Range Report Savage 116

[Uncle Mike]

Finally, I was able to run a few through this thing.

The Rifle, well it was a Savage Custom Shop order for a customer that was unable to take delivery of it, so, through some horse trading and doing some work on it on 'my' time, I now own it.

It is a Savage 116(30-06) with a 24" Savage factory barrel, with a sporter taper,(.585" at the muzzle). Yes, I did say a 'twenty four' inch barrel. The headspace is spot on, the bore lapped, the bolt ways and feed ramp have been polished to a mirror finish, bolt tuned, action squared and it does have the Accutrigger and it is an Accustock rifle.

The entire rifle, with the exception of the outside of the bolt body, bolt handle and the barrel bore has been coated in the most excellent Black-T from Birdsong, even the trigger and bolt internals, all springs and screws.

The stock was camouflaged and a 'latex glove' feeling type coating was applied to the outside of the stock, as you can see, I installed a Karston adjustable cheek piece also.

On top resides a Burris Black Diamond 4-16X50 Ballistic Mil-Dot reticle scope(an older one) setting in Talley rings and bases.

The Accutrigger is set at 3lbs., just what I require for a gaming rifle, and it breaks like....I wont say fine crystal, maybe like a coffee cup, but it is good enough, for who it's for!.lol The Black-T coating really smoothed the action, bolt and trigger up, the polish job didn't hurt any also! hehehe

Next time out, I'll cook up some hand loads and try them, see if i can't get her to tighten up a bit.

Since several folks have pondered the accuracy of the Weather Warriors, I thought I would post what went on with several different factory loads...

The contestants...Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr. p/n GM3006M 'Groups 5 and 6', as normal, I seemed to 'pull' a couple opening the groups a bit but she dropped them into 5/8".

Next, 'Groups' 3 and 4 were shot with Remington Express Core-Lokt 165gr. p/n R3006B, not bad, around 3/4".

Next was Federal Vital-Shok 165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips, p/n P3006Q which did nearly as good as the Remington. Pay no attention to the flyer.

The rifle was rested on bags, front and rear, 5 shot strings with a minute or so between shots and at least 30 minutes between strings....good news, it puts the first two or 3 rounds right where it's pointed, bad news, this rifle does NOT shoot with a hot barrel, groups would walk in an ever widening circle.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Hornady Superformance didn't do too well....good enough for hunting, but beat by the old standby Remington Core-lockt

Looks like you could take that bolt handle off and eat potted meat with it on a hunting trip

 

[Snakum]

I've shot a few of the 111s and 116s and every one was a shooter. I had a 116 in 30-06 for a while but had to sell it to fund a brush gun. All were very, very accurate right out of the box. But it is a sporter barrel, and it will walk when it gets hot. That's just the nature of the beast.

 

[SSN Vet]

Remington Core-Lokt is darn hard to beat....

nice groups...

nice rifle...

hang on to her.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Looks like you could take that bolt handle off and eat potted meat with it on a hunting trip

You win the prize! A good can of potted meat whilst in the stand does a man good!

I burnt up two endmills doing that! hehehe Do you like it?

SSN, thank you for the comment, that Savage is alright, under the circumstances I acquired it.lol

I call it the 'Bulldozer', one of the guys in the shop said it looked like something you would see on a bulldozer, so the name stuck! hehehe But, talk about impervious to the elements, you could submerge that thing in saltwater for a week and still come up smiling I think! hehehe

We see a lot of rifles that like the Remington Express ammo, most production rifles will shoot it well, same goes for the Federal Vital-Shok and even some bullet weights of the Federal Power-Shok, the Winchester Super-X used to do well in most rifles, I have not shot much of it for a long time, so I'll not comment.

As for the Hornady Superformance, I just don't know, I have used the old Hornady 'Light Magnum' ammo for quite a while with excellent results, even out of some of my pencil barrel model 7's and home builds, the Light Magnum ammo really shot well.

We have noticed the Superformance not doing so hot in a variety of rifles, some love it and will clover leaf all day long, others wont have any of it!

I shot some Superformance 165gr. SST through my new Steyr Classic and it absolutely did not like it, so, I don't know.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Anybody have some good 30-06 recipes.... I have a gross of Sierra Gamekings HPBT p/n 2140 I'm going to use up.

I found some old loads I did back in the day, with 55gr of 4350 and these bullets. I think I may dust off the presses again. Time permitting of course!

