Savage 110BA looking for guidance or suggestions

[TOPGuN050]

hello i am new to this forum i am shooting a savage 110BA in .300win mag and so far i have had decent success with the rifle making shots on milk jugs at 400yds.
as for punching paper it did well at 100 on normal hornady loads as long as i did my part with good clover leaf groups with 150gr GMX bullets.
then the bad started after 100 rounds through the gun and switching to the superformance with the same bullets i began getting fliers and key holes.
so far i have not been able to try out any other ammo or bullet weights. i have alot of guys telling me that its the 150s and putting 150s through a .300 with a 1-10 twist is
like putting bad gas in a ferrari. i am looking for a good direction to go next what to buy as far as factory ammo considering i do not reload yet. i have even had some tell me
the barrell is junk, the crown is faulty, the action needs trued, and a major host of other things. the rifle is relativley new with 120 rounds through it. i doubt the barrell is to blame atleast i hope not considering i already have around 2800 in my rig and dont really want to have to make fixes already !!! any comments or guidance would be appreciated.


thanks.

[rjtfroggy]

The fact it shot good with the first loads saya to me there is nothing wrong with the barrel,it just doesn't like the superformance load.If it were me I would stick with what shot good or try another brand of ammo,probably federal to start.
Think about starting to reload, the difference at the range will amaze you once you find what it really likes.

[TOPGuN050]

thats my next step is different ammo i was going to try the corbon 195gr match loads or just go with heavier hornadys and see what happens i guess. it has kind of been haunting me that this weapon wont perform like they say it will there is alot of bashing on this gun on the internet. but but wise man say believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see. just has been pissing me off that i cant find a reliable source of information or some good guidance but thank you froggy this atleast gives me a positive outlook on it.

[ellobo]

Check for copper in the barrel. Handloading may be your salvation.

El Lobo

[243LPR]

I think Federal has a load with the 168 SMK. Maybe try that.

[brtelec]

Two things, first has the rifle been cleaned properly after 100 rounds or so? Second, short of taking up hand loading, why have you not just gone back to a load you know shoots well? Have you tried the load you had such good luck with prior, since the change to superperformance?

[TOPGuN050]

i have thoroughly cleaned the rifle after every 20 rounds and i have not gone back to the old load simply because i want to go much farther than 400 yds and have been told that in order to eventually get to 1000 yds if i ever do i will most definatley need to go to a heavier bullet. i have been told also as a rule of thumb, the tighter the twist the heavier bullets you should shoot to ensure that they stabalize well over long distance. does anyone agree with this? at the same rate i have been told by another person on snipers hide forum that if i go heavier the keyholes and large groups will just get worse!! i think its going to come down to putting the time in at the range. my biggest consern is that there could be something wrong with the rifle! and am hoping to rule that out very quickly. i have owned many savages and i sure as hell dont want their flag ship tactical rifle to be a dissapointment considering the money i have invested in the rig

[brtelec]

Well with a 1-10 twist you should be able to stabilize a bullet up to 220 gr. If your desire is to reach out to 1000 yards, your next investment needs to be reloading equipment. Since your rifle shot well with the one load there is probably nothing wrong with your rifle. I would seriously look at my scope and mounts if I were you. It is also possible that something has loosened up after all the 300 mag through it. Just a thought.Of course this would not explain key holing but it could explain flyers.

[TOPGuN050]

i most definatley want to start reloading soon the truth is i have no clue where or how to get started or to learn the art. there isnt many people around here (butler,PA) that does any kind of real precision reloading that i could learn from or atleast that i know about. PA sux for long range shooters trying to learn thats for sure im gonna have to head to thunder valley precision in ohio about a 2 hour drive to figure out what im doing.

[rjtfroggy]

Just go to RCBS online they have a video for sale that will teach you the basics,plus almost every reloading manual starts off with how to instructions and every die set comes with instructions on how to set up the dies.Too behonest I would wager that most reloaders started by reading how to do it.
As you advance ask all the questions you need to ask here and elsewhere for pointers.
Remember there are no dumb questions.

[brtelec]

Go to this link and there is a series of free videos about reloading. They will kick you in the right direction. I taught myself to reload with a book called the ABC's of Reloading. This book has been around in new revised printings for years. I still keep a copy of it on my shelf. Do not buy anything until you have read something such as this. It could save you a considerable amount of money.

Here are the videos

http://ammosmith.com/ammosmith-com-video-library.php

Here is an Amazon link for the book

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_85fmb07do7_e

[ellobo]

About a year ago there was a long discusion about stabilizing long bullets with fast twist barrels. If memory serves, the conclusion was that expecting great groups at 100 yards was an exercise in futility. Check the groups at least 200 yds for a better take on if those bullets have stabilized or not. Wish I could elaborate further but I'm old and senile.

El Lobo

[TOPGuN050]

i am going to try the 180gr. sst i think heard from a few people with the same rifle that they shoot very well and some even claim sub MOA at 100 and beyond havnt seen any proof of this performance but hey its worth a shot. first thing is first i need to get rid of the keyholeing that the 150s are doing every few shots or so once i can eliminate that its off to the races

[TOPGuN050]

thanks brtelec for the link

[brtelec]

It is my pleasure. I am lucky to have a job that allows me to do little more than surf the internet for 10 to 12 hours a day! Tough life, huh?