First impression of the new Savage 110 Ultralight

S

std7mag

New member
I got to check out the new Savage 110 Ultralight at the Harrisburg, PA Outdoors Show.

Actually not a bad looking rifle, but not a Model 70 in the looks department.
Based on a lightened 110 action, looked more like a lightened Axis action.
Comes with the adjustable AccuTrigger, and the AccuStock.
Comes in 308, 270, 30-06, 300 WSM, 6.5 CM, 6.5 PRC, 280 AI, 28 Nosler.
The 300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, 28 Nosler get a 24" Proof Research barrel that is equivalent to a #2 contour steel barrel. Muzzle end is threaded with thread protector.

Standard chamberings are 22" barrel with threaded muzzle.

On picking it up, the first thing you notice is it's light weight. At 5,3/4 lbs for the 308 that they had, it is really light weight!
Then the cheap plastic stock feel.
I talked to the rep, and asked why after so many years now, they couldn't fix this? He sighted the full aluminium bedding, bla bla blaaa.
The forestock has a LOT of flex! You can easily make it touch the barrel.
The buttpad did have some nice squish to it, feeling like it would do a decent job buffering some of the recoil that is sure to accompany such a light rifle.

The bolt is spiral fluted with a decent sized knob. And it needs it. Bolt throw is stiff, and not light.

While i applaud their efforts on lightening the action, and the Proof Research barrel, i'm not willing to spend $1,100 (retail) for a rifle that needs a stock, and work smoothing the action right off the bat.

I also don't understand why rifle manufacturers don't put a 24" barrel on a 280 AI.
Also note it is not available in 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, or 338 Win Mag.

For my hard earned cash, i'd go with the Tikka T3X, or a little heavier ( 7lbs) Mauser M18.
 
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I have not ha does that rifle yet. I have several other savages with the accustock. One is a model 16. Even with the accustock is pretty flexible. Although that was a first gen accustock and the alluminum does not travel the full length of the stock.

On the Savage 110 tactical and the High country. It is stiffer at the forend. It can still be flexed tto make contact, but takes way more effort than would be reasonably applied in about any shooting application the high country is not quite as stuff as the tactical. I attribute that to there being less material at the end. Even so it is stuff enough that it won't make contact unless intentionally done.
 
Interesting--my 110 LRH in 338 Lapua has an accustock and it won't budge, not even close to touching the barrel. Wonder if they bothered checking the receiver screws were tight?
 
I wouldn't be interested in one but wouldn't worry too much about the flexible forend. In my experience worrying about such things is not warranted. The most accurate rifles I've shot had stocks that could be made to touch the barrel. Including the 3 that I have in $600 McMillan stocks and all of my factory walnut stocks.

As long as there is a generous gap between the barrel and stock it won't happen under normal use. And anything with one of the various aluminum bedding blocks does a fantastic job of mating the action to the stock. Gun manufacturers have re-written the rules about how to make a rifle shoot well. A flexible forend is no longer a factor.

5 3/4 lbs isn't THAT light. There are several options that are just a hair over 6 lbs selling for 1/2 that and for about the same price a Kimber 308 will weigh 5 1/4.

But for a variety of reasons I'd rather have a Tikka too. I can make the stocks on both of those touch the barrel too.
 
I have an older Savage 110FP chambered in .223 and for a composite stock i'm very impressed at the quality and rigidity of the stock. Mine stays completely free floated even with a bipod or off a rest. I was primarily a R700 guy many years ago but I've grown a huge amount of admiration and respect for the Savage's.
 
I’ve owned quite a few Savages and still have my Precision Carbine in .308. The one that I wish I’d never sold was a Predator in .243, man that thing was same hole accurate no matter what you fed it. All of them have shot well, I just flat out don’t like the actions, sloppy, ugly and just bulky. I hate the accutrigger as well and replace with a Timney.

