Living as I do in Southern California, there are very few opportunities or places to shoot a rifle. Most ranges will be of the indoor variety and by virtue of that you mostly see pistols and the odd home defense shotgun. To shoot a rifle means taking it out to one of three outdoor ranges that are within reasonable driving distance, that said, once you press the trigger on a rifle and see your shot impact some 200 yards downrange, it’s hard not to get hooked. Sitting down and thinking about it, it’s not very likely that I’m going to reach out to a 1,000 yards because of the restrictions on time, equipment and money. Long range shooting is simply not going to be practical.
I find it odd that a lot of sniper rifles are sold. Just so we are clear, I am not referring to heavy barreled varmint rifles in the various .22 bores typified by calibers like the .220 Swift. .223 Remington or .22-250, but rather synthetic stocked rifles in .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor. I have to wonder how many of those rifles owners are going to actually learn how to read wind, range estimate using a Mil-Dot Reticle, optically center their scope or collect Data for a proper firing solution.
Don’t get me wrong, shooting and hitting a target eight to ten football fields away is an addictive experience. But for me, a more or less average city dweller, not an entirely realistic thing. My criticism comes from selling something to someone or buying into the fantasy that you are going to be a competent marksman, let alone a “sniper” without some hard work. Realistically how much precision and accuracy will the average guy need inside of 500 yards, which seems long, but is well within the capability of most of the shelf hunting rifles and more readily achieved.
I like short, light and handy rifles, which doesn’t always translate into what people normally picture as a accurate or precise rifle. However I look at the outside diameter of most of these rifles and have to wonder if there needs to be that much weight. A light barrel may heat up faster and cause the group to open up, but it will also, from experience, cool down faster as well. Many shooters want to talk about their rifle being able to shoot “sub MOA” groups. In my experience this can range from ¼ inch groups at 100 yards to outright bullshit read from the manufacturer’s ad copy. On a good day, with ammunition it likes and accounting for the first fouling shot, my rifle will hold a ¾ inch group.
The rifle in the following pictures was purchased some 20 years ago when Savage marketed their 110/10 actions under the no-frill Stevens banner and is pre Accu-Trigger, which should give some indication as to it’s age. They were and are the best bargains around when it came to value for money for a rifle. To the best of my knowledge, Savage no longer markets the no frill Stevens 200. One of the reasons I bought the Stevens was because it was readily worked or modified by the end user. I have modified the stock, trigger and barrel to suit my needs. Over the years, the rifle has seen three different scopes with this last upgrade, the Redfield Revolution 3-9 TAC a more than worthy successor. The rifle still has the original factory sporter barrel but cut down to 19 inches and crowned
The caliber, .243 Winchester, does everything I need it to do and with less recoil. I haven’t had occasion to regret my choice. I specifically chose it because it wasn’t a chambering in common use for the military or law enforcement. I hear such arguments along the lines of : “you can take ammo off the military” or “you can’t find it at Walmart” and I have to wonder if people think such things through. In any event, as a reloader, it renders most such considerations moot. The sling is an entirely sensible quick adjust type as I don’t have the time or inclination to disassemble a 1903 type leather sling, plus it’s cheap and works. Another consideration is that when I go to the rifle range; I don’t have to worry about the cops or nosy people looking over my shoulder and wondering if my AR-15 is legal or not. I have nothing against people owning semi-auto rifles, for me it’s just not worth the hassle and ultimately I want to be able to shoot and not be bothered. All told the rifle weighs in at a manageable 7.5 pounds and is easily stored and transported because of its abbreviated length.
Short, light and handy. Stevens 200 in .243 Winchester is my idea of Practical rifle for most circumstances .
The original injection molded stock modified to suit my needs. Krylon paint job and stippling over factory checkering for improved traction. At the back of the barrel you can see the barrel nut that I took off to be able to shorten barrel for manageable length.
The stock was already free floated and worked, so why change it. At the end of he barrel, you can see the 11 degree target crown after barrel was cut to 19 inches. Electrical tape is so I can tear off a bit to cover the muzzle and prevent dirt's ingress.
The Redfield Revolution TAC 3-9. The conceptual successor to its parent company's offering, the Leupold M3 Ultra. Target turrets are easy to see and work without being too large. The MOA reticle can be used to range estimate given a known size with the added benefit of not having to convert over from Millradians.
The .243 Winchester in the middle between the .338 Lapua Magnum on top and the .223 Remington on the bottom. Ruler shown for scale.
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