110 Apex SS XP .30-06 Range Days

Weather is finally starting to cooperate enough to let me get out to the range and start testing the new 110 Apex Stainless XP package rifle. Still colder than a witches ta-ta on both days hovering just below freezing, but beggers can't be choosers.

Range Day 1

First day out (last Friday) I mainly just wanted to get the rifle zeroed in and maybe shoot a couple groups as I had two other rifles with me to get dialed in for upcoming reviews as well.

Things started off well after bore-sighting by looking through the bore. First shot was about 6 minutes low and two minutes left so I adjusted. Second shot was about 3/4 minute high and 1 minute right. Gave the clickers another small tweak and called it good.

Shot two 3-shot groups after that, both of which were right around an inch and were right on with my aim point. Third group the point of impact shifted about 2 inches to the right. Thought maybe it was me as I had on a heavy Carhartt jacket making it hard to get get the butt properly positioned in the pocket of my shoulder.

Fired a fourth group and it was two inches right as well.

Went downrange and hung a new target, and when I shot the fifth group it jumped to 7 inches right of my point of aim. WTH Willis?

Called it a day at that point as I wanted to check to make sure nothing had come loose before wasting more ammunition. Everything proved to be good and tight so either the Vortex Crossfire II took a crap or it was bound up internally and the recoil finally jarred it loose.


Range Day 2

Expected to have to adjust the windage today after last weeks big shift tot he right, but my first group was right in line with my aim point horizontally. Different ammo from the previous session so it was printing about an inch high, but no big deal. Proceeded to shoot 10 groups without any issues so the problem seems to have sorted itself out. Most of the groups were in the 3/4 to 1 MOA range.

Switched over to some hefty 180gr loads with Barnes TSX bullets and shot 10 groups with it, but the Apex didn't much care for it. Most groups were over 1.5 MOA, but oddly enough the very last group I shot formed a nice little 3/4 MOA cloverleaf.

60 rounds total for the day, shoulder's probably going to be a little tender later but that's a good thing, right?

If you get nice groups at the end of a 30-06 day, YOU are doing good! I like reading the reviews with accuracy reports, thanks for taking the bruises.

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Originally Posted by Evlshnngns

If you get nice groups at the end of a 30-06 day, YOU are doing good! I like reading the reviews with accuracy reports, thanks for taking the bruises.

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No bruises - those newer squishy recoil pads Savage is using work wonders in that regard. First .30-06 I ever shot was the Savage 110 PEL I bought in 2005 that had an aluminum butt plate. That one kicked like a mule and would leave a nice bruise after shooting just a half a box of cartridges.

My father goes to gun auctions and picks up these "deals" all the time. He gave me some bargain basement Remington 30-06 with a plastic stock and minimal butt pad. I fired a single 3 shot, .5" group and have never touched it again. That thing was -0- fun to shoot.

So I'm hoping you can give me some advice. I'm looking at getting the 110 Apex SS or the 110 Storm and a Vortex HST 4-16; either would be 300 win mag. The storm and Vortex HST would be a little more than double the Apex. I know the storm is a better rifle and the HST is a better scope but do you think it's worth it? Thanks, Mike

I have found over the years that if I don't get exactly what I want, I always regret it. Spend the extra money and get what you want.

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Originally Posted by lookn4birdies

So I'm hoping you can give me some advice. I'm looking at getting the 110 Apex SS or the 110 Storm and a Vortex HST 4-16; either would be 300 win mag. The storm and Vortex HST would be a little more than double the Apex. I know the storm is a better rifle and the HST is a better scope but do you think it's worth it? Thanks, Mike

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Really depends on how much you're going to shoot it. If it's just going to sit in the closet or gun safe for 10 months out of the year between hunting seasons, I'd say get the 110 Apex XP. If it's something you're going to shoot more regularly, I'd probably lean towards the 110 Storm and better scope.

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Originally Posted by scootergisme

I have found over the years that if I don't get exactly what I want, I always regret it. Spend the extra money and get what you want.

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Good advice right there.

When you do a gun review what is your break in and cleaning procedure

Clean the bore extensively. Shoot one round, clean bore. I do this 10 times. Shoot 3 rounds, clean bore. I do this 10 times. I call it good at this point. I do this whether the barrel is factory, aftermarket, hand-lapped or not.

I do not use a brass brush. I let the solvent do the work.

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Originally Posted by JWW123

When you do a gun review what is your break in and cleaning procedure

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Clean the bore upon receipt, then go shoot the shit out of it. With centerfire rifles I generally shoot anywhere from 30-60 rounds per range session depending on the cartridge. I clean the bore when I get home after each outing with it.

I don't buy into or subscribe to the whole barrel break-in nonsense and here's why. Nobody has ever been able to provide me with concrete, indisputable evidence that either a) doing a break-in procedure improves accuracy or somehow magically extends barrel life, or b) not doing a break-in procedure somehow negatively affects accuracy or will cause premature wear to a barrel. It's far more probable that one will damage their barrel cleaning it with poor kit hardware or technique. To me all a barrel break-in procedure does is waste ammunition and cleaning supplies. I've even had more than one barrel maker tell me that the only reason they have a recommended barrel break-in procedure is because they got so many calls from people asking for one that they ultimately just made one up to satisfy them.

The "theory" is that doing a break-in process helps smooth out the rough edges or tooling marks left from machining the rifling by "fire lapping." Steel is a LOT harder than copper and lead which makes this fallacy a little comical IMO. Like 10 or 20 rounds of break-in is going to be enough to wear off those hard edges with soft, pliable bullets. It makes me laugh the same as the notion that [properly] using a bronze bore brush in a barrel is somehow going to do more damage to the bore in the long-term compared to using a nylon brush. Hogwash!

David Tubbs has made a small fortune off the fallacy of fire lapping with his "Final Finish" kits - aka bullets coated with course abrasives. I find it hilarious that people so paranoid about the quality of their barrels bore would so gleefully and willingly shoot what is effectively grinding stones through it.

What is the primary cause of damage to the bore of a barrel (aside from poor cleaning techniques)? It's not the bullet, it's the heat. This is why barrels typically only wear in the throat area and the few inches thereafter - and only after hundreds or thousands of rounds depending on the cartridge/powder charge/bore diameter. The accumulation of heat from successive shots is what allows the bullet to cause wear to the throat area. A small volume cartridge like a .223 will go several thousand rounds with little to no noticeable wear, whereas a very overbore cartridge like a 20x47 Lapua will burn up a barrel in less than 1,000 rounds.

The second major cause of damage to a barrel (again, not related to improper cleaning) is corrosion caused by carbon build-up which attracts and holds moisture. A lot of guys focus solely on the copper and totally ignore the carbon, then wonder why they end up with pitting in their barrel.


That's my thoughts on the matter. I know many will disagree (some very adamantly) so to each their own.