anyone shooting a savage long range hunter?

navyman20

New member
hey guys, need some input from those you have used this rifle...im really diggin the lr hunter in 6.5 creedmoor...it seems like it would be a heck of a LR fun/hunting rifle..my main plan is to ring steel from as far as i can accurately do it, and have my "sniper rifle" haha..my plans as of right now(im on deployment til after the 1st of the year so it might change) is the LR hunter in 6.5 cm topped with a 20 moa base and swfa 10x42 sf scope, and prolly badger or similar bottom metal with a 10 rd detachable mag..i know the straight 10x scope is not practical for most hunting situations, which im cool with...with being in the military i lose alot of my freetime to hunt because of deployments and other training stuff(i miss the entire whitetail season this year), so i want something that wont break the bank(married so cant go crazy), and can ring steel out to several hundred yards...and i just like the 6.5 CM round(not real expensive factory match loads, and high bc bullets)..and it sounds cool to say haha(not important)..but anyone that has pictures or experience with this rifle or similar from the savage line post up your pics or info about yours..
thanks Brian
 
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thanks, i will check out that forum..i figured i would ask first on a non-biased site first(sometimes the answers on the company forums are too one sided)
 
Navy- having competed out to 1000 yards i would want a higher power scope ot take advantage of the cartridges precision. 6-20 preferred; min 4-14. many i compete against shoot savages real well. longrangehunting.com is another go resource.
 
The 20 MOA bases are certainly "popular", but depending upon your scope, really not needed. I bought a VX-II 6-18 on fathers day. Has 78-79 Minutes of adjustment, so from center roughly 40 Min up, or down adjustment. My 10FP shooting 175 SMK's at 2550 fps, only needed 39 Minutes to get to 1,000. My scope actually needed an adjustment DOWN, so I have plenty to get there without bases.
 
good info guys!...i probably dont need the 20 moa base, it just seems liked that is the new "must have" item when it comes to LR shooting these days...probably the farthest realistically ill be able to shoot is in the 4-600 yard range, more if i can find a place and practice at it...but i would think for somewheres in the 500 yard range 10x should be sufficient..and i really do like that look of the swfa 10x42 for some reason
 
I built a 260AI off a Savage target action, on a budget. It took a little more than $1100 for the rifle. The thing shoots stupid good!

My only word of advise is to think your scope over some more. Your rifle will be 3 times more accurate than you will even be able to see at 600 yards. 600 yards is just starting to air out these rifles. Once you have your fun at 600 you will find 1000.

I love the rifle to death but have been pondering the idea of selling it to fund exactly what you are looking for.

Here's the best part

DSCN1177.jpg


All my shooting over 300 yards has been Fclass stuff, so I don't have many pictures. This is the best group I've gotten at 300 yards but if I do my job it will shoot quarters all day.

DSCN1176.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerI built a 260AI off a Savage target action, on a budget. It took a little more than $1100 for the rifle. The thing shoots stupid good!

My only word of advise is to think your scope over some more. Your rifle will be 3 times more accurate than you will even be able to see at 600 yards. 600 yards is just starting to air out these rifles. Once you have your fun at 600 you will find 1000.

I love the rifle to death but have been pondering the idea of selling it to fund exactly what you are looking for.

Here's the best part

DSCN1177.jpg


All my shooting over 300 yards has been Fclass stuff, so I don't have many pictures. This is the best group I've gotten at 300 yards but if I do my job it will shoot quarters all day.

DSCN1176.jpg


i like the looks of that gun!.what scope do you got on it? is that the viper hs..what power would u recommend for longer range fun
 
I'm looking at doing very much the same thing. Rather than buying a gun off the rack, I'm leaning hard toward building it myself. You can find used rifles pretty cheap and barrel swaps on those things are easy " do it yourself affairs. Or you can buy a bare action and build from there. I strongly recommend visiting savage shooters and taking a look at Northland Shooting Supplies. Let your imagination do the rest.

Good luck
 
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i see my bank account dropping waaaay too much if i leftmy imagination get into this equation..the wife would def not approve of me goin crazy like that
 
I got my Savage Long-Range Hunter in the fall of 2010 for a Wyoming antelope hunt. Mine is chambered in 6.5-284 and has a Burris 4.5-14x scope with the main crosshair zeroed @ 200 yards. Shooting a handload with the 129 gr. Hornady SST @ about 2900 fps, the first hash mark down is on at 300 yards and the next one down is on @ 400 yards.

