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Savage 10 Expectations

T

tomcatfan

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 22, 2010
953
704
41
Southern MD.
#1
I bought a Savage 10fp with a threaded 5r barrel, chambered in a .308 about a year ago and have loved shooting it. With that being said was wondering, just how accurate are savage shooters shooting with their sticks?

I know savages are supposed to be tack drivers. In reloading, the best consistent loads I have gotten are about .75" at 100 yds. In shooting Fiocchi Exacta Match ammo, I have gotten a couple of groupings around .25" at 100 yds. But the average 5 round group of a box averages .5" at 100 yds. Perhaps I just suck at reloading, but I can't seem to get my reloads as accurate as factory. Either way, what are your sticks doing?

I know there are a lot of things that play in to this equation, but I'm just looking to see what people are doing with similar Savages.

 
#2
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

First off .5 average is very good. You should be able to do at leat as good as factory ammo usually better from fine tuning a load to your gun. When my 10fcp was stock I think I was getting closer to .75 consistantly with my hand loads. On good days I could trim that to under .5 but on the average I'd say closer to .75. When your ready to upgrade a true and time is under $200 and a good pre fit barrel is 3 to 4 hundred.
 
#3
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

My Savage 308, with the load it likes averages around .50" @ 100 yds most days when I'm in the groove.I've just had the Mcmillan stock pillar bedded so I'm expecting that to improve slightly.Not that you suck at reloading, you may not have found what your rifle likes....keep trying! Mine LUVS 155gr Scenars over Varget.
 
#5
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

155 Scenar, 47.5 gr of Varghey (varget) 2.850" and you should be in a good load area.
lets see a picture of that stick. is it in a tupperware stock? Accustock? McM? Manners? HS?
need a little detail too
 
#6
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

Stock mine would do .75" five shot groups with Georgia Arms' 168 match bullets. Added a shilen barrel, B&C stock and had the trigger worked on now it will do .3 on a good day but I normally get about .5" five shot groups out of It wilth hand loads. (175 SMK over 44gr Varget)
 
#7
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

168gr. SMK, 41.9 Varget, BR2 primer, Lapua brass and 2.82" gave me a best three shot group of .098" during a tight group competition at our local range. Witnessed, measured and signed by the range owner. I've also have another three shot group that went .116". But most of the time they're around .5. PICS
 
#8
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JES629</div><div class="ubbcode-body">168gr. SMK, 41.9 Varget, BR2 primer, Lapua brass and 2.82" gave me a best three shot group of .098" during a tight group competition at our local range. Witnessed, measured and signed by the range owner. I've also have another three shot group that went .116". But most of the time they're around .5. PICS </div></div>

That is kind of crazy. What is your set up?

But to anwer the question above, the rifle is completely stock (at least the important parts). I have the accustock with the accutrigger. I have added a muzzle brake which did not change accuracy at all and a nikon buckmaster scope. I know its not the best glass but it gets the job done. But with all the above comments, it looks like the rifle is shooting about similar to what others are doing.
 
#9
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Savage 10fp</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JES629</div><div class="ubbcode-body">168gr. SMK, 41.9 Varget, BR2 primer, Lapua brass and 2.82" gave me a best three shot group of .098" during a tight group competition at our local range. Witnessed, measured and signed by the range owner. I've also have another three shot group that went .116". But most of the time they're around .5. PICS </div></div>

That is kind of crazy. What is your set up?


But to anwer the question above, the rifle is completely stock (at least the important parts). I have the accustock with the accutrigger. I have added a muzzle brake which did not change accuracy at all and a nikon buckmaster scope. I know its not the best glass but it gets the job done. But with all the above comments, it looks like the rifle is shooting about similar to what others are doing.</div></div>

My setup is fairly common. 10FP action and barrel, B&C Medalist stock, Ken Ferrell 10moa base, Warne rings, Leupold 6.5X20X50 VARI X III and Karsten cheek piece. I give credit to my Dad for working up a wicked load for my rifle. He's been doing this for over 40 years and is a human .com when it comes to reloading and firearms. He's forgotten more than I'll ever know.

Then link to the pictures in my previous post shows the target I mentioned. It mic'd a .407 outside.

Here are a few more targets...
BESTGROUPS_01.jpg

TAR_011.jpg





 
#10
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

I’m clueless about reloading (I’m educating myself to begin reloading though), but can’t you just take the same components in the factory load that your rifle likes and reload your own? It should produce the same result. No?
 
#11
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kevin1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I’m clueless about reloading (I’m educating myself to begin reloading though), but can’t you just take the same components in the factory load that your rifle likes and reload your own? It should produce the same result. No? </div></div>

Do a little research in the reloading section. Now, I'm by no means an expert; novice at best compared to most on this site. If your rifle shoots well with 168's or 175's, stick with that weight and keep the factory once fired brass. This brass has been fire formed to your chamber. Other than that, it's all R&D from there. Most reloading manuals will give you a safe start load. As far as getting the same results, with a proper load for your rifle, you should see better results.
 
#12
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kevin1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I’m clueless about reloading (I’m educating myself to begin reloading though), but can’t you just take the same components in the factory load that your rifle likes and reload your own? It should produce the same result. No? </div></div>

Also a big problem is finding the factory load components. For example, Fiocchi uses a disk powder in their exacta match ammo. I have tried to find something that comes close but I haven't had any luck. The factories do keep that stuff under pretty close wraps to keep the business competitive.
 