 

[HOOfan_1]

I shoot 150 grain Sierra Gamekings through my Remington 700 .30-06. CCI large rifle primers, Remington Brass (it is what I had at the time), 52 grains of IMR-4064

When I started out working up loads I made 5 of each with 50, 51, 52 and 53 grains. 52 seemed to be the most accurate.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Thanks HOOfan, I know this Savage does definitely not like i68gr. matchkings much faster than 2875 or so. We tried that bullet and the Horandy A-Max at 3000+ and the rifle just did not want any of that noise!

 

[ScratchnDent]

That is a mighty nice hunting rifle!

Been awhile since I loaded for 30/06, but I remember being very happy with a load that was 165gr Sierra Game Kings pushed by Reloder 19. As I recall, they shot real nice around 2750 fps and I didn't push them any harder.

 

[Uncle Mike]

I think the chronograph was not giving correct and accurate readings, it belonged to one of the bunch at the range and I did not have the luxury, or desire, really to move it to a shadier area of the range, I personally think the reloads we shot were more like 2900 or so, I don't see how we could have gotten 3000 out of the load.

 

[Maverick223]

Looks like it groups pretty darn good, but I expected much better out of the new Hornady Uber-round (though I have never tried any). I really like the Black-T coating and the "spoon" er I mean butterknife handle. Looks to be a bit on the hefty side for a stalking rifle, but more than adequate when working from a stand.

As far as loads for .30-06Spfd, I like a 178-180gr. ballistic tip (either a A-Max or SST) 54.0gr. of IMR-4350, but mostly just to keep loads consistent amongst like cartridges as my Browning 1895 seems to prefer the heavy bullets. I like to keep the powder on the moderate side because that same rifle has some push to it (believe it or not, more than my .375H&H and significantly more than lighter bolt gun '06s). This probably won't be an issue for your rifle due to better fit, and simply more weight...additionally 165-168gr. bullets may be a more "well-rounded" choice, but 4350 has worked well for me in most any '06, so I would try that powder first.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Mike, about the best recipe I found for mine was 56g of Olin/Win 760 with a mag primer. Got a smidge over 2870 with that load out of a 24 inch barrel with a good full clean burn. I do like those game kings but I went ahead and went back up to 180 grain BTSP sitting on 58g H4350 and get a respectable 2780 out of it. My TC .06 Barrel is about the only weapon I don't use Hornady bullets in. She just doesn't like them for some odd reason. Tried damn near all of them and that picky heifer wont hold better than 1.5moa with any of them. Oh and I use the Sierras in my .303 because Hornady doesn't make .311daim and I dont like that "rattle" trying to make .308 work!)

 

[Uncle Mike]

I expected much better out of the new Hornady Uber-round

Yeah, like I said, I have used the light magnum stuff, even the newer light magnum that was loaded with the sst, and accuracy is excellent out of a bunch of my rifles, the new stuff(superformance) just goes to hell, I don't know what it is other than maybe they changed their seating depth on the sf stuff, since it isn't a compressed load compared to the older lm ammo.

This has been our findings at the shop also, with a variety of rifles, although we are not asked to use the sf ammo very often, folks just don't believe in it, I guess! lol

Thanks Freedom Fighter, for the recipe, I'm so darn inquisitive now, I'm going to load some sst and A-max along with these old sgk's and see what happens.

I'm almost to the point of believing that Hornady has changed something other than the powder in the light magnum aka superformance ammo! lol

 

[AKElroy]

Mike, Thanks for positng this. I know you had mentioned in my thread that these groups are fairly typical for a 116 / 16, and sure enough.

I was really disappointed in the Hornady ammo as well, especially @$35.00 a box! I have not tried the heavier Core-Locks; they are not nearly as widely available as the ubiquitus 150's. As several stated & as we both discovered, it is hard to beat the cheap remmy core-locks. That is my deer medicine for this season---

Did you try any Federal Fusion in your gun? Mine hated it worse than the Hornady pills. At least the fusion was budget priced @ $17; that way the 3 boxes of it can sit in the safe & rot without too much frustration.

 

[Uncle Mike]

AKElroy, that's just too funny about the Fusion....not the wasted cash but....

No, I did not try any Fusion ammo, I'll get around to trying all of them before it's over, but after seeing the groups from the bargain basement Remington stuff, well, good enough!

