Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

[JimGnitecki]

This post is directed at shooters who either own a Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua bolt rifle, or have easy access to one.

I am researching precision bolt rifles in .308 and .338 Lapua , and the 110 BA is the cost effective lowest priced .338 out there. It is also locally available, whereas others like the Sako TRG models and Accuracy International models are not, so I have been able to actually handle a 110 BA and measure key dimensions on it.

The measuring and handling raised some questions, the answers to which are somewhat important to me because of my circumstances and the rifle's long OAL and weight:

1. It appears that the entire Magpul rear stock assembly is mounted to the Savage using a proprietary method, not the standard stock-over- buffer tube method. But, it also appears that there is ONE allen head bolt that goes through the rear of the receiver, which if unscrewed, would enable easy and rapid removal of the entire stock assembly including the proprietary rectangular tube mount. This would leave the rifle intact from muzzle brake to rear of receiver, but shorten its OAL to 39.75" for