Kinda silly how consistently accurate factory Savage barrels are these days

[Newtosavage]

I just bought a lightweight hunter/storm .308 barrel off of FeeBay a few weeks ago, and this past weekend I swapped the 7mm-08 barrel on my LW Storm for it (my son wants that rifle, but in .308). Took me about 10 minutes. Went to the range yesterday, and with zero load development and some spare .308 150 grainers I had laying around, it shot MOA on the first try. Like literally 1 shot to get it on paper at 30 yards, another shot at 100 to verify, a scope adjustment, then three shots within an inch. This, out of a 20" pencil thin .308 barrel that weighs less than 2 lbs. with the barrel nut on it.

The barrel I pulled, a 7mm-08 of the same length and contour, was maybe the most accurate barrel of any I've ever owned. I have multiple 1/2MOA groups in my reloading book that I shot with that barrel.

Previous factory pulled barrels from Axis and 110's have all been the same. Super easy and accurate.

I guess I'm just pleasantly surprised how accurate that even the most affordable Savage barrels are these days. For comparison's sake, there was a guy a few benches down that had a custom barrel on a Browning X-bolt action in a custom stock with a NF scope on it. He had about 2K in that combo (or more) and my tiny little 'old LW Storm with the replacement factory .308 barrel and Burris scope was out-shooting his rig with no load development and some spare (cheap) bullets. It never ceases to amaze me how well stock Savage rifles hold up against even the most expensive customs I see at my range. It's very uncommon for my Savages to be out-shot, regardless of the price tag on the custom rifle.

[big honkin jeep]

Setting up on a bench with a Savage hunting rig wearing spray paint, a clearance scope, and putting a box of handloads into one ragged hole is always a good time.
Having the betternyours and tactifools with the high dollar stick in the latest whiz bang cartridge see your target and come over and ask "what are you shooting" is just icing on the cake. Especially when the reply is just an old used Savage in 30-06, 270, 308 or other commonplace "deer cartridge"

I like to tell about a couple of years ago when a stranger I met at the range and let shoot my sons first rifle. It was a spray painted camo flatback 110 in 25-06 that I bedded with JB weld, tuned the old 3 screw trigger, mounted a Bushnell Elite 3200 I picked up on clearance for $75 at Wally world, and worked up a load with some 110gr accubonds. I gave it to my boy when he was 11.
That dude insisted on trading me his brand new Browning Gold Medallion in .243 with a loopy on it.
Sure was pretty but obviously didn't like the load.
I had to repeatedly refuse and let him know "sorry it had been a gift to my son, belonged to him and I was just checking zero for deer season."
My son is a grown man and he and I still grin about it.

[Newtosavage]

Setting up on a bench with a Savage hunting rig wearing spray paint, a clearance scope, and putting a box of handloads into one ragged hole is always a good time.
Having the betternyours and tactifools with the high dollar stick in the latest whiz bang cartridge see your target and come over and ask "what are you shooting" is just icing on the cake. Especially when the reply is just an old used Savage in 30-06, 270, 308 or other commonplace "deer cartridge"

I like to tell about a couple of years ago when a stranger I met at the range and let shoot my sons first rifle. It was a spray painted camo flatback 110 in 25-06 that I bedded with JB weld, tuned the old 3 screw trigger, mounted a Bushnell Elite 3200 I picked up on clearance for $75 at Wally world, and worked up a load with some 110gr accubonds. I gave it to my boy when he was 11.
That dude insisted on trading me his brand new Browning Gold Medallion in .243 with a loopy on it.
Sure was pretty but obviously didn't like the load.
I had to repeatedly refuse and let him know "sorry it had been a gift to my son, belonged to him and I was just checking zero for deer season."
My son is a grown man and he and I still grin about it.

Great story. I've lost track of the number of "customs" I've seen at our small private range now, that couldn't hang with even my worst Savage. Granted, some might just be the shooter, but still.

And I'm also convinced that a lot of guys who have custom rifles make sure they use a blued receiver with a stainless barrel just so everyone around them knows they have a custom rifle. LOL I mean, if you're gonna drop $3K on a custom rifle, just get the stainless receiver too already. :D

[Texas10]

I just bought a lightweight hunter/storm .308 barrel off of FeeBay a few weeks ago, and this past weekend I swapped the 7mm-08 barrel on my LW Storm for it (my son wants that rifle, but in .308). Took me about 10 minutes. Went to the range yesterday, and with zero load development and some spare .308 150 grainers I had laying around, it shot MOA on the first try. Like literally 1 shot to get it on paper at 30 yards, another shot at 100 to verify, a scope adjustment, then three shots within an inch. This, out of a 20" pencil thin .308 barrel that weighs less than 2 lbs. with the barrel nut on it.

