Questions about a Savage model 110 .270

Lonewulff · March 11, 2008, 01:23 PM

i have a Savage model 110 chambered for .270 i use for whitetails. i have only shot one type of ammo (win. ballistic tips) at ~100yds. i now going to be using it for pest/varmint control, mainly coyotes and the longest shot is about 700yds. is this weapon capable of making this shot without a specialty barrel? i was leaning towards a barska long range scope to replace the 3x9x40 that came with it. what can i do to start with, if anything?

5whiskey · March 11, 2008, 01:50 PM

Chances are the rifle can be made to make those shots without "special" gunsmithing. You will need to do some things yourself, though...

If you are a fan of bipods, as I am, you will need some sort of fix for the stock. Savage stocks are horribly cheap. If you use bipods properly, there is a good chance that the forearm of the stock will flex enough to contact the barrel. This will degrade accuracy.

Also bear in mind that the greatest thing you can do for this rifle is bed the action. There are a number of tutorials on the web that give simple illustrations and step by step info on doing this if you don't already know how. I would recommend not applying any bedding forward of the recoil lug on a savage.

A rifle in .270 can definately be made accurate enough to hit coyotes at 700 yds, but bear in mind from 650 to 700 yds the round is going to drop alot. I don't know right off hand (don't have my program or chart), but I would guesstimate somewhere between 10 - 20 inches. You will have to estimate your range very precisely once you go far beyond 500 yds with a target as small as a coyote. You will either need a good range finder (read the specs before you buy, don't go cheap for targets this small at that distance) or set places where you have measured distances (or a mil reticle scope and are an expert at using it... even that is iffy for coyotes at 700+ yds)

Otherwise, savages are very nice rifles for the money. Very accurate, just the stock sucks on the base models.

Lonewulff · March 11, 2008, 03:02 PM

ok looking into bedding now. barrel already has about 1/16inch clearance as is tho. as for optics, do you have a suggestion for a that range/situation. i am on a bit of a budget so $250 is about the max i can drop on a scope.

5whiskey · March 11, 2008, 03:17 PM

You need the exact same thing I have... let me find you a link to it real quick.

It's a Bushnell 3200 Elite (not the cheap bushnells) designed to provide a very precise yet economical scope just for this application. It is barebones... no variable power, no parralax adjustment, no crazy stuff. Just a fixed 10x scope with very good glass, a mil reticle, and target turrets. You will need target turrets for your work. I have a .270 set up for varmint/target/sniper that will hold a 3.6" average group (cold bore group) at 427 yds. That's the longest marked distance I have that I can use as a "range". I use a savage .270 with this scope. Amazing shooting combo.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/bshnl-nv-321040m.html

Just a suggestion... if you do go with another scope, the simpler you keep it the better optics you will get for your price range. If you get a BSA 8x24x40 with target turrets, parallax adjustment, mil reticles, and all the craziness... well that's more stuff to break on a scope made on a very cheap budget. You're better to stick with decent middle-of-the-road scopes that aren't "over featured" for the price range your looking.

Buzzcook · March 11, 2008, 05:56 PM

I'd really like to suggest to add another $100 to your scope budget.

700yds means you're going to need at least 12x magnification and preferably more. Your price point cuts you off from some pretty decent scopes.

Your rifle will do ok as is. But getting it looked at by a gun smith won't hurt.
The action on a savage might already be bedded well enough. A new stock would be my first choice of an up grade.
I tend to believe in incrementalism. Give the rifle a try with just a new scope and a visit to the smith. If that won't do it then go for the new stock and so on.

Lonewulff · March 11, 2008, 07:51 PM

ok say i did chuck in another hundred, whats good choices for scopes for that price?

elkman06 · March 11, 2008, 08:47 PM

Hmm, Buy a better stock when you can,Bed the action, float the barrel, may need a heavier barrel, and shoot lotssss. Federals' ammo program says 130gr BTSP's will drop 38.1in at 500yds w/ a 200yd zero. Nothing wrong w/ the action,,,etc, will just need to work on the rifle and shoot. Buy the best optics possible. 700yds is a long ways
elkman

5whiskey · March 11, 2008, 08:53 PM

I would add ditto on the stock upgrade as well, but I really would bed the savage. They come with pillars, and I believe anything with pillars really should be bedded to prevent from rocking on the pillars. Also remember that if you stick with the factory stock be very careful shooting with bipods. I know you said that the barrel has 1/16th clearance from the stock, but if you shoot with bipods and downward pressure + recoil could cause the stock to flex into the barrel. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying be aware that there has been issues with that.

