I have been thinking of buying a Savage Model 11 in 223. I have no experience with any Savage Rifles post WWII. Any comments or advice.

Thanks

Jerry

I purchased a 'Hog Hunter' in .223 and find it to be very accurate, consistently under an inch with factory loads. Nice semi heavy barrel and the Accu-trigger is fantastic after you get used to it. It's my only plastic stocked regular rifle and I don't mind the plastic on it,very tasteful and shaped nicely and above all fits. I find it to be a good gun for the money. Only Savage other than 99's I have any experience with.

Thanks, I'll let you know how this one shoots. I mounted a Swarovski 3X9, and if it dosen't rain tomorrow I will try it out.

Jerry

I did shoot it today, best group around .75". I gave up after I noticed the action was lose in the stock. Seems the pillars, this is a wood stock, were a little to long. I took .020 off of them, and now the float is good, and the action is secure in the stock. The Accu-Trigger by the way breaks at a very nice 2.75 lbs, according to the RCBS Scale.

Jerry

So far, this one has not been much of a shooter. The throat is longer than I can reach with a 55 grain bullet. Anyone know what twist this rifle may have?

Thanks

I believe all the newer Savages chambered in .223 are twisted 1 in 9". It would not surprise me if they are long throated to make sure they are safe with 5.56 Nato ammo. Although I am sure Savage would tell you not to use 5.56 ammo if you asked them. (Liability concerns)

It is twisted 9". I shot some 69 grain Sierra HPBT'S, a bullet I usually shoot in my AR15 for across the course matches, and it shot pretty good. I was able to reach the lands with this bullet however the magazine is to short to accomodate ammo loaded to this OAL. Makes you believe Savage chambered this for the 5.6 load, and then set up the magazine for 223 length ammunition. This is my first"modern" Savage Rifle. Other than the trigger, it's pretty poorly built, the action is loose in the stock, because the pillars are too long. I took care of that, and realized Savaged had hogged the stock out so far that the action rocks from side to side. But if it shoots, I'll take care of the bedding etc. Time will tell.

Jerry

Bought some 62 grain Sierra Semi spitzers yesterday, and loaded up a few for testing next week. An interesting point here, the 62's will reach the lands, and setting them back .010 still allows me to use the magazine. Lets just hope it groups. A little under an inch would suffice, as I want this as a truck gun.

Jerry

Jerry--what size trucks you going to be taking out with a .223? Maybe minis but I think too small for 18 wheelers.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
Jerry--what size trucks you going to be taking out with a .223? Maybe minis but I think too small for 18 wheelers.

Good One!!

While I did get a couple groups right at an inch or a little more yesterday, I have to say I am unimpressed with this Savage rifle. Very poor feeding and weak ejection are a couple more complaints I have. I can't for the life of me see how these rifles get the raves here on AR.

Jerry

Any rifle with poor bedding is going to shoot groups that are "a might loose" so bed it properly and make sure the barrel is free floating. Then work up an accurate load for it. Try using different bullets and powders. You just have to get to know the rifle and what it likes.

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Eden:
I did shoot it today, best group around .75". I gave up after I noticed the action was lose in the stock. Seems the pillars, this is a wood stock, were a little to long. I took .020 off of them, and now the float is good, and the action is secure in the stock. The Accu-Trigger by the way breaks at a very nice 2.75 lbs, according to the RCBS Scale.

Jerry

Paul, this is from a previous post I made to this thread, FYI.

Jerry

im looking to buy the SAVAGE 11/111 hunter xp in 223 for me and my grandsons to shoot This is the savage combo. with no accutrigger, and a 3x9x40 bushnell scope 399.00 out the door new, i hope it shoots close as yours..

Jerry,

was just popping in, to see what was going on here... was great to see you at our luncheon down at Famous Daves there in Arizona...

Sorry your Savage isn't working out for you... sounds like a little bedding will work wonders...

I have a Savage in the 12 BVSS set up.... 1 in 9 twist on it....mine is a single shot set up.. and a big varmint laminate stock... 26 inch barrel...

I reserve that 223 pretty much for 75 and 80 grain bullets.. it has a long throat, so it will take them seated pretty far out of the case... something you'd never fit in an AR15.

