Savage 110 30-06 inquiry

[Catfish676]

She's a beauty!

Thanks. Photos worked finally!

[mbohuntr]

This is useful data. I'd love to hear more on this. I'm willing to spend some $$$ on this gun for upgrades if you guys as experts feel like it would be worth it. Or perhaps the expert consensus is to just leave it as-is. For the record, I have not shot it yet. Just tried to add photos again - maybe it worked. Thanks kindly folks.

A custom barrel maker might be able to make you one, Mine was a beater owned by an Alaskan guide. She had seen better days, and needed a lot of TLC.. I just wanted a shooter...

[Catfish676]

Thanks. I look forward to hearing what you guys think I have here after seeing the photos. Happy to take others if needed for better analysis. Right off the bat I'm thinking updating the stock and optic at a minimum, but would greatly appreciate any other modification advice. Not a precision shooter here, but I am mainly a hunter and that would be primary use for this rifle. Please don't hesitate to tell me if you think I just have a nice wall-hanger too. Thanks to all.

[Catfish676]

I wanted to add that I am not a reloader if that matters to anyone suggesting a barrel change - which I am definitely open to. Just probably not to something so arcane that production ammo is hard to find. Comfortable shooting out to probably 400yds max. Mostly varmints, pigs, deer - medium sized game. Thanks.

[Catfish676]

A good combo of manageable recoil, flat to 300yds or so and good velocity would be great. I have two rifles in 25-06 so that would be an option since I am already buying that ammo. Have read few good articles talking about the 6.5-06. Not sure if that would be just a barrel change though.

There was a similar inquiry on another site and one of the responses was:

"Given that the 30-06' is the very balanced middle ground for that case head size, to make the switch worth the effort you will need to swing to one of the ends of the spectrum. Personally I would limit myself to commercial offerings just toimit the expense of dies, trimmers, etc.

So at the small end that gives 25-06, which with 75 grain bullets can be a strong varmint choice and a solid big game choice with 120 grainers. At the other end is the 35 Whelen. Not a varmint round, but with 250-275 grain bullets it will handle large game and small dinosaurs. It also makes a really fun platform for shooting cast bullets."

[RC20]

I am very biased to not messing old guns up, and while that may not be a collector, its certainly a very fine old gun. (I really don't know if there are collector Savage rifles of that era)

Note that it has the 110 on the Receiver, now its on the barrel and its the Generic model, not the specific one.

As my brother said in some consternation, how do you really know what Model you have? On this one you sure can.

That is a beautiful wood stock. Goes with the gun and the era. My take is it should be kept as is. If its not a Fajen stock its modeled after one. Really nice cheek riser and note the Thumb slot. Classic front of the stock with that reverse angle.

Modern optic is fine, keep the old scope though. You don't see Iron sites very often. Take the barrel off and you will probably not get it indexed back on with the sight alignment right.

[FW Conch]

^Agreed^ Shoot that rifle, but don't mess with it.

There are plenty of suitable build platforms around.

[Catfish676]

I am very biased to not messing old guns up, and while that may not be a collector, its certainly a very fine old gun. (I really don't know if there are collector Savage rifles of that era)

Note that it has the 110 on the Receiver, now its on the barrel and its the Generic model, not the specific one.

As my brother said in some consternation, how do you really know what Model you have? On this one you sure can.

That is a beautiful wood stock. Goes with the gun and the era. My take is it should be kept as is. If its not a Fajen stock its modeled after one. Really nice cheek riser and note the Thumb slot. Classic front of the stock with that reverse angle.

Modern optic is fine, keep the old scope though. You don't see Iron sites very often. Take the barrel off and you will probably not get it indexed back on with the sight alignment right.

