When you go down the upgrading route with a savage you end up with something like this and it’s shoots as well as anything out there
Is my Savage worth upgrading?
- Thread starter bigred6695
- Start date
Which chassis and magazine combo is that? Don't be afraid to over share the specs.
sweet setup! Which barrel? What group size can you get from it? Lastly, what made you do these upgrades vs buying/building another rig?
For me, if you look at the last post on page one. Was because I had the rifle which I probably wasn't going to shoot much, if at all. The barrel which was a 7mm-08 didn't shoot well. I also didn't have anything in the magnum crowd so I started looking at my options for short actions. Then like most my ideas and projects, they snow ball. Next thing I know I have an avalanche with more money sunk into something than I first intended.
Well crap, now I might have to upgrade the nylon .300 Win Mag stock, if I can find a mag. I have 3 with plastic stocks and the Palma. I have a second laminate long action Palma stock on hand that I was going to use.
It’s a 24 inch xcaliber m24 contour barrel. Gun will shoot 5 shot groups under .25 inch when everything falls into place but under .5 inch pretty much anytime you take her out on the town. Honestly the build started when I got back into shooting long range. Had a surgeon action custom build back in the day. Long story short sold that when I had other things going on and years later got interested again so I bought a savage to mess around cheap and it slowly evolved into this. Now the only factory parts are the action and bolt handle but even when it was straight from the factory it was a sub .75 moa gun. Even though the money invested is in the neighborhood of a custom rifle it was a shooter from day one before the upgrades so it’s a good platform to start out and build over time as funds become available. It’s fun to be competitive with an underdog rifle so I don’t regret it plus I learned a lot about how to work on the rifle with this platform rather than just buy a full custom again. This is a target from a recent range trip doing load testing so these are six loads from 41.5 grains up to 42.5 grains so it likes multiple loads as most fit inside roughly a dime. You won’t be undergunned with a savage if you get your fundamentals down and get out and shoot. Im not knocking a custom gun and this isn’t my only rifle so I’m guilty of buying some big names also but top tier results can be had with practice and a savage.
Haha now that’s funny!The old finger/nickel covering the flyer trick!!
I like to use my caliper!
My Savage 12FV goes to 1000 yards no problem on repeat... it's a 308. Barrel has about 1,200 rounds through it and seems to be fine so far.
Only issue is the barrel was starting to "rust" a wee bit when I went to K&M for a long range shooting course and it was very, very humid. When I got home, I rubbed it real good with a silicon cloth and that seems to have stopped it, but it's not perfect. I'll rebarrel some day.
The action isn't as smooth as my Bergara HMR Pro or any custom, but I figure I'll have it "trued" when I re-barrel to fancy it up a bit.
It's only actual operational ISSUE is that it doesn't always have a strong ejection and sometimes it gets hung up on mags when closing the bolt and I have to futz around with it for a second. Really annoying in PRS... but I wasn't going to win anyway so, whatever.
Only issue is the barrel was starting to "rust" a wee bit when I went to K&M for a long range shooting course and it was very, very humid. When I got home, I rubbed it real good with a silicon cloth and that seems to have stopped it, but it's not perfect. I'll rebarrel some day.
The action isn't as smooth as my Bergara HMR Pro or any custom, but I figure I'll have it "trued" when I re-barrel to fancy it up a bit.
It's only actual operational ISSUE is that it doesn't always have a strong ejection and sometimes it gets hung up on mags when closing the bolt and I have to futz around with it for a second. Really annoying in PRS... but I wasn't going to win anyway so, whatever.
I don't cover flyers. When I have them they are horizontal as a rule and about 3"left. THey are from my heart beat which is how far the rifle moves when I don't shoot at the bottom of my breathing.The old finger/nickel covering the flyer trick!!
I like to use my caliper!
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I just ordered a new match barrel.from Northern Shooting Supplies. For $450 with a new barrel nut, recoil lug, and go no go gauges it was around 600.
Exciting!