Mine has somewhere around 4,000 plus rounds down the barrel of 75 grain A Maxes, 80 grain Match Bullets from Sierra and Nosler...plus 75 grain Hornady BTHPs..

with the 8 x 32 scope on top of it... I shoot it a lot at 400 to 600 yds on targets mainly.. but it does have some varmint shooting under its belt also...

tighten the screws up on mine, it is a tack driver.. and it has zero problems stabilizing 80 grain Match bullets... and runs them right at 2900 fps +, using H 322, IMR 4895 and 4064

those 75, 77 and 80 grain bullets will easily double the effective range of the 223.. might want to take another look at it from that longer and heavier bullet perspective...

Hi Seafire, hope all's well with you up in Oregon! I also enjoyed meetng you and the other guys for lunch that day. I have been screwing around with this one for a while now. I wish I had bought it new, but it looked so good on gunbroker, well! Seems the barrel, is a little rough. Can't figure that one out, as the outside of the rifle looked 100%. I don't believe the barrel got wet, as there is no evidence of rust anywhere else on the rifle. Only other thing I can figure, is someone got hold of some corrosive ammo, and didn't clean it properly. Who knows! If it'll shoot around an inch, that will be fine. It's bedding is quite a mess, with fore and aft "rock", pillars that are too long, and an action "roll" from side to side. I corrected the pillars, and will bed the action, after a little inletting to level it, once I have a chance. Not much time now, as I am getting ready to go on 2 hunts soon, and have been shooting lead bullets in my 375 H&H, getting it ready to shoot a couple Texas hogs. Should be fun. I am glad you have a Savage cause, I'm gonna have more questions, once I get this thing bedded properly.

Have a good one!


Jerry

Well if you bought it second hand, then you get what ya get if you didn't find out its history (of use or abuse).

I have two Savages, a Stevens 200 in .223 and a Model 14 in 250-3000. Both shoot extremely well and I won't trade them. The .223 loves the 65 Sierra SptBt and 69 Nosler Match. I bought both rifles new.

Try playing with the tension of the action screws once you have a 'best load'. Front one up tight and then adjust the rear screw, tighter and then less tight.

We'll see how this all shakes out down the road a bit. I'll post the results.

Jerry

Jerry,

will be more than happy to help out...

but if it is frustrating you too much and you decide to ditch it... let me know..

I'd be interested in it...but if it is loose in that stock, replacing it might be an easy fix, and lend you to having a better looking rifle in the process...

certainly is what I'd do as you describe the stock and fitting being crap...

or if you rebarrel it, let me know how much you want for the old barrel...

Will do Seafire!

While I am not crazy about savages in general my wife haas one of the lady hunters in a 308 and not only is it pretty well built--for the 585 I paid for it--it shoots damn good. 3/4 moa with just about anything from 125 grain ruduced loads up to full power 150 grain factory. I also bought her a bush hunter in a 375 ruger--it needs some "TLC" but it too looks to be a shooter. Sorry your luck has not been the same.

Ed

You know, as code 4 mentioned, I bought this one on gunbroker, from a dealer I find reputable. Probably should have steped up, and paid a couple hundered bucks more, and then I would have controll of the results. Outside of the firearm was about 100%, and I didn't spend a ton on it either. The bedding though, appears to be "right from the factory".??? All is not lost here, as the trigger is very good, and I am very proficient at glass bedding. I bitch, because I believe this is something that should not have to be done on a rifle intended to shoot around an 1". Especially in cal .223.

Jerry

I was not aware there was an acuracy guarantee with Savage rifles !

Are you saying Savage 223's won't shoot an inch or better? Most any bolt rifle 223 will shoot under an inch with the right loads. Your's won't? Better check your wallaby's

Both my Savages shoot under an inch. I'm beginning to wonder where the problem is with yours.

Well I yanked the action out of the stock, hogged out the stock and bedded it. Really fits nice now, with no rock and sitting level in the stock. I'll get to shoot it in the next week, as I am off on a Javelina hunt tomorrow. You know, that's what I bought this pos for, but it's not going tomorrow. I'll report the results.

Jerry