The barrel I pulled, a 7mm-08 of the same length and contour, was maybe the most accurate barrel of any I've ever owned. I have multiple 1/2MOA groups in my reloading book that I shot with that barrel.

Previous factory pulled barrels from Axis and 110's have all been the same. Super easy and accurate.

I guess I'm just pleasantly surprised how accurate that even the most affordable Savage barrels are these days. For comparison's sake, there was a guy a few benches down that had a custom barrel on a Browning X-bolt action in a custom stock with a NF scope on it. He had about 2K in that combo (or more) and my tiny little 'old LW Storm with the replacement factory .308 barrel and Burris scope was out-shooting his rig with no load development and some spare (cheap) bullets. It never ceases to amaze me how well stock Savage rifles hold up against even the most expensive customs I see at my range. It's very uncommon for my Savages to be out-shot, regardless of the price tag on the custom rifle.

What's that old saying? Sometimes it's not the arrow, but the Indian.

Like you, I bought an older gloss blue finished Savage model 11 action on the classifieds here, found a used Savage 308 sporter barrel in gloss blue to match, and a NOS Savage stock on Numrich. Put that together with an inexpensive Nikon, and loaded it with some Hornaday 175 gr factory ammo. After shooting 3 overlapping holes at 200 yds, I put that rig and ammo back in the safe and decided to forget about developing a load for it. There's no reason to if it shoots factory ammo that well, it'll kill a deer or pig just fine and I'll probably never use up that box of ammo in my lifetime, even if I kept my freezer full of meat with it. One shot, one kill, what's not to like about that?

[Txhillbilly]

Great story. I've lost track of the number of "customs" I've seen at our small private range now, that couldn't hang with even my worst Savage. Granted, some might just be the shooter, but still.

And I'm also convinced that a lot of guys who have custom rifles make sure they use a blued receiver with a stainless barrel just so everyone around them knows they have a custom rifle. LOL I mean, if you're gonna drop $3K on a custom rifle, just get the stainless receiver too already. :D

Some custom actions don't come in stainless.

https://i.imgur.com/MZkFqJE.jpg

And sometimes, I don't want a stainless action / barrel.

https://i.imgur.com/SRmRwt0.jpg

With all my Savage actions, I really don't care. LH shooter's never had the option of a Stainless action, they were always blued.

https://i.imgur.com/MrgPW6e.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mvuR0sH.jpg

[yobuck]

Great story. I've lost track of the number of "customs" I've seen at our small private range now, that couldn't hang with even my worst Savage. Granted, some might just be the shooter, but still.

And I'm also convinced that a lot of guys who have custom rifles make sure they use a blued receiver with a stainless barrel just so everyone around them knows they have a custom rifle. LOL I mean, if you're gonna drop $3K on a custom rifle, just get the stainless receiver too already. :D
I dont own a stainless action, but i do have quite a few stainless barrels.
But then i dont hang around places where people are apt to be seeing them either. lol

[yobuck]

Some custom actions don't come in stainless.

https://i.imgur.com/MZkFqJE.jpg

And sometimes, I don't want a stainless action / barrel.

https://i.imgur.com/SRmRwt0.jpg

With all my Savage actions, I really don't care. LH shooter's never had the option of a Stainless action, they were always blued.

https://i.imgur.com/MrgPW6e.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mvuR0sH.jpg
Great looking guns. lol
I especially like the custom look of the bolt handle on the opposite side.
But i do have a question?
The bottom picture, what type of rest/tripod setup is that, and why the hose clamp around it?

[Texas10]

Who makes the lefty thumbhole laminate? Is that a Richard Microfit or does Revolution make that? I'm about to build a left thumbhole for a buddy and am considering stock options.

[Txhillbilly]

Who makes the lefty thumbhole laminate? Is that a Richard Microfit or does Revolution make that? I'm about to build a left thumbhole for a buddy and am considering stock options.

That stock is an old Boyds stock that I bought from Stocky's Stocks years ago. It was called a Ross Thumbole stock, and Stocky's was the only place that sold a LH stock like that at the time. Now, You can buy them directly from Boyds. I order them unfinished, and shape / finish them myself.
Here's another that I did for my 6.5-06 build several years ago.

https://i.imgur.com/nzA4jV4.jpg




Great looking guns. lol
I especially like the custom look of the bolt handle on the opposite side.
But i do have a question?
The bottom picture, what type of rest/tripod setup is that, and why the hose clamp around it?

The head is from ZRODelta. It's a fantastic tripod head, but it doesn't have any way to lock the side to side movement of the rifle. It has a cam lock to lock the vertical movement, but the base is a fine roller bearing with nothing to lock it in place.
So, I devised one of my own. I took a rubber pipe coupler, split it, and then used a hose clamp in order to put pressure on the rotating part of the head and the base.
Without it, you can spin the rifle like a top. With it, the rifle stays put but can still be rotated with a little force. It's very sturdy, and very steady, I shoot long range with it all the time.

