When do you give up on a rifle?

Rmauch20

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I am out of ideas and patience. I have a savage Model 11 .308 ( hog hunter). I have had the gun from about 3 years. If you not familiar the rifle has a 20” medium weight threaded barrel with 1-10 twist. It comes with savage’s plastic stock and has iron sights. The stock has been replaced and the iron sights removed. It has a Vortex Viper 4x12x40 for glass. Yesterday I reached my tipping point with it. I can’t for the life of life of me get it to shoot. At 105 yards it groups at 1.5-2.25 inches at 208 yards it jumps to the 6-8 inch groups, neither of which I feel is adequate. I have only gone out to 300 yards once with and it produced 12-15 inch group. I haven’t gone further out with due to the lack of accuracy. I have tired the following. The original bases and rings (Warne) have been removed and remounted x3 every time installed and torqued to spec. I have tried the following scopes Viper 4x12, Diamondback4x12, Leupold VXll 3x9, and a Primary arms1x6. I switched to a DNZ one piece mount and tried 3 out of 4 of the previous listed scopes.
As for ammo, It dislikes all 150 gr I have used. Which includes Remington cor-lockt, Hornady interlock, and Federal PSP. Moving up to the 165-168 gr. I have tired Hornady A-max and BTHP match, Federal Gold medal match, and BTHP match from Armscor. And finally 180gr hunting loads from Remington, Hornady, Federal, and Winchester. The heavier rounds group better but still not what I would consider good.
The stock has been replaced with one from Stockade gunstocks and torqued to their specs , trigger is set at 2.5 pounds. The barrel is free floated and Stockade doesn’t recommend bedding the action when using their stocks

My other .308 is a Remington 700 ADL 22inch barrel with the factory wood stock with a Vortex diamondback 4x12x40. The gun was bought new in 83/84 by my father. He is gone and it became mine. It is as factory as you can get. Even with the factory trigger set at around 6 pounds I can still shoot better with it by a considerable amount. Remington 150gr Cor-lockt produces three shot groups of at or below 1 inch at 100 yards, 2.5 at 200yds, 3.5-4.0 at 300yds, and 5.0-5.25 at 400yds. I am sure those could be improved if the trigger would be tuned or replaced, but I figure why mess with it. I know those numbers might not be that impressive to some but I am pleased with them especially using the Remington round. So I don’t think it’s me or maybe the Remington is that good.


Am I missing something obvious? I have been trying to think of something else to use, do, or try but I also starting to think I am might just have a money pit. At this point I want to sell\trade it away and move on. My Savage is like a bad girlfriend, I keep trying to make it work and she just keeps being a Bi*ch. Sorry for the long post.
 
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Rmauch20

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I did talk to savage about halfway through the three-year process. Not trying to knock savage but they weren't a whole bunch of help. They put the 2 inch group @ 100 onto the Remington cor-lockt ammunition and I was advised to try some of the federal ammunition. Federal gold medal match using a lead sled for the shooting platform was what the inch and a half group was achieved with. They also advised try to check bases,rings, and the scope.

The crown looks good. I haven't ran a borescope into the barrel but then again I wouldn't know what I was looking at specifically even if I did have one.
 

micus

Lil-Rokslider
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That sucks man.

Savages have a nut on the bolt, usually allen head. Check to make sure that's nice a tight and not backing off. Mine backed off once- something to check.

are you cleaning it tons?? maybe let it get super dirty, like 30+ rds through it without cleaning, I know some peoples rifles like to shoot "dirty"

I had a savage 116 that was a total turd, I tried a variety of ammo, torqueing, switching scopes etc never could make it shoot.. I don't have the heart to sell it to someone else so its now an expensive paper weight...sigh..
 
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Rmauch20

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I will check the bolt.
I'm kind of a caveman when it comes to cleaning it. I only clean it when it's going to be setting for a long period of time. But when I do I make sure that it is spotless.
 
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Get some plasti-gage and and check all the tolerances when loaded to see if you have something out of wack. The first ting I was going to say was to check the scope mounting, but you've already done that; I've know of a few guys with un-obvious broken screws, that have gone through what your describing.

Best of luck!
 

lcxctf2000

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I had a savage 116 that was a total turd, I tried a variety of ammo, torqueing, switching scopes etc never could make it shoot.. I don't have the heart to sell it to someone else so its now an expensive paper weight...sigh..

I'd take that 116 shaped paperweight off your hands if it's just taking up space...
 

kickemall

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When do I give up on a rifle? Pretty quick if I have to screw with it, I hate finicky rifles.
 

hodgeman

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You've done more that I would.

I'm pretty pragmatic, I struggled with a Sig 970 back in the day for about 2 years...never could get it to shoot well with anything. I could milk 1.5" out of 125gr Silvertips but nothing else was 6". Finally sold it.

Nowdays...I take one out and if i can't get it to shoot within three different factory loads in about 100 rds....it's gone. Life is too short for that kind of drama.
 

flyinsquirel

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Have you checked for any bolts or screws that might be too long and are bottoming out? I've had many front mount screws bottom out on the barrel threads before they got tight. Also had a few action bolts do the same.

If that doesn't do it go on Savage Shooters and pick up a new takeoff barrel in the classifieds and swap that sucker out. Should be able to find a very low to no round count 308 factory tube for less than $100. A savage that won't shoot 1" groups in the factory stock is unacceptable.
 

micus

Lil-Rokslider
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if you are Canadian or have a Canadian PAL ( CDN gun license) I am willing to rehome it at any time. PM me lol.


sorry to derail!
 

micus

Lil-Rokslider
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I'd take that 116 shaped paperweight off your hands if it's just taking up space...


if you are Canadian or have a Canadian PAL ( CDN gun license) I am willing to rehome it at any time. PM me lol.


sorry to derail
 

dah605

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Begin a Savage with barrel nut, I'd start with a set of go/no-go gauges and a barrel nut wrench to check headspace and torque. If that didn't work, buy a replacement barrel and install it yourself. If that doesn't work, sell it...

You'll spend more playing with loads on a bad Savage than swapping the factory barrel with something that is much better.

-David
 
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Rmauch20

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I double checked everything last night and just not seeing an issue. I guess at best it is 1.5 gun using the current barrel, match ammo, and a lead sled. I just don't feel that's good enough. Especially with the way it opens up when you move out to 200 yards. Probably just going to get rid of it at this point I know I'm in a take a loss, probably a considerable one, but I'm just kind of done with it.
Thanks for the replies and help troubleshooting though.
 
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