Please recommend a mid-tier backcountry/solo deer hunting rifle

[ihuntsolo]

I bought a Savage 110 30-06 springfield rifle from Walmart 20 years ago but did not use much. A couple of years ago I bought a Vortex Viper 4-6x50 scope to go with it, but still did not actually hunt. Now I plan to practice more and hunt this late season around Idaho. It will be solo/backcountry mule deer hunting (possibly take on elk in a couple of years). I am planning some summer scouting and practice shooting from a tripod as well as a lot of glassing. So my questions are:
- Is my current entry-level rifle accurate enough for a 300 to 500 yards range?
- If I am looking for a good mid-tier rifle, what will be my choices? I prefer to buy factory one not custom built (as I don't know better).
Thanks.

 

[DKennedy951]

I think your Savage will do everything you need it to do in those ranges. If you are just wanting a new rifle, I would look at the Tikkas and what they have available. My Tikkas and Savages do everything I need them to do and I have never had an issue with either.

 

[ArcherAdam]

Your current rifle has the capability of what you are asking for. I would give a fair attempt at getting that to shoot before going with a new rifle. Imo, ones shooting skills are going to determine if any gun is a shooter or not so I would definitely hone any skills. Fortunately Savages have a good reputation for being accurate. When you connect on a buck or bull, your story will sound much cooler with a 20 year old walmart rifle than one with a newer production rifle. Now you may not find too many responses like this because I am in the "one gun" camp which is not too popular

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Desk Jockey]

Welcome.

per above, you can probably do what you need to with that savage.

if you want to buy a new boomer (always the right answer) give a hard look at tikka. New They go for $650ish. $700-800 for stainless (Worth it IMO). Adding a claw sling for $30 and set of sports match or tally rings to that vortex scope will get you out past 500-600 yards with some decent ammo and a little practice. The factory stock feels a little cheap but they shoot like lasers.

 

[axeforce6]

Save your money on a new rifle. Put it towards ammo. Practice as much as possible. Get your self some good cleaning supplies. That rifle will do everything you need it to.

 

[ihuntsolo]

BIG thanks to you all for the helpful suggestions. I think I will practice for now (ouch for the expensive ammo) a lot with the Savage 110 before thinking about upgrading. Tikka does look very interesting. Further question:
I am trying to find a solution for mounting the Savage synthetic stock onto my tripod. I plan to use my Vanguard VEO 2 265CF (ball head, load capacity 17 lbs) for both glassing and shooting. My current Savage + Scope combo weighs 8 lbs. I read I may need to mount a ARCA rail plate and drill a couple of holes at the bottom of the stock? I tried the BOP DeathGrip option but that is over 1 lbs additional weight and bulky. Any better solutions for resting the Savage 110 to my tripod?

 

[Bull_n_heat]

BIG thanks to you all for the helpful suggestions. I think I will practice for now (ouch for the expensive ammo) a lot with the Savage 110 before thinking about upgrading. Tikka does look very interesting. Further question:
I am trying to find a solution for mounting the Savage synthetic stock onto my tripod. I plan to use my Vanguard VEO 2 265CF (ball head, load capacity 17 lbs) for both glassing and shooting. My current Savage + Scope combo weighs 8 lbs. I read I may need to mount a ARCA rail plate and drill a couple of holes at the bottom of the stock? I tried the BOP DeathGrip option but that is over 1 lbs additional weight and bulky. Any better solutions for resting the Savage 110 to my tripod?

If you don't have to attach the rifle to the pod, I would just get a good set of forks that you can throw on that tripod. I just carry one in my pack with a quick attach plate and am off to the races if I need it.

Something along the lines of this would work, but there are all sorts of good options (including ones made by BOG)

Amazon.com : Hammers Precision V Yoke Rest Mount Attachment with 1/4-20 Camera Thread for monopod Shooting Stick Tripod : Gun Monopods Bipods And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Hammers Precision V Yoke Rest Mount Attachment with 1/4-20 Camera Thread for monopod Shooting Stick Tripod : Gun Monopods Bipods And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[ihuntsolo]

If you don't have to attach the rifle to the pod, I would just get a good set of forks that you can throw on that tripod. I just carry one in my pack with a quick attach plate and am off to the races if I need it.

Something along the lines of this would work, but there are all sorts of good options (including ones made by BOG)

Amazon.com : Hammers Precision V Yoke Rest Mount Attachment with 1/4-20 Camera Thread for monopod Shooting Stick Tripod : Gun Monopods Bipods And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Hammers Precision V Yoke Rest Mount Attachment with 1/4-20 Camera Thread for monopod Shooting Stick Tripod : Gun Monopods Bipods And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

I do have a BOP tripod and its XSR shooting rest (double V-shaped rest), but it has some play with a little wiggle. Not steady enough.

