Savage 10T Questions

[ShaunBrady]

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.

I have one of those scopes. I used it the way you're going to use it and it'll work fine. It hit the high points, FFP, decent reticle w/ coordinated turrets. All of that was a big deal at that price point a few years ago.

It'll teach you how to use those features to good effect, that some of that magnification really isn't necessary, and that a zero stop is a useful parachute after you get lost in the knobs a couple times.

Yea, there are better choices today, but you had to start somewhere. I wouldn't put something in that price range on one of my larger caliber heavily braked guns. Leave it where it's at and you'll probably enjoy it for a long time.

The gun was a good choice to start with as well. The 6.5cm gives you the option of relatively inexpensive factory ammo that you'll be loading for awhile before you can match it.

There are replacement triggers available for the Accutrigger, but I haven't felt the need to replace the one I own. If you do decide to upgrade the trigger, the Rifle Basix SAV-2 is the way to go. I'm using one on a Stevens 200 build I'm doing now. I've used both the regular Rifle Basix and Timney on pre accutrigger guns and they work about the same.

The Midway jumbo mat was on sale below $30 the last time I checked. Aside from being really big and really cheap, it has preload straps for the bipod that are useful for long range shooting. Get off the bench and prone unless you aspire to be a bench rest shooter. The pod lock lever is useful as well.

The first thing you might find improves your shooting and enjoyment of the gun is finding a way to build up the comb. Duct tape and mouse pad slices work. I like the lace on Blackhawk units and there are other options as well. When you get tired of that, Boyd's makes several stocks that are easier on the eyes and more comfortable to shoot. If you decide to spend real money on a stock, get something with a hinge.

[Marxman]

I have one of those scopes. I used it the way you're going to use it and it'll work fine. It hit the high points, FFP, decent reticle w/ coordinated turrets. All of that was a big deal at that price point a few years ago.

It'll teach you how to use those features to good effect, that some of that magnification really isn't necessary, and that a zero stop is a useful parachute after you get lost in the knobs a couple times.

Yea, there are better choices today, but you had to start somewhere. I wouldn't put something in that price range on one of my larger caliber heavily braked guns. Leave it where it's at and you'll probably enjoy it for a long time.

The gun was a good choice to start with as well. The 6.5cm gives you the option of relatively inexpensive factory ammo that you'll be loading for awhile before you can match it.

There are replacement triggers available for the Accutrigger, but I haven't felt the need to replace the one I own. If you do decide to upgrade the trigger, the Rifle Basix SAV-2 is the way to go. I'm using one on a Stevens 200 build I'm doing now. I've used both the regular Rifle Basix and Timney on pre accutrigger guns and they work about the same.

The Midway jumbo mat was on sale below $30 the last time I checked. Aside from being really big and really cheap, it has preload straps for the bipod that are useful for long range shooting. Get off the bench and prone unless you aspire to be a bench rest shooter. The pod lock lever is useful as well.

The first thing you might find improves your shooting and enjoyment of the gun is finding a way to build up the comb. Duct tape and mouse pad slices work. I like the lace on Blackhawk units and there are other options as well. When you get tired of that, Boyd's makes several stocks that are easier on the eyes and more comfortable to shoot. If you decide to spend real money on a stock, get something with a hinge.

This is exactly why I posted the thread - thanks. You were spot on with the date too - it's a few years old. I'll use the Falcon and when the time comes for a larger caliber or another scope I'll keep that recommendation in mind. I really appreciate the perspective and am happy to report I've already got a mat and a bipod. I hadn't at all thought about building up the comb but when it gets out of the shop (FFL was on vacation) I'm sure I'll figure out how I want it to fit. Thanks!

Edit - And as far as stocks go I've been reading about chassis systems for the Model 10 and think I want to go this route. MDT has a lot of options that look really nice and customizatizable with their own AI style mags. Any opinions on chassis vs stock suggestions down the road?

