BA 10 owners share your experience with your rifle

[Stewy]

With my tax returns hitting the bank this week I went out and bought a 10 BA .308 win. I have not fired my weapon yet and I am woundering what your experience has been with your 10 BA rifle. Did your weapon work perfectly out of the box? Did you have any miss fires? Please let me know what you have encountered.

[bodywerks]

Have you been reading somewhere that suggests that your factory new savage won't fire properly or shoot accurately? So long as you use good match ammo your rifle should be quite accurate n reliable.

[Ludicrous]

Love my 10BA. VERY accurate and with the weight and muzzle break its no problem for me to shoot 100-200 rounds each range session. I did take the crazy factory scope base off and replaced it with a Farrell 40 MOA steel base. No problems with the rifle at all. One annoying thing is I have to dial the cheek piece down to remove the bolt. (Mark your preferred height so you can dial it back easy)

[FW Conch]

How high is your scope mounted ? ?

[Stewy]

Thanks for your feed back guys, I heard some owners were having firing pin issues where the pin wasn't penterating the primer at the .060 depth it needed to to fire the round. I was curious because the range I will be going to is 80 miles away and that would be a sad day if I took 90 minutes to get thier to have a missfires.


If for some reason I have this issue how do I adjust the travel of the firing pin. I have read my owners manual cover to cover and I didn't see in the manual how to do this. I just want to be prepared if the unlikely chance I have this issue I want to know how to fix it in the field.

[Stewy]

Still haven't gone to the range yet, but I did chamber a round today with the safety at mid position. On the back of the bolt I was expecting the cocking indicator to protrude out the back of the bolt. Well it didn't protrude out like I expected it to with a chambered round.

Should I take this back to the store? I will be very angry if I make a 3 hour round trip to the range for it not to shoot.

[bootsmcguire]

IIRC the cocking indicator is just that, a cocking indicator. It is not a loaded chamber indicator. With an empty chamber, close the bolt and visually refernce where the indicator is, then open the bolt and with the safety off depress the trigger and close the bolt. Now look at the indicator and it should be down. loaded or unloaded should make no difference to the idicator.

[bodywerks]

It is not a loaded chamber indicator. It is merely a cocking indicator. With the bolt cycled and in battery the indicator should be flush with the back of the bolt assembly screw. Pull the trigger (remove the round first!) And it will sink in by about 5/16".
Honestly, you're worrying about nothing. Too much internet folk lore on your mind. Take the **** thing to the range and shoot it!

[Stewy]

I did what you asked, but i was refearing to the back of the bolt carrier. On the bolt actions in the owners manual it shows a pin that comes out the back of the bolt when a round is chambered. Does the 10 BA not have this feature? I really wish the owners manual was model specific and not for multiple models.

[Tempest]

Have one and love it.

[thomae]

Thanks for your feed back guys, I heard some owners were having firing pin issues where the pin wasn't penterating the primer at the .060 depth it needed to to fire the round. I was curious because the range I will be going to is 80 miles away and that would be a sad day if I took 90 minutes to get thier to have a missfires.


If for some reason I have this issue how do I adjust the travel of the firing pin. I have read my owners manual cover to cover and I didn't see in the manual how to do this. I just want to be prepared if the unlikely chance I have this issue I want to know how to fix it in the field.

I think you are making much ado about nothing. Rifles are test fired at the factory, so ideally, your rifle should function. (I know, Murphy's law says that defects do get through from time to time.)

First of all not everything on the internet is true. Remember that coincidence does not equal causality.

If you are worried about your firing pin protrusion, why wait until you get to the range? Adjusting your firing pin protrusion is not something normally done in the field. I suggest you measure and adjust (if necessary) your firing pin protrusion before you go. Better to keep a problem from occuring instead of fixing it after it becomes a problem.

I don't know where you got the above .060" firing pin protrusion information, but I don't think your source is very credible.

May I strongly suggest you read the Article titled "Firing Pin Protrusion Data" in the FAQ section.

In the FAQ it will show you how to measure and adjust firing pin protrusion.
Be advised in some newer rifles, the firing pin design is different and protrusion is not adjustable.