Seems like there’s a lot of Savage haters chiming in so I’ll be the one that loves them. I have a bear model in 325WSM, 2 predators 6.5CM and 6.5x284 Norma a F class in 6mm BR Norma and bench rest model in 6.5-284 norma
All of the above hunting rifles are absolute tack drivers. The F class and bench rest models are incredible quality and again less $$$ than you could custom build if you are just getting started
my latest is a 110 Elite Precision 6.5CM and it has an assume build quality and accuracy beyond belief. I couldn’t build the same rifle for what it cost and it fits the base class perfectly with Vortex 6-24 diamondback tactical scope
the first Savage I bought was the bench rest model and from that point forward savage is all I buy
with regards to barrels on savage’s I built 2 custom long range handguns on the Savage Stryker with custom aluminum stock and a 1”x16” custom barrels from sharp shooter supply with their add-on brake in 6mm BR norma and 6.5-284 Norma and the barrels were great quality and accuracy and didn’t break the bank. Their brakes are great and I have leupold 50x long range scope with target dot and can maintain 4” eye relief and not get smacked. The handguns weigh 15.5lbs
All of the above hunting rifles are absolute tack drivers. The F class and bench rest models are incredible quality and again less $$$ than you could custom build if you are just getting started
my latest is a 110 Elite Precision 6.5CM and it has an assume build quality and accuracy beyond belief. I couldn’t build the same rifle for what it cost and it fits the base class perfectly with Vortex 6-24 diamondback tactical scope
the first Savage I bought was the bench rest model and from that point forward savage is all I buy
with regards to barrels on savage’s I built 2 custom long range handguns on the Savage Stryker with custom aluminum stock and a 1”x16” custom barrels from sharp shooter supply with their add-on brake in 6mm BR norma and 6.5-284 Norma and the barrels were great quality and accuracy and didn’t break the bank. Their brakes are great and I have leupold 50x long range scope with target dot and can maintain 4” eye relief and not get smacked. The handguns weigh 15.5lbs
The secret to accuracy with the factory Savage barrels is they are not designed to push into rifling. I actually used the seating depth in the reloading manuals; works perfectly. I learned this the hard way when I first started playing the long range game from listening to people at the range that had full custom guns in same calibers and were seating .010-.015” into the lands. The guns wouldn’t shoot well at all. Went with the COL specs from the bullet manufacturer’s reloading guides and worked up loads until I found what worked. This was determined per a call to Savage tech support
I am looking at a Savage 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP 308 in left handed.
Not looking to shoot competitions just for hunting to fill a gap in distances in what I have.
This will be my first non AR style rifle outside my 10/22.
Any concerns that might make this setup a pass for me?
Not looking to shoot competitions just for hunting to fill a gap in distances in what I have.
This will be my first non AR style rifle outside my 10/22.
Any concerns that might make this setup a pass for me?
The main thing that most do not like about a Savage is the heavy bolt lift, possible weak ejection and how it feels to manipulate.
But, like has been said, today's Savage rifles are pretty accurate out of the box.
Just don't expect the feel of an ARC Nucleus, or Terminus Zeus.
The only other bolt action rifle that I have is a Ferret 50, which I have not fired yet but have cycled the bolt and you do have go up with the bolt purposely in order to pull back the bolt. If that is what you are referring to as a heavy bolt lift then I could get used to that.
Make sure you've outgrown the barrel/rifle before you upgrade. Are you sure you're shooting YOUR best yet, taken courses and instruction and worked at it, got your technique really down?
I bought a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor years ago and LOVED it, both the caliber and the rifle. So much so that when I read about the Ruger Precision 6.5 I HAD to get one.........and have never looked back. Got a terrific flatshooter that years later just took me out to 1350 with the original barrel at an Extra Long Distance course (hit a target at a mile there, but that was on a borrowed Cheytac). Training is important!!!
NOW it's time for me to look back. I need to take that Savage I first bought, with my improved reloads (wasn't doing my own back then) and my improved technique and experience, and see what that gun will shoot. I'll bet good money it's gonna surprise me!
ALSO: Make sure your optics are decent. Should spend at least as much on your scope as on your rifle. Good luck and ENJOY!!!
Holy Cow! Now I've got to google ARC Nucleaus and Terminus Zeus and find more things I can't afford. RPRs fit my budget best!
OK, The ARC (American Rifle Company) Nucleus wasn't all that bad. Couldn't nail down the Terminus Zeus but along the search found out I CANNOT afford Proof Research !!!
