Savage Trophy Hunter XP .260 Rem Update

You didn’t really think I would leave the rifle in that plain, bland, flexible stock did you? I did for a while. I mean, part of the allure of the TH XP series is the low cost. But not being able to use a bipod because of the flexible fore end is a big sacrifice. And seeing as how I have to lug everything out to my shooting location I was looking for a fix after the first thirty rounds anyways.

After some time with the setup and after a little searching online, I settled on what I think is one of the most basic upgrades you can make to this line of rifle. First off is the stock. I purchased a Boyd’s Classic laminate stock in nutmeg (item #43A264D04111). I almost went for the walnut but since my shooting takes place in all weather conditions I felt the laminate would hold up better. Action screw holes are 4.44” which match the factory holes perfectly. My example features a slightly darker shade than the picture on the website but sacrifices none of the grain. Two sling mounts come installed. Inletting for bottom metal, trigger guard, and action screws are true.

And that leads me to the bottom metal. From reading online forums, there seems to be a lot of confusion regarding what is actually needed to make an aftermarket stock like a Boyd’s Classic work. The factory polymer tab magazines are not compatible with this system. Even if they were I would still change it out. A ten minute call with a Savage Arms customer rep solved the problem. When I explained what I intended to do with the rifle, the rep on the other end said they get these requests quite frequently. I ended up purchasing a metal trigger guard assembly (item #107217), metal frame assembly (item #106705), and a metal magazine bottom cap (item #106245). Total cost including shipping was $138.

Replacing the factory stock with the Boyd’s was as simple as unscrewing the two action screws, replacing the stock, adding frame and trigger guard, and then installing the screws. The factory polymer tab magazine is converted by squeezing the sides of the magazine body until it detaches from the polymer base. You then squeeze the sides again the install the metal magazine base. And that’s it. I now have a wood stocked rifle without a hint of plastic anywhere. The magazine locks into place with a strong audible click. The metal frame and trigger guard seat perfectly into the stock with no play. The action screws fasten positive and sure.

Next on the list of upgrades was a bipod. After receiving the stock and bottom metal, I was impatient and wanted to test the setup as soon as possible. The only bipod I found locally was a Harris Ultralight 1A2 BRM for $105. It attached easy enough and features spring loaded expandable legs with notches. It works great for the uneven terrain I find myself shooting from most days and stays put without hassle. If I had to buy again with more options I’d probably pick the same one.

Lastly, I made an unintended upgrade to the scope rings. When checking the scope before I re-zeroed after getting everything together, I noticed the cross hairs were canted. As I tightened the rings after correcting the problem one of the screws pierced the threads on the rings. A quick drive and $15 later had Leupold rings in its place.

Overall, I think the accuracy is about the same. I never had any issues with the rifle in its original configuration. On the other hand, making accurate shots is a great deal easier with the additional weight and bipod. The metal frame and magazine cap feels a lot more studier than the polymer counterpart and it along with the laminate stock look incredibly better. Cost of rifle shipped plus transfer: $521.31. Stock, bottom metal, bipod, and rings plus shipping: $258. Rebate: -$75. Final total: $704.31.

And just to give you an idea about the cost of reloading the .260 Rem vs. buying factory ammunition: 276 reloads so far at an average cost of $.48/round or $9.60/box of 20 vs. an average factory price of $1.65/round or $33/box of 20.

I’ve shot an equivalent of 13.8 boxes of factory ammo which cost me about $132 to reload. Had I bought that ammo I would have been out about $455 and that doesn’t include shipping. That’s a savings of $323 which have more than paid for the reloading dies ($45).