Stevens 200 Review

Stevens 200 Review:

A while back I became interested in long range hunting and shooting. After much research I began to get a bit discouraged, seeing many people with these high dollar custom rifles and knowing my budget would not allow for that in the near future. So I set out with a goal in mind, “long range on a buget”. After much more research I decided to go with the Stevens Model 200 in .308 Winchester.

Specs: Stevens Model 200

Caliber: 308 Winchester

Barrel: 22in blue

Magazine: Centerfed holds 4rds

Stock: Synthetic

Weight: 6.5lbs

MSRP: $415

I went with this rifle because it was in my budget and I knew I could upgrade it as my budget allowed. When I first picked up the rifle I noticed it was lightweight but I also noticed the stock. It is flimsy, cheap and down right ugly. The stock however does come fre-floated and has pillars installed from the factory which I thought was a nice touch. I also noticed that the trigger was rough, while it can be easily adjusted it is still “sloppy”. Luckily Stevens are made by Savage so there are hundreds of aftermarket stocks, triggers, barrels, etc. which I had planned for. A Stevens 200 is basically a Savage Model 10 without the Accu-Trigger.

I couldn’t live with the stock the way it was, but couldn’t afford a new one at the time as that money was for optics and a heavier barrel. So being a “DIY kinda guy” I reshaped the stock, bedded it, painted it and added an adjustable cheek piece. Which made it acceptable for the time being, however I will still upgrade it as soon as my budget allows. As for optics I went with a Wonders Optics 4-15×50, TPS low rings, and a Weaver 20moa one peice picitinny rail. The barrel is an E.R. Shaw 24in varmint countour 1/10 twist. I then added a Tac-Ops cheek peice. Even with the somewhat ugly stock I think it still looks quite nice.

After ordering a couple boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match ammo in 168 grain and getting it sighted in I decided to see what this rifle was capable of. I shot two 3 shot groups at 100 yards. When I did my part and followed the fundamentals the group could be covered with a quarter and even when I didn’t do my part behind the gun it only opened up a little bit. All in all I think this is a great rifle if your looking into long range shooting or just looking for a new hunting rifle on a budget.

By: Ben Youngblood