advice on issues with Savage rifle

[thomis]

I have to admit I appreciate the advice but I don't like it. I don't have another scope and whole new set of mounts just lying around to try. The scope is brand new and I have had multiple Leupold scopes and not a problem with one. There are many more variables with the rifle, and I have experimented with them. I feel that I have covered my bases adequately and plan on trading the rifle in or sending it to Savage.

I'm not trying to be funny but seriously, what are folks saying about the new Model 70's being made in SC?

 

[david12601]

call and send it back ....I have had a problem with a savage similar to yours... mine was 2 1/2 half year old....I called them and askedifI could send back and have them check it out ....4 weeks late I had the gun back with a new barrel an a new stock....cost $0 needless to say I sent them a nice thank you

 

[thomis]

checked mounts, rings, all tight and mounted right. removed the scope and put it on my .243 mohawk, shoots like a laser.
i am eliminating scope/mount issues

questions regarding twist rate. Savage offers 1 in 10 twist for .308
is this twist rate more ideal for lighter bullets?
winchester model 70 offers the 1 in 12 twist rate for .308. is this better for heavier bullets?
I'd like to be able to shoot 125 grain all the way to 165 grain. what twist rate is better for this range? i am thinking the bbl of my savage is a lemon (or the chamber?)

 

[Fullboar1]

questions regarding twist rate. Savage offers 1 in 10 twist for .308
is this twist rate more ideal for lighter bullets?
winchester model 70 offers the 1 in 12 twist rate for .308. is this better for heavier bullets?
I'd like to be able to shoot 125 grain all the way to 165 grain. what twist rate is better for this range? i am thinking the bbl of my savage is a lemon (or the chamber?)
January 11, 2012 10:16 AM

The tighter the twist rate the better it is with heavier bullets, well actually longer bullets. Longer bullets are usually heavier except straight copper bullets like the barnes and gilding metal bullets (no lead) are lighter in weight for there length then jacketed lead bullets . The 1 in 12 twist should have no worries shooting the 125-165 grain bullets, that said the 1-10 twist would probably not have a problem either but IMO the 1-12 is about perfect for your 125-165 bullets. With that twist rate (1-12) you could "probably" drop down to the 110 grain bullets if you wanted too.

 

[slowr1der]

From my experience Savage has great customer service, or at least they always have been great to me, and my rifle was out of warranty when I purchased it. If you want something done about it give them a call, and see what they have to say.


That said, I also wouldn't be surprised at all if it's the scope. I've had a similar experience with several Leupolds that failed on me. Another buddy bought one and right out of the box he couldn't get the gun group. He thought it was the gun for sure until he threw on an extra cheapo scope he had laying around only to find out the Leupold was bad.

If you don't want to do either of those, and want to sell it, I see someone said they would give you $200 for it. I'd up that to $225 + shipping if you want to sell it.

 

[helotaxi]

There is a fairly common issue with scope mounts for Savages. The mounting screws shipped with the mount have a tendency to be too long. The result is that the screw is tight but it is bottoming out on the barrel where it threads into the receiver and not making good contact with the mount and not holding it solidly. This leads to the scope mount and scope shifting ever so slightly with every shot and erratic performance.

 

[merrill]

Perhaps I missed it, but did anyone mention bedding problems other than floating the barrel? Every rifle I have ever owned has shot better after I bedded the action with either Brownell bedding compound or JB weld (not JB Quick). I even bed my new rifles often before I shoot them.

 

[helotaxi]

Bedding wouldn't account for how poorly his rifle is shooting unless stock is cracked or the recoil lug is not touching the stock.

 

[sixgunner455]

Call Savage before you consider selling. You already checked the scope on another rifle.

 

[JDGray]

4-5" groups at 50yrds, is not the scope base either.....It would be very wobbly, and easily noticed. Call Savage, tell them you had the problem from the start, they should cover you A lot of warrantys are for free shipping (like Kimbers) They often cover the product for life.

 

[helotaxi]

4-5" groups at 50yrds, is not the scope base either.....It would be very wobbly, and easily noticed.

5" @ 50yds is only 1/6th of a degree. That isn't a lot, hardly "wobbly" and not easily noticed. Things can and will move under recoil from a .308 that you can't move with your hands and we're talking about a tiny bit of movement here.