Almost every savage I've seen out of the box will shoot 1 moa or better. I still think It's better to bed, especially with the recoil of a .270 on the pillars.

I do agree on the scope choice. My 10 power gets awful tough to shoot out that far. I also agree with incrementalism. I disagree on the gunsmith. Get a good scope and properly mount it. Then shoot it and see how it does. If that is not accurate enough then try bedding the action, I would bet money it cuts your group in half.

There is not much a gunsmith can do for the rifle, unless you want him to break it down, true the action, crown the barrel, lap the bolt, tighten the headspace to near minimum tolerance... He can't just twist a nut or turn a bolt and make it shoot better. The action/bolt/barrel combo is plenty accurate out of the box. The only thing a gunsmith may could do within a reasonable price that would help you is recrown the muzzle... IF it is already dinged up. If it's not then there is no need to crown it. I would save the gunsmith to much later, when you want the rifle to shoot .2 moa.

Edit: forgot to add. Many sporter weight barrels will shoot .5 moa. The first 3 shoots. Then the next 3 will be 1 moa. Then worse and worse as you shoot more. That sporter thats on it will be accurate for a few shots at a time. No big deal picking off yotes. The problem is... you have to actually shoot the rifle in practice to be effective in play. I day at the range shooting just 2 boxes of rounds accurately will involve a lot of down time waiting for the barrel to cool with that sporter weight. It's up to you... it can be done as is but you may want to save up for a heavy barrel.

Lonewulff · March 18, 2008, 01:34 PM

where would i look for a heavy barrel replacement?

DnPRK · March 18, 2008, 02:26 PM

I would find a bullet that shoots well in your rifle and practice, practice, practice. A new scope, stock or other gadget is no substitute for your existing setup and lots of practice. Yes, your existing scope at 9X is up to the task. When you shoot at targets way out yonder, the ability to judge distance and dope the wind is more important than store-bought doodads.

Savage barrels from sharpshootersupply
Savage barrels from midwayusa

Art Eatman · March 18, 2008, 07:33 PM

If zeroed at 200 yards, a .270 (or '06 and a good many others) will drop some four feet at 500 yards. I'm just guessing, but probably around eight to ten feet at 700 yards.

A "good breeze" will move an '06 bullet some two feet at 500.

A coyote at 700 or so yards, as seen from my house when looking down into the floodplain, is a pretty small critter...

Art

Buzzcook · March 19, 2008, 01:40 AM

A couple good scope for long distance at $350

http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell...e-325155m.html
Bushnell Elite 3200 5-15x50

http://www.opticsplanet.net/nikon-6-...ers-matte.html
Nikon 6-18x40

http://www.opticsplanet.net/weaver-r...v24-24x42.html
Weaver V-24 6-24x42

There ya go. They all have a life time warranty. The Weaver is for original owner only.
Of the three the Nikon seems to be a favorite on this forum. The Weaver isn't as popular as it once was, but the 6-24 magnification is pretty darn attractive.

taylorce1 · March 19, 2008, 11:09 AM

+1 Art

Coyotes are not very big critters at all especially at 700 yards. While your rifle is certinly capable of being built to shoot those ranges, you as a shooter will have to be capable of maintaining a sum MOA group at that range. If your group gets larger than 7" at 700 yards there is a very good chance your shot will be a wounding one or a complete miss. I'm pretty good with my .270 but 400 yards is about my limit on coyotes with that rifle for consistent kills.

In the long run you will have spent less money buying a new rifle for long range varmints than having your favorite deer rifle converted to a varmint rifle. My suggestion is look into a .260, 6.5X284 or other 6.5 caliber rifle for what you are wanting to do. These cartridges all have a proven track record for long range accuracy. I'd leave my deer rifle a deer rifle and get a dedicated varmint rig and hand loading gear if it was me.

Lonewulff · March 19, 2008, 11:36 AM

i have been considering selling my savage and getting one of those 700 VTR's. also looking at the 700 tactical .308 (its about $150 cheaper than the vtr) seems that there is MUCh more data on long range shooting with the .308 anyways.

