Poor shooting savage 111 trophy hunter XP

[Cap.]

I purchased a Savage 111 Trophy Hunter package with the Nikon 3-9x40 scope package chambered in 300 win mag. No ammo I tried would shoot better than a pie plate at 100 yards. After some reading (thank you forum) and some experimentation, I now I have a sub MOA (<half MOA) rifle.

Here is what I learned and the changes I made to get this rifle to this point:

Stopped using a bi-pod. It causes the plastic stock to flex up and negates the free floating of the barrel. This brought groups down to 4-6".
Adjusted accu-triger down to 2.5 lbs.
Found that the trigger needs to 're-seat' after adjustment, so dry firing it 100 times makes it much better.
Worked on some handloads (with limited magnum powders at hand).
Took the dremel tool to the forend, ensuring that the stock at the very front had a 3/16" gap around the barrel on both the sides and bottom.
Re-seat the action by removing it, re-seating it, snug front screw, snug rear screw, re-snug front screw, tighten rear screw, tighten front screw. (at this point noticed rear screw tightened over more turning than the front, which essentially went tight immediately.)
Added a steel Warne 1 piece scope base.

At this point, I had the rifle shooting 1.5" groups. I was very dissipointed and frustrated. I demand much more consistency from all my guns. This was my first Savage and my expectations were much higher.

Inspected rear of action and noticed that one side of the safety area was free floated, but the bolt-handle side was touching in a few places.
Took dremel tool to the area rubbing, and the first 1/4" section right in front of the bolt-handle.
Re-seated action.

Noticed immediately that the rifle was shooting a foot low and a foot right after this change...took that as a hopeful sign.

Re-sighted in scope.
Rifle was then 1MOA.

Worked up a handload of 185gr berger VLD Hunting, Federal brass (fire formed, trimmed, chamfered, deburred), 66gr. H4350, Rem 9.5 primer. Seated just short enough to fit the magazine.
Shoots .365" groups @ 100 yards. I'm satisfied.

Went out and had my son fill his tag and kill his first deer.

Now very satisfied with this rifle. Thank you Savage (but do better on the free float inspections) and thank you Savage Shooters Forum!

~Cap.

[LoneWolf]

Seems to be the case a lot lately and not just with Savages. I had my first experience with a Ruger American in .270 back on the 18th. Guy next to me was trying to sight in 5 different hunting rifles chambered from .243 up to 7RM. He owned all those rifles and didn't even know what the scope adjustments were per click. So I gave them a class in MOA and helped them zero all their rifles accept for one. A Ruger American chambered in .270. I tried every trick I know to get that thing to zero even had it in a lead sled! After going through a box of ammo I realized that I could wiggle the barrel back and forth on top of the forearm of the stock. I checked the action screws and all! That stock made me wish he had purchased the Axis. I told him in its current state the rifle would never zero. I was missing a 5ft x 5ft piece of paper target at 50yds! I shot a sub MOA 4 shot group with one shot from each of the other 4 rifles once I zeroed them. I was banging my head on the bench though until I looked at the barrel in the forearm. I think he decided to take it back and pick up a Savage though!

[davemuzz]

Cap,

Looks like your "Savage research" paid off. Nice!!

Dave

[GOODWIN]

Good to know thanks. Plan to start work on my 111 soon.

[wbm]

300 Win Mag that won't shoot is like a Shelby Cobra that won't do over 60. Glad you got it working!

[GaCop]

Good detective work!

[Cap.]

........And then I left it resting on my friends tire last night while we listened to the coyotes and had a beer (after 7 miles of hiking public land) and she promptly ran over the barrel.
I'll put it on paper today and see if its ruined, but I'm assuming it is.

Any suggestions on high end sporter weight barrels for these?

Sad,
~Cap.

[davemuzz]

Yeah….just give Jim at Northland Shooters Supply a call and buy a Shilen barrel. I've purchased a few of these as have my hunting\shooting buddies and not one of us have ever been disappointed. http://northlandshooterssupply.com

[Cap.]

Yeah….just give Jim at Northland Shooters Supply a call and buy a Shilen barrel. I've purchased a few of these as have my hunting\shooting buddies and not one of us have ever been disappointed. http://northlandshooterssupply.com

Looking at the Shilen replacement barrels, I'm not clear if they make the sporter for 300 win mag. Is it the 'heavy sporter' model that folks use for this chamber? The 'sporter' is only 22" inches long. So I'm thinking heavy sporter is the proper model.

~Cap.

[Cap.]

Ordered a Shilen Savage Heavy Sporter 26" standard shank in select match SS from The Barrel Man....18 week lead time. Also purchased a SSS recoil lug and re-barreling tooling. Guess I'll have to finish off deer season with my FNAR .308 (13 lbs. rifle).

[thermaler]

........And then I left it resting on my friends tire last night while we listened to the coyotes and had a beer (after 7 miles of hiking public land) and she promptly ran over the barrel.
I'll put it on paper today and see if its ruined, but I'm assuming it is.

Any suggestions on high end sporter weight barrels for these?

Sad,
~Cap.

I'm sorry cap--but that is pretty funny. You could sell it as "minute of car."

[davemuzz]

Well Cap, if the bullet don't kill 'em…..you can always beat 'em to death with a 13lb rifle!!!

Dave

[Cap.]

Well Cap, if the bullet don't kill 'em…..you can always beat 'em to death with a 13lb rifle!!!

Dave

Right? I've spent quite a bit of time on the FNAR and load development. Its a 1/2" MOA shooter, which isn't bad for an auto loader. But you feel like you've been packing the animal out all day before you've even taken a shot with that beast!

~Cap.

[Three44s]

Had a fellow working for our family back in the '70s ......... he carried his '06 Rem 740 between the tractor exhaust and the hood for coyotes.

It was a pretty abusive set up.

One day he thought he was pretty cool because the rifle fell off and the tractor tire lug grabbed the muzzle and turned that gun into a fence post.

Three 44s

[Cap.]

I'm sorry cap--but that is pretty funny. You could sell it as "minute of car."

I'll laugh about it once my new Shilen Select is doing some good work...18 weeks from now. The bent barrel perormance is interesting. You can re-sight the scope @ 50 yards and shoot 1" groups, then it will shoot high center 6" at 100 yards, and high 6" and left 6" at 200. I wouldn't be a bit suprised if it swung around to the right and centered out at 450.

Still smacking my forehead every 5 minutes over this.

~Cap.

[thermaler]

I'll laugh about it once my new Shilen Select is doing some good work...18 weeks from now. The bent barrel perormance is interesting. You can re-sight the scope @ 50 yards and shoot 1" groups, then it will shoot high center 6" at 100 yards, and high 6" and left 6" at 200. I wouldn't be a bit suprised if it swung around to the right and centered out at 450.

Still smacking my forehead every 5 minutes over this.

~Cap.

In all seriousness, I wouldn't be tempting fate by firing anything through it.

[davemuzz]

Hey Cap….maybe you will have one of the first….."Shoot around the tree" hunting rifles!!!

Dave

[David13]

Yes, it could now shoot around corners. The Germans tried that you know in WWII.
Mine shot fine right out of the box, and I have had quite a few others shoot it.
And, yes, I did also have to laugh about all the effort you put into it, and then, one day later?, it got run over.
Always good to remember to put things in a safe place.
dc

[wbm]

Cap you are proof positive that Murphy guy was an optimist. Think you will like the Shilen a lot mo betta.

What brand of beer? I will avoid that one.