Savage 10T Questions

[Marxman]

Good evening everyone. Thanks to the SVM Cabela's gift cards and a decent price drop I will be taking possession of a Savage Model 10T in 6.5 Creedmoor soon. I did a search and found nothing on this particular rifle. I've been comparing it to the 10 FP and 10 FCP-SR given it's almost exactly the same rifle as far as I can tell (minus the threaded barrel of the FCP-SR). It has a 24" 5R barrel, the accutrigger, and accustock. While there are better options out there while I'm learning I plan to keep them in place.

I want to stretch out my shooting to longer distances and figured I'd start with the Creedmoor and the components and dies to reload with while improving my proficiency. My current plan is to maintain a mostly stock rifle provided it shoots well and shoot the first barrel until I know what I'm doing better or have developed enough experience to figure out what I want to change. I'll be adding a Harris S-BRM, a rear bag, and topping it with a Falcon Menace 5.5-25x56 all of which I already have. My questions are:

• Does anyone have experience with this model?
• Should I immediately replace the scope base, accutrigger, or accustock?
• Does my mentioned setup seem adequate?
• Is this a ridiculous plan?

I've been reading for a while and while I apologize for asking some general questions that get asked frequently everything helps and I apprecaite any feedback offered.

[Divernhunter]

Shoot it and get the learning curve done then worry about the extras and changing things.

[NiMiK]

Out of the box is fine and works great! I have the FCP-SR and had no need to replace the stock or accutrigger (yet). Mine did not come with the scope base but I had plans to upgrade to a 20 MOA base anyways. The factory scope base is a 0 MOA. As far as mods go, nothing is really needed just good ammo. What you might want to do is loosen the action screws and torque them back to specs. I did this and accuracy improved greatly afterwards.

[Marxman]

I appreciate the feedback. I am curious to see if anyone else on the board has the same rifle. NiMiK the recommendation you had seems like a really good idea, thanks. Any pointers for what to look for during break in or starting points for determining what I might want to change?

[lapsbpbep]

I have 2 of them the fcpsr and the fcpk in 308 love them . One is stock on had different scope bases installed the fcpsr scope base was canted to the left from factory scope ran out of movement was 18 inches at a 100 yards. So had to get different bases with adjustment left and right the guns are better shooters than I am would put up along side of any gun under 1500.00 $ but that's my 2cents

[NiMiK]

I'm still somewhat new to bolt guns so my opinions don't carry much weight. Read an article about this and was curious so I did try a break-in of shoot one and clean. Repeated 3 times. Then shoot 5 and clean. All while paying attention to the amount of dirt patches coming out the barrel. You'll notice that you'll start using less patches as you clean. Mine started with 12 patches before they came out clean. Then it got down to about 3-4 patches to clean the barrel.
The mag box is junk. At least mine is. Every rifle will have their own personality so it'll be up to you to determine what to change.

I appreciate the feedback. I am curious to see if anyone else on the board has the same rifle. NiMiK the recommendation you had seems like a really good idea, thanks. Any pointers for what to look for during break in or starting points for determining what I might want to change?

[jfk]

Has anyone compared the 10T to the Stealth?

[NorCalFocus]

Without bashing Savage (because someone always takes that personal) here's my two cents.

1. Your going to be stuck with the accutrigger. So if you have issues, or end up not liking it, your stuck with it. There's no replacement for it.

2. Any $600 riffle in a tupperware stock will benefit from upgrading the stock. Including Savages in the Accustock.

3. With the rifle in its stock configuration, you'll never know when your shooting better. Lets say you start off shooting 1 MOA and you shoot that way for 1 year. How do you know its you or the rifle keeping you from shooting 1/2 MOA? Until you get behind a gun known to be able to produce 1/2 MOA or better groups, and see what you can do, you won't.

4. You have the scope, so use it. But upgrading to a better scope ASAP will help.

[Marxman]

Without bashing Savage (because someone always takes that personal) here's my two cents.

1. Your going to be stuck with the accutrigger. So if you have issues, or end up not liking it, your stuck with it. There's no replacement for it.

2. Any $600 riffle in a tupperware stock will benefit from upgrading the stock. Including Savages in the Accustock.

3. With the rifle in its stock configuration, you'll never know when your shooting better. Lets say you start off shooting 1 MOA and you shoot that way for 1 year. How do you know its you or the rifle keeping you from shooting 1/2 MOA? Until you get behind a gun known to be able to produce 1/2 MOA or better groups, and see what you can do, you won't.

4. You have the scope, so use it. But upgrading to a better scope ASAP will help.

Specifically with regard to points 3 and 4 I must ask:

3 - It seems to me that the stock configuration is more recommended for newer long range shooters over trying to customize immediately due to not having the experience on the platform/with the task. I can see why you would differ in opinion but am I completely off base here with what I think the recommended COA is? Do you have a god or bad personal experience with either? I cannot say the gun will hold 1/2 MOA out of the box given I haven't got it in hand yet and put rounds down range but every resource I've seen thus far has stated the other models in its family are great - hopefully they're right!

4. Do you have any experience with Falcon? They came very highly recommended to me when I picked mine up and they've had good reviews/repeatability in testing from SniperHide and other forums. I've only really shot it between a 30-06 and an AR and certainly not out to the distance but the FFP is nice and the glass is clear. What would you suggest as a replacement?

I appreciate the commentary - I don't have a lot of time to get out and make things happen right now so the more I can learn now and figure out the better and the more I can get done at the range.