 

[Justin Crossley]

BIG thanks to you all for the helpful suggestions. I think I will practice for now (ouch for the expensive ammo) a lot with the Savage 110 before thinking about upgrading. Tikka does look very interesting. Further question:
I am trying to find a solution for mounting the Savage synthetic stock onto my tripod. I plan to use my Vanguard VEO 2 265CF (ball head, load capacity 17 lbs) for both glassing and shooting. My current Savage + Scope combo weighs 8 lbs. I read I may need to mount a ARCA rail plate and drill a couple of holes at the bottom of the stock? I tried the BOP DeathGrip option but that is over 1 lbs additional weight and bulky. Any better solutions for resting the Savage 110 to my tripod?

Salmon River Solutions is the place to go for an Arca rail for your rifle.

 

[Lawnboi]

I’m not at all a savage fan.

Buy a tikka in something cheaper and more affordable to shoot. More purposeful practice will lead to more confidence in the field.

Honestly to 400 I’d be buying a 223, farther I wouldnt burn more powder than a 6.5 creedmoor.

You will get more out of a lightweight positional bag on natural features than you will a lightweight tripod. Lightweight tripods do not make stable positions alone, you almost need rear support which adds more time and complexity.

Also understand more gear won’t automatically make you proficient at your desired range. Time behind the rifle in actual field conditions is going to go way farther than a bunch more stuff.

 

[ihuntsolo]

I’m not at all a savage fan.

Buy a tikka in something cheaper and more affordable to shoot. More purposeful practice will lead to more confidence in the field.

Honestly to 400 I’d be buying a 223, farther I wouldnt burn more powder than a 6.5 creedmoor.

You will get more out of a lightweight positional bag on natural features than you will a lightweight tripod. Lightweight tripods do not make stable positions alone, you almost need rear support which adds more time and complexity.

Also understand more gear won’t automatically make you proficient at your desired range. Time behind the rifle in actual field conditions is going to go way farther than a bunch more stuff.

Thanks! Totally agree with you on "time behind the rifle in actual field conditions". Let's say the range would be anywhere 300 to 650, what specific Tikka model/config and what ammo should I acquire (hopefully lighter than Savage 110)? I like the positional bag idea (maybe just backpack itself), In that case, do I need a bipod installed? Sorry for my newbie questions (trying to search and read a lot on rokslide now).

 

[Lawnboi]

Thanks! Totally agree with you on "time behind the rifle in actual field conditions". Let's say the range would be anywhere 300 to 650, what specific Tikka model/config and what ammo should I acquire (hopefully lighter than Savage 110)? I like the positional bag idea (maybe just backpack itself), In that case, do I need a bipod installed? Sorry for my newbie questions (trying to search and read a lot on rokslide now).

Personally I’d buy a tikka in 6.5 creedmoor, put it in a KRG bravo chassis, put a reliable scope on it and start shooting.

A backpack is okay. I usually carry a pint sized game changer with git lite fill, it’s a pound, but it’s probably the best pound for shooting Iv ever carried. Front or rear support it’s great. Iv killed deer with it as a rear bag and as a front on rocks and logs.

I still feel a bipod is necessary and use one.

Being able to quickly build a position that is stable with minimal wobble let’s you focus on your trigger press and not your 3moa wobble.

Add on a suppressor down the road, next to the bag it’s imo the second most useful piece of shooting equipment

 

[ihuntsolo]

Personally I’d buy a tikka in 6.5 creedmoor, put it in a KRG bravo chassis, put a reliable scope on it and start shooting.

A backpack is okay. I usually carry a pint sized game changer with git lite fill, it’s a pound, but it’s probably the best pound for shooting Iv ever carried. Front or rear support it’s great. Iv killed deer with it as a rear bag and as a front on rocks and logs.

I still feel a bipod is necessary and use one.

Being able to quickly build a position that is stable with minimal wobble let’s you focus on your trigger press and not your 3moa wobble.

Add on a suppressor down the road, next to the bag it’s imo the second most useful piece of shooting equipment

Thanks for your suggestion on the pint game changer and bipod, I will also start to research on Tikka. My understanding about 6.5 creedmoor is less recoil, flatter trajectory and less wind drift compared to 30-06. Is 6.5 powerful enough for killing an ELK (my current focus will be mule deer)? I just want to perfect my skill with ONE gun for backpack hunting.

