difficult to totally avoid Chinese goods. That being said, I believe we need to do what we can. If we don't and the China/US situation gets even more tense, we could suddenly find ourselves cut off from things we are used to having. China could actually use this as a weapon against us. It is never a good thing to depend on one country for much of your consumer goods.

From Leupold FAQ:

WHERE DOES LEUPOLD GET ITS GLASS?
At this time, there are no American manufacturers that can supply enough high quality lenses to support our Golden Ring Optics production. Our lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers in our state-of -the-art optics labs. The glass is then procured from vendors who must meet stringent quality standards. Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the build process.

All major optics producers acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. The source of the base material is not nearly as important as the optical design. Our glass is so much clearer due to our proprietary lens coatings, how we engineer the prescription of the lenses, and the construction of the optic itself.

 

[jmr40]

A 20" barrel is plenty long enough to get you to 600 yards with 308. Any more length is just personal preference. 308 doesn't need much barrel length, in fact my 20" Tikka CTR shoots the same loads a little faster than my 22" barreled hunting rifles. Beyond 20" you gain very little. You really have to go well past 24" to see much gain over 20".

On a tight budget, this is the scope I'd choose. They offer it in MOA and MIL-Quad settings. These are pretty well regarded as entry level precision scopes.

Buy SWFA SS 10x42 Tactical Riflescopes at SWFA.com - SWFA Outdoors

You don't need a bunch of magnification. I have 2 of these in 6X and have shot MOA with them out to 600 yards. 10X would be PLENTY of magnification. But if you insist, they make the same scope in 12X, 16X, and 20X. I also have a 3-9X42 variable, but it is much more expensive. And I actually like the fixed 6X scopes better for 1/2 the money. FWIW I've looked through a 20X and the image isn't as clear. The 6X and 10X scopes are the sweet spot. Never physically seen a 12X or 16X, but they have to be clearer than the 20X.

Some other options:

Riflescopes | SWFA Outdoors - SWFA Outdoors

 

[LoonWulf]

Personally If trying to save cost yet still having a fun to shoot rifle, Id go with any heavy barrel off ebay, and a Burris FF2 for optics. Set that in a boyds ProV stock and youd be looking at about 600-800 dollars all in.
Were I spending more, Id STILL buy a used heavy barrel off ebay, (the weight is simply to make the gun heavy and easier to shoot) Ive never had, or even seen a savage that wouldnt shoot sub MOA (that I can remember I guess), but Id step up to a Sightron like Jim suggested, and Id go with a more adjustable stock than the ProV.
IMO at the point where im spending 500+ on a barrel, 1000+/- on a scope, and 500+ on a stock, a 300 dollar action/trigger assembly just dosent make sense.....gonna drop the big bucks, might as well go all the way....again thats just MY opinion tho.

All that said my suggestions for specific options NEW would be a Shilen Stainless barrel, and a Sightron SIII in the power range of your choice.