Thank you RC20 - I value your opinion or anyone else's opinion who is willing to take a minute and chime in. I am just a newbie here and not highly experienced with the Savage 110, but very open to your thoughts on this project - or perhaps lack thereof. Would you mind clarifying your statement about the fact that it has 110 on the receiver? I was not able to fully follow you there. In addition, does anyone have any ammo recommendations this particular rifle if I keep it original? Im totally fine with traditional preservation, but I must admit the front portion of the stock (which as a whole is in great shape as you said) just looks really odd/old fashioned to me. Its the way it is cutoff/so squared or something that just throws me off. Perhaps it is because I am just used to more modern styles having been born in 1970. I have a Win M1894 that is much older than this rifle but I think it looks very cool as is - very classic, albeit so old.

[Catfish676]

^Agreed^ Shoot that rifle, but don't mess with it.

There are plenty of suitable build platforms around.

Thank you FW Conch.

[RC20]

Most guns have both the Serial number and the model on the receiver.

While I don't know when Savage changed , they are highly modular now as they can mix and match parts, long actions with short action barrels (not normal) etc.

So, my Model 116 Pro Hunter has Model (110? have to look again, but not 116) on the BARELL. All the 116 means is a long action, pencil barrel and in this case A Cabell gun with a scope.

Yours has the Model 110 on the Receiver with the SN.

That's what upset my brother. He got a great deal on a Savage (forget which one) nice setup with a heavy barrel etc.

He wanted to know if it was original. Looking it over yes, Savage barrel, right stock etc.

But as he is a collector he thinks (and is right) anyone could put that together and call it a Model XXX. Yep, why for the value and loss would be nutty but yes.

As the current ones have no current collector value and may never its really not an issue

Yours is a piece of history for yours as it does have it on the Receiver, guaranteed no one messed with it (fake) and all is (or should be) traceable to an original configuration (stock is unknown as I am not familiar with the early Savage setups)

Someone on the site I believe has original catalogs so you can back compare what was offered in the right era.

If a gun does become a collector item its that sort of thing that creates a separating line.

The touted Pre 64 Winchester being that. Push round feed, craftsmanship perceived etc. but the value is supposedly at that break point. Eyes of the beholder, modern made one are almost certainly better overall, but collectors don't look at it that way.

From the looks, if Savage had a deluxe model the stock looks like it with the checkering, the cheek riser and the fore end color and slant cut, the cap on the grip (assumes its an original Savage stock and we should hear on that in a bit)

Again I don't know if Savage is collectable, but that is a cool piece of history and history means a lot to me. I have some Mil Surplus that are issued, re-arsenaled and then issued again or into the civilian world. Pretty cool stuff, they have a story to tell.

One by what's been done to it I can tell you it went to Canada originally, got sent to Denmark eventually (probably post WWII but it could have been WWII as those were sent there as well during WWII and issued) then came back into the US via an import.

[handirifle]

Personally, that stock is NICE. I would get a modern scope, and as mentioned keep the old one in a box somewhere. The difference in clarity from new cheap scope to old high dollar ones is amazing, with the favor going to the new cheap. Put a new high dollar scope and it will floor you. One major improvement in scopes is keeping the inside clear in bad weather. The old scopes were infamous for fogging up. I just replaced one very similar to what is one yours, Mine was a 4x on my 22 and it finally dawned on me it was foggy. Duh, should have swapped it years ago.

There's nothing wrong with the 30-06. Since you don't reload, get a few boxes of 150gr bullets for deer and 165-180 for anything bigger. It will have some recoil, but what you hit will be dead. Shoot the heck out of that rifle and if you want to tinker, buy a new donor Savage and have at it. Will probably be cheaper in the long run to do it that way anyway.

I forgot to add, I REALLY miss stocks with those high combs.

[olddav]

I'm going to side with RC20 on this, there are plenty of rifles out there for custom builds.

[Catfish676]

Excellent information and thank you folks very much. If I am going to actually use the rifle in the field, I get a little uneasy about the wood stocks - I am just more of a composite/no worries guy. In fact, the only wood stock rifle I own that I use in the field is my Remington 700 LS .221 Fireball (fun gun by the way with the LS meaning Laminated Stock so probably doesnt even count as a true wood stock). But, I DO get the history side of it. If I just opted to limit my project to the install of a modern optic, is there anything that comes to anyone's mind for this particular rifle/caliber? I have kinda been a Vortex guy here lately - great value.

