My uncle purchased a Savage heavy barreled 308 almost a year ago and we have been dealing with inconsistencies the entire time. The cheap synthetic stock was replaced with a B&C Tactical Medalist stock. The original scope was a Millet TRS-1 4-16 in Burris XTR rings and a EGW 0MOA base.
The gun was able to hit 6in targets at 400 yards but he never really shot it for groups until the last few months. The groups at 400 were pretty disappointing. He would get a round 3in to the right, 4in to the left, etc. 6-7in groups at 400. Really all over the place with no real consistency. He could slide over to our old Ruger M77 and shoot a 3in group at 400.
This performance started the merry-go-round of 2 other scopes (1 being a Mk4 M3 10x) and 2 other stocks (1 being the stock synthetic). We have tried cheap factory ammo and 3 different proved handloads all with 168gr SMK.
This leads me to today. I just shot this rifle again today and posted 2, 1MOA 5 shot groups at 100. The rounds were a little scattered but all within the 1in. box. The other groups had a few rounds touching then a few more touching an inch and a half from the others.
Is this just the acceptable performance of this rifle? Savage said to ship it back, but I have a feeling it will still come back as a 1MOA rifle. I personally have 2, 1/2MOA Savages so I know they make good out-of-the-box guns.
It could very well be all shooter-related and without strapping the action into a rest, we can't tell. If Savage doesn't find anything wrong, I have a feeling this one is headed to the sale block.
The gun was able to hit 6in targets at 400 yards but he never really shot it for groups until the last few months. The groups at 400 were pretty disappointing. He would get a round 3in to the right, 4in to the left, etc. 6-7in groups at 400. Really all over the place with no real consistency. He could slide over to our old Ruger M77 and shoot a 3in group at 400.
This performance started the merry-go-round of 2 other scopes (1 being a Mk4 M3 10x) and 2 other stocks (1 being the stock synthetic). We have tried cheap factory ammo and 3 different proved handloads all with 168gr SMK.
This leads me to today. I just shot this rifle again today and posted 2, 1MOA 5 shot groups at 100. The rounds were a little scattered but all within the 1in. box. The other groups had a few rounds touching then a few more touching an inch and a half from the others.
Is this just the acceptable performance of this rifle? Savage said to ship it back, but I have a feeling it will still come back as a 1MOA rifle. I personally have 2, 1/2MOA Savages so I know they make good out-of-the-box guns.
It could very well be all shooter-related and without strapping the action into a rest, we can't tell. If Savage doesn't find anything wrong, I have a feeling this one is headed to the sale block.
