11VT shooting 20+ inches right

[samven]

This is my first post here and I am a new Savage owner. I picked up an 11VT in .308 at Dicks on sale a few weeks ago and I am having a problem that I have never seen before. The first day I had the rifle I took it to the range with a box of my service rifle ammo (168 SMK over 41.5 IMR 4895) This load has always shot well in every gun I have tried it in. Maybe not the most accurate but always good. I could not hit paper at 100 yds with the Bushnell scope that was factory installed so I took it to the 50 yd target and found it hitting right 11 inches right. I zeroed the scope and moved back to 100 yds where I had to add more left windage to find center. The scope was up against the full stop and not grouping great. I went home very upset but determined.

I took off the factory scope and checked the mounts, they were very tight and centered as best I could tell. I put my trusty Leop VX3 6.5-20 on the gun and bore sighted it. I checked the stock screws and torqued them to 30 inlbs. I went back to the range and talked to the owner. He recommended I try a box of the ABM 185 gr Bergers. I had basically the same issue, the 168 shot 20" right and had the windage to almost the limits, the Bergers were shooting 13" right but they were grouping under .5 moa. 1 5 shot group was .295 one was .365 one at .467 the other 5 went to getting on target. So I was happy the gun could shoot just upset were it shot.

I ordered a new stock with a bedding block and a 20 moa rail and windage adjustable rings. I used the wait time to load some Horn 178 HPBT. Everyting came in and I put the gun in the new stock, installed the rail and the rings. I recentered my scope and headed back to the range. Nothing changed except that I used the rings to move the group back on paper so my scope would have some windage adjustment but the rings are moved to there limits. The Horn 178's are shooting right between the 168 and 185. There is some vertical stringing which is to be expected between the weights but the horizontal spread is tremedous and it is just based on bullet weight. I laddered the 178's and they only string vertically with little or no horizontal movement over a 300 fps spread. The 178's are staying consistantly at or under .75".

My big question is should I take a chance on sending this back to Savage to have the windage problem corrected at the risk of not getting a barrel that shoots this tight or is there something else that should be looked at.

[J.Baker]

First, the return key is your friend. :)

First thing I would do is remove the base, reinsert the base screws so that they're sticking up out of the action. Using a metal yard stick, lay it flat so the thin edge is against the screws and then look to see if the yard stick stays on the centerline of the barrel as it extends towards the muzzle or if it strays off to one side of the other.

If it's straying off to the side you either have a warped action or the barrel is cocked slightly. The latter can usually be fixed by simply breaking the barrel nut loose and then resetting headspace and retightening the nut. If the action is warped (not near as likely on the newer guns, especially short-actions) it will need straightened to resolve the issue and being this is a new gun I'd return it to Savage under warranty rather than paying a gunsmith. If you do send it back, take the time to write a brief letter indicating what the specific issue is and what you have already done to verify it's an issue with the gun and not the ammo, shooter, mounts or scope.

[RC20]

Question I have is if you break the barrel nut loose and then send it back, does Saba still honor the warranty?

Does Savage require an RMA before you send it back?

[Hotolds442]

It's the old "If a tree falls in the woods......." scenario. If you can get that smooth nut loose without leaving a mark, how would they know? Not that you'll be very successful loosening it without a trace.....
And yes, you should call Customer Service and get a RMA, especially if you'd like them to pay the cost of shipping.

[dranrab]

Before I sent it back, I would do as suggested above and make sure the base mount holes are aligned with the barrel. Then I'd swap out the el cheapo factory bases with some good windage adjustable dovetail bases and good rings.

[samven]

