Mossberg 100ATR as a starting point

[CzaRon]

What are your opinions on using Mossberg's 100ATR bolt gun as a base for my .338 Federal and .280 Remington sorta semi custom  rifles. Inexpensive and would only need rebarrelling. Not looking for tack drivers but good enough for PA deer 1 1/2 in groups are good enough.Thanks guys.

[kyelkhunter3006]

It would work fine as long as you don't want to change the stock or the trigger.  I don't know of any after-market makers for either of them, but honestly, I haven't checked for them either.  If you think that you will want to change the stock or the trigger, you're better off getting a Stevens 200, as it's in the same price range and there are a ton of accessories for them, being a basic Savage action.

[owenv]

I'd go with a tikka.  For about the same price they are a better rifle right out of the box.

[Freezer]

   Savage rifles are inexpensive and can be found used every where.  If it's your intention to tweak the gun any way the Savage barrels come off with a Savage barrel wrench and can be done at home.  I just don't see the need to start with a new inexpensive rifle when a semi custom is what you want, a used action will serve you fine for less money.  There are also allot of good Mauser actions out there and the sky is the limit when it comes to customizing them.

[MGMorden]

There are also allot of good Mauser actions out there and the sky is the limit when it comes to customizing them.

I'll second this advice.  There are a staggering amount of accessories out there for your plain-jane Mauser 98 action, and you can usually find one that's been messed with already for pretty cheap.  Heck there's one down at a local gunshop I check in at marked $149 that has had all the conversion work already done (still sitting in the military stock though).  Little guns like that are excellent candidates to have rebarreled and restocked into a very nice rifle IMHO.