Budget PRS setup

[smoothy8500]

Rem 700 "Varmint Special" 308, shooting Sierra 175 MatchKing at 900 yards. We were at MCB Camp Pendleton for the Police and Fire Games. Factory Remington, factory barrel, in a McMillan stock, nothing special. Scope is a Leupold Mk 4, costs about $700.

Other than the stock, everything is budget priced. So, still think we need multi-thousand custome rifle?

[IronLad]

Rem 700 "Varmint Special" 308, shooting Sierra 175 MatchKing at 900 yards. We were at MCB Camp Pendleton for the Police and Fire Games. Factory Remington, factory barrel, in a McMillan stock, nothing special. Scope is a Leupold Mk 4, costs about $700.

Other than the stock, everything is budget priced. So, still think we need multi-thousand custome rifle?

remmy I must obtain

[deckhandmike]

^Thats why I started with that exact gun. Only cost me 300$ used.

[ar15barrels]

60 degree bolt, as howas have a 90 degree bolt and supposedly 60 is optimal for shooting with gloves or avoiding knuckling the rear of the scope if you fumble the bolt action and grab with more than is needed

60 vs 90 is a trade off in how easy the bolt operates.
With less locking angle, you have to cock the striker with less handle travel.
That means that 60 degree bolts are not as easy to move than 90 degree bolts assuming the same firing pin spring tension.
With simple numbers, a 60 degree bolt lift is 1.5x heavier than a 90 degree.

[ar15barrels]

reason why I chose it. Ive heard of good and bad things. The only one standing out being that it needing a new trigger pretty much as a factor to consider

Any $500 class rifle is going to need an "Excellent" trigger installed before it's really nice to shoot.
All of them will work 'OK" with the stock trigger.
It's up to you to decide if you want "OK" or "Excellent".

[ar15barrels]

are tikkas compatible with r700 aftermarket? Ive considered em too but I just know "enough" of the r700 and howa that ive come here to ask for the opinions of more experienced calgunners

No.

Nobody makes aftermarket clones of Tikka receivers or bolts.
You can build a 700 clone from a dozen different companies without using a single Remington part.

[ar15barrels]

I mention heavy barrel due to them having much longer barrel life and ability to hold accuracy vs the standard pencil barrel some have.

Do you happen to know, just as a theoretical, could a bolt action (tikka, bergara, howa1500 , savage, remington 700, ruger american) with a standard barrel be rebarreled for a thicker or heavy/varmint barrel? Could these be done at home or require a gunsmith if I already have things such as a vise and torque wrench?

The barrel contour does NOT effect the barrel life.
What the barrel contour does is change how many rounds you can fire in a string before the barrel heats up and your point-of-impact changes.
Heavier barrels can fire more rounds before you let them cool.
Heavier barrels recoil less so they are nicer to shoot.
Lighter barrels are nicer to carry all day but you only can shoot a few rounds before they stop shooting to the same point-of-aim.

Light barrelled rifles can be rebarreled with heavy barrels.
Stocks will normally need to be adjusted to accommodate a thicker barrel but if you are getting a new stock anyways, then you can get a stock made for a heavy barrel.
Some actions are better than others for heavy barrels.
For example, a Tikka t3 action can not take a barrel larger than about 1.160" breech diameter without re-machining the front of the receiver because the receiver is tapered at the front.
Standard barrel blanks are 1.250" breech diameter so when you order a blank for a Tikka, you have a get a special contoured blank since blanks are normally not made with 1.160" breech diameters.
A Remington 700 pattern receiver will take a barrel up to 1.350" at the front of the receiver so you can use standard 1.250" breech blanks.

Most rebarrels require a gunsmith.
You are in luck because you happen to live within driving distance of my shop.
I do rifle rebarrel jobs while you wait.

[ar15barrels]

I may go with one of the options reccomended or the r700 still. It has that profound type impression on me and respect for the company despite what freedom did (but I still say it was not in their hands since they were facing bankruptcy, and now want to show that they are still in the game)

The tikkas however seem nice but Id like to obv work up and now Im seeing what would be a good rifle to start that off of

Tikka makes great hunting rifles.
Remington 700 actions make great target rifles.

Get one of each.
You can leave the skinny barrel tikka how it came out of the box and it will be a joy to carry.
It just won't be a joy to shoot groups with because it will recoil too much and not have all the weight of a target rifle.

Build a heavy target rifle on a 700 design action.

[mumzer]

I mention heavy barrel due to them having much longer barrel life and ability to hold accuracy vs the standard pencil barrel some have.

Do you happen to know, just as a theoretical, could a bolt action (tikka, bergara, howa1500 , savage, remington 700, ruger american) with a standard barrel be rebarreled for a thicker or heavy/varmint barrel? Could these be done at home or require a gunsmith if I already have things such as a vise and torque wrench?

heavy barrels do not live inherently longer. Chamber erosion ruins barrels (and dummies cleaning them incorrectly) and the barrel will have a serviceable life. Much like a brake rotor, its subjected to enormous heat and friction and it will erode. full stop.

The bergara IS a remington. it uses the same architecture. barrel swaps are the same.
Savages are easier. they use a barrel nut and you can headspace them without cutting the shoulder or chamber. their fit and finish sucks
Howa - you win some you lose some. You can rebarrel, but you'd be just fine with their hbar barreled actions.
Tikka - you can't shoot better than the barrel they screwed on at the factory. you won't find one that won't shoot.
ruger american - see savage, but fit and finish is worse.

if you are asking this question, you don't have the skills/knowledge to do this safely without a prefit. And your rem700 cannot take prefits without a trip to a smith who can do it once, record the thread details and then spin up and chamber barrels for you.

go to randall. he's in your back yard and you won't blow yourself up that way.

[mumzer]

60 degree bolt, as howas have a 90 degree bolt and supposedly 60 is optimal for shooting with gloves or avoiding knuckling the rear of the scope if you fumble the bolt action and grab with more than is needed

This is about factor 3,723 on the list of **** that materially impacts accurate shooting at distance. it is simply irrelevant to this discussion of budget friendly entry-level bolt guns. i'd give this up first and focus on other criteria. This choice will literally NEVER hold back your success shooting ELR.