[ShaunBrady]

Edit - And as far as stocks go I've been reading about chassis systems for the Model 10 and think I want to go this route. MDT has a lot of options that look really nice and customizatizable with their own AI style mags. Any opinions on chassis vs stock suggestions down the road?

I have the Savages in XLR and AI chassis and can recommend both. I don't have any experience with the MDT.

The adjustable LOP and comb greatly improve the enjoyment of the gun. It becomes easier to shoot well.

I have a variety of that type of magazine. The ones I buy now are the Accurate Mags version with the front reinforcing plate removed. They'll accommodate 2.95" cartridge OAL. As you go through the long range thing, you'll find the available magazine length can have a surprisingly large impact on your ballistics. I'm talking about cartridge, bullet, and chamber selection as well as final ballistics and not chasing the lands.

The chassis we're discussing all have AR ergonomics. I prefer them for prone shooting, many don't. You might try a PRS style stock before you take the chassis plunge.

An impact from the straight line stock is the scope mounting strategy needs to change. With a standard rifle stock, there is some drop to the recoil pad and not enough comb height. The scope is mounted as low as possible to allow at least a little cheek weld. With AR ergonomics, you wind up with the classic lower corner of the buttstock above your collar bone standing shooting position or looking through your eyebrows to see the scope. With a chassis, much higher scope rings give a better shooting position and the adjustable comb takes care of the cheek weld. You can experiment with cheap risers between your rail and the rings to see what I'm talking about.

[NiMiK]

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.

Rifle Basix and Sharp Shooter Supply makes aftermarket triggers for those who want to upgrade. I haven't tried these triggers yet but it would be interesting to hear from those who have.

[longrange1]

Rifle Basix and Sharp Shooter Supply makes aftermarket triggers for those who want to upgrade. I haven't tried these triggers yet but it would be interesting to hear from those who have.

i shot savages for about 8yrs...3 barrels on a 300wm and 6 on a 260rem...i shot both the triggers your asking about.

now the RB2 and the SSS triggers are both decent triggers for a savage but dont even come close to a jewel or a timney.
they are kinda hard to get set up with a light pull safely and both always had a gritty feel and a little bit of creep but you just kinda get use to it.

if you ever plan to shoot any type of competitions where you running the action hard and fast you will have extraction,ejection and maybe feeding issues.

they are or can be made very accurate...i shot a 591 22X once off a bipod and a sock full of rice with a savage in a 1000yd F-class.

with all that said...and like NorCalFocus...i am not bashing savage in anyway...i think they are great entry level plinking,hunting and slow fire comp rifles...i went custom last december and will tell you and the OP that i wish ida just went custom from the start as i could of saved myself a ton of money...i got about a 3rd of what i had in my savages when i sold them.

[Marxman]

Finally got to handle it in shop yesterday. Shipping has been ridiculous and it's been a month since I ordered it but I'll finally pick it up next week. Initial impressions were good - the rifle looks great and feels solid and even the tupperware stock seemed nice but that might be wishful thinking on my part or me trying to justify the wait. My question turns to rings now - should I go with Badger, Seekins, Nightforce or something else for my 56mm scope? Should I lap said rings? Any general tips on getting this rifle up and running? In response to Shaun's post I also picked up a comb riser to fiddle with and I've already got a bipod. I'm also assuming a 20MOA badger base is what's recommended, please let me know if that's a bad idea.

I'm getting pretty excited to take it out thanks again to everyone for the advice!

[NorCalFocus]

Quality rings like the brands your mentioned shouldn't need lapping. All of those should be a matched set, meaning they're machines together then cut into two rings. A 20 MOA base is the way to go. You may not need it, but better to have it.

[Marxman]

Quality rings like the brands your mentioned shouldn't need lapping. All of those should be a matched set, meaning they're machines together then cut into two rings. A 20 MOA base is the way to go. You may not need it, but better to have it.

Appreciate the guidance. I've still got a lot of shooting and research to do with the rifle but like I said I'm excited to start.