[RC20]

No you really do want to keep that one dry, its a real beauty. We have a very early 270 Finnbear that got beat up over the years, sad to see.

So lots of options for a low cost stainless and or composite gun for the wet.

Scopes, that's a funny issue.

Mine range from Nightforce to Léopold. The Surprise winner is a Cabella model made in Japan. Not all that much normal and I got on a sale for like $150

It has the best light gather, cross hairs are just thick enough not to fade and I can shoot it not the dusk when my NF and Leopold shift and fuzz and cant' see consistently.

If the Vortex works for your eyes then that's the way to go rather than guess.

We have one Leopold not matter how good the light I can't get it to focus. The brothers are fine with it. Eyes are funny things.

[bobby1028]

Beautiful stock, it's a Fajen. I have its twin in a left hand 30-06, pre 66 bolt, identical stock. It has the barrel bulge but no iron sights, unless they were removed previously and soldered/reblued. The wood was pristine but the bluing was destroyed when I found her, after cleanup, recrown and cerakote and a light trigger stoning I was thrilled that she'll shoot 5 into a silver dollar at 100yds. A 3x9 Leupold in vintage Redfield mounts with the hidden cap screws and she looks as good as she hunts. If yours shoots enjoy it for what it is...

[Catfish676]

Beautiful stock, it's a Fajen. I have its twin in a left hand 30-06, pre 66 bolt, identical stock. It has the barrel bulge but no iron sights, unless they were removed previously and soldered/reblued. The wood was pristine but the bluing was destroyed when I found her, after cleanup, recrown and cerakote and a light trigger stoning I was thrilled that she'll shoot 5 into a silver dollar at 100yds. A 3x9 Leupold in vintage Redfield mounts with the hidden cap screws and she looks as good as she hunts. If yours shoots enjoy it for what it is...

Thank you Bobby. Id love to see a photo or two of yours if you are able to post any? I need to take the bolt out and really look at this gun - I really dont think that it has been used much at all.

[Catfish676]

No you really do want to keep that one dry, its a real beauty. We have a very early 270 Finnbear that got beat up over the years, sad to see.

So lots of options for a low cost stainless and or composite gun for the wet.

Scopes, that's a funny issue.

Mine range from Nightforce to Léopold. The Surprise winner is a Cabella model made in Japan. Not all that much normal and I got on a sale for like $150

It has the best light gather, cross hairs are just thick enough not to fade and I can shoot it not the dusk when my NF and Leopold shift and fuzz and cant' see consistently.

If the Vortex works for your eyes then that's the way to go rather than guess.

We have one Leopold not matter how good the light I can't get it to focus. The brothers are fine with it. Eyes are funny things.

Thank you RC20 for all of your insight (no pun). Nikon glass also looks good to me for very reasonable prices.

[Catfish676]

I also wanted to mention to you all that there is a large gun show this weekend near my home. Is there anything in particular that I should look for that would enhance this gun (besides an optic)?

[Catfish676]

Beautiful stock, it's a Fajen. I have its twin in a left hand 30-06, pre 66 bolt, identical stock. It has the barrel bulge but no iron sights, unless they were removed previously and soldered/reblued. The wood was pristine but the bluing was destroyed when I found her, after cleanup, recrown and cerakote and a light trigger stoning I was thrilled that she'll shoot 5 into a silver dollar at 100yds. A 3x9 Leupold in vintage Redfield mounts with the hidden cap screws and she looks as good as she hunts. If yours shoots enjoy it for what it is...

Bobby, I am curious as to how you know your bolt is pre-1966? Thanks kindly.

[Catfish676]

Howdy folks. I am thinking about buying a good raw wood blank for this gun and have a guy I know that does amazing wood finishes put a real nice finish on it. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on that idea? Also, does anyone know a good company/resource for a raw unfinished wood stock for my pre-1966 110? Thanks kindly folks.