Confessions of a Savage addict

[Tim Singleton]

Well I have to to say. I have been a long time advocate of the Savage rifle system
I have often aired my opinion That the savage could shoot with the custom actions I have to say I was speaking from my lack of experience.

I have built 5 savages now two in 6br fast twist a 223ai, 30br and my llatest is an 8 twist Dasher. I have mostly shot 100 to 200 yards target shooting local club. Where I am doing pretty good. Especially with the 30br

Since I have been shooting my Dasher now out to 500 and 600 I have found that the scope rail holes must be slightly out of alignment with the bore. When shooting at 100 on bull. It will be 2" to 3" to the right at 300 yards and a foot right at 500-600 yards. This is a repeated problem every time not the wind each time I shoot further out I have to keep dialing it over

So I can definitely see where you guys that are traveling around competing at a larger level would want an action that was precisely made not mass produced. Obviously also,For more reasons than my one example

While a savge action is great. It is what it is!!!!

 

[savagedasher]

That sounds more like a barrel timing to me. Good shooting Larry

 

[savagedasher]

No barrel is straight and most custom gun maker know that. They normally time it up or down so the don't shoot right or left. Good Shooting Larry

 

[BigDMT]

Probably just spin drift. I've seen it get to that level with really hot loads.

If you get it dead on at 600 yards you should be good to 1000. A lot of times I set up windage at 300 yards and I am good to 1K.

I NEVER pay attention to exact windage at 100 yards. Zero at 100 yards doesn't mean ANYTHING when shooting long range. Just get it close at 100 and take it to farther distances and adjust accordingly. I have had many rifles that have to shoot 1/2" to 1" left at 100 yards to be straight out to 1000 yards. 1/2" off at 100 yards can easily throw a shot off 1 ft at 600 yards.

If a scope is straight on a bore, it's straight on a bore. Very slightly crooked base holes don't matter as long as the scope's windage is adjusted to compensate.

So just worry about where it hits at the distance you want to shoot and make it group well. That's all that matters.

 

[Tim Singleton]

Still a lot to learn.

 

[1holeaddict]

I just got my 223 BVSS back from the factory and they replaced the barrel. The gun was shooting 3' to the left. I installed 20moa in the rings and used a 30mm tube to get enough windage to sight in. Well i just remounted and began shooting it with the new barrel and 3' to the left again. I told them that the mounting holes were off but they insisted they were within tolerance and it was the barrel. For a kick in the a** the new barrel is lacking the accuracy the old barrel had. Im starting to believe a full custom is well worth the extra dime.

 

[BigDMT]

I just got my 223 BVSS back from the factory and they replaced the barrel. The gun was shooting 3' to the left. I installed 20moa in the rings and used a 30mm tube to get enough windage to sight in. Well i just remounted and began shooting it with the new barrel and 3' to the left again. I told them that the mounting holes were off but they insisted they were within tolerance and it was the barrel. For a kick in the a** the new barrel is lacking the accuracy the old barrel had. Im starting to believe a full custom is well worth the extra dime.

That's really bad.

What type of scope, rings, base are you using?

Bases and rings can do that as well...

 

[Tim Singleton]

I had read another post somewhere about these problems.and it was the recoil lug and nut.
I'm using a ground lug and nut from northland so that shouldn't be my issue but it could be
A problem for some

 

[Tim Singleton]

So
Guys with say a Bat or a Stiller can still have this problem?
Shooting on at 500 then move back to 100 and be two or three inches right or left?

 

[savagedasher]

You can take a long straight edge and check it first off the scope bases on each side. if the barrel isn't straight down the edge. then take the bases off and use all 4 screws and check it again. If it is off call them with the answer. Good Shooting Larry

 

[Tim Singleton]

You can take a long straight edge and check it first off the scope bases on each side. if the barrel isn't straight down the edge. then take the bases off and use all 4 screws and check it again. If it is off call them with the answer. Good Shooting Larry

Should have thought of that

 

[BigDMT]

You don't judge the barrel by the scope bases. The barrel only needs to be straight with the receiver. The scope bases are a whole different matter.