I was, to say the least, a bit disappointed with the Hornady SF, but I pretty much new that was going to happen, it has been the case in more than a few rifles we have shot-in at work...and I mean a variety of rifles also!

I have not forgotten about your bolt release, IF and WHEN we ever get any, talk about a bunch of blind, drunk monkeys, one is on the way to you when we get them!

 

[AKElroy]

I have not forgotten about your bolt release, IF and WHEN we ever get any, talk about a bunch of blind, drunk monkeys, one is on the way to you when we get them!

You are an officer & a gentleman. By the way; I can't see why savage used such a poorly crafted part. When re-assembling mine, the tiny little plastic protruding block was nearly snapped off. I had the release in the wrong position when I tightened everything down, and I had to take it all down again & fix it to get the bolt back in.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Mike I just found out that Hornady actually started making a .312diam Interlock bullet for my .303!!!! Haven't looked on their site for them for a long while and was surprised to see them. You know anyone that has tried them in their Enfields? I REALLY like the Interlocks in my 7mm.08 as well as the SST's. Both hold about the same group (with a little finagling with the load) with both of them. Just wondering if it would be a waste of money or not. The old girl shoots dead nutts with the Sierras in both 150 and 180 grain (Have to dig to remember exactly which Sierras they are and I am lazy today) But I am a big fan of the interlocks performance on game so figured I would ask you.

 

[Maverick223]

Freedom_fighter_in_IL, I am not Mike, but I doubt the Interlock will rival those Sierras (though I do like Hornady bullets)...but there is only way to find out...so I would probably give a shot (besides choices are limited in .311-312cal. anyway). If it fails you are only out a few bucks and have learned something, and if you succeed you have a better shooting load.

 

[HOOfan_1]

If it fails you are only out a few bucks and

Are we talking money or deer here?

 

[Maverick223]

Touché, HOOfan_1.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Yes HOO White tail and Hogs are what I take this one out for. Hunted Elk a couple of times with it and it did fine, just like my .300wm a little better for Elk as I can "Reach out and touch" just a bit further. With 180g It is fine out to around 250 for Elk and 300 for deer where my .300wm is considerably further and it is a bit lighter as well. Single shot TC Pro hunter. The custom .300wm with the Hart barrel I take out for those hunts where I will be field sitting without much of a hike. I love that old .303 and she has taken many deer with those Sierras, But, like Mike, I do enjoy experimenting with various bullets and loads.

 

[Fremmer]

I have used the light magnum stuff

Yep, me too. It was pretty rough when I used it to sight-in a gun w/a horrible trigger. Not the ammo's fault, though....

Love it when the gun shoots inexpensive plain-jane ammo well!

 

[Uncle Mike]

Freedom Fighter, I do also like the Interloc Hornady bullets, their BTSP have always been a good player for me, it is good you found the .312 stuff, I have no experience with them as of yet, nor know anyone launching them out of an Enfields...hehehe at least you wont have to paper patch .308's any more! lol

I personally think a lot of the rifles just don't like the longer boattail SST's, in all reality, that flat based Core-Lokt is a horrendously crafted projectile, IF you have ever looked at one under a high powered magnifying device, you would see folds in the jackets from the swagging process, mostly near the tips, crooked knurling along the cannular and it's anybodies guess concerning the core quality....but, damn, they do shoot well! lol

I want to do some range work using the same rifle with Hornady 'Custom' loaded with the
165gr InterLock Flat Base SP, see how that flies!

Funny though, my 7mm-08's, the Model 7 ones, will NOT shoot the Superformance SST's but will one hole with the old Light Magnum that uses the 139gr InterLock Flat Base SP!?!

It'll be hard to beat the Sierra slugs...before I got busy, and had the time to roll my own, it seems Sierra bullets were being loaded more than other brand bullets out of my presses!

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

hehehe at least you wont have to paper patch .308's any more! lol

Actually I DID do that for a bit but lordy it was not purdy. I think I was getting close to 4.5 to 5" groups on cold barrel, 8 to 10 on warm, Minute of barn on hot

Just ordered a box of 150 Interlocks .312 and will doctor me up a few tester loads Starting off with my favorite of 47.5g H414 and then a couple of 42 grain IMR4895. and see if that will tickle her fancy button!!

 

[Uncle Mike]

You did paper patch...! No way! Hey, let me know how those .312's do you. I just ordered a case of the Federal 165gr Game King loads, we'll see what they do I guess.

I have to get the presses set back up, darn it!