New Savage 111GNS

[Coyote_Hunter]

Well, not so new, actually, but new to me. Savage was no help but I used this board to find it was manufactured in 1995. (Thank you for that!) I acquired it in January of this year.

Rescued it from the used gun rack at Cabela's in Lone Tree (south Denver metro). Paid a whopping $279 and change. The exterior of the 7mm RM barrel is rusty/pitted and the stock is dinged up, but it is just what I wanted - an inexpensive donor.

Bought a 11FXP3 in .243 Win, manufactured in 2004, back in February of 2016. Intended to turn it into a 6.5 Creedmoor but made the mistake of shooting it. A randomly selected upper-mid-level load of H4831SC and a 95g SST provided a 4-shot group measuring 0.4". So much for being a donor! Have used it since to break clay pigeons on the 600-yard berm and an antelope.

I don't intend to make that mistake with this one. The barrel WILL get ripped off and replaced. Have not decided what cartridge to rebarrel it to but have several candidates with 6.5 PRC, 6.5-06AI, 26 Nosler, .270 Win and .270WSM being at the top of the list. I already have a .22 varminters, the Savage .243 Win and others in .257 Roberts, 6.5-06AI (heavy barrel), .280 Rem, 7mm RM and larger. Have long wanted a sporter-weight 6.5-06AI to go with my heavy-barrel, but a 6.5PRC would have cost advantages and be only a few fps behind my 6.5-06AI loads.

Neither the .,243 Win or 7mm RM are my first Savage rifles. That honor goes to the 110E .22-250 Dad used for years and then gave to me. along with about 2,000 empty cases. That .22-250 could put 3 shots into a group you could cover with a dime at 100 yards. Took a lot of coyotes and prairie dogs with that rifle until the barrel went south at about 4,500 rounds. Decided to rebarrel or sell and ended up selling it in 2004 at a gun show to a guy that just wanted the action. Got $250 for it and was headed to Sportsman's Warehouse to buy a .25-06 when I literally bumped into a guy who had a Ruger hanging on his shoulder with a for sale sign on it. Asked what it was and it turned out to be a .257 Roberts. It had a Leupold M8-4x in the rings and no scratches in the bluing under the slide safety. Owner said he had bought it for his boys but they wanted something bigger for elk. (Can't blame them) He said it "might" have a couple boxes of ammo through it. First couple of trips to the range put scratches under the slide safety, it got a Leupold Vari-X III and it quickly became my favorite rifle - an honor it still holds. My daughters love it, too.

Ever since, though, I've often wished I had kept the 110E and rebarreled it and still bought the .257 Roberts. Fifteen years later I've essentially done just that. My ideal goals are as follows:

1. Relatively light-weight carry rifle
2. Relatively gentle recoil (under 20 ft-lbs)
3. Long-range capability (about 2000fps, 1500fpe @600 yards)
4. Twisted for high B.C. bullets
5. Ready availability of inexpensive brass
6. Availability of high B.C hunting bullets (ELD-X, AB Long Range and Federal TLR Edge in particular)
7. Relatively low powder consumption

The 6.5-06AI still seems to be the best overall fit with those goals. I form brass from .25-06 and 53.0g H100V/140g BT gives 3075fps from my 24" heavy-barrel. 130g Scirocco II's zip alont at 3161fps using 58.5g 7827SSC. The problem is I can't find my PT&G reamer, Just worked up a .270Win load for Daughter #1, 2910fps for a 150g LRAB, burning 52.0g H100V. That would be another good choice.

Decisions over the specific cartridge aside, I'm looking forward to tinkering with the 111GNS. The stock is birch and the bluing shows wear. It will probably get a stainless and possibly threaded barrel, the action will probably stay the way it is but may get Cera-coated, and the stock may get a home-spun paint job. (The birch is light and sturdy, which is what I care about most.) A replacement trigger may or may not happen - the factory is not an Accu-Trigger but isn't bad. Glass bedding, yes, another job I will do myself.

Hope to have this thing put together by fall.


