Here the's deal: Myself and a couple of guys at work have entered into a contest (amongst ourselves) to see who can build the most accurate rifle on the smallest budget. The rules are simple: 500 yard target accuracy measured against cost, using a caliber suitable for medium-sized game. In the end, these rifles will be used for shooting at the range and deer hunting.

Caliber choices aside (I'm looking at .25-06, 6.5MM Rem Mag, a couple others), what would be the least expensive action to build from? Specifically, would starting with one of the new Stevens 200 rifles work out? The complete rifle is inexpensive and I can do barrel work myself. I will also have some trigger work done. Not sure about blueprinting the action. I've conducted a short search for a used bare action (of any brand), but have really not found any. I guess folks don't leave actions lying around.

All opinions and comments are welcome, particulary regarding minimally building a 500 yard rifle.

rtbrick,
I'd look at using a Mauser VZ-24 or M98, or even cheaper, a Yugo M48 (slightly shorter than the VZ-24 & M98 if you settle on a cartridge shorter than the 30-06). Pick up a copy of Shotgun News and there are many listings of these. It's been years since I've bought an action, but usually a M48 was in the $65 arena, and the VZ-24 and M98 were in the $100 arena. Those Mausers are an excellent platform to start with.

You can buy a new Mauser action, in the white carbon steel or stainless, from www.charlesdaly.com. These are pretty well ready to go, BUT, it will cost you around $250-300 by the time it's in your hands. I'm putting a rifle together on one, hopefully will have a little more time to put into it after rifle deer season closes at the end of this week. These actions can be had in whatever configuration you would need, take a look at the website.

CHeck gunbroker for Charles Daly mausers. You can buy a whole rifle for less than $300, then rebarrel to your choice of calibers.

Sell the barrel you pull on eBay.

I think by the time someone does the work on the mauser action, you would spend more than if you can come up with a used Remington or Savage (or the new Stevens).

There's just too much work to do and too many parts to throw away on a mauser to make a top-grade target rifle out of it. I know it can be done, it's just not cost-effective.

I'm planning on building some hunting rifles on mauser actions but I'll start with the cheapest available - because the rest of the work is the same, pretty much. $30-$40 turk actions are the way to go in that respect!

I think by the time someone does the work on the mauser action, you would spend more than if you can come up with a used Remington or Savage (or the new Stevens).

There's just too much work to do and too many parts to throw away on a mauser to make a top-grade target rifle out of it. I know it can be done, it's just not cost-effective.

You might be right Mike. I think I had $500-$600 in the last Mauser project I had done (note that I had a 'smith do it, so if a person is handy, a lot of that cost would disappear if that time/cost isn't accounted for by some $/hr figure by the competitors in the project). That did include a new barrel/chambering, bolt handle, 3-position safety, Timney Sportsmen's trigger, composite stock, glass bedding, blueing, and drill/tap for scope mounts. A lot to do, and the result was a 6.5-06 that shoots 1/2" 3-shot groups.

That can certainly be cheapened down a bit by a two-position Timney trigger/safety and bolt shroud, and Adams & Bennett barrel, but we probably couldn't expect "target-grade" accuracy from this.

With those specs in mind I think I'd get a Swede Mauser in 6.5X55 and doll it up some. They're pretty good as is and with some fresh wood and a good trigger......

You can do better than $500 - $600 to accurize a Mauser action....if you can do the barrel work (and therefore, a bit of the machining) yourself. Take-off barreled actions for the Yugo M48, or better yet, the 24/47 are available for no more than $100, often less. Then, a new, aftermarket barrel (a good one can be had for well under $200). Accurizing consists of truing the receiver face, lapping the bolt lugs, re-heat treating....then installing and headspacing the new barrel. Probably more like $350 or a bit more, if you can do the work yourself. Further, sometimes an original barreled action, complete with original barrel, will do very well - with only some tweaking. I have an M48, with a non-matching military (stepped profile) barrel....that will shoot inside an inch @ 100 yds. The tweaking I have done consisted of polishing the chamber and lapping the barrel, polishing the interior of the receiver, a bit of lapping the bolt lugs (very little was needed)....and glass-bedding the action into the stock (a converted original military stock). Also, the crown was given a bit of attention - through not a full re-crown, just a bit of dressing. Finally, I have worked up good loads for the rifle. This is key - no matter what the "hardware". All of this work I have done myself...excluding my time...total cost....about $230 - this includes the $90 I paid for the rifle. The rifle will do under an inch @ 100 yds, a bit less than 2" at 200 yds...and just over 2" at 250 yds. I have not tested it out to 500 yards - but I have little doubt that it would do well, with proper loads.

Now, if one factors in such items as a proper bench-rest stock, expensive optics (almost a must at 500 yds)....and gunsmith work (as opposed to doing the work yourself)....as well as an expensive "match-grade" barrel (which usually is simply a good barrel that has already been lapped)....then the cost goes way up. As to the optics, your competition are all in the same boat. This way of doing it is not for everyone....I am simply saying that a very accurate rifle CAN be built, if one knows what one is doing...without emptying the treasury.

Get yourself a $65 91/30 and a new barrel for $30, little bit of gunsmith work to swap barrels and you will have a super shooter for $150 or less.