March 11, 2008, 01:23 PM	#1
Lonewulff Member Join Date: March 11, 2008 Posts: 49	Questions about a Savage model 110 .270 i have a Savage model 110 chambered for .270 i use for whitetails. i have only shot one type of ammo (win. ballistic tips) at ~100yds. i now going to be using it for pest/varmint control, mainly coyotes and the longest shot is about 700yds. is this weapon capable of making this shot without a specialty barrel? i was leaning towards a barska long range scope to replace the 3x9x40 that came with it. what can i do to start with, if anything?

March 11, 2008, 01:50 PM	#2
5whiskey Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2005 Location: US Posts: 3,657	Chances are the rifle can be made to make those shots without "special" gunsmithing. You will need to do some things yourself, though... If you are a fan of bipods, as I am, you will need some sort of fix for the stock. Savage stocks are horribly cheap. If you use bipods properly, there is a good chance that the forearm of the stock will flex enough to contact the barrel. This will degrade accuracy. Also bear in mind that the greatest thing you can do for this rifle is bed the action. There are a number of tutorials on the web that give simple illustrations and step by step info on doing this if you don't already know how. I would recommend not applying any bedding forward of the recoil lug on a savage. A rifle in .270 can definately be made accurate enough to hit coyotes at 700 yds, but bear in mind from 650 to 700 yds the round is going to drop alot. I don't know right off hand (don't have my program or chart), but I would guesstimate somewhere between 10 - 20 inches. You will have to estimate your range very precisely once you go far beyond 500 yds with a target as small as a coyote. You will either need a good range finder (read the specs before you buy, don't go cheap for targets this small at that distance) or set places where you have measured distances (or a mil reticle scope and are an expert at using it... even that is iffy for coyotes at 700+ yds) Otherwise, savages are very nice rifles for the money. Very accurate, just the stock sucks on the base models.

March 11, 2008, 03:02 PM	#3
Lonewulff Member Join Date: March 11, 2008 Posts: 49	ok looking into bedding now. barrel already has about 1/16inch clearance as is tho. as for optics, do you have a suggestion for a that range/situation. i am on a bit of a budget so $250 is about the max i can drop on a scope.

March 11, 2008, 03:17 PM	#4
5whiskey Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2005 Location: US Posts: 3,657	You need the exact same thing I have... let me find you a link to it real quick. It's a Bushnell 3200 Elite (not the cheap bushnells) designed to provide a very precise yet economical scope just for this application. It is barebones... no variable power, no parralax adjustment, no crazy stuff. Just a fixed 10x scope with very good glass, a mil reticle, and target turrets. You will need target turrets for your work. I have a .270 set up for varmint/target/sniper that will hold a 3.6" average group (cold bore group) at 427 yds. That's the longest marked distance I have that I can use as a "range". I use a savage .270 with this scope. Amazing shooting combo. http://www.opticsplanet.net/bshnl-nv-321040m.html Just a suggestion... if you do go with another scope, the simpler you keep it the better optics you will get for your price range. If you get a BSA 8x24x40 with target turrets, parallax adjustment, mil reticles, and all the craziness... well that's more stuff to break on a scope made on a very cheap budget. You're better to stick with decent middle-of-the-road scopes that aren't "over featured" for the price range your looking.

March 11, 2008, 05:56 PM	#5
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	I'd really like to suggest to add another $100 to your scope budget. 700yds means you're going to need at least 12x magnification and preferably more. Your price point cuts you off from some pretty decent scopes. Your rifle will do ok as is. But getting it looked at by a gun smith won't hurt. The action on a savage might already be bedded well enough. A new stock would be my first choice of an up grade. I tend to believe in incrementalism. Give the rifle a try with just a new scope and a visit to the smith. If that won't do it then go for the new stock and so on.

March 11, 2008, 07:51 PM	#6
Lonewulff Member Join Date: March 11, 2008 Posts: 49	ok say i did chuck in another hundred, whats good choices for scopes for that price?

March 11, 2008, 08:47 PM	#7
elkman06 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2006 Location: Wyoming Posts: 885	Hmm, Buy a better stock when you can,Bed the action, float the barrel, may need a heavier barrel, and shoot lotssss. Federals' ammo program says 130gr BTSP's will drop 38.1in at 500yds w/ a 200yd zero. Nothing wrong w/ the action,,,etc, will just need to work on the rifle and shoot. Buy the best optics possible. 700yds is a long ways elkman

