Oldie but goodie? Savage model 16

[Trav]

Hello all! IÂ’m a new guy to the forum and honestly new to forums in general. IÂ’d like to start out by saying thank you to all for making this possible. ItÂ’s nice to have a place to ask questions and have discussions about your hobbies.

Anyways, first of many questions iÂ’m sure, I recently purchased a Savage model 16 in 7mm rem mag from a good friend of mine. IÂ’m a greenhorn hunter, fell into the rabbit hole of best rifle calibers for medium to large game hunting, and found myself very intrigued by the ballistic capabilities of the 7 mag. Was lucky I guess that I had a friend asking if I wanted to purchase this Savage from him as he is interested in the new 7PRC. Through my research IÂ’ve found out this rifle seems to be pre accutrigger as it has the flat back action. Living out west, my hopes are make this rifle capable of long range shots, hopefully fairly accurate to 1000 yards. I donÂ’t plan to take an animal at that distance, but knowing the gun is capable will give me the extra confidence as it is very common to be unable to get closer than 400-500 yards to game in the areas I hunt. My question is does anyone know if this gun is capable of accuracy at 1000 yards? Preferably using Hornady ELD-X factory ammo? It is completely factory stock, including the original silver Bushnell 3-9x34 scope it came with. I plan to put a better scope setup on it for better distances, I just want to know if the gun itself is capable, or is there are other mods recommended to make it capable.

I had a bad experience with my first rifle, a cheap Remington 770 in .270win. I spent a good amount of money attempting to make it my hunt rifle and found it wonÂ’t shoot ammo consistently that isnÂ’t named Remington core lokt.

Thank you all for your time!

[bootsmcguire]

Most any rifle is "capable" of 1000yds, it just depends on how much time, money, and effort you want to put into it. That being said, there are a great many Savage rifles out there with minimal modifications shooting to 1k. Obviously as you stated, an optics upgrade is a must. That is a rabbit hole of debate as far as which is best etc etc but don't be afraid to spend money on glass and mounts. Cheap mounts will make even the best scope be at risk for POA failure when you need it. Rule of thumb many people follow is spend 1x to 2x the amount you paid for the rifle on optics/mounts (just as a general rule of thumb, and of course there are always exceptions to the rule).

The 7mm Rem Mag is a popular and quite capable cartridge that with the right loads can take on almost everything you would ever want to hunt in North America.

If you are comparing this model 16 to your prior Rem 770 then you will be in for a very nice surprise. The Remington models 710 and 770 (basically the same rifle with the 770 replacing the 710) are for all purposes trash. Very cheaply made, wear out quickly, not usually very accurate. Many new shooters bought these because it wore the Remington name and lived off of the fame of the model 700, however it could not be further from the 700. If you want a truck/atv gun that you know you're going to destroy a 710/770 MIGHT be up to that. I tried to help people in the past that owned them and eventually had to explain that it is what it is. Got most of them at least switched over to an Axis since many of them need to stay at the entry level financially speaking.

[Trav]

Thanks for the quick response! Yes the 770 is the only thing I can compare the model 16 to, it’s my only other rifle. After spending some money on the 770, I had it shooting fairly consistent, best group was 1.5 MOA using 130 grain core lokt. I switched over to some factory high BC ammo and there was no telling where the rounds would hit. I wanted to venture in to finding out why, did the basic checks, switched back to core lokt ammo and I was right back where i started around 1.5 MOA. I decided the gun just wasn’t worth the time and energy as I assumed exactly what you said, it is what it is.

As for the model 16, basic plans of new solid picatinny rail, good scope mounts and scope, and I’ll hit the range and see where I’m at. I was mostly concerned that the factory barrel may not stabilize the new higher BC ammo of today, assuming that is the issue with my 770. I can’t find much negativity out there about the 16 so I’m feeling confident. I’ll be sure to update here on findings. Thanks again for your time!

[wbm]

I think you have a Savage Model 116 rather than a Model 16. I have one in 7mm Magnum...also flat back.

[Whynot]

1000 yards is very do-able with most factory guns... It is far enough that wind is a issue and needs to be accounted for- but not so far that you have to be a wind expert (unless you need first round hits).

If it is a decent shooting gun and you have the ability to spot misses you can generally walk the rounds in.