[longrange1]

i used and preferred the Murphy precision bases...they are not cheap but the 2 i bought fit like a glove plus hes in Cali...as far as rings i really like the ARC M10 rings...again not cheap but after you use a set you see why.

http://www.murphyprecision.com/

http://www.americanrifle.com/m10-scope-rings.html

[ShaunBrady]

Finally got to handle it in shop yesterday. Shipping has been ridiculous and it's been a month since I ordered it but I'll finally pick it up next week. Initial impressions were good - the rifle looks great and feels solid and even the tupperware stock seemed nice but that might be wishful thinking on my part or me trying to justify the wait. My question turns to rings now - should I go with Badger, Seekins, Nightforce or something else for my 56mm scope? Should I lap said rings? Any general tips on getting this rifle up and running? In response to Shaun's post I also picked up a comb riser to fiddle with and I've already got a bipod. I'm also assuming a 20MOA badger base is what's recommended, please let me know if that's a bad idea.

I'm getting pretty excited to take it out thanks again to everyone for the advice!

Badger is probably overkill for what you're trying to do here.

I used EGW bases on my early guns and never had a problem. The standard, rather than HD base, is cheaper, a little taller, and would be just the ticket for this gun. 20 moa is definitely the way to go for that scope and what you're trying to do. Get everything bone dry with gun scrubber before you mount it, use blue Loctite, and use a torque wrench.

I now use the Murphy bases on my long range guns after seeing one on Lynn's gun at a URSA match. I'll second the recommendation. He's great to deal with as well. They're unnecessarily expensive for what you're doing here and this very likely isn't the final configuration of the gun and scope.

The cheapest decent rings I've found are the EGW, especially the blems in the bargain bin. I looked to see what height was on that scope, but it's on an AR now and not much help. My first guess would be the .990", especially if you're using a comb riser.

The decent rings doesn't really solve the lapping issue because the misalignment can come from many places. The receivers are polished by hand and the diameter can vary significantly along the length. A repeater bolt action is an amazingly flimsy thing when you see them by themselves. Even the bedding can flex them. That being said, you'll probably get away without lapping the rings. In the event of any problems with the scope, like adjustments, pull it and start with bedding the base to the action. The rings should be torqued with a torque wrench. The setting is 15 inch pounds and that's very difficult to do accurately by hand. Over torqueing the rings is likely to cause problems with the scope. I bed all my bases from the start now, and lap the rings as soon as I've settled on a final configuration for everything. If you stick with it, you'll probably accumulate experiences that send you this way as well, but skipping it the first few times to keep it as simple as possible is the way to start.

When you mount the scope, set it's position in the rings so that you're at the back of the eye box on the highest magnification. The gun will recoil into and through the eye box, making it easier to spot your shots.

I use a bubble level. 10 mils of elevation off plumb 1 degree is 2 clicks of artificial and random windage. I staple a pink plumb line with on the target when I do my 100 yard zero. Align the level so that it's centered when the reticle is perfectly aligned with the plumb line. You can get a pretty good start on the bubble alignment with a level function in your phone on the turret. The level needs to be aligned as perfectly as possible with the reticle. The reticle does not need to be aligned with the gun so some adjustment for your natural shooting position is possible. I position the level ahead of the front ring so it can be seen from the shooting position by opening my left eye. By mounting the level on the scope, you can rotate the scope a little to keep the reticle vertical in your shooting position. When you get to the point where you're moving scopes from gun to gun, having the level on the scope will save you the trouble of realigning them every time. They're an added expense and fugly. They can also be used to good effect and are a significant advantage when used properly, so get over it. I use the Vortex levels for no particular reason.

[Bicky]

For chassis, take a look at McRee Precision. To me, they are the best buy as far as features/price. The G7 is kind of heavy, but that's not a bad thing.

[Marxman]

Badger is probably overkill for what you're trying to do here.

