Savage Bmag HB Stainless & Boyds Pro Varmint (tacticool)

[b23]

For the last couple weeks I've had hankering for a 17 WSM.  There isn't a lot of options in this chambering so it wasn't like I had a big selection to choose from.  The Ruger  77/17wsm seems to be in fairly short supply and was more than I wanted to spend, especially considering I knew I was going to likely replace the stock on whatever it was I ended up with.

Savage has a $25 mail in rebate and a local dealer had a heavy barrel stainless in stock so after fondling it for a few minutes, I ended up taking it home.  With the rebate, I'll be right at $300 which isn't to bad.  Savage has a HBSS laminated thumbhole stock version out also but the only one I could find was $520 and I wasn't that enthralled with the  laminated stock to spend that much.  Figured I'd buy the same gun with the cheapo plastic POS stock and put a Boyds Pro Varmint on it.

Now, when I refer to the plastic stock that came on this thing as the worst POS I've ever held in my hands, trust me when I say it, this thing is total garbage.  In all honesty, I think Savage should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves for putting something like this on an actual working firearm.  All I can say is WOW, this thing is junk.  I've seen toy guns that had a more substantial stock on it than this thing has.  I would have rather it came as a barreled action w/trigger group.  This plastic POS isn't even worth the effort it'll take to throw in the trash.  Yes, it's really that bad.

Speaking of triggers, I'm pretty impressed with the factory trigger in this thing.  I haven't even touched it yet and it appears to be pretty darn crisp and fairly lightish.  It has a tiny bit of take up and I'd guess it breaks around 4lbs and that's right out of the box.  I haven't taken it apart yet but I don't think it'll take to much work to get down to 2ish lbs.  I've got a HBSS 93 17hmr I bought about 10 years ago and the accu trigger in that turned out pretty decent too.

I obviously knew the stock was garbage when I bought it and my plan was to put a Boyds something or other on it right away.  So this morning I started looking around at Boyds different stocks.  I liked the idea of the taller comb on the Pro Varmint version and I stumbled on to a, local to me, mail order company that is based in Post Falls Id. that had one in stock and it comes with a nice metal trigger guard, too.  DIP Inc. is a mail order company but since they are based in Post Falls I called to see if I could come pick it up, considering I'm only about 20 min from PF, instead of waiting for it to arrive by mail.  They don't have a store front so that wasn't really an option but the person I talked to on the phone said they'd be heading into Spokane later this afternoon and I could meet them somewhere and pick it up then.  As you can imagine, I was thrilled.  So big shout out to DIP Inc. for saving me the wait time of 3 or 4 days.

I've never owned or used a Boyds stock on anything so I'm not exactly sure what to expect with regard to how well they fit right out of the box.  I haven't even sat the barreled action and trigger group down in it yet.  It seems decent enough, especially considering what they cost.  I mean it's no MCM or Manners but it also only cost $135 not $700+.  I'll probably have it bedded to some degree, I'll let the person who's going to bed it, decide how much.

I haven't shot it so I have no idea how it shoots but I wasn't overly impressed with the crown from the factory.  It could shoot just fine but since I'm going to have it threaded so I can run it with a can, I'll have it cut back a smidge an re-crowned. 

I'm undecided about putting a pic rail on or just go with the 2 piece Weaver mount.  I bought a 1 piece rail from DIP Inc. so I'll likely use it but I'm only using a Leupy 4.5-14x40 Vari X III and if that rail puts the scope to high up off the barrel, that'll look like sheet and I'll have to rethink using the rail.

I'm hoping it turns out to be a good shooter because I think it will make for a fun little sage rat/varmint killer, especially for those areas that only allow rimfire cartridges.  It'll be interesting to see how it compares to my 17hmr on those 100++ yd shots.  Only time will tell and I'll try and update things as they progress along, good or bad.

I'm always open to suggestions on making things better so feel free to offer up anything you'd like.

[jackelope]

My buddy has a .17wsm bmag in the pro varmint stock and he loves it. It shoots bug holes.

[CAMPMEAT]

I've got the Bmag and bought a Boyds stock. You'll most likely have to do a little Dremmeling on it. Mine is accurate as all get out and I have the skinny barrel..

[b23]

That's certainly promising to hear.  Do either of yours have a certain ammo they like better than others??  I was all set to order  few cases of Winchester 20 grainers but the more I read about these things the more I'm reading that more often than not these BMags like the American Eagle 20 grainers.  Considering, I've always been told by guys "in the know" that CCI/Speer makes all of it for everyone, in theory there should be no difference and all the 20gr 3000FPS stuff should shoot about the same.

[CAMPMEAT]

That's certainly promising to hear.  Do either of yours have a certain ammo they like better than others??  I was all set to order  few cases of Winchester 20 grainers but the more I read about these things the more I'm reading that more often than not these BMags like the American Eagle 20 grainers.  Considering, I've always been told by guys "in the know" that CCI/Speer makes all of it for everyone, in theory there should be no difference and all the 20gr 3000FPS stuff should shoot about the same.

All I have is Winchester. I didn't know American Eagle had ammo for them. I bought the ammo when the gun first came out before I bought the gun. Did it backwards on this one...

[b23]

I've got the Bmag and bought a Boyds stock. You'll most likely have to do a little Dremmeling on it. Mine is accurate as all get out and I have the skinny barrel..

Did you by chance, my apologizes if this offends anyone, replace that ridiculous looking bolt handle that comes on the Bmag with something like the one from Glades Armory?  The replacement handle from Glades Armory is a little longer than it needs to be, IMO, but I think I can cut it down a bit if I think it's to long.  Either way, it looks 100% better, IMO, than that silly looking thing Savage put on the Bmag.

[CAMPMEAT]

I've got the Bmag and bought a Boyds stock. You'll most likely have to do a little Dremmeling on it. Mine is accurate as all get out and I have the skinny barrel..

Did you by chance, my apologizes if this offends anyone, replace that ridiculous looking bolt handle that comes on the Bmag with something like the one from Glades Armory?  The replacement handle from Glades Armory is a little longer than it needs to be, IMO, but I think I can cut it down a bit if I think it's to long.  Either way, it looks 100% better, IMO, than that silly looking thing Savage put on the Bmag.

I left mine alone. I won't dump money into a gun like that. It's only for shooting ground squirrels around the neighborhood. Does yours lockup real hard ?

[b23]

What do you mean by "lockup real hard"?

The bolt handle does take a good amount to close but I think part of that is due to the fact these things, by design, cock the firing mechanism as the bolt handle locks into place and I think they have a relatively hefty spring as well.

How big is the objective on the scope you put on yours and did you use the 2 piece weaver mount or did you install a 1 piece pic rail?

I'm going to try and use a 1 piece picatinny rail with low rings as my first option then go from there.

[Jolten]

Savages cock on opening the bolt not during the close. The stiffness on closing goes away one you work the action a few times.

[mountainman]

Savages cock on opening the bolt not during the close. The stiffness on closing goes away one you work the action a few times.

not this model Jolten. Cocks on bolt close.. 

[Jolten]

I stand corrected.

[b23]

Bet you feel silly now.     No big deal, he11, I'd probably never learn a thing, if I didn't make so many mistakes. lol

Yeah, the Bmag isn't like the model 93's and only the back part of the bolt rotates, unlike the 93. 

They're a little quirky and oddish, which is probably why most either love em or hate em.

[762Armo]

Shooting it this weekend?