 

[Lawnboi]

Thanks for your suggestion on the pint game changer and bipod, I will also start to research on Tikka. My understanding about 6.5 creedmoor is less recoil, flatter trajectory and less wind drift compared to 30-06. Is 6.5 powerful enough for killing an ELK (my current focus will be mule deer)? I just want to perfect my skill with ONE gun for backpack hunting.

I’m not a good resource on killing elk, so that will have to be answered from someone else.

Throwing all the numbers out the window except impact velocity a creedmoor will do what you want with the least powder burnt, which means less recoil and easier to shoot. Wind performance of the 6.5 cm with a good bullet is pretty good and what I’d call adequate for sub 600 yards. Match quality ammo is also readily available and cheaper. I don’t think anyone will argue that bullet placement trumps all, and putting a bullet where it needs to be is easier with less recoil. You can practice all day with it. You also mention solo, which would be another decider for me on it as I can spot my shots with a creedmoor that I cannot with a 3006 of the same weight.

As for numbers and comparing, the problem with a 3006 is the wide range of loads that are available. I can shoot factory ammo that is less efficient than my 223 in the wind with the 06. With experience shooting the numbers will begin to make more sense, hence the reason I reccomend buying something you can shoot a lot.

 

[woods89]

Thanks for your suggestion on the pint game changer and bipod, I will also start to research on Tikka. My understanding about 6.5 creedmoor is less recoil, flatter trajectory and less wind drift compared to 30-06. Is 6.5 powerful enough for killing an ELK (my current focus will be mule deer)? I just want to perfect my skill with ONE gun for backpack hunting.

6.5 Creed/260

.....some elk in here.....

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Keep the Savage and don't feel the need to go boutique or designer. The 110 is a damn good rifle and they're known to be tack drivers. I had a factory dual pillar bedded no-frills 110 in .25-06 that shot MOA out of the box out to 300 yards with most factory ammo and a cheap scope. I killed a pile of coyotes with it and still kick my own a$$ for selling it. I'm sure it shot good further than that, but I never tested it.

Get some good ammo for the .30-06 and shoot it. My brother has a stainless savage 110 in .30-06 with all the "accu" stuff and it really likes Federal 180s.

 

[Lawnboi]

I also think the caliber is more of a detriment to you than the rifle, and is another reason I’d get another.

Learning on 2$ plus rounds that wear you out within a box is going to do more harm then good. Recoil also solidifies bad habits when learning to shoot longer

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I also think the caliber is more of a detriment to you than the rifle, and is another reason I’d get another.

Learning on 2$ plus rounds that wear you out within a box is going to do more harm then good. Recoil also solidifies bad habits when learning to shoot longer

I agree on principle but "felt" recoil is subjective and impacted by many other factors. It can also be mitigated more economically than buying a whole new setup. A gunsmith could probably install a brake for less than $200, half the cost of even a decent scope.

The .30-06 is not a flashy or sexy round, but it is still one of the most versatile available and ammo is generally easy to locate online and in brick and mortar. There are very few animals that you can't target and kill with this cartridge with the wide variety, weight, and types of bullets available. In addition, +/- $2/round ammo is pretty common IME these days unless I'm looking in the wrong place. The last 2 boxes of .308 i bought were around $38- Browning 168 TMK and Hornady 168 ELD.

If money isn't an issue, then I'd tell the OP by all means go by another rifle. However, if money is a consideration, there's absolutely no reason to toss what he already has.

 

[chadb112007]

Welcome.

per above, you can probably do what you need to with that savage.

if you want to buy a new boomer (always the right answer) give a hard look at tikka. New They go for $650ish. $700-800 for stainless (Worth it IMO). Adding a claw sling for $30 and set of sports match or tally rings to that vortex scope will get you out past 500-600 yards with some decent ammo and a little practice. The factory stock feels a little cheap but they shoot like lasers.

I second this. Try to make what you have work for you. If not, I haven’t seen a better bang for your buck than Tikka when it comes to accuracy. You get Sako machining for way less money.

 

[OXN939]

Keep the Savage and don't feel the need to go boutique or designer. The 110 is a damn good rifle and they're known to be tack drivers.

Not to mention the fact that the vast majority of factory rifles that came off the line in 2002 are higher quality than what you get now.

OP, if I were you, I'd get a nicer scope, some good quality mounts, puck up a bunch if ammo and go practice.

Also re: the rear bag, fill a boot sock with airsoft BBs and tie it off. Been using that setup for 10 years and have yet to find a rear bag I like as much and I'd be amazed if you could get it to 1/10th the cost of buying one.