[Edited to add bullet types with velocity]

[J.Baker]

Can't go wrong at that price. Look forward to following along as your build progresses.

[big honkin jeep]

The old flatback 11GNS rifles make some great starting points for tuning up.
Might want to see if you can do something creative with the wood you have.
The old birch stocks can look pretty good gussied up. Maybe a refinish with some embellishment or propane torch tiger stripe or something.
Those old stocks are great practice pieces and if all else fails paint away :)

[scootergisme]

Check out what big honkin jeep did with his factory birch stock. He did an amazing job re-finishing his!!! I have 2 Savage rifles in .270 Winchester. They both shoot exceptionally well with Barnes 129gr LRX bullets, handloads. Great ballistics, readily available ammo and readily available reloading components. I wish Lapua would make .270 Win brass.

[Coyote_Hunter]

How about a photo of what you've done? Propane tiger strips sound pretty good, maybe a brand, too.

Here's whet the 111 looks like today. You can see the rust/pits on the barrel. The other side of the stock is more beat up.




While I'm at it, here the Savage 11FXP3 in .243 Win I purchased at a gun show 3 years ago. It came with a cheap scope I replaced with new rings and a Burris.

Both were under $300.

[big honkin jeep]

How about a photo of what you've done? Propane tiger strips sound pretty good, maybe a brand, too.

Here's whet the 111 looks like today. You can see the rust/pits on the barrel. The other side of the stock is more beat up.




While I'm at it, here the Savage 11FXP3 in .243 Win I purchased at a gun show 3 years ago. It came with a cheap scope I replaced with new rings and a Burris.

Both were under $300.

Here ya go man. Actually responding to your thread inspired me to start this thread. http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...factory-stocks
it has a photo of one i did about 10 years ago and hopefully soon some more member stock photos. I've seen a lot of what some might call backwoods engineering on stocks here over the years to include all matter of refinishing, to shape modification by removing wood, adding epoxy and even integrating repurposed items. Dont be afraid to experiment on the factory stocks. For every aftermarket stock sold there is a factory stock waiting on a tinker, so they are relatively cheap canvas and quite serviceable. If all else fails just throw on a can of paint and you still have something useful.
Good luck BHJ

[Coyote_Hunter]

That stock looks great! The faux pinstripe and white spacers really give it a classic look.

I can guarantee I won't be going to that much work on mine. I do like the idea of propane tiger stripes and a brand with a poly finish but may go with paint instead as I think paint might be better looking and easier to repair. The stock will likely be the last thing I do, though. Barrel, bedding, stock, in that order.

[Coyote_Hunter]

Took a good look down the bore and saw a ring. Not a great photo but it is all I could get. Bore look like hell - kind of like the barrel exterior. ANY thoughts I had of shooting the donor are history.

I have two of Granddad's firearms from the Depression and post-WWI that look very good. Someone really failed to take care of this rifle.




[Edited to add]

Decided to take the barrel and the scope bases off today. I could not break any of the scope base screws free so I took the barreled action to the barn where my welding table resides. The barrel was already a complete loss so I clamped in in the vise and took the barrel wrench to the nut. After multiple attempts I went back t the house and got my propane torch. The torch did not help with the nut but I was able to loosen two of the four scope base screws. Whoever put this thig together did not want it coming apart.

Ended up taking it to a gunsmith. Decided I may get the action Cerakoted while they have it. Graphite Black. Won't get it back for at least 3 weeks, regardless.

[Lclevenger]

That action looks way better with the cerakote on it.


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[Coyote_Hunter]

Just put a EGW 41400 rail on my SIL's brother's Savage 111 so we could replace the Simmons scope with a Nikon Monarch. (The Nikon 1" tube was too short to use the ?factory? ring bases.) Looks like the rail on big honkin jeep's rifle shown above. Sil's brother is in the Navy and will be hunting elk with us this fall.

Have a Nikon I plan to mount on my Savage 111 when I finish the build (no more progress until I order the barrel). Liked the EGW rail so well I ordered one for myself.

[wbm]

Ah man! How come every one of you guys has more toys than i do?