As mentioned the scope is very important- as well as consistent ammo- and by that I don't mean small groups at 100 yards. You need ammo that has consistent muzzle velocity and a consistent bullet that is going to act the same as the last one you just shot- so you can make changes and have those changes matter. With inconsistent ammo you really find yourself chasing your tail-

The factory stock is not the best option for longer range- but if you want to keep it your hunting rifle then you can probably make it work.

Do you have good fundamentals? (not that you need to answer that to me- but we all have to be honest with ourselves... if we don't have the basics down then we will see inconsistencies on the target- and blame them on the gun/setup even though we are the problem).

And lastly- have realistic expectations-- Yes, 1000 yards is doable, but still challenging. People train for it and shoot matches all the time, but even then you have your off days and poor results- with top of the line equipment.

[Trav]

1000 yards is very do-able with most factory guns... It is far enough that wind is a issue and needs to be accounted for- but not so far that you have to be a wind expert (unless you need first round hits).

If it is a decent shooting gun and you have the ability to spot misses you can generally walk the rounds in.

As mentioned the scope is very important- as well as consistent ammo- and by that I don't mean small groups at 100 yards. You need ammo that has consistent muzzle velocity and a consistent bullet that is going to act the same as the last one you just shot- so you can make changes and have those changes matter. With inconsistent ammo you really find yourself chasing your tail-

The factory stock is not the best option for longer range- but if you want to keep it your hunting rifle then you can probably make it work.

Do you have good fundamentals? (not that you need to answer that to me- but we all have to be honest with ourselves... if we don't have the basics down then we will see inconsistencies on the target- and blame them on the gun/setup even though we are the problem).

And lastly- have realistic expectations-- Yes, 1000 yards is doable, but still challenging. People train for it and shoot matches all the time, but even then you have your off days and poor results- with top of the line equipment.

I 100% agree on fundamentals. I’ve had some decent training from an old school hunter/reloader. Taught me about breathing, squeezing, bad habits and good. I know a lot of it comes with time and effort, and that goes for at the range and away from it. I have a ton to learn and by far I am no expert in any category. Competition shooting is something I may be interested in for the future, but for me now it’s all about confidence for the hunt. Simply speaking to you all here has already aided in that, and I am grateful for it. Knowing I’m starting with good tools is huge.

[Trav]

Thank you for the correction wbm. I literally jumped on to correct my post. After looking around the forum I found an old post from J.Baker posting the serial number prefix. Found out the rifle was manufactured in 1997. Did a little searching and found the action length to model number difference. It’s in great shape for being 25 years old. Really wish I knew more history on it. All I know is I’m the third owner and the previous owner only ever shot Winchester Super X 175 grain factory ammo through it with good results. It speaks volumes to me about savage rifles that he had good results with a scope that wasn’t mounted correctly and had moved forward in the rings.

[Dave Hoback]

Howdy, & welcome. Boots & whynot gave great points. I agree whole heartedly. Your 116 will tap 1000yds. no problem. I’m sure you’ve heard it, but if not, I’ll say it anyway; reloading is the way to go for overall consistency & therefore, accuracy potential. As stated, scope, mounts & rings are parts to invest in. I recommend lots of research. Asking questions like “who uses what”, I’d stay away from. You will get as many different answers as there are people posting! Everyone has their favorite. Don’t listen to any one person! Or even two or three! No, do your own research. Any modern scope of quality will get you to 1000yds & beyond quite effectively. Anyone who says otherwise, I have hours & hours of videos showing people doing it with with many, many different optics of different price ranges. I’ll say this: expecting precision long range shooting with a $100 Optic is foolish, no doubt! But thinking a $2000-$3000+ Optic is needed is equally foolish. I don’t know your budget, so I won’t speculate. With that, mounts/rings are equally important, as Boots mentioned. I’ve seen more than once, I’m sure he has well, those who spend a good bit of money on a quality firearm & Optic, only then to use JUNK mounts/rings. The trigger is another avenue. Check your trigger, if able. You may have a 3-screw. Those can be tuned as is, and if you’ve the ability, (or know someone), can be worked to provide outstanding trigger operation. I’ve even heard somebody here does Free trigger jobs for other members.