 

[thomis]

I never mentioned selling my scope?? I appreciate the otherwise intelligent feedback I received.
I'm selling the rifle when I receive it back from Savage. It appears they are going to make good on the barrel or chamber issue, which ever it is.

I would keep the rifle except that I handled a new Model 70 today at the local shop. In my very humble opinion, quality and feel of the Winchester I just handled is on a whole other level then the Savage I have been toying with. I just wish I had the opportunity to handle the Winchester a year and half ago.

I can't wait to receive the Model 70 and get back to business.

 

[BoilerUP]

I'm selling the rifle when I receive it back from Savage.

$250 + shipping?

 

[AABEN]

Hello friends. I have this rifle from Savage. I was pretty happy with it out of the box but as time goes on, I am feeling the desire to return it to Savage. I went to the website and looked at customer service/ warranty info and was very surprised to see that they only offer a one year warranty.

The overall biggest problem is that I can't get shots to group. I don't think I'm expecting too much from this rifle. I'm a handloader and I have tried 3 powders (IMR 4064, Varget, and H4895) and a dozen brass and bullet combinations. I just can't get tight groups. At 50 yards I am getting 3 to 4" groups. At 100 yards about the same, sometimes 5" groups. Granted I have gotten a few 1.5" groups but using the SAME loads that achieved those groups, the next time I shoot those loads, I get 3 or 4" groups again. I am using a good solid rest. I passed a dollar bill around the bbl and it appears to be free-floating. I have a torque drive and torqued the stock to various foot pounds (20 to 40), still can't find a sweet spot.

A few other minor issues:
--- The rear trigger guard screw was stripped from day 1.
--- The Savage emblem on bottom of the stock pistol grip recently fell off (it was glued)
--- The safety is not smooth, you have to work it side to side to get it all the way forwards and backwards

I was thinking since it has been beyond one year (it's been about 1.5 years since I purchased), my choices are to call Savage and plead my case or send it to my gunsmith.

I appreciate any and all advice.

Many thanks-

Why did you remove the stock?? Do you know the Turk on the screw? There is a turk that it is at at when new. I have 5 Savage high power. They all shoot 1/2 3/4 at a 100yd. I would bet you crank it down way pass the 36in pound NOT foot pound that they are set when new. So it sounds it is your own made trouble!!

 

[AABEN]

The mount system is Warne bases and Leupold PRW rings. (But Warne makes the rings for Leupold as well).
The scope is Leupold VX-II 3-9 X 40
The screws are Loctited (blue)

The caliber is .308 Win

The rifle is the Savage Model 14 / Classic

Here is my original post (with pics) on the rifle shortly after I bought it. Since then, I have stretched it out to 100 and 200 yards and there have been about 150 shots through the tube. I have thoroughly cleaned the barrel twice.

There are two other threads I posted over the past year and half regarding this rifle. But don't bore yourself if you don't want to. I think all the needed info, I have already posted...

June 2010

July 2010

This is where you said you removed the stock. this goes with first post. JUNE 2010

 

[slowr1der]

I never mentioned selling my scope?? I appreciate the otherwise intelligent feedback I received.
I'm selling the rifle when I receive it back from Savage. It appears they are going to make good on the barrel or chamber issue, which ever it is.

I don't think anyone wants to buy the scope. We want to buy the rifle. What do you want for it?

 

[JDGray]

5" @ 50yds is only 1/6th of a degree. That isn't a lot, hardly "wobbly" and not easily noticed. Things can and will move under recoil from a .308 that you can't move with your hands and we're talking about a tiny bit of movement here.

You would feel, and see that movement, if it were causing the issue. I couldn't feel any movement in my base when my 200yrd groups were shifting by 1", but thats a whole different story.

