Printable View
Do you think Nicholas Brewer and co. would be surprised at what the 110 series has become? I've shot my share of rifles and I must say that dollar for dollar there is no better mass produced bolt action out there.
Some are smoother, few are as accurate and ( till very recently) none were as user/ tinker friendly. Heck, even the dreaded/ maligned barrel nut has been copied!
My first centerfire was a Savage ( a 340 30-30) and ( I hope) my last will be my 110.
A couple years ago I remember a fella came to the range with a 110 Left hand from the 1960's that his grandpa owned at one time. Chambered in 308win. And it shot factory ammo sub moa at 218 yards. All original.
I bought my 110 in 30-06 because that was the only left handed gun I could find. Every year I would sight in the rifle with 150 gr for deer and 180 gr for elk. The rifle has always had at worst minute of angle groups. At this point is has a lot of wear but it still shoots great and I still use it a lot. I hunt goats, pigs, deer and feral cattle with it. I like the fact that I can carry 150 gr, 165 gr and 200 gr bullets. They all shoot well and vertically string about 3". What a terrific rifle!
I do believe Savage was the first production bolt action for lefties.
Didn’t Savage and Remington release a left handed bolt in 1963?
Has to be earlier. I have Jack O'Connor's "Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns" from 1961 and he mentions Savage having a left-handed bolt available on the M110. (p.70)
You are probably correct, it was probably 73’ that Remington had a lefty action.
I have a 110 338LM FCP and love it. Very accurate. Only a couple years old. Even my 10T is a tac driver. Just wish Savage would get rid of the slop in the action. I’m a fan though.
Savage came out with the LH 110's in 1959 or 1960. Don't have either of those catalogs, but the LH models aren't marked or referenced as being "new" in my 1961 catalog.
1959 was the first year for lefties though I have a 243 in the low 17,000 serial range with a "J" date code on the barrel.
As much as I like my Savage rifles, and as good as they are for the money, I have to admit that if someone pressed me hard for my opinion on the best rifle for the dollar, it would be a Tikka. I find myself reaching for my Tikka more and more often these days. It just gets the job done, every time, no surprises. And no modifications.
But of course I still love my Savages and they're supremely functional tools for what they are. I will say that eventually I've been able to get all of my Savage rifles to shoot just as well as my Tikkas. However, the Tikkas do it with a lot less work. On average, my Savages give me 1-1.25" groups (generally) with good loads going sub-MOA. On average, my Tikka loads are .75-1" groups and the better loads go 0.5" routinely. The smoothness of the bolt and ease of picking up rounds by that magazine cannot be matched by any Savage I've ever used, although I have one Stevens 200 with a blind magazine that comes close.
This year, I shot one deer with my Stevens 200 7mm-08, and the next four with my Tikka. Like I said, given the choice - especially under less than ideal conditions - I have to admit the Tikka is a better tool.
I'll take a Savage over a Remington 700 any day though.
I have $229.00 Stevens 200 in 308 win. I wouldn’t trade it for a box car full of Remington’s. Shoots .75 moa no mods. I do reload but it has been my standard .308 win. Load for 30 years.
Wish I had gotten my Stevens 200 for $229.00!Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordoldfart
Back in the early to mid 90's I walked out of a gunshop in Minnesota with a new 110FP 308Win for a bit under $400. I must say at first it shot like you know what. That rifle came out of the factory with the absolute worst piece of plastic crap stock I think I have ever seen. I bedded it and the accuracy went from crap to good overnight. A couple years ago I put it in a Choate Ultimate Varmint stock and it has gone from good to great. I never understood why when the stock is such a big factor in any rifle, Savage would choose to put a tactical rifle into such a flimsy piece of junk..