I'm new here, and I've looked and looked for a topic about barrels for savage 11/111 trophy hunter xp 308.. I'm wanting to replace the factory barrel on my rifle. What would be the best barrel to get? I'm looking to do long range shooting, and hunting with the savage 11/111 trophy hunter XP.
There is a barrels forum
Pretty general question, lots of mfg choices as well as barrel profiles.
How heavy a barrel are you willing to carry around?
Really nothing specific about your Model 11 (short action version of that model, ) Any Savage short action barrel will fit.
Same caliber?
Do you know how long?
Standard twist or do you want something different (1-10 is standard for that caliber) shoots heavy bullets 150 and above particularly well odds wise, my shoot lighter ones good
How long do you want to want to wait and what are your accuracy requires.
Shaw makes quite a variety of off the shelf barrels and profiles that is a decent barrel but not tack driver, more than good enough (my take) for up to 3/4 MOA.
If you want the best (Bartlien) aka cut barrels then its a waist of 3 to 6 months (more in some cases)
Thanks for the information :) .Yes I do want it in the same caliber. My barrel is 22 inches long with a 1:10 twist. I would be willing to wait, but rifle season is around the corner, but I could stick with the factory barrel. I would like a heavy barrel something that would last along time and I could but many rounds through. I really don't like the barrel it came with gets really hot when I put two rounds down it..
Do you want to do this and be able to do it yourself in the future? If so tools needed.
308 has a reputation for lasting a long time so its a once in many years things. Probably can get 5k or better out of any Pre Fit barrel. Probably more if you don't shoot .200 groups day in day out (that's me, lucky to keep it under 3/4!)
Yea that pencil barrel thing. Fine for hunting but not consistent target shooting short or long (3 shots and off they go)
Its likely to take a bit so I would not push it to try to get a new barrel as you need some of the tools to do so (or have a gunsmith do it)
That said the next question is profile. Savage uses a pretty simple system, 4 options (as far as I know)
1. Pencil Hunter
2. Heavy Hunter
3. Varmint (very heavy)
4. Bull
Shilen site is a good one with pre fit barrels that show you those profiles. I have two bulls and a varmint and am partial to the varmint. I went with the bulls for weight more than anything as all my shooting is bench these days.
If you want something in between then figuring out which one gets "interesting". Shilen has S numbers for the various types, others have their own, you have Palma profiles etc.
Not sure if they will make a Savage barrel form one of those, maybe, longer lead maybe.
So take a look at Shilen site for the Savage Pre Fit and see if one of those profiles works. You can always tell another mfg what you want and they will know which profile they have matches as close as possible to that (or an in between one and the same) .
X Caliber, Krieger, McGowan come to mind, a number of other ones out there the old brains is not bring up, get started though and fine tune things.
Thanks, I'll check them out. So any short action barrels for savage in .308 would work?
I think there is a bit of confusion, actions, long or short are cut with two size threads, normally refereed to as small or large and each requires a barrel threaded to that size, IE; large or small shank barrels.
You might try the classifieds here or on Accurate shooter.com http://forum.accurateshooter.com/
Couldn't get away from the link. What I was going to say check the classifieds as there are always someone selling Savage barrels. Right now there is someone selling Wilson barrels, and they might not take 12+ weeks to get one delivered.
they go more by shank size than action length.Quote:
Originally Posted by EazyE
And barrel with the right shank size and reamed for a 308 based cartridge is GTG.
308 243 260 7mm08 and so on
My 11XP was a small shank and wears a Shilen Vamint.
The heavy hunter is pretty good also.
Okay, the long action and the short action got me confused at first, but I think I understand it now. Thanks
I have a total 0f 11 barrels, various calibers and profiles. Shilen, Benchmark, Criterion, all very good. Benchmark may be best but expensive and long wait. I recommend any of them. I do not recommend McGowen. I recently bought one and it is very poor. Will not risk buying another. Others have commented that McGowen's are intermittent in quality/performance, some very good and others trash.
I to did not want a McGowan. My brother (not Savage builds) did two 308s and the results have been good (sub 3/4 MOA and still testing loads)
But as noted, they seem erratic, they did have some change history but that should be well in the past.
My take is the others listed are more consistent and better odds.
I was in the similar place you were about 3 years ago. I decided I wanted an accurate target rig. With that intent I bought a recent model 110 in 270 with accutrigger to start with(300). Then a shilen barrel from Midway USA in 6BR (300). Replaced the stock with a thumbhole varmint from Boyds(200), Used 6.5-20 scope(200) Sav 2 trigger(150) Tooling for reloading including micrometer seater, Redding bushing die, K&M neck turner ( 200), precision recoil lug and barrel nut, weeler wrench and davidson barrel vise (another 150), bullets & brass, ETC ETC ETC. For a gun you want to shoot accurately and also hunt with (especially if you intend to hunt) I would suggest getting a prepackaged rig with as good a glass as you can afford. Only you can decide how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. I now own a rig that easily outshoots my ability. I am glad my wife will never read this. If so I will be summarily executed.
I think to get what he wants he needs at least a Savage Varmint contour. Only the Cabella 10T gives you that but it is a good gun. Hard to get what you really want in Savage, great range but limited in some of the types. annoying.
I too have gone down that road (my wife actually supports it) I am not the least sorry. I have built up 3 of my own so far. Maybe one or two more (grin)
I did save on the trigger as I like the Savage with the 1.5 lb spring (NSS). My first 12FV had that and I was delighted (its been moved around as I went with bull barrels but still in servicer and shot some great groups last time with it. )
I did go the action wrench not the vice and like it.
At least one gun could have been a Savage F single loader. Ahh well.
I am not getting pretty consistently 5/89 and under and that was the goal. More and more 1/2 and under, last week a 1/4 and 3/8.
with a couple of ruptured disk (work) I am limited on my activities now, but I can do that and its a challenge that never ends (I stared wanting to be under 1 inch and it keeps gong lower!)