Quote Originally Posted by helotaxi View Post
Nothing like going to a complete extreme, eh? A good barrel will shoot everything that it can stabilize well while shooting loads that it likes excellent.

Sounds like you had an exceptional Savage barrel. Darn the luck


Which isn't a benchrest rifle, thus my point, which thanks to your strong desire to take my comments to the illogical extreme, you seem to have forgotten. And no one commented on the quality of action, anyway. How does it shoot at 300 or 600yds since that's what really matters? For an affordable, button rifled, drop-in barrel, what exactly did you expect? You expecting a rifle in the 1's from a sub $500 barrel?
Sorry that I took you literally... I guess we were both extreme? My apologies.... just thought the same about your commentary (and it wasn't very helpful to me - it wasn't addressing what I had asked about).


Anywho... maybe you can help me by educating me on the difference between a benchrest rifle and a F/TR (other than the rests, stock and shooting position). I'm sure I'm in the wrong here - but I'm of the opinion that the combined barrel and action, bolted corretly in a bedded stock provides the accuracy (not the "style" of the stock as this is more about putting the shooter into a "best" position to gain the "best" shot for the competition). In other words... If I put the action (Savage PTA single shot in this case) and barrel (the Criterion in question in this case) into a benchrest stock (a slightly modified Savage F Class factory stock), and then shoot it from the bench using an adjustable bechrest front and bechrest rear bag then (to me) I ought to have a reasonable idea of the subject load's ability to shoot well. This is how I test loads. I'm consistant with that method so I have a very fair comparrison on the loads (not the shooter). Maybe that is a bad idea. I'm certainly open to learning and taking good ideas and making changes to the process.

So help me learn... how is a benchrest different (other than as I described ablove)? What am I doing wrong in testing?


Really... I'm open to learning.



Quote Originally Posted by BoilerUP View Post
If you haven't tried 80/80.5/82gr Bergers, you ain't done testing yet.

I'd also say if a factory Savage barrel shoots sub-3s then you are a lucky man who got a barrel that's the exception, rather than the rule.
Thanks B.... I may try the Hornady's with Varget - but I WILL definately try the Bergers.