Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Stevens 200 lightweight build

I have a Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 sitting in the safe doing nothing.

I was looking at some Remington model 7s lately but couldn't bring myself to buy one.

Are there any lightweight, compact, wooden or laminate stocks out there that I could put on this?

If I could get a compact stock I could cut and crown the barrel at 20" and probably have a nice little carrying rifle. I know it won't be a model 7. But could still come up with a nice rifle probably if stocks are available.

-Jake

There isn't a lot out there for Stevens 200 rifles, and there isn't a lot you can do cheaply to lighten up a Savage rifle.

First thing you'll need to determine is if you have a centerfeed 4.40" or staggerfeed rifle 4.275". Savage/Stevens rifles had two different screw spacings for their short actions. Once you figure out your screw spacing you'll know which stock to buy. Easiest way to determine is a centerfeed magazine is attached to the stock, a staggerfeed is attached to the action.

A factory takeoff stock will be your best bet for a wood. You can shorten LOP and reshape the factory stock pretty easily to get it the size you want. Boyd's gunstocks will be the best option for a laminated stock. Laminate stocks will be a lot harder to reshape due to the glue. Both options will probably be heavier than the factory stock currently on your rifle.

I’d sell the Stevens and buy a Model 7

Yep.

If you want a model 7 why settle for less?

If you want a light bolt action rifle, sell the Stevens, skip the Remington 7, and buy a Kimber Hunter.

I've owned Stevens 200s, other than the roll stamps, they are the same as the pre-AccuTrigger 110 series with a light gray colored stock. Still a heavy action that can have weight milled away, but if you can't do it yourself, probably not worth paying someone competent to do.

I own a bunch of Remington 7s and in their 18.5" and 20" configurations they are butt-heavy and don't point nearly as well as you'd want.

I own 4 Kimber Hunters, as well as a few faux-700 TI parts gunss, and think that the Hunters are the best value in a light weight hunting rifle if they are chambered for a cartridge that you favor. One of mine is rebarreled in 22 CM, but the other three are factory specs in 243, 6.5CM, and 308, cartridges that cover the spectrum of whatever I'm likely to shoot these days.

No Hunter’s, but very fond of the Montana’s

If you want a lightweight hunting rifle get a new Weatherby backcountry Ti. 5 lbs.

BTDT it wasn't terribly expensive for the mill work, it got expensive later trying to keep the action from canting in the stock. It would be cheaper just to buy the Lightweight Storm at this time than to mill metal away. The OP wouldn't have a wood stock, but he'd get an SS light rifle in 7-08 with a street price under $800.

I imagine the current price of Model Seven rifles is what's driving the OP to consider his Stevens 200. Like I stated earlier a wood stock and cutting the lightest 2" off the barrel isn't going to save much if any weight. It might make for a handy rifle though.

Magazine is attached to the action. So, based off what Taylorce said I'll need something to fit the staggered feed action.

Which sounds like it'll further limit my options.

Thanks to the couple of people that have PMed on this topic as well.

And yes, I agree on the model 7, and I'll have one eventually. . My list of wants is long.

But what I have currently is an accurate staggered feed action in 7mm-08 with no purpose taking up room in my safe lol!

-jake

Numrich has what you need. There are a few other options as well.

Don't listen to the guys saying to sell it and buy a model 7. The Stevens 200 is going to outshoot a model 7, 7 days a week, and twice on Sunday.

The route I took was to put my Stevens 200 into a newer Savage stock. This one was off of an XP Trophy Hunter, with a detachable mag:


This rifle is a sleeper, like most Steven's 200's:



They are cheap, but tend to shoot well. The triggers are crap. I replace them with a Timney.

I've had several of these and have three currently. Two 7mm-08s and a .270. All shoot great.

Guess I was looking for something a little different on this one
-Jake

That actually will probably do perfectly.

Think I should chop the barrel down any?

-Jake

Maybe he doesn't care if it shoots bug holes. Maybe he wants a different kind of gun? Maybe he wants a model 7, just because he wants one.

Just sayin...

That's totally up to you. I'd wait to cut it until you have it in the stock. That way you can figure out where you want the balance.

The Stevens 200s seem to have a cult following, I remember when Academy put them on clearance for $179 several years ago. I have heard from a couple of guys that they are almost the same as Savage 11/111s

I thought the Stevens 200 was basically an Axis?

No that's the edge

No. It's a 110 action in a crappy stock

I've had good luck with them. I had one 22-250 that I couldn't get to feed properly. All the others have been excellent but ugly.



-Jake

Here's a couple. Wife's .270 and a 7mm-08 I put together for my daughter.

The boyds stocks are too heavy though. Which is why I'm looking to go lighter.

I think I'll try that one from numrich. I'll post back when I get it.

These rifles have treated us well though and put allot of meat in the freezer.





-Jake