March 11, 2008, 08:53 PM	#8
5whiskey Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2005 Location: US Posts: 3,657	I would add ditto on the stock upgrade as well, but I really would bed the savage. They come with pillars, and I believe anything with pillars really should be bedded to prevent from rocking on the pillars. Also remember that if you stick with the factory stock be very careful shooting with bipods. I know you said that the barrel has 1/16th clearance from the stock, but if you shoot with bipods and downward pressure + recoil could cause the stock to flex into the barrel. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying be aware that there has been issues with that. Almost every savage I've seen out of the box will shoot 1 moa or better. I still think It's better to bed, especially with the recoil of a .270 on the pillars. I do agree on the scope choice. My 10 power gets awful tough to shoot out that far. I also agree with incrementalism. I disagree on the gunsmith. Get a good scope and properly mount it. Then shoot it and see how it does. If that is not accurate enough then try bedding the action, I would bet money it cuts your group in half. There is not much a gunsmith can do for the rifle, unless you want him to break it down, true the action, crown the barrel, lap the bolt, tighten the headspace to near minimum tolerance... He can't just twist a nut or turn a bolt and make it shoot better. The action/bolt/barrel combo is plenty accurate out of the box. The only thing a gunsmith may could do within a reasonable price that would help you is recrown the muzzle... IF it is already dinged up. If it's not then there is no need to crown it. I would save the gunsmith to much later, when you want the rifle to shoot .2 moa. Edit: forgot to add. Many sporter weight barrels will shoot .5 moa. The first 3 shoots. Then the next 3 will be 1 moa. Then worse and worse as you shoot more. That sporter thats on it will be accurate for a few shots at a time. No big deal picking off yotes. The problem is... you have to actually shoot the rifle in practice to be effective in play. I day at the range shooting just 2 boxes of rounds accurately will involve a lot of down time waiting for the barrel to cool with that sporter weight. It's up to you... it can be done as is but you may want to save up for a heavy barrel.

March 18, 2008, 01:34 PM	#9
Lonewulff Member Join Date: March 11, 2008 Posts: 49	where would i look for a heavy barrel replacement?

March 18, 2008, 02:26 PM	#10
DnPRK Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2001 Location: LC, Ca Posts: 1,917	I would find a bullet that shoots well in your rifle and practice, practice, practice. A new scope, stock or other gadget is no substitute for your existing setup and lots of practice. Yes, your existing scope at 9X is up to the task. When you shoot at targets way out yonder, the ability to judge distance and dope the wind is more important than store-bought doodads. Savage barrels from sharpshootersupply Savage barrels from midwayusa

March 18, 2008, 07:33 PM	#11
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	If zeroed at 200 yards, a .270 (or '06 and a good many others) will drop some four feet at 500 yards. I'm just guessing, but probably around eight to ten feet at 700 yards. A "good breeze" will move an '06 bullet some two feet at 500. A coyote at 700 or so yards, as seen from my house when looking down into the floodplain, is a pretty small critter... Art

March 19, 2008, 01:40 AM	#12
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	A couple good scope for long distance at $350 http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell...e-325155m.html Bushnell Elite 3200 5-15x50 http://www.opticsplanet.net/nikon-6-...ers-matte.html Nikon 6-18x40 http://www.opticsplanet.net/weaver-r...v24-24x42.html Weaver V-24 6-24x42 There ya go. They all have a life time warranty. The Weaver is for original owner only. Of the three the Nikon seems to be a favorite on this forum. The Weaver isn't as popular as it once was, but the 6-24 magnification is pretty darn attractive.

March 19, 2008, 11:09 AM	#13
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: On the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 8,249	+1 Art Coyotes are not very big critters at all especially at 700 yards. While your rifle is certinly capable of being built to shoot those ranges, you as a shooter will have to be capable of maintaining a sum MOA group at that range. If your group gets larger than 7" at 700 yards there is a very good chance your shot will be a wounding one or a complete miss. I'm pretty good with my .270 but 400 yards is about my limit on coyotes with that rifle for consistent kills. In the long run you will have spent less money buying a new rifle for long range varmints than having your favorite deer rifle converted to a varmint rifle. My suggestion is look into a .260, 6.5X284 or other 6.5 caliber rifle for what you are wanting to do. These cartridges all have a proven track record for long range accuracy. I'd leave my deer rifle a deer rifle and get a dedicated varmint rig and hand loading gear if it was me.

March 19, 2008, 11:36 AM	#14
Lonewulff Member Join Date: March 11, 2008 Posts: 49	i have been considering selling my savage and getting one of those 700 VTR's. also looking at the 700 tactical .308 (its about $150 cheaper than the vtr) seems that there is MUCh more data on long range shooting with the .308 anyways.