As I started looking the rifle over more closely I was very impressed with the overall quality of the components and assembly. Proper stakes were found on all the parts that should be staked, the hard black anodized finish on all the aluminum parts was very uniform and consistent, as was the melonite finish of the barrel and muzzle brake.
The Blackhawk Knoxx grip offers a very comfortable feel in the hand, but myself and most everyone else who handled the rifle noted that it seemed to have a very short reach to the trigger. After some measuring and comparing I found that the reach on the MSR10 is approximately 0.015″ shorter than that of a standard AR-15. This difference was consistent across the four different grips tested on both platforms, but due to the shape of the backstrap on the Knoxx grip it feels much shorter.
The Blackhawk AR Blaze trigger was also a very pleasant surprise with an out-of-box pull weight averaging 3.1 pounds. The trigger has some noticeable take-up, but the reset is reasonably short – at least compared to a standard mil-spec trigger. The break on the Blaze trigger isn’t as crisp as it is with my Rock River Arms Two-Stage Varmint trigger, but I can definitely live with it.
The Blackhawk Axiom Carbine butt stock is also very comfortable and the honeycomb rubber butt pad does a good job of taming the recoil. The location of the adjustment lever to change the length-of-pull took a little getting used to , but I do like it’s placement and the design is much better than that of the standard mil-spec carbine stock. QD sling mounts are also incorporated into either side of the Axiom’s adjustment lever which may not be the best place for them.
My favorite piece of furniture on the MSR10 Hunter however is the slim and trim M-Lok forearm which is made by Midwest Industries (MI). While most forearms are round in shape, this one is more oval shaped making it thinner than it is tall so it lays very well in the hand. Both of my personal AR’s are fitted with Troy Industries Alpha rails which are smaller in diameter than most of your round free-float tubes and quad rails, but this rail from MI is even slimmer. I did have to purchase a Magpul M-Lok bipod adapter separately be be able to mount my Harris bipod to the rifle, and I feel Savage should provide at minimum one short length of compatible rail with the rifle for mounting such accessories.
Bushnell Optics was nice enough to extend their loan of the previously reviewed Elite Tactical DMR-II Pro 3.5-21x50mm rifle scope so that I could use it for this review as well. A set of Tasco aluminum 34mm high rings was used, though it should be noted this placed the scope higher than ideal which resulted in a poor cheek weld.
Federal Premium was kind enough to provided a selection of ammunition for this review. The list is as follows:
- Federal Premium 150gr Trophy Copper
- Federal Premium Big Game 165gr Partition
- Federal Premium Edge TLR 175gr
- Federal Fusion 180gr
- American Eagle Predator & Varmint 130gr JHP
In terms of accuracy I found Savage’s MSR10 Hunter to provide a similar level of accuracy of what I typically get from my other AR/MSR-type rifles when shooting factory ammunition. I say that because I have never been able to shoot rifles of this type as accurately as I can most any other type of rifle. The ergonomics just are not to my liking with the shorter reach to the trigger and the angle of the grip. Try as I might I’ve just never been able to get very comfortable or consistent with AR/MSR-type rifles.
That said I still managed a few sub-MOA groups with the MSR10 Hunter. Groups at 100 yards didn’t fare as well as those at 200 yards, but that’s probably more shooter or conditions related than ammo or firearm related. Numerous 100-yard groups had four shots touching and one outlier. Best group at 100 yards was right at one-inch and was shot with Federal Premium’s Big-Game 165gr AccuBond load.
Groups at 200 yards were a little better with a couple coming in at just over 1/2 MOA. Best group at this distance was shot with the Federal Premium 150gr Trophy Copper load and came in at 1-1/4 inches. Federal’s Big-Game 165gr AccuBond load wasn’t far behind with a best of 1-1/2 inches.
During testing the adjustable gas system on the MSR10 Hunter made fine tuning the rifle to a given type of ammunition quick and easy. Ensuring the gas system is tuned for the ammunition at hand offers the shooter three key benefits:
- minimizes recoil
- lessens wear on rifle components
- ensures proper cycling of the system
Adjusting the gas system is as simple as turning the adjustment knob clockwise or counter-clockwise using the tip of a bullet or anything with a small enough diameter tip (screwdriver, allen wrench, etc) to fit the 4 holes in the knob. If the rifle cycles properly with the first shots, you can try adjusting the gas system down a couple of clicks and try again. Continue until the rifle fails to cycle properly, then start working up one click at a time until the rifle cycles reliable and consistently.
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