This is what it looks like without the rubber coupler / clamp on it.

https://i.imgur.com/5nEbQRY.jpg

With the rubber coupler / clamp.

https://i.imgur.com/mNxA4vy.jpg

[big honkin jeep]

Sure Savage lefty actions came in stainless and I have a couple of em. Here's a 116FLCSAK in the "old outdated LOL 30-06". Darn thing is stupid accurate and has fired a 10 shot group of .446 with a handload it likes and will shoot the center out of a quarter every time. The deer just lay right down with this one.
https://i.imgur.com/Pw4j3w3.jpg

Also have a highly desirable 116FLSAK nearly the same as above, stainless without the detachable mag or fluting in 300RUM that has the extra long mag cutout associated with that model.
https://i.imgur.com/RR3lwvx.png
In the 1990s Ron Coburn really brought Savage back with a vengeance putting what were once gunsmith only custom options on factory rigs at affordable cost .(This one was $425 out the door new) The results have been great for rifle consumers and kept the rest of the mass produced industry trying to keep up ever since.

[Newtosavage]

Sure Savage lefty actions came in stainless and I have a couple of em. Here's a 116FLCSAK in the "old outdated LOL 30-06". Darn thing is stupid accurate and has fired a 10 shot group of .446 with a handload it likes and will shoot the center out of a quarter every time. The deer just lay right down with this one.
https://i.imgur.com/Pw4j3w3.jpg

Also have a highly desirable 116FLSAK nearly the same as above, stainless without the detachable mag or fluting in 300RUM that has the extra long mag cutout associated with that model.
https://i.imgur.com/RR3lwvx.png
In the 1990s Ron Coburn really brought Savage back with a vengeance putting what were once gunsmith only custom options on factory rigs at affordable cost .(This one was $425 out the door new) The results have been great for rifle consumers and kept the rest of the mass produced industry trying to keep up ever since.

A couple of great looking rifles right there!

And I was just busting chops when I joked about the blued actions/stainless custom barrels. It's not a big deal. That said, I'm hanging onto my stainless LW Storm actions and plan to build everything off them from now on. Well, aside from my 1960 gloss blued/walnut 110, but it's a special case for when I'm feeling nostalgic. :D

[Txhillbilly]

big honkin jeep, Yes you could buy a LH Model 16/116 sporter barreled rifle with a stainless action. But not on a LH Model 12 FLVSS like the ones I have. They came with blued actions and fluted stainless barrels.

[Whynot]

No doubt about it- Savage can often hang with custom guns (or exceed them) in the accuracy department. In all the other things that matter is where they start to fall behind- but still a great value and up to the task for what most people use them for.

Txhillbilly.... What do you think of the KRG chassis? How does the Bravo compare to the Whiskey? Is the Whiskey worth the added cost?

[Txhillbilly]

KRG products are top notch. Other than a little weight and looks, The Bravo and Whiskey 3 are the same. I actually ordered my Bravo with a Whiskey 3 LH backbone so I could make a LH Bravo chassis, then I cut the outer plastic shell for a LH bolt handle.

Is the Whiskey 3 worth the extra expense? That all depends on what you're wanting. When I built that rifle, it was exactly what I wanted for the purpose the rifle would be used for - Long Range shooting.
I wouldn't choose the Whiskey 3 chassis for a rifle that would be used for hunting, the Bravo would make a much better choice for a rifle that will serve an all around purpose.

[want2ride]

I have had some incredible luck with savages. I have done particularly well with 300 wsm's. All three have been sub half MOA with the factory barrels, although one is an Ultralite with the proof. my two 6.5 Creedmoors, and 22-250 are also around the half moa range. my 270 lightweight hunter, 300 Win Mag 10T, 25-06 axis, .223 axis that i never should have sold and 7mm-08 axis that i gave to a buddy are all under an moa.

The only ones i haven't had particularly good luck with were the 7mm Rem mags. With extensive load workup i couldn't make my 111 shoot better than 1 1/4 moa. My long range hunter 7mm Rem Mag i never did an extensive load workup since i got it used and planned on making it into a 7x57, but with the best of the loads i had left over from my previous 7mm Mags (111, AB2 and AB3) i was only able to get just over an moa. For some reason i have never had much luck with my 7mm Rem Mags, Browning or Savage.

[charlie b]

Yep, and even the lowly Axis will shoot well. Mine now looks like a custom rifle with the Boyd's stock and Vortex scope so people think it is a lot more expensive than it is. But it still shoots better than 1/2MOA if I do my job.