First let me say Thanks for all the replys and helpful hints. I took the scope and mounts off and used a thread stretched from the muzzle center to the rear mount screw.
It stayed centered on the barrel and crossed the center of the other 3 mount holes. I always center a scope before mounting it on a new rifle by spinning it on ball bearing
V blocks with it pointed at a distant fixed object and making sure the rect. does not wander, I then put the rifle in my cleaning vise and point it at a radio tower about 2
miles away by sighting up the bore and centering the flashing light, then I adjust the scope to point at the same light then recheck the bore to make sure it did not move.
I can usually spot any problem with a bend before I let the first bullet go. There is always some adjustment needed as there was here but never more than a few moa.
This has always put me on a 14x14 sighter target at 100 yds. This rifle needed very little adjustment to align and I was encourage but it was the first time I ever missed
the 14x14 target and backer and frame. After sighting it at the range I got it home and rechecked the scope to bore and they were not even close as expected. I would
normally suspect the crown, either a burr or not being square but under a magnifier it looks fine and I dont feel any tight spots in the end. That and it shoots such tiny holes
I am having a hard time believing the barrel has a problem. My ballistics program says 5 moa at 300 yds so I adj 5 moa and hit 4 out of 4 3" clays on the 300 yd berm. I know I should send it back but I dont want to loose it for who knows how long and I would really be kicking myself if I got back a 1 moa gun. I think I am going to take it over to the
1000 yd range and if it still holds on to its accuracy I will just shoot it until I need a barrel otherwise I will send it in and hope.

Sorry about the strange format but I typed it in the quick reply with returns and it looked good.

[bsekf]

If every time you bore sight you get the same result, 20 inches right and the vertical is good, something is sure wrong and I would send the rifle back. BUT.... IT SHOOTS! and I understand your reluctance. Get a one piece base and Burris Signature Zee rings with the +/- inserts and hope the other shoe doesn't drop.

Bill

[Fotheringill]

There is an easy way and a much harder way.
The easy way is to purchase appropriate Burris Xtreme Signature rings. They come with inserts that will compensate for your 20 inches without running the scope windage adjustments to the ends. If you go this route, make sure they are the Signature rings.

[J.Baker]

If some of you guys would have read the entire first post you'd note he's already replaced the factory bases with a 20 MOA rail and windage-adjustable rings. (first line, third paragraph)

I ordered a new stock with a bedding block and a 20 moa rail and windage adjustable rings.

[RSMII]

I purchased a Savage 111 LRH in August of last year. I got a good deal on it new and put it away till I had money to buy the scope I wanted. In May of this year I purchased the scope, installed it and went to the range to sight it in. I have never seen a rifle be so far off in my life. It was hitting probably 2ft or more to the right at 100yds. I moved the target in to 50yds and tried it again. I had the windage as far over as it would go and still couldn't hit the target. I finally pulled the target in to 20yds and was actually hitting it. I went home and called the scope manufacturer and talked with them. I rechecked everything I did and even changed scope mounts. Went back out, same issue. Bought a laser boresight tool and found the bore to be pointing way right. Sent the rifle back to Savage and finally got it back 7 weeks later with a new barrel that was verified to be on target. Just waiting for a little cooler weather here in Az to get back out and put some lead downrange.

[samven]

I am glad you got yours taken care of and that I am not crazy. I did a little more searching and found quite a few others who had similar problems. Once mine is zeroed at 100
it seems to hold fine at 300 but I still need to get it out farther to be sure.

[RSMII]

I still have issues with mine even after they said they replaced the barrel and verified it was true....not even close. I mean it's better but I only have a few MOA of windage left after getting it centered. I'm at a loss for what's wrong. I have checked everything I could and even double checked it. I guess I might have to buy a set of windage adjustable rings to get this scope more on center....kinda disappointed.

[Robinhood]

If it is a factory scope there is the chance you could find a better one digging in a walmart trash bin. Borrow a decent scope and try again. Nice touch on centering our reticle by the way. Some people don't even understand that.

[Flintlock28]

There is an easy way and a much harder way.
The easy way is to purchase appropriate Burris Xtreme Signature rings. They come with inserts that will compensate for your 20 inches without running the scope windage adjustments to the ends. If you go this route, make sure they are the Signature rings.

Since the rifle groups well; I'd go this route with the Burris rings...If you send it back, and get a dog of a new barrel, you'll kick yourself.

[WV1951]

If it is a factory scope there is the chance you could find a better one digging in a walmart trash bin. Borrow a decent scope and try again. Nice touch on centering our reticle by the way. Some people don't even understand that.

Reread first post. He tried a vx3 and had same results.

[RC20]

It's the old "If a tree falls in the woods......." scenario. If you can get that smooth nut loose without leaving a mark, how would they know? Not that you'll be very successful loosening it without a trace.....
And yes, you should call Customer Service and get a RMA, especially if you'd like them to pay the cost of shipping.

New Savages (maybe old) has goop, aka thread lock or locative.

You would need to redo it with the right color.

Never saw brown locktite but that's the color I have seen on both factory barrels I took off. .