 

[thomis]

aaben. let me educate you on why one would remove the stock on a new rifle. after the rifle leaves the factory, shipping, etc..the recoil lug is not always properly seated in the stock as it should be. you remove the stock, or at least loosen the action screws and stand the rifle up on the butt and tap it to seat the recoil lug and then torque the screws using a torque drive. yes it is inch-pounds. that was a typo. (you could never torque the stock to 30 or 40 foot pounds, this would obviously be impossible causing immediate breakage.)

and then "tuning the stock" is trying shot groups of the same load at different inch-pound intervals. i.e. take 5 shots at 25 inch-pounds
then 30 inch pounds then 35 (the idea is to see what groups best and that is the sweet spot for your rifle)

i'll take $650 for the rifle when i receive it back from savage. (serious buyers may pm me)

 

[helotaxi]

You would feel, and see that movement, if it were causing the issue. I couldn't feel any movement in my base when my 200yrd groups were shifting by 1", but thats a whole different story.

You'd be hard pressed to MEASURE that movement on the rifle. You're only seeing it at distance because of how it subtends at range, amplifying the tiny distance involved. We're talking about a 6" scope base moving 0.010" peak-to-peak. We're not talking about the scope being sideways on the rifle.

 

[JDGray]

You'd be hard pressed to MEASURE that movement on the rifle. You're only seeing it at distance because of how it subtends at range, amplifying the tiny distance involved. We're talking about a 6" scope base moving 0.010" peak-to-peak. We're not talking about the scope being sideways on the rifle.

More like .015", and that would be very easy to see and feel, especially at the end of the scope.

 

[helotaxi]

If it were loose, it could be felt. It can be "not tight" without being loose. It can move under recoil without being loose to the touch. I've seen them this way, specifically on Savage rifles. Replacing/trimming a front mounting screw fixed the problem completely.

 

[wingman]

aaben. let me educate you on why one would remove the stock on a new rifle. after the rifle leaves the factory, shipping, etc..the recoil lug is not always properly seated in the stock as it should be.

Thank you for that education on the other hand one could clean the barrel shoot rifle and see if factory did there job. If you fire a rifle direct from the factory find it less then required then and only then begin your search for problems other wise you have no base to start from. Sometimes we can be our own worse enemy trying a new product out of the box. I've seen guys buy a new rifle and begin filing or cutting away stock prior to ever firing it.

 

[AKElroy]

is not the scope base either.....It would be very wobbly, and easily noticed.

Not necessarily. Irregular metallurgy in the Warne base may be causing it to twist due to heat and unneven stress. I have a DNZ "deadnutz" one-piece mount on my Savage, and it is rock solid. I would also second the need to get more rounds down the bore, and to clean it more often. My groups have tightened quite a bit since getting over 200 rounds downrange. As for factory ammo, try cheap remmy corelockts. Mine likes them over any premium brand. I am getting a slightly dissapointing best of 1 moa from my weather warrior .308 from the 150 corelockts, and I have some 180's on order to see if they provide what I had hoped to see from this rig.

Groups that big, though, really suggest it is the optics. since I agree the Leupold is likely not the culprit, I would upgrade the mount. The DNZ is not that expensive.

 

[JDGray]

I hope when he gets it back from Savage, he lets us all know what it was. I agree the bases wont be wobbley loose, but 4" at 50yrds, will be noticeably loose. I'd like to have seen some Fed GMM ammo run through it, but sounds like its on its way back to Savage already. I had an AR15 that would group 4" at 60yrds, with Win 55gr FMJ reloads, but punched 60gr Sierra Varminters through one hole at that same distance. We dont know how good a reloader the OP is, but claims Factory ammo to be just as bad. My bet is a recrown, or barrel

 

[AABEN]

aaben. let me educate you on why one would remove the stock on a new rifle. after the rifle leaves the factory, shipping, etc..the recoil lug is not always properly seated in the stock as it should be. you remove the stock, or at least loosen the action screws and stand the rifle up on the butt and tap it to seat the recoil lug and then torque the screws using a torque drive. yes it is inch-pounds. that was a typo. (you could never torque the stock to 30 or 40 foot pounds, this would obviously be impossible causing immediate breakage.)

and then "tuning the stock" is trying shot groups of the same load at different inch-pound intervals. i.e. take 5 shots at 25 inch-pounds
then 30 inch pounds then 35 (the idea is to see what groups best and that is the sweet spot for your rifle)

i'll take $650 for the rifle when i receive it back from savage. (serious buyers may pm me)

I have bought at less 20 new rifles and never had to do what you did to your gun. All of my guns shoot good right out of the box. I guss I have more fath in the makers of the guns that I buy.