Custom rifle.
 

I have been thinking about building my own sniper/long range rifle for awhile and want to know what you all would do. I would like it to be a bolt action. What reciever should I use? Remington m700, Winchester m70, other? I also want a match barrel for it. Where should I get this at? What scope should I use (at least 500 m shots) What caliber should I use? I am between using a 30-06 and a .308.
I would also like to put a bipod, muzzle break, and a dragunov style (or at least thumbhole) stock on it. I plan on making the stock myself but where should I get the bipod and the muzzle break? I would like to keep the whole thing under $1200 if possible.
It will probably be a while before I can actually build this thing, but I just want to have a good idea of what I will build it out of.

Aaron, i have a Marlin XS7VH in 308 that i am working on getting to as accurate as possible. i paid $370 + tax for the rifle, $260+ tax for the scope, plus about another $50 in rings, sling swivels, sling and paint or the stock. so right now i have less than $750 in the rifle, so with a $1200 budget, that leaves $450 to accurize and accessorize it. so IMO, yes you could build a psuedo-sniper rifle for $1200.

i joined the Marlin Owners Group, just to be able to get specific info on my marlins and to get them to be all they can be. i do like my Marlin X7's! i still plan to add at least three more to my collection. i am thinking of doing a heavy fluted barrel on my 7mm-08 now.

I've never used a Marlin XS7VH. How are they compare to Rem m700s and Win m70s? are they better, worse, or about the same? I'm glad to hear that it is possible to build a extremely accurate rifle for under $1200. Thank you for the info.

I'd go with the tried and true Rem 700 with the added punch and

reloading/ store stock ammo availability of 30.06.

There's just soo many readily available options with these two

platforms.

Just what I'd do, not what TO do...

mine is very much in the range of my remington M700's. i will say this though, the synthetic stocks on the remingtons is a little better, but marlin pillar beds the stocks on theirs. so everything seems pretty equal IMO. i am still working on some handloads for the 308, and this winter i plan on doing some accuracy work to it. i'm thinking of stiffening the fore-end of the stock and glass bedding and doing some trigger work on it to start off with. yeah if a person wanted to build an accurate rifle with a budget of $1200, the marlin would definately be one to consider. Marlin also has the XS7VH in 22-250 with a heavy barrel. with the right ammo and a little tuning on the rifle, would be an excellent varmint rifle.

wolf, i have a few remingtons and am currently building a target rifle on a remington M700 action. the remington m700 is an excellent platform to build upon. part of the reason for the marlin suggestion, was price, ($370+tax, NIB) and that this 308 has the heavier and longer barrel already attached. plus i am already building a remington actioned high dollar custom target rifle, and liked the idea of building something on lower budget, plus i already have the marlin XS7VH in 308.

For off the shelf, I'd go with the remington action, just because there's so many parts available for it.

Sounds like both the Remington and the Marlin are great choices. I may just have to go with the one that I can get the best deal on. I have a Remington 30-06 and I love it. (bought it for $400) But I really don't want to modify it in any way. It's a really beautiful gun and I just can't imagine altering it (it has a lot of sentimental value). I like the idea of more power down range with the 30-06 but the .308 is slightly more accurate (thats what I have heard anyway). That will also probably come down to which one I get a better deal on.
I think I will go with a good keiger barrel if the stock barrel is not accurate enough. I'll also have it pilared/glass bedded too.
Does anybody have any suggestions for a good high powered scope?

Thanks for the advice everyone.

ive quickly become fan of savage. my model 10 is submoa right out of the box with pretty much everything ive run through it.

the savage action is very easy to switch barrels on. if you can change a ar15 barrel you can change a savage.

Get a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308 and bed it into a Bell and Carlson Tactical stock. You are now in for about $1000. Slap a scope on it and go shoot. If YOU can shoot and this rig won't do sub MOA with .308 Match ammo I'll eat my hat.