Last month I found a commercial FN Mauser rifle in .30-06 on the used gun rack for $200.00. It was drilled and tapped at the factory, had Leupold bases and and rings and a factory low-scope safety. Right now it is being rebarreled in .280 Remington (the Adams & Bennett .280 barrel cost me $89.95). The gunsmith will fit the barrel and blue it for less than $100.00. So my custom rifle will cost less than $400.00.

Taking a military Mauser through the full conversion process will cost a lot more than $400.00. All the best...
Gil

Here the's deal: Myself and a couple of guys at work have entered into a contest (amongst ourselves) to see who can build the most accurate rifle on the smallest budget. The rules are simple: 500 yard target accuracy measured against cost, using a caliber suitable for medium-sized game. In the end, these rifles will be used for shooting at the range and deer hunting.

Caliber choices aside (I'm looking at .25-06, 6.5MM Rem Mag, a couple others), what would be the least expensive action to build from? Specifically, would starting with one of the new Stevens 200 rifles work out? The complete rifle is inexpensive and I can do barrel work myself. I will also have some trigger work done. Not sure about blueprinting the action. I've conducted a short search for a used bare action (of any brand), but have really not found any. I guess folks don't leave actions lying around.

All opinions and comments are welcome, particulary regarding minimally building a 500 yard rifle.

You did well, Gil! Hope you end up with a great rifle....

I don't want to be perceived as bad-mouthing the mausers, as I really do like them, but the round-receiver guns (Remington, Savage, et al) are a LOT easier to work on, and carry some inherent advantages in terms of great long-range accuracy. The receivers are much stiffer, there is a great deal more bedding surface, and normally much better recoil lugs. Plus lock-time on a mauser can practically be measured with a calendar, in comparison.... :p

You can go REAL cheap.... and hope you get a cheap milsurp that is more accurate than anyone would have any right to expect... or spend a bit more, and know you're going to have a good shot at turning it into a tack-driver.

I'd go cheap on the action, and put my money into a good barrel. It shouldn't be too hard to pick up a Savage 110 for under $200; I found one with a bit of rust pitting for $160 or so at a gun show a while back. It needs a new barrel but there's nothing simpler to rebarrel than a Savage. Sold the cheap scope on it for $20 and I have a action, bases, and rings ready for a new project. A barrel and some simple tools and I'm planning on ending up with a pretty good rifle for a little over $200.... not a target rifle, mind you, but a very decent hunting rifle.

Cheap accurate rifle...think I'd go with a used Savage, new barrel (here you can spend a whole bunch of mony real fast...so will have to shop bargains), better trigger, and do the bedding work myself. Forget "pretty" for now, spend the $ where it gives results: barrel, trigger, scope.

thee are people who can get a light pull on a Savage trigger AND have the safety work right...the ligher pull isn't too hard, but the safety can become an "almost-safety" (which is worse than no safety at all).


Caliber...would probably stay with the basic 30-06/308 sized head....and a personal prefernce for the .280.


Mil-surp rifles are a lot of fun..but do require a bit more work to rebarrel and bed. Mauser extractors are not the most target-friendly unless modified to allow closing on a chmabered round and the bededing can be more difficult than a round action.

Are testing at 500 yards...does the round have to be game effecitve? OK to use match bullets and loadings?

Plus, with a Savage 110 you can get the kit from Midway which will allow you to switch barrels in the same action length, head size. You could have a barrel in .308, and one in .260 etc.

I love Mausers, and I've built... well, a few. If I were looking for 500 yard inexpensive accuracy, I'd opt for the Savage or Stevens. Change the recoil lug, install a good barrel, and bed it. You will beat most Mauser sporters with that combination. Go here for more info:http://www.savageshooters.net/sharpshooters/

Rtbrick:

You need to assign a point system for cheap and accurate. If you put a ¼ moa rifle, that costs $600-, up against a 3 moa rifle, that costs $100-, which wins?

From what I’ve read, you would have trouble beating a Handi-Rifle in 308 or 7mm-08.

Darrel

Thanks for all the replies. Building the rifle is half the fun; the challenge of doing it cheaply really intrigues me. I've been trying to figure the point system or algorithm we'll use. Not sure. As well, I'm not sure any of us can shoot well enough at 500 yards to truly cite a winner.

I'm leaning heavily towards the Savage/Stevens since I can cheaply change the barrel myself.

The Stevens 200 has a composite stock that is pillar bedded already. I've not see one in person, but do you think I'll need to glass bed or otherwise replace the stock pillar bedding?

It's called Mitchells Mausers and out of the box you have a lot going for you the 8X57 is no slouch and will do 500yds, glass bed the action float the bbl, and weld a #8 nut on the trigger to take up the slack and away you go. Drilling and tapping for a scope is not a hard job either. If the 8X57 is not your cup of tea, then rebarrel with an off the shelf ready threaded and chambered many cals are available. A cheap glass stock is also available. The press I've heard on these rifles have been good.

Get a stevens, watch for a sale, I paid 199 for a .270, then get a boyds stock (laminate is cool) they have a few nice target models that will do for hunting as well, then start hanging out at savage shooters.com you will want a better trigger, either a timney or sharpshooter supply and then don't scrimp on the glass, get the best you can