yorke-
I have a 110 in 7mm Rem Mag and want to change the caliber, any suggestions? Sorry if this hi jacking the thread. you can send me a pm if you would like.
I'm following this closely also. Awesome guns.
What would you like to use the gun for? Since you have a 338 Win Mag, I would consider something in the 25 or 6.5mm range. This would give you a good dual purpose coyote/deer gun. If you just want to swap barrels with no other changes, I'd look at the 257 Weatherby. It's a heck of a deer caliber and it should do a real number on coyotes!
If you're into the more exotic calibers I'd try a 6.5-06. If you don't reload the 6.5x284 is a great round as well. You'd need to change both the bolt head and the magazine for either of these but that's easy and inexpensive to do.
Ok.. so I have been completely anti Savage bolt guns for years... I bought one of those cheap 110 with scope combos years ago. The damn thing shot bigger patterns than my 870. It was the biggest POS I ever owned, and it went down the road quickly.
Are these Savages really that good? I now shoot my own builds, (a custom Rem. 700 and a custom blueprinted Howa) and one Sako TRG-s in 338 WM..
I want a 300 WSM that will shoot 1/2 moa or less at 400 yards with handloads... without dropping a grand or more.. Is this possible???
In my experience, the Savages are that good. This is a 5 shot 100 yard group from a factory LRPV in 22-250. This was better than average, but not uncommon.
A far as the 300 WSM I built one of mine for less than that. This is the gun in the factory HS Precision stock.
Same gun after changing stocks to a B&C Medalist.
Here's a break down of the build:
- Used Savage LRPV in .223 (right bolt, left port single shot action action with 8oz Accutrigger) $700
- Used PacNor 28" match grade SS 300 WSM barrel $300
- New magnum bolt head $30
- Sell the factory barrel for $200
Total cost without optics $850. This is to build off of Savage's top of the line target action. If you've never played with a right bolt left port action, you need to try it! Standard actions will feel clumsy by comparison. You can save a couple hundred bucks by picking up a used rifle in any of the WSM calibers at a gunshop for about $500. I sold the HS Precision factory stock for $250 and bought the Medalist for $200 to get a more vertical grip to the stock for shooting prone.
This is a 400 yard group shot off of a bipod out in the woods. The wind switched on me and pushed the two shots to the left. Those were my fault, not the gun. The load is a 185gr Berger VLD moving at 2950fps over a case full of H4350. I've shot better groups, but I would call this average.
Where is everyone finding these barrels and odds and ends?
The Savage Shooters Forum has the best classified section around for Savage stuff. It's absolutely worth the $12 a year to get a full site membership over there. Accurate Shooter and Long Range Hunting forums have pretty good classified sections as well.
Just for fun, here's a pic of another one of my rattle can paint jobs. They aren't fancy, just enough to add a little character to the gun. This one is a Model 16 in 204 Ruger I picked up brand new for $375 a couple years ago. It shoots groups in the .3" range with the 32gr V-Max as long as the wind isn't blowing. The wind is pushes those little bullets all over the place!
I currently have a 30" 1-10 twist Brux barrel being made in 375 RUM improved which will go onto another Savage target action. This action started out as an LRPV in 223 as well. The Savage action isn't in the same league as a Bat, Lawton, Surgeon, or any of the other full custom actions, and it never will be. But even a new Savage target action is less than half the cost of any custom action. And once you figure in the cost of having a smith blueprint a Rem 700, the Savage action is cheaper than the Rem as well.
I still love Rugers for a hardcore turn-key hunting rifle. My 375 Ruger Alaskan is one of my top 3 favorite guns I've ever owned. I'm even looking at picking up another used Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm Mag that's for sale up in Tacoma. But when I feel like slapping together some wildcat caliber together I always do it on a Savage. The next project will probably be a 308 Norma Mag. I have a pile of brass and reloading dies sitting on my bench. For about $150 I can have ER Shaw build me a barrel. When I'm bored with it I'll just sell the barrel and move on to the next project.
Andrew