I practiced with this setup at home from seated positions and a Harris swivel bi-pod, 25", and it was a very deadly combination. This antelope was taken inside of 200 yards, but I also scored on a doe @ a little over 400 yards.

This isn't a very good photo of the rifle, but I think you know what the gun looks like.
antadjcopy.jpg
 
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Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerI built a 260AI off a Savage target action, on a budget. It took a little more than $1100 for the rifle. The thing shoots stupid good!

My only word of advise is to think your scope over some more. Your rifle will be 3 times more accurate than you will even be able to see at 600 yards. 600 yards is just starting to air out these rifles. Once you have your fun at 600 you will find 1000.

I love the rifle to death but have been pondering the idea of selling it to fund exactly what you are looking for.


All my shooting over 300 yards has been Fclass stuff, so I don't have many pictures. This is the best group I've gotten at 300 yards but if I do my job it will shoot quarters .

RN, a couple of questions. What barrel (maker and profile) is that? Second, what does the improved version of the .260 get you over the standard version?
 
Thats a 30" Criterion barrel from Northland Shooter Supply. Its got a 8-32x Night Force BR scope. The AI is pretty sharp, I was pushing 140gr Nosler custom competition bullets at 3000fps with R19. Im using 140 Amaxs and H4831sc now. lower speeds but better bullet BC, and much cleaner and consistant powder, plus stupid accurate.

At work right now I can helop out a little more when I get off.

Jim Briggs of northland shooter supply ended up being my neightbor!!!.... Thats how I ended up with a rifle like that....
 
I would give Jim Briggs a call, the $1100 I spent was literally the most expensive action, barrel and stock.

As for scopes, I would look into those Vortex Vipers. I have never owned or even seen one in person,but I hear about them quite a bit now and they seem very reasonable.

I have seen several people start this long range stuff with a good beginer gun. Then a week later try to plan how to make it better or contemplate selling their now used gun.

I believe stock savage stuff is pretty good but those Criterion barrels are awesome. My target action does its job perfectly, but savage has those new varmint actions that look so sweet.
 
Yep. The varmint actions look interesting. I've looked at Jim's product lines. Do you know of anyone who's shot one of his Shilens? I haven't posted that question over on SS.com yet. You mentioned wanting something else. What is the "else" you're looking for/at?
 
Well the Target action is single shot and 5 1/2lbs alone. With the 30" barrel the whole rifle is about 49 inches long. The rifle is amazing, with some practice a coyote at 600 yards is an easy target. The problem is unless you have an Abrams tank to carry it around for you its a beast, and Im 26 and work out all week long. You can only shoot it off the bipods, so in any kind of grass you're outa luck.

The first time I ever shot over 400 yards was a NRA Fclass match at 600 yards and I got 3rd place out of 26 in the unclassified devision, or however the NRA classes work. The gun really makes the shooter look good, but its a target rifle only. Unless you have your own land and build a nice perch to overlooking some fields you cant hunt with it.

So my next rifle will be a Savage with a repeater action and a 26" barrel. Ether stick with the 260AI or go with one of the 7mm or 30cal. short mag.

Oh forgot to bring up the Shilen barrels. I've heard nothing but good things. I've shot next to them before but I dont know how anyone could tell you they are better or worse than the Criterion barrels. cant go wrong with ether. He didnt have one chambered in 260AI when I went to his place, but I dont regret a thing. With that H4831sc and some Butch's its as easy to clean as the top of a coffee table. Heck its been at least 80 rounds sence I cleaned mine and I cant see the difference. Just pick the gun up and it shoots the same as it did the last time. No more fouling the barrel up to get consistant shots, that will cost you you're sighter rounds in Fclass.
 
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thanks for the info fellas! keep it comin..ive revamped my idea a lil bit to "up my glass game" to the vortex viper 6-20 w/ mil dot reticle..im sure taht its sweet glass..i have a 3.5-10 viper that is amazing how clear it is..but a lil more glass will prolly make the rifle better overall..and a lot more usable for hunting since its not stuck at 10x
 
also considerinng the viper hs 4-16...only thing that has me wondering on this is the hs has 50 moa adjustment, while the reg viper has 75 moa up adjustment...im sure i prolly dont need mroe than 50 moa to shoot however far i decide too...need help haha
 
well i guess i read bad info on the hs....it has 75 vertical and 50 windage moa...i think ive made my own decision here...it looks like a pretty B.A scope
 
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