lancetkenyon Report post Posted August 23, 2016 Lance if you have second would you shoot me a message I tried to send you a pm but it appears your inbox is full. I have an invite I wanted to send you I think you will be interested in. Great thread btw Done. Been a while since I cleaned it out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted August 29, 2016 Got out this weekend and tested for seating depth. All were under 1", but two consecutive were about .5". Here was the best group. And a 7 shot group. I came home and loaded up 20 of the best depth testing. Next will be some stock action crew torque setting testing, as I saw a significant change in group size by simply going from 35 inch/lbs to 65 inch/lbs. Then long range testing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted September 14, 2016 If anyone has a Savage that is not shooting well, I have a suggestion to try. It definitely can't hurt. Test your action screw torque settings. I had pulled the rifle apart to clean everything, and reassembled. I had read about Savages being a bit finicky with the action screw torque settings. Some shoot great at 45 in/lbs, some at 65 in/lbs. I went out and tested this theory. I started my testing after cleaning and reassembly by shooting 7 foulers. I had started at 45 in/lbs on the front and rear action screws......holy cow, the groups I had been shooting between .4-.8" turned into a 2+" group. I thought it was just taking a bit to foul back in, so I shot 5 more, with the same results. 2.4" 5 shot group. With the loads I had already worked up for this rifle. I had another 18 rounds loaded which I had planned on using for long range confirmation. So I started torqueing the action screws down in 5 in/lb increments and shot 3 rounds at each. The results were crazy. 50 in/lbs: 1.75" group 55 in/lbs: 1.2" group 60 in/lbs: .75" group 65 in/lbs" .4" group 70 front/65 rear: .38" group So I went home and loaded up some more rounds of my recipe, and went out and braved the 100+ afternoon temps and 15mph winds to see how it would do at longer ranges. I actually set up my frame and a Shoot & See target to shoot for group at 400. But the mirage was so bad, I was afraid we would not be able to see impact, so I pulled it and just hung my steel. Drove back to 500 for my first shot. Hit about 4" low from what Shooter had predicted, but nailed L/R for my wind hold of 1.7 MOA. Easily visible hit on steel, and the ring was loud. I reset my info in Shooter to true my 500 yard hit, Moved back right away to 616. I had shifted my angle a bit on the drive back to 616, so recalculated my wind hold again. 1.8MOA wind hold, and dialed 10.75MOA. Mirage was bad, and Taylor was helping to spot with my 15s. First shot, hear the DING, but can't tell where the hit was. Tell her I am going to send another one. BOOM...DiNG. Can't be sure, but we both think it might be on the red center dot? Drive down to find this....low shot was my 500 then recalculated, and put the next 2 @ 616 about 1.5" apart on the money! This is looking good. Flip the target to the clean side and go back. I drove back on the dead end road to 727. Got set up in the truck bed again. Shooting to here.... Check Shooter, dial 14MOA, with a 1.9MOA wind hold as the road curved around and the wind direction changed a bit again. First shot @ 727 BOOM....DING. Taylor calls out a slightly low, right side hit. Rather than change the dial or POA, I give the same hold and put 2 more downrange. BOOM....DING BOOM....DING. Moved back to 811 where I ran out of hill top, and sent one final round. Dialed to 16.75MOA, Wind hold of 2MOA right.....BOOM.....DING. Slightly high, slightly right. Hard to see through the mirage, and the target was dancing pretty good in the scope too. To say I was happy with the 727 group would be an understatement. Top shot is 811, bottom 3 are 727 group. Not bad for not really truing any velocity or ballistics on the rifle/load combo. I think I am really close to my guess of 2940fps with the 210 HVLD. Probably about a 2.5" group at 727. That knife is 5" long when closed. I just measured with my tape. SO now all I have to do is go and resize the last of the brass, and load up all 100 and call the member to come get his rifle and start practicing with it for hunting season. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CraigK Report post Posted September 14, 2016 Wow, interesting about the torque. Great shooting! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwp Report post Posted September 14, 2016 Is the action bedded? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted September 14, 2016 Wouldn't pillar bedding negate that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted September 14, 2016 Stock is factory. Aluminum block only. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeke-BE Report post Posted September 14, 2016 No question where you are at! Did you at least glass the area first to see if you can test it out on a coyote first? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeke-BE Report post Posted September 14, 2016 Thats looks like a 1/2 plate right? I guess a 3/8 probably couldn't handle 300 wins and 7 mags or can it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted September 15, 2016 Glassed for an hour first. I have taken a few coyotes up there. The plate is 3/8 AR500. I have shot my .300RUM pushing 215 @ 3100, and my 25-06AI pushing 115 HVLD @ 3400 & 100 TTSX @ 3580 as close at 300 yards. The .300RUM put the very slightest of dents in the plate @ 300. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted September 15, 2016 No question where you are at! Did you at least glass the area first to see if you can test it out on a coyote first? Looks familiar, I shot a javelina with my bow about 15 years ago if it is where I think it is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ctracingraptor Report post Posted September 16, 2016 3/8 plate is more than sufficient, that's all I use 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted September 18, 2016 I finished load development for this rifle. Got 100 rounds loaded up. All fired brass has been resized, shoulder bumped .002", cleaned, annealed, and loaded. Each charge weight was individually weighed to the single kernel of H1000. Each bullet individually seated and measured to within .0005" of target CBTO 2.7800". Scope turrets zeroed for the 200 yard zero. Rifle was cleaned 23 shots ago, so member said to leave it fouled. All information recorded in the ammo box and in a notebook. 21 virgin brass loads marked for identification. Then only difference in the virgin brass loads and the fire formed brass loads is headspacing. The virgin brass has about .013" shorter base to shoulder length. Ready to go home to it's owner. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redman Report post Posted September 18, 2016 Thanks for detailing your efforts. I learned a lot. I need to begin hand loading. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted September 18, 2016 Look for a thread on load development for a Ruger M77 in 7 Rem Mag pushing a 168 HVLD to start soon. Completely factory rifle. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites