Thanks to the many responders -

First of all, I am glad no one mentioned "headspace" and I made certain I checked the shells to make sure there were no separation, flattened primers, bulged cases, etc. I also checked boltface to make sure no primer flow, etc. As it's been 8 years since I bought the rifle, I doubt I could go back to the original purchase to find resolution if headspace was the case. I have some .308WIN gauges which i would have had to root out in case there were any hints of bad headspace. Glad there's no need for that...for the moment.

What I'm shooting is Tula's polymer-coated ammo, so, a. I will try brass cased ammo, like surplus Port or commercial PMC, and b. I'll try to find some lacquer thinner to brush out the chamber.

Secondly, I was really just trying to find how the rifle would shoot and was very pleased to get better groups than anything I've shot before, so I know I have a good rifle and good ammo is simply a no-brainer from this point onward.

Finally, I have a really good illustration of why Savage owners love their firearms. They're exactly what one needs and no more. No expensive frills, no fancy doodads, just good accuracy. What more could I want? (No, don't answer that )