[NorCalFocus]

Specifically with regard to points 3 and 4 I must ask:

3 - It seems to me that the stock configuration is more recommended for newer long range shooters over trying to customize immediately due to not having the experience on the platform/with the task. I can see why you would differ in opinion but am I completely off base here with what I think the recommended COA is? Do you have a god or bad personal experience with either? I cannot say the gun will hold 1/2 MOA out of the box given I haven't got it in hand yet and put rounds down range but every resource I've seen thus far has stated the other models in its family are great - hopefully they're right!

Yes I have my personal experience with a Rem 700 .308. It shoots about 1 MOA at best on average. I've done a few groups down in the 1/2 MOA range, but not consitantly. I thought I couldn't shoot and that I needed to fix something with me or my process. Then one day I took out my AR because I got a little worn out on the bolt action shooting like poo. I put down 3/4 MOA group after group, with bulk hand loads, not even worked up for this rifle. I saw the light right there. I can out shoot my rifle.

Now, its not advised that you jump right into a custom rifle right away, because you won't know what you want or need and why. (Plus most people, myself included, can't afford a custom rifle right away) So yes a starter rifle is the way to go. But you need to get the best that you can afford right off the bat. It pays in the end. Its all about the buy once cry once motto. Doing things as cheap as you can believing that the $100 option is just as good as the $500 option is just not true.

4. Do you have any experience with Falcon? They came very highly recommended to me when I picked mine up and they've had good reviews/repeatability in testing from SniperHide and other forums. I've only really shot it between a 30-06 and an AR and certainly not out to the distance but the FFP is nice and the glass is clear. What would you suggest as a replacement?

No I don't have experience with the Falcon. I started with a cheap Crossfire II from Vortex. I drank the kool aid someone gave me online that its was a $200 scope just as good as a $500 scope. I quickly found out why its a $200 scope.

Scopes are very easy to understand. Their price reflects their quality. It take a lot more labor to make sure that a scope moves 3 MOA when you dial 3 MOA, and it doesn't move 3.25 MOA. It cost more money to buy better glass, to put better or more coatings on that glass. Metal parts cost more than plastic. Again its all value you can see and feel.

Lots of cheap scopes get recommended and thats fine, I don't own a tier 1 scope either. But I own the best I can afford and I don't tell myself or others, that my $800 scope is as good as a $2000 scope. Thats what I have against most cheap scopes.

I appreciate the commentary - I don't have a lot of time to get out and make things happen right now so the more I can learn now and figure out the better and the more I can get done at the range.

Anytime. I love helping others learn from my experiences. I've had a few guys teach me things and I'll pass it on. Ask all the questions you want. Soak in the information, process it, and make a decision for yourself.

[Marxman]

Again I appreciate the response. I can shoot under 1 MOA with a plane jane AR and a Primary Arms Prism sight already if I do my part and don't rush myself but my cadence is always fast. I'm not trying to play the "cheap" long range game or trying to stick to stock configuration as long as possible and I know damned well that I'll have upgrades to make. Maybe I'm worrying unduly about myself and not the rifle -again at least we'll get to see soon.

The reason I ask about the Falcon is that it's already a $500 piece of glass and not widely used but received stellar reviews and came so highly recommended - and not in the way your slightly off cousin raves about a Barska that's "what the snipers use, bro." I get that it might not be amazing with PST's, HS LR, and HST all costing more for arguably the best budget glass out there (from what I read having no experience yet with them) and it's certainly not Tier 1 (i have no illusions about this) but from my experience it's been a good scope. I don't expect Nightforce quality out of it and honestly Vortex may be a better option but at the time it was picked up Vortex wasn't on the scene and I was looking for a sub $600 piece of glass. Do you consider it a cheap scope and/or have you had experience with them before?

[NorCalFocus]

Savage 10T Questions

Do I consider the Falcon a cheap scope? Honestly I thought they cost less than $500. $500 isn't cheap to most people, but it sure is cheap in the world of optics.

Again I'm not putting it down, just trying to make sure people understand you get what you pay for. If it's working for you, that's all that matters. But if you ever look through and use a higher end scope you'll hate yourself lol. I looked through a few razors and I hate myself now.

Also when someone ask me what I recommend, I always like to recommend the best. It's easier to hear someone say "that's not in my budget, I'll make due with XYZ instead" vs "this is a POS, why did I waste my money on it!?!?"

It's funny you mentioned the Viper HSLR. That's what I got. It's nice, but still not all I want in a scope.

[hardlyworking]

I think what NorCal may also be saying re: scope is while $500 may not be small potatoes, that money is getting spread awfully thin when you take into account FFP, a 25x top end and enormous 56mm objective. If you were talking about an SFP 2-7 with a 40mm objective that same $500 would probably buy quite a nice scope. Savvy?

[NorCalFocus]

I think what NorCal may also be saying re: scope is while $500 may not be small potatoes, that money is getting spread awfully thin when you take into account FFP, a 25x top end and enormous 56mm objective. If you were talking about an SFP 2-7 with a 40mm objective that same $500 would probably buy quite a nice scope. Savvy?

Yup.

[Marxman]

I think what NorCal may also be saying re: scope is while $500 may not be small potatoes, that money is getting spread awfully thin when you take into account FFP, a 25x top end and enormous 56mm objective. If you were talking about an SFP 2-7 with a 40mm objective that same $500 would probably buy quite a nice scope. Savvy?

Makes sense and I get it but I was asking more along the lines of personal experience since not too many people rock them, the pricing comment was just an establishment of what to compare it to hence the Vortex comparisons in price. In retrospect it didn't fit what I was doing originally despite the reviews and I'd be in better shape having held off to reinvest now but c'est la vie. I'm hoping that initial investment will serve me well in this - also hence the question. Having the funds to do it over I'd go a different way.