I've got a factory savage 116 300 RUM and I've been collecting pieces for a long range set-up for a couple of years (I haven't even shot it yet). I have no previous experience at long range shooting, but I've got the bug and I think this should be a good candidate for it.

It is a low round count (as per the previous owner) factory gun with what I would call a heavy varmint contour barrel with factory close-able muzzle brake sitting in a bvss stock (needs bedded). I want to say it was a custom ordered circa 2004-2006. It has the round back receiver and accutrigger but has the older style stagger feed blind magazine. I've accumulated somewhere around 200 once-fired brass and around 1000 215g berger bullets. It has a ken farrell 20 MOA base and matching medium rings with a Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x50 ER/T scope with M1 turrets. Scope has mounted to it a Defensive Edge anti-cant bubble level and angle cosine indicator.

I read all the time about factory savage rifles outshooting custom bench rifles (or at least shooting with them), but as I begin my load development process I am skeptical. I am wondering if I would be better off with a custom tube to start, or will I be able to achieve sub 1/2 MOA with this setup? Anybody have experience trying to reach long range with the factory .300 RUM? What were your results?

Thanks!

JB