Pleasant suprise on new/used savage I traded for, 6.5/284

**skoger** · 05-27-2011, 10:48 PM

I got this pieced together rifle a while back, 110 long action, older flatback, w/ short magazine, had been trued up, new Holland recoil lug, and blue 6.5x284 ER shaw barrel, 8 twist, put togeether in a BVSS stock, and bedded, w old 3 screw trigger.. Guy who had traded it in at the pawn shop, said it never would shoot less thatn 1 1/2 inch groups at 100yds. Iknow him, and that he doesnt take the best of care, ie clean his guns regularly, also notorious for using cheap varmint scopes that usually cost less than $100. I took it home and first tore it down, cleaned and adjusted the trigger to about#2 or a little less. Then I cleaned the barrel, 5 times with foaming break free and wipe out copper remover, looked like blueberry syrup coming out and I finished cleaing with Barnes copper solvent. I had a onepiece weaver type base, started to put it on and found out that one of the mount holes in reciever was stripped, retapped that, and put base and rings on, had a nikon Monarch 4x12x 40UCC i put on in steel millet rings, off to the range with loads worked up for my other Savage build 6.5x.284. Just one load, moly coated 142 Sierra Matchkings at 3000fps to work with, is a tackdriver in my benchmark barrel. First shot at 25 yards was dead in the X, first time I have done this in 25+ years of gunsmithing. I went to 50 it was a little high and left went on to 100yds and shot one shot, was 2 inches high, 1inch to the left, clicked it over dead center, then started shooting a group. First 5 went into .320 center to center, second 5 went into .335!! I beleive it is good to go. Not counting scope, I am into this for about$450, so I feel pretty good. On the way home, stopped by a local farmers barn and saw a big chuck out behind his tobbaco hanging barn. Laid the 6.5 out across a sandbag on my tool box, turned the scope up to 12, this was about 175 yards, and when I pulled the trigger, the 142grn. Sierra Matchking blew parts about 10 feet into the air and got some serious hangtime with about 3 somersaults before the pig hit the ground. All first time trips to the range should end so nicely. I had planned on turning this barrel down, if it shot good, and put on a swap barrel long action that has a .270 barrel on it now, make magnum sporter weight barrel for hunting, and it would be a repeater, which it is not now on the short action magazine, but I hate to mess with it since it shoots so good. Just thought I would share.