#13
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

As a rule-of-thumb, I would never try to duplicate a factory loading. I have a friend who wouldn't listen to those who are more knowledgable on this subject. He was mixing powders for some WSSM caliber. He's now the 9.5 fingered man.
 
#14
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

I shot a hole in a plywood target backer a few days ago with a 9mm and put a 9mm projectile back in the hole. Went back to 100yds and shot it out with a savage 10fp-sr .223 with a yhm phantom suppressor attached. First round cold bore. Ta thing is a tack driver out of the box!!! Every savage i own is good. .204 hitting p-dogs at 550yds. 110ba .338 lapua first round hits at 1200yds. For the money i think they are some of the best out there. They have come a long way!!
 
#16
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

If you want a rifle that shoots .308 better than you're already doing, you'll be wanting a Bench Rest rifle.

Fortunately, Savage makes one of those, too. It's called the Model 12 Bench Rest.

How imaginative of them to be calling it that, eh?

Greg
 
#17
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

My daughter has been shooting a Precision Carbine for about 3 years now, she has shot a best of .198 with it at 100yds, it averages .5 to .6 moa out to 600 yards. I watched her shoot a 184 at 600yds on a f class target with a 10 power scope her first time trying it.(same day shot a 4.5 inch group at 600yds) The rifle is completely stock except it is 14.5 inch with fixed brake. There is a stock sitting at Manners for it when she is done hunting deer with it this fall. She can drive a rifle but Savage did a good job with the Precision carbine.
 
#18
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

.5 is pretty dang good for an average. Of course the groups will vary as people have good days and bad days. I agree that you should work on load development. I shoot 168 and 175gr Sierra SMK's for the most part. My 10fp factory action/barrel 1-10twist rate shoots alot of bullets well. It really likes Hornady 168gr Amax bullets too. I wouldn't call it a factory rifle, as I've upgraded everything, but the action/barrel. I bought a separate barrel and action from here on the hide and put em together. Added a Choate tactical, CDI BDM, Stockade recoil lug and tac bolt handle, bolt lift mod, Ferrel 20moa rail bedded, factory accutrigger tuned, Burris XTR rings, Leupold 4.5-14X50 MK4 LR/T mildot. It shoots around .5 average and probably .25 on a really good day. I shoot my reloads alot and I'm still developing or trying new things. 44.5gr varget under a 175gr SMK in prepped brass, with Federal large rifle primers, at .010 into the lands and I've had very good luck with that.

Work on load development and when you find one that works well, then play with the AOL and try loading short of the lands and load into the lands to see if that helps. For load development, start at the minimum powder charge and work up in .5gr increments. Look at your brass and you'll see when you have met the max charge for your rifle. Look at the rim for the brass to "flow" and you'll see when the ejector and and such start imprinting into your brass, which means that your brass has so much pressure that it will actually "flow" around these items and show the imprints of them in the brass. At that point, then back off .5gr of powder and you're probably set on the powder charge. Take good notes and don't simply rely on groups to show you the best performance. Your gun is doing what it is supposed to do out of the box, so it's all on you to find ways to make it better. This may simply be you practicing with your rifle and forming better habits to make your accuracy more consistent!

Check out long range pursuit's website and they have tips that will help you with reloading and shooting long range. Other then that, read the posts and do search's on the hide site and you'll find alot of reloading information. Do the search on google and type "snipershide" on the end and you'll get better results then simply using the search here on the site. Goodluck
 
#20
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

I have a 10FP that has been heavily modified with new barrels, calibers, stock, trigger, and DBM system. When the rifle was new with the OEM barrel it was giving me between .6 to .75 moa groups at 100 yards using BH 175gr BTHP. I started playing with SMK's and Varget and was getting pretty consistent 5 round groups that measured .5 moa. It even shot Georgia Arms version of M118 very accurately.

I have since switched the barrels on it and now bounce between a 1 in 10 Lothar Walther in .308 Win, and a Benchmark 1 in 8 in .260 Rem. It's a hammer with either chambering, but the best groups came from the .260 barrel when I ran HSM's 123gr Sceenar load. A 10 shot string at 100 yards was under .5 moa! It holds very tight groups well past 600 yards using hand loads in the .308 Win. Honestly, it's the most accurate rifle I own. It 's not as finicky as my Remingtons and seems to shoot very well with whatever I feed it.

Play with seating depth a bit and find out where you rifle prefers bullets in relation to the lands. Also, play with powders and make sure that when you are measuring powder you are being very critical. Velocity variations will normally show up as vertical stringing in your groups, providing you are driving the rifle correctly. Horizontal strings are most likely you and how you manipulate the trigger. The bottom line is .5 to .75 moa is outstanding accuracy for a factory rifle, and you should be thrilled to be getting that kind of accuracy out of off the shelf ammunition.
 
#23
Re: Savage 10 Expectations

Take a look at the sticky threads in the reloading section here. The ladder test method of load development is far and away the greatest method of load testing I have ever seen. The stickies in that section also are really well written and contain a great deal of help in perfecting a load. Consistency is the key.
 
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