MDT Field Stock and the neverending Savage build

So once upon a time I accidentally bought a barreled Savage action in .223 ... no bolt.
Eventually had old mate Greg from Custom Guns track me down a new bolt and we're away laughing. You'd think.

Couldn't find a stock to fit the supposedly more common 4.27" action screw spacing. Now have a spare or two for the 4.40" actions I have now though ...

After considering a few options, like importing a chassis, or drilling out one of my spare stocks, I found that Target Dynamics had an MDT Field Stock or two so I ordered one, in tan. Cleverly, MDT's solved the action screw spacing conundrum for Savage with an oval hole and an eccentric washer. Smart.

Attachment 254055

After the permit came through, it arrived. First impression is it's nice. Not as heavy as a chassis but not a lightweight. Should be great to shoot off the bench or the tripod, but not terrible to lug around the farm after goats or fallow or far away rabbits. Solid ali bedding area. Good solid feel, no flex in the forend to speak of. Nice trigger guard, decent AICS type mag release (ordered the 10rnd mag too), and the length of pull spacers. MLok forend, vertical-ish grip, adjustable comb That's nifty because the missus enjoys shooting and she needs less of a LOP. I can shoot a rifle with a smaller LOP if I'm shooting with her but it's nice to lengthen it if I take it away myself. Nicely ergonomic and feels good in various positions testing it.

I'm at the point I've got it all put together with a Minox scope I had lying around and some Talleys and I'll get it out to the range this weekend to see how it shoots. I'll report back.

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Shoots well ... annoyingly though, the spare scope I put on it seems to have an issue. Absolutely no focus at anything above about 6 power.

Stock is great though. Not overly heavy, nice and solid, feels good in the hand with the palm swell, mag snaps in easily and comes out well when the release is pressed. Overall pretty impressed.

@Tim Any progress on this? How did it shoot?

It has a GPO 4-16 on it now and it suits the rifle. Shoots very well, as Savages do, likes the Belmont 55gr which is lucky because I have a bit of it. The stock is great to shoot with, I like the ergonomics of it. Overall very pleased.

I’m chiming in as a word of caution to other Savage owners that might go this route. I bought 3 of the Fieldstocks for my Savages and 2 of them fit fine. The third one does not. Seems the trigger location is a bit too far forward, .030”, and the bolt release lever is hitting the bedding block where the rear screw hole is. You’ll be able to get it fit with the bolt in the action but it wont cock and be functional and you can’t remove the bolt because the lever is blocked. If you remove the bolt it won’t fit unless you really force it in place and then the bolt releases lever won’t work. You can visually see that the bolt release lever is too far forward in relationship to the action screw hole.

I have another Savage and I’m going to try and swap the bolt release or the trigger entirely but I have a feeling I’ll be buying a burr for the dremel and relieving the bedding block.