Savage Custom Shop

[charlesb]

Last year I purchased a Savage .17HMR rifle, the model 93R17 BTVS. Here's a couple of pictures of this gun:

( Click image to see it full-size )





This rifle has delighted everyone in the family. It is extremely accurate, is easy to care for and is attractive.

I wanted to have a centerfire rifle that would share most of the sweet 17's qualities, but I discovered that Savage does not offer anything like that.

They have stainless steel centerfire hunting rifles, but not in the laminated thumbhole stock. - They all come in "tupperware" stocks instead.

They have a blued-steel hunting rifle that comes in a laminated thumbhole stock though...

After some research, I decided to call the Savage custom shop and ask for a stainless steel action hunting rifle in the laminated stock. I also specified that it be in .243 caliber and have a 24" barrel.

After a seven week wait, my custom rifle was delivered to the local gun shop for me to pick up. There was some additional cost over that of a standard offering, but on the other hand, I got exactly what I wanted; a companion for my .17HMR Savage in a centerfire caliber.







I think that Savage is missing the boat by not offering stainless actions in the classic and laminated wooden stocks, but that's their lookout, not mine.

Over-all, my experience with the Savage custom shop was a positive one, and if you are like me and have a particular need that you would like to see fulfilled, I can recommend their custom service.

If I had had the work done on a standard model, it would have taken a lot longer and cost more. - I am very happy that I took a chance on trying this route out instead of having it done bit by bit.

[perazzi]

very, very nice...

[blue68f100]

That is one sweet looking gun. I really like that stock.

[Downeaster]

Most Excellent!

I love my off-the-shelf blue-and-synthetic Hummer.

The pull on that thumbhole stock looks awfully long. Is that just an "optical confusion" from the shape of the stock or is it longer than usual?

[charlesb]

It's an illusion brought on by the camera angle. On the picture taken from the front end of the rifle, the stock looks stubby while it looks like you could pole-vault with that barrel.

Here's a direct side-on picture that will give a better idea of the rifle's proportions, and a shot of the hinged floorplate.

Click the image to see the full-sized view.





From the pistol grip back to the butt-pad, the 17HMR rifle and the .243's stocks are identical. The main difference between the two besides the inletting is that the rimfire gun's stock has a much wider fore-arm for it's bull barrel while the centerfire gun has a sporter type barrel, and a more narrow fore-arm.

Savage sells a model 11 BTH by the way, which is identical to my custom gun except it has a 22" barrel and the barreled action is blued instead of stainless steel - and it costs around 300 bucks less than what I paid. The stock on my gun is a stock from a model 11 BTH.

http://www.savagearms.com/

I've got to have stainless steel because I live close to the coast and everything wants to rust here. Also, I wanted something that matched my rimfire rifle.

[Mr. Nail]

I think they did a good job . That stock looks like it was made by Boyd if anyone else is interested. What kind of optics if any are you planning for this gun? I know the ballisic specs if you need em.

[Mr. Nail]

My bad I see u already got the scope . sweet

[charlesb]

That scope is just something I had here in the shop, it is a Leupold Rifleman 3-9X50, but I hope to later have a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9X40 mounted much lower, on stainless Conetrol mounts and rings.

I like Nikon's BDC reticule, I've gotten used to using the one on my .17HMR and would like to have the same setup for my .243 Winchester.

They use a row of vertical ovals that work out OK for me.

[Mr. Nail]

Either of those scopes are real nice. Especially for that 17HMR . Your alot like me . Id rather overkill than walking to the target everytime to see where my bullett holes are. I have a friend who harvest hogs w/ that caliber all the time.