For fun I set up soda cans at 300. One morning several guys were firing their tricked out ARs at soda cans at 100yd and hitting maybe one in five shots. I set up with a bipod and no rear bag and hit ten of ten that morning from a cold barrel. Then they all wanted to know what I was shooting. First they didn't believe it was also a .223. Then they had a hard time with it being an Axis and almost fell over when I told them I bought it at Walmart.

[yobuck]

Lets not let ourselves get carried too far away here boys, yes factory rifles are more accurate today than ever.
But then the very best race cars are only as good as the driver also.

[yobuck]

That stock is an old Boyds stock that I bought from Stocky's Stocks years ago. It was called a Ross Thumbole stock, and Stocky's was the only place that sold a LH stock like that at the time. Now, You can buy them directly from Boyds. I order them unfinished, and shape / finish them myself.
Here's another that I did for my 6.5-06 build several years ago.

https://i.imgur.com/nzA4jV4.jpg





The head is from ZRODelta. It's a fantastic tripod head, but it doesn't have any way to lock the side to side movement of the rifle. It has a cam lock to lock the vertical movement, but the base is a fine roller bearing with nothing to lock it in place.
So, I devised one of my own. I took a rubber pipe coupler, split it, and then used a hose clamp in order to put pressure on the rotating part of the head and the base.
Without it, you can spin the rifle like a top. With it, the rifle stays put but can still be rotated with a little force. It's very sturdy, and very steady, I shoot long range with it all the time.

This is what it looks like without the rubber coupler / clamp on it.

https://i.imgur.com/5nEbQRY.jpg

With the rubber coupler / clamp.

https://i.imgur.com/mNxA4vy.jpg
Ok, i thought that was probably the reason for the clamp.
Weve been using ball mounts for our heavy long range hunting guns for a very long time.
But we never had much luck with any of the camera type setups.
We drill and pin the ball so that there is no movement, other than up/down, and traverse so that we can follow an animal regardless of direction it takes.
But the ball on all we used were not up to the drilling and pinning process.
Year back a good friend discovered that the Wilton vice co. made a ball mount called the power knuckle.
Its intended use is to allow a vice to be mounted on it so that it can be rotated and locked in place at various angles.
So he bought one and pinned it as ive described and it performed flawlessly for our type use.
As for the top part for mounting the gun, We put a piece of aluminum plate with 2 rows of ball bearings secured to it and separated by a couple inches.
The another plate about 6/7 inches long is attached to the gun at the balance point.
That piece will have a machined groove on both sides allowing it to be slid into the space between the bearings and ride on them as well.
A shortened bungee thru the trigger guard keeps the gun from sliding out when unattended.
We either mount the whole thing on a base plate and sit it on our portable shooting bench or attach a 3/4” fast pitch thread rod to the bottom and let it run thru the bench top and then use a big wing nut to secure it. You simply loosen it with the knob on the knuckle and then lock it back up the same way when your on target and ready to shoot.
Some use machinable plastic in lieu of aluminum and bearings, and it works equally as well.
Staying on an animal after a shot if it runs off is a very important part of long range hunting.
They can be mounted on top of a tripod as well, but we use a heavy duty tripod usually military when we do that.
But then there is no place to put your elbows or rear bag. lol

[CAPT BEACH]

Sat next to a guy at a local range in Va a few years back shooting my $575 truck axle .308 Savage, I mean I had $575 in the whole rig, used barrel, traded long action, traded used stock and the most expensive pc on the whole gun was the SWFA optic, also used...shooting 175gr SMK into one ragged hole at 100 and a golf ball sized 5 round group at 200...the guy next to me shooting an easily $2500-3000 rifle with a $2000 Night Force in .308 as well...hitting fist sized 5 round groups at 100 and chest at 200...He came over, scratched his head and asked...what am I doing wrong? Ammo for one...your shooting cheap ass ammo in a Ferrari rifle, I gave him a box of my hand loads....OHHHH NOOO I cant shoot reloads in this rifle...OK...I took them back...sent him in to buy some FGMM...same thing... still cant hit...here...you shoot it...so I settle in behind his $5000 rifle and PRESTO...thumb nails sized groups at 100...well imagine that...spent the next 2 hours walking him thru marksmanship and anything I could squeeze in...last thing I said to him was...you know the biggest differnece between your gun and mine besides price? NO...he said...so I took mine,,,laid it on the gravel and stepped on it...then stood on it...now do that with yours...

[jkv45]

Lets not let ourselves get carried too far away here boys, yes factory rifles are more accurate today than ever.
But then the very best race cars are only as good as the driver also.
Very true.

"The biggest problem with the car is The Nut on the steering wheel" and "The rifle's accuracy problems can be traced directly to The Jerk on the trigger"...