Please help! Hog Hunter .308 for precision?

[Stoneybrax]

Hello all I am new here. I'm looking for a great long distance .308 rifle. I know the Hog Hunter is more for hunting than long distance precision but Ive read it can do both. Almost everyone tells me Savage is the standard hence why I am here. I'm on a budget so I can't really afford to go with the Model 10. I've read some article that claim the Hog Hunter can be a tack driver as well and have a lot of same similarities as the Model 10. The OD green drew me to the 11 because I would be happy out of the box with the stock. I have seen some say you can customize the HH 11/111 to your needs with barrels etc. I would like to get something that was good at around 400 yards. So with all that being said for 450 bucks is this the gun for me?

[Hotolds442]

My 308 HH is fully capable of fine accuracy out to 600 yards. Anything further than that and I'd prefer another 6" or more length on the barrel. I would not hesitate on deer-sized game out to 600 in good conditions. The key is in the optics though, having a scope that doesn't cover your entire target with crosshairs helps a bunch. Developing an accurate load helps too.

[Stoneybrax]

For feedback. Did you have to do anything to your stock? I've read a lot of complaints out of it. I actually like the green OD Stock on it and had rather keep it and customize it some to help any issues.

[Hotolds442]

I have done nothing to the stock. Had it not been a shooter right out of the box, I would have bedded it, but right now I don't find it necessary to mess with success.

[Stoneybrax]

If I wanted to put another barrel on it could I? Not familiar with all the custimization you can do with the Savages. Also what type of Scope would you look at if you was me? I was thinking a Prostaff by Nikon but not sure which. I would like something up to 500 yards but also would like to be able to see something from 50. Thanks for the feedback btw.

[Hotolds442]

Installing another barrel is easy, providing you have the right tools. I have a 22/250 fluted factory barrel on one of my hog hunters, and it was a simple matter of screwing the barrel on and setting the headspace. I'm not much of a fan of the Nikon scopes, my opinion of them was based about 20 years ago when a hunting buddy had one internally fog on him during a 4 day elk season. Nikon replaced that scope, but the following year, same thing. I've never owned one, for that reason. That doesn't mean that today's Nikon scopes aren't any good, I just prefer not to own one. Check out the Primary Arms 4-14x44 FFP. for the price, they are hard to beat.

[D.ID]

I've had great luck with nikon. Have at least half a dozen with no trouble and years of service. My elk hunting partner just developed an internal fog issue this weekend on one of his nikons.
Lots of good scopes and you should definitely look at several and do several searches on different ones because a good scope makes a nice rifle, a bad one makes even a really nice rifle seam like a piece of junk when you actually go to use it.
The difference between a model 10 vs 11 is in the stock, finish or configuration. In other words the barrels and actions are same, anything you can do with a model 10 you can do with a model 11........even using the same parts.

[Stoneybrax]

Well I just found out that a Hog Hunter doesn't have a detachable mag. Not sure if it's for me now. With that being said. Since you have been so helpful. What would be the equivalent model as the HH but with a detachable magazine?

[Stoneybrax]

Thanks D.ID. Which of the model 11's do you think is best? I have looked at the Hunter XP combo but I'm not sure the scope that comes with it would be that great so that's one reason I looked at the HH.

[Hotolds442]

My next choice, although they're hard to find now, would be a 10TR. Black stock, heavy 5R barrel, threaded muzzle, box magazine. No scope, no frills, a great base for an exceptional shooter. The Hunter XP is gonna get you a sporter weight barrel, and more than likely, an Axis style magazine. Definitely a step down.

[D.ID]

Afraid I can't be much more help.
I have to admit that I don't like detachable magazines on a bolt gun.
I also like a vertical grip, straight comb and square heal so with the exception of the HS fpc or the bvss stock, I put them all in choate tactical stocks and do not credit the factory stocks as usable. While knowing, tested and having verified that they work just fine, they just do not fit me well.
I also use turret correction high powered scopes so the combos don't work for me either.
Most my recent builds started life as hog hunters though.
Between the large bolt handle, accutrigger, matt finish and $450 price tag: I really like the hog hunter (sights removed) and think it's a great foundation.

[Twinsen]

FWIW, I have found that almost all detachable magazines for bolt actions suck. Surely the cheap ones all do. I wouldn't be so turned off by the internal magazines. They work and they're easier to load. Removing the DBM, loading it, and reattaching is more difficult than just loading an internal mag. Try one in a store, you'll understand.

My cousin has an 11 Trophy Hunter, and it uses an Axis magazine. It's easier to load the mag through the ejection port than to pull it out and jam it back in.

I have an FN SPR, and it's easier to treat the gun like a single shot than to pull out the mag. Just plop the cartridge on top of the magazine.

I recently bought a model 10 with a detachable 10rd Savage magazine, and I think it's significantly worse than the Axis mag.

Bolt action magazines don't work like an AK or AR-15 or whatever. They don't go in nicely and they lock up much more solidly.

[TORCHRIDER]

FWIW, I have found that almost all detachable magazines for bolt actions suck. Surely the cheap ones all do. I wouldn't be so turned off by the internal magazines. They work and they're easier to load. Removing the DBM, loading it, and reattaching is more difficult than just loading an internal mag. Try one in a store, you'll understand.

My cousin has an 11 Trophy Hunter, and it uses an Axis magazine. It's easier to load the mag through the ejection port than to pull it out and jam it back in.

I have an FN SPR, and it's easier to treat the gun like a single shot than to pull out the mag. Just plop the cartridge on top of the magazine.

I recently bought a model 10 with a detachable 10rd Savage magazine, and I think it's significantly worse than the Axis mag.

Bolt action magazines don't work like an AK or AR-15 or whatever. They don't go in nicely and they lock up much more solidly.

+1

This is just my Opinion. You know what they say about those. :-)
For my hunting rifles I am fine with internal magazines. They load easy and are not hard to unload either. Are they as convenient? Not quite, but in my experience they are more reliable, unless you go with an more expensive solution. In anything I might use for SHTF a removable mag is a must have. For hunting, not so much. Good Luck. By the way, here is my Hog Hunter. Oh, and with quick release rings like I have, the iron sights make for a good backup in case of a scope issue. :-)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/TORCHRIDER/IMG_3853_zps1f719c70.jpg (http://s916.photobucket.com/user/TORCHRIDER/media/IMG_3853_zps1f719c70.jpg.html)

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad1/TORCHRIDER/IMG_3861_zpsfa0e11c2.jpg (http://s916.photobucket.com/user/TORCHRIDER/media/IMG_3861_zpsfa0e11c2.jpg.html)


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[clovishound]

Have you looked at the Model 11 VT models. They run about the same money as the hunter series. I have one in .223, but they come in .308 set up the same way, except for the long action bolt. The bull barrel on mine makes it a little heavy in the woods, but not a deal breaker. I find it to be very accurate out of the box. Mine came packaged with a Bushnell scope. It works OK for what I do, but any normal package deal will require a scope swap for the more serious shooters. Mine has an Axis style mag. Lots of people complain about the plastic vs metal, but I haven't really heard about anybody having problems with the plastic. FWIW they can be swapped out with a metal bottom/mag setup, if you swap stocks.