[bodywerks]

The .060 firing pin protrusion is within the range of savage specs. All my savages came with between .050 and.060 pin protrusion.
I'm sure you are referring to recommendations by gunsmiths such as Fred from SSS that say protrusion need only be about .035. Maybe that is ideal, but savage must think otherwise.
I think you are making much ado about nothing. Rifles are test fired at the factory, so ideally, your rifle should function. (I know, Murphy's law says that defects do get through from time to time.)

First of all not everything on the internet is true. Remember that coincidence does not equal causality.

If you are worried about your firing pin protrusion, why wait until you get to the range? Adjusting your firing pin protrusion is not something normally done in the field. I suggest you measure and adjust (if necessary) your firing pin protrusion before you go. Better to keep a problem from occuring instead of fixing it after it becomes a problem.

I don't know where you got the above .060" firing pin protrusion information, but I don't think your source is very credible.

May I strongly suggest you read the Article titled "Firing Pin Protrusion Data" in the FAQ section.

In the FAQ it will show you how to measure and adjust firing pin protrusion.
Be advised in some newer rifles, the firing pin design is different and protrusion is not adjustable.

[Stewy]

I got to the range today at McMillers in Eagle Wisconsin and they have a max 300 yard range. Since I have a Nikon M-308 bullet drop scope for 168 grain bullets I started at 100 yards to find zero with Federal Gold match 168 grain rounds. It took 20 rounds to zero her, and I left the 100 yard range and went straight to the 300 yard range.

I tested the M-308 BDC scope out and turned the dial to 300 yards and fired. I hit center and a little high. I fired a second shot with out moving anything and same result center and a little high. I adjust 1 click down on the scope and boom! All day baby!!! I will admit I am not a great shot yet, but I managed a 4.5 inch group at 300 yards being a novice. With more practice this group will get smaller.

Overall the critics out their that were saying the gun will miss fire and blah blah blah negative stuff can die in a fire! This weapon functioned flawlessly all day, no miss fires, and extremely accurate. It got to the point today I said the weapon is dead zero'd it is up to me to hold her steady and hit my mark. Well done Savage!

[DanSavage]

That is very good news. Not bad at all for the first outing with your new rig.

[Stewy]

Even better news, I was shooting with a client of mine yesterday when I was sighting in. After I knew she was zero'd I let him shoot 30 rounds through my gun and he loved it. He just messaged me to tell me he won a auction on gunbroker.com for a 110 BA .338 Laupa! Looks like we will be shooting more togheter lolz!

[Balljoint]

The ONLY thing found wroung with my BA 308 in have trouble cambering LC Mil Match

[Stewy]

I went back to the range again and tried a variety of different manufactures of ammo and bullet weights. The rounds my 10 BA .308 didn't like were the Sellier and Beliot 180 grain bullets. I had issues ejecting these rounds and I had to hold the bolt handle in one hand and tap my hand a few times for them to eject. I recommend not using this ammo on that result. In addition the wind drift on these at 300 yards was 6 clicks right with a 5-10mph cross wind...

I also tested Silver State Armory 175 grain rounds. Accuracy was better than the seller and beliots and the wind drift was reduced to 4 clicks right @ 300 yards. No jamming or ejecting issues. Depending on price I might buy these again.

Rounds it liked the most were the federal gold match 168 grain BTHP. I had no issues across the board and the accuracy was far superior to all that were tested. Wind drift was down to 3 clicks right @ 300 yards. Only thing I do not like is the current price of these...

[masterblaster]

Stewy, you should start rolling your own if you haven't already.

[jrallo3789]

Stewy a .338 Laupa? Let me know who he makes out as yhis my be my next firearm!

[SlimySquirrel]

Stewy, you should start rolling your own if you haven't already.

Gotta be the way forward if you are after accuracy and value... Plus, its fun to do and rewarding...

I personally am not set up to roll my own, but I have tried it and loved it.... I am in the process of getting my own set up sorted and cant wait to start getting some accurate loads out.

Congrats on a Superb purchase and hope you continue to enjoy that awesome Rifle!