I like the concept but I’m not plunking down $1100.00 for one.
 
stagpanther said:
I always wonder about people who hate the accutrigger.;):D
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I took a friend of mine to the range yesterday. A friend that has been shooting most of his life, but has never been taught any sort of fundamentals. He recently bought a Savage Axis 2 in 6.5 Creedmoor. He came to me and offered to sell the rifle, because "the damn thing just won't shoot". I told him I did not want to buy the rifle, but I would be happy to take a look at it to make sure the scope bases, rings, action screws etc were all tight and properly installed.

To make a long story short, scope was crooked, action was loose in the stock, The accutrigger was adjusted to it's heaviest weight. (He was tinkering with it).

He was having a lot of trouble with the accutrigger at the range. He also expressed to me how much he hated it. Instead of pulling straight back into the trigger he was basically trying to rest the pad of his finger on the side of the trigger. We all know what happens to the accutrigger when pulled from the side. Anyway, after going over his rifle and coaching him for a little while on the range. He was shooting sub MOA groups at 100 and picking off rocks at 200 yards.

He was just tickled pink. You could see in his demeanor how proud he was. Later on he Thanked me for taking the time to help him and asked me to continue coaching him. He told me last night that yesterday was the best shooting he had ever done. He also acknowledged that the accutrigger was excellent. He just didn't realize that he was using it incorrectly.
 
I have a 10 FCP in 6.5 Creedmore. The accustock is really good, difficult to flex in the slightest, excellent accuracy, smooth bolt. The accutrigger works good; it’s not a Timney, but I did not pay $150 extra either...not necessary! The rifle puts five rounds into one jagged hole at 100 yards consistently.
Of course this is not a light weight, nor is it a beauty queen, but it is very functional and deadly accurate. I am not a fan boi of any particular brand, but I find it sort of disappointing when somebody picks up one rifle and proceeds to urinate all over the brand because they do not like that particular rifle.
 
I took a friend of mine to the range yesterday. A friend that has been shooting most of his life, but has never been taught any sort of fundamentals. He recently bought a Savage Axis 2 in 6.5 Creedmoor. He came to me and offered to sell the rifle, because "the damn thing just won't shoot". I told him I did not want to buy the rifle, but I would be happy to take a look at it to make sure the scope bases, rings, action screws etc were all tight and properly installed.

To make a long story short, scope was crooked, action was loose in the stock, The accutrigger was adjusted to it's heaviest weight. (He was tinkering with it).

He was having a lot of trouble with the accutrigger at the range. He also expressed to me how much he hated it. Instead of pulling straight back into the trigger he was basically trying to rest the pad of his finger on the side of the trigger. We all know what happens to the accutrigger when pulled from the side. Anyway, after going over his rifle and coaching him for a little while on the range. He was shooting sub MOA groups at 100 and picking off rocks at 200 yards.

He was just tickled pink. You could see in his demeanor how proud he was. Later on he Thanked me for taking the time to help him and asked me to continue coaching him. He told me last night that yesterday was the best shooting he had ever done. He also acknowledged that the accutrigger was excellent. He just didn't realize that he was using it incorrectly.
__________________
“We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace. Be peaceful, therefore, in warring, so that you may vanquish those whom you war against, and bring them to the prosperity of peace.
– St. Augustine
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Just another day's work for "savage man" LOL. It's always a good idea to help people out--karma has a way of coming and going around.
 
My PC Accutrigger broke at 1.5-2# and was crisp on the break, my Predator was set at 2.5# and good on the break. I don’t like the blade at all. I don’t want to feel creep or the take up slack of the blade. I’m use to the Timney in all of my 700’s, the superb triggers in all of my Sakos and Tikkas and even the decent triggers in my M70’s, that was the point in replacing. Now the PC feels like a rifle should without a gimmick trigger. If you like the Accutrigger, that’s fine, it feels weird to me, then again I’m not a big fan of sloppy actions with floating bolt heads either. I’ll say this my Savages would shoot, they just aren’t what I’d call refined or high quality firearms, more like a cheaper tool. But, that’s why we have so many choices.
 
It's a niche gun--my guess it's marketed at the guided hunters crowd that enjoy 3-course dinner at the luxury lodge at the end of the day's hunt.;):D Be cool to see how it would do in a big magnum chambering. LOL
 
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