I used EGW bases on my early guns and never had a problem. The standard, rather than HD base, is cheaper, a little taller, and would be just the ticket for this gun. 20 moa is definitely the way to go for that scope and what you're trying to do. Get everything bone dry with gun scrubber before you mount it, use blue Loctite, and use a torque wrench.

I now use the Murphy bases on my long range guns after seeing one on Lynn's gun at a URSA match. I'll second the recommendation. He's great to deal with as well. They're unnecessarily expensive for what you're doing here and this very likely isn't the final configuration of the gun and scope.

The cheapest decent rings I've found are the EGW, especially the blems in the bargain bin. I looked to see what height was on that scope, but it's on an AR now and not much help. My first guess would be the .990", especially if you're using a comb riser.

The decent rings doesn't really solve the lapping issue because the misalignment can come from many places. The receivers are polished by hand and the diameter can vary significantly along the length. A repeater bolt action is an amazingly flimsy thing when you see them by themselves. Even the bedding can flex them. That being said, you'll probably get away without lapping the rings. In the event of any problems with the scope, like adjustments, pull it and start with bedding the base to the action. The rings should be torqued with a torque wrench. The setting is 15 inch pounds and that's very difficult to do accurately by hand. Over torqueing the rings is likely to cause problems with the scope. I bed all my bases from the start now, and lap the rings as soon as I've settled on a final configuration for everything. If you stick with it, you'll probably accumulate experiences that send you this way as well, but skipping it the first few times to keep it as simple as possible is the way to start.

When you mount the scope, set it's position in the rings so that you're at the back of the eye box on the highest magnification. The gun will recoil into and through the eye box, making it easier to spot your shots.

I use a bubble level. 10 mils of elevation off plumb 1 degree is 2 clicks of artificial and random windage. I staple a pink plumb line with on the target when I do my 100 yard zero. Align the level so that it's centered when the reticle is perfectly aligned with the plumb line. You can get a pretty good start on the bubble alignment with a level function in your phone on the turret. The level needs to be aligned as perfectly as possible with the reticle. The reticle does not need to be aligned with the gun so some adjustment for your natural shooting position is possible. I position the level ahead of the front ring so it can be seen from the shooting position by opening my left eye. By mounting the level on the scope, you can rotate the scope a little to keep the reticle vertical in your shooting position. When you get to the point where you're moving scopes from gun to gun, having the level on the scope will save you the trouble of realigning them every time. They're an added expense and fugly. They can also be used to good effect and are a significant advantage when used properly, so get over it. I use the Vortex levels for no particular reason.

Rifle's out of jail Monday and I've got the EGW 20MOA base, .990 Tactical Rings (found a good deal which justified the price increase), a torque wrench capable of 15 in/lb, a set of decent bubble levels, a scope mounted level, and the comb riser in. Everything's ready to roll once it comes home. When I go to set the scope I'm planning on using the level in conjunction with the deck of cards trick. Appreciate the tip on the eye box as most of my scope mounting experience comes from quick detach single base mounts where you can just move the entire unit with NTCH as a reference.

Everything seems to be coming together and I can't wait to get it out and see what it can do.

[ShaunBrady]

Probably a typo, but "15 inch-pounds".

Let us know how it goes.

[Marxman]

Picked it up today and scrubbed everything down with gun scrubber, got it bone dry and attached the EGW base to 25in/lb with blue loctite, let that set up then attached the EGW .990 Tactical Rings and leveled the scope. I tried the playing card trick but it still gave me some cant so I used a level-level-level from Wheeler. Secured them at 15in/lb and used the level-level-level along with the now leveled scope to level my scope mounted bubble level. Re-oiled the rifle, lubed the bolt, and put it back together. I found out the .990 was the perfect height without the cheek riser. I wont have any pictures until next week due to work and school but I'll be sure to post something even if it looks pretty plain jane. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions thus far.

EDIT: My range time got blocked out due to appointments. Updates to follow in the next couple week, sorry gents.