What will it be? Your opinions, please

Think about a Marlin X heavy varmit barrel .308. For a fairly low cost rifle, you should find it accurate enough....has a decent adjustable trigger too. Leaves you a good amount of money for a very good scope for it. Own one myself and while I have not tried any long range shooting with it like you intend to do, have no doubts mine would be quite adequate for it. I say this simply because I shoot with some guys on our 100-200 yard range on a regular basis who often shoot their long range rifles at these shorter distances. I hold my own with them when it comes to accuracy.
 
Bellasogno comments:
Interesting. Thus, are fluted barrels flawed, and unworthy of consideration when accuracy is a prime prerequisite? And manufacturers aren't aware of this drawback?
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The only barrels flawed by fluting are those already finished and made by button or hammer forged rifling processes. Some cut rifled barrels may also be harmed. It's best to profile and flute the barrel before the drilled blank is rifled, That way, the bore and groove diameters will be more uniform.

I'm convinced factory barrels are fluted because most folks think they make them more accurate as well as stiffer. A secondary reason is they cool faster, and they do but not very much. Good barrels properly fit to the receiver will not change point of impact as they heat up; it's only the poorly made and/or poorly fit ones that walk shots as they heat up. Winchester's had the statement: The fluted barrel allows us to give you a stiffer barrel profile that does not carry excessive weight. on their web site for years. The outside diameters of the standard and fluted barrels are the same; fluted ones weigh less and are more flimsy than their standard ones. Yet, it's one of the biggest myths (lies?) in the shooting sports. Removing strips of metal on the barrel takes away material that made it as stiff as it was. It's the same as a building contractor telling prospective clients that the deck they want will be stiffer made with alternating 2x6's and 2x4's instead of all 2x6's. I've contacted Winchester and mentioned this but they've not fixed that issue. Both reps at their factory I've talked with agreed with my remarks. Therefore, I think Winchester wants that false statement on their web site to sell more products.

Fluted barrels with the same weight per inch of length as a standard one will be stiffer, but not very much so. Fluting does nothing for accuracy; the bullet goes through the hole inside the barrel; it's not a donut shaped thing that slides on the barrel's outside.
 
"Good barrels properly fit to the receiver will not change point of impact as they heat up; it's only the poorly made and/or poorly fit ones that walk shots as they heat up."

I disagree with this statement and I think lots of others who shoot a lot will too.
 
I have two fluted barrel guns, a Remington 700 (221 Fireball) and a Kimber Longmaster Classic (223 Remington), both stainless barrels. Both are very accurate with my handloads and both are very predictable as to their performance as they heat up with successive shots.

I have a Ruger #1V (25-06) with the bull barrel, also a very accurate gun and equally predictable as to its behavior as the barrel heats up with successive shots.

I have a Sauer 202 (7mm Rem Mag), a very high quality gun, light weight sporter barrel, very accurate and repeatable with a cool barrel but it walks in a very predictable manner with successive shots.

My Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 does not "walk" but groups open up as the barrel gets hot.

I no longer own my Sauer 202 (300 Win Mag) or my CZ 550 (243 Win) but both of those were very accurate guns and they would walk with barrel heating in a predictable manner too.

I consider all these to be quality guns.
 
Actually most of the time what people call heat stringing, where your hits keep going higher as your barrel gets hot is actually caused by the ammo in the chamber getting hot and raising the muzzle velocity of that round not the barrel flexing.
 
OP here - an update:

I decided on the Savage 12 BVSS in 308. Couldn't find a single one in stock in my area, thus special ordered it yesterday. Will update after I receive it and had an opportunity to sight it in.

Now, to select the scope - thusfar looking very closely at the Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50 PA wtih dead hold BDC. Looks like a very fine scope for the money, and made right here in good old Wisconsin. I like supporting my home turf ;)
 
Bellasogno nice pick on the rifle.

As far as the scope goes Vortex is a great company with an excellent no questions asked warranty but i think the model your looking at is not a good match for your intended purpose of target shooting it's a hunting scope.

What is your scope budget? And do you prefer Milrad or MOA adjustment ?
 
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