3 Savage rifles ready to hunt.

[swampratt]

I went to Lexington yesterday very windy and shot my newest .308 savage 18" barrel SR model with accutrigger. 100 yard shooting.
Lapua cases Good old IMR 4064 and 168A-Max.
And today I went back to test cases out with the 42gr load and forgot my bolt ...Yep just cleaned the gun and left the bolt on the shelf.
That 3 shot 42gr load .210" center to center. 43 gr load .390" center to center.
It actually shot lower and to the right.
Barrel whip.

I did take 2 Savage Axis rifles in .223 today one is the SR which is suppressor ready (Barrel is threaded.)
The other is regular which actually has a thicker barrel by just a tad.

3 shot groups for the .308
3 and 4 shot groups for the .223. The thicker barrel .223 shot 60gr v max handloads into .700" center to center and another load with 55 v-max into the same .700" center to center.
The SR .223 shot the same 55 gr load into .740" group.
I just stuck the scope on it today.

Those should be good enough to hunt with.
I have killed deer and hogs and other critters with all the above loads.

 

[beastep]

That should do. Didnt you go all the way out there and forget a bolt not too long ago?

 

[swampratt]

Yea I did, like a little over a year ago.
Too many things to get done for me and other people so I bust hump to load some rounds and clean gun and bug out to beat traffic.
Get back and fix other peoples busted things.
I probably need to slow down sometimes.
But I do like the new law get out of the freakin' fast lane

One day all my projects will be done... Yea right.

 

[mightymouse]

That .308 looks like a shooter.

 

[swampratt]

I hope it will be. I had another savage 10FP that shot well once I cut the barrel from 24" down to 20.5"
This one has 18" and is way less finicky.. I am sold on short barrels.. at least for a factory barrel.
The .223 that shot .700" at 100 will shoot under .750" at 200 with the same load.
I have shot 3 shot at 300 under 1".. only did that once .. got a few 1.25" 3 shot groups though.
That is one reason why I do not try to improve on the 100 yard groups too much until I have shot it at 200 and 300 yards.

If it holds together at the longer distances on several trips to the range with varying temps i will stick with the load.
Not one to brag about at 100 yards though.. But pencil barrel .223 will put meat on the table.

I did see a beautiful Ruger rifle today at the range.
Gus has been using it since 1989. I think is what he said.. it looked brand new..
Wood stock not a pencil barrel but not a heavy barrel either.
Ruger Model 77 mark II in 25-06
Shooting Hornady box ammo first 2 shots touching making a very small 8 closer to a O than 8. he asked me if that was 2 in 1 hole or if he missed.

People never talk much about the 25-06 but man it is a good one that I have thought hard about.

 

[beastep]

I like the new law as well. And it actually seems that there are less people camping out in the left lane now.
Im a big fan of shorter barrels myself unless the cartridge just really needs it. If I would have known I would be shooting 87gr instead of 105gr out of my 243 I would have had it cut down to 22" when I had it threaded and recrowned. But I didnt know.
I want something in the 25 cal too but I dont think I want a 25-06. It is a great rifle but I want something different. Im thinking an AR in 25-45 Sharps.