1 ft at 600 yards is not that big of a deal. That's less than 2 MOA.

 

[Erik Cortina]

No barrel is straight and most custom gun maker know that. They normally time it up or down so the don't shoot right or left. Good Shooting Larry

Some time the barrels, the ones that know what they are doing don't have to time it. But I agree, barrels are not straight.

 

[BigDMT]

Assuming the OP's scope has 1/4 minute adjustments...

I say give your scope 7 clicks of windage in the proper direction at 600 yards and see where she lands on the target. That should take most, if not all, of that 1ft drift out of your POI at 500-600 yards.

It's only 7 clicks, might take 8 or 9 at the most to correct it depending on scope tracking quality and accuracy of the rifle. I don't see anything wrong with that. Does anyone else? Or am I going crazy here? Maybe I'm not the perfectionist I used to be....

 

[82boy]

You may want to re-think your thoughts about the savage action. I have one that will hold out dead even with my Bat or my Panda at 100 and 200 yards. I have two friends that have Savages and they have found same thing they hold there own against custom actions. One of them shot a Savage in the NBRSA Eastern Region Finale last year not only did he win small group he placed 3rd place in two match's. (And trust me there was no lax shooters there 2 hall of famers, and a couple of past world Benchrest team members.) I have been very competitive in 600 yard competition with a Savage action, got a match pin at the 2010 IBS nationals to prove it.

 

[Tim Singleton]

I maybe expecting to much again from lack of experience at longer range shooting.
Like I said to begin with I have long been a savage addict. But shooting group and score out to 200 yds. I was taken by surprise with this windage issue at longer range.
Glad to hear it may not be such a big deal. I love my pawn shop builds

 

[savagedasher]

We shoot 150 matches a year from 475 yd to 1000yd and just guessing I would say 60 % or better are won with Savage. Last year our 1000yd gong match was won with savage action along with second and 4Th. Last week we shot 577 paper the first three places was all savage. Check out Bostrom gunsmithing he make all our savages. Good shooting Larry

 

[Steve Blair]

There are several aspects of Savages that are problematic. I have two PTA F-TR rifles and have done some good shooting and won a few matches with them. So, it's not like I think they're bad. But, it's best to be realistic. [br]
1. They have triggers that are mediocre at best. There are no really good triggers for Savage actions as there are for Remington compatible actions. [br]
2. Barrel profiles are limited. Unless you change to a conventional barrel mounting, they are limited to ~Ø1.05. My other F-TR rifles have HV profiles and F-Open guns are HV or Ø1.25 straight. [br]
There have been persistent reports of Savage scope base issues. My two actions don't have the problem but I've heard and read of many. My solution to scope base issues is to use actions like the attached images whenever possible. By machining the scope base into the action, it eliminates a potential problem source.

 

[treeman]

T. if your scope elevation is canted it could cause this. leveling the cross hair/ reticle does not always fix this problem. I have come to the place where I level the turret of the scope instead of the cross hair and then check it with a plumb line by shooting a group at 100 yrds then going up 30 minutes and shooting another group. if your elevation is plumb both groups will be in line with the plumb line if you have the rifle level.
good shooting,Darrell

 

[1holeaddict]

I just got my 223 BVSS back from the factory and they replaced the barrel. The gun was shooting 3' to the left. I installed 20moa in the rings and used a 30mm tube to get enough windage to sight in. Well i just remounted and began shooting it with the new barrel and 3' to the left again. I told them that the mounting holes were off but they insisted they were within tolerance and it was the barrel. For a kick in the a** the new barrel is lacking the accuracy the old barrel had. Im starting to believe a full custom is well worth the extra dime.

That's really bad.

What type of scope, rings, base are you using?

Bases and rings can do that as well...

My rig has a EGW rail with Burris Sig Zee rings on it. Im using a Leupy 30mm tube for extra windage and also 20 moa of inserts in the rings. Im still almost out of adjustment. Im thinking about taking her to a smith and have the holes re drilled. I told Savage that i had checked the holes and i can visibly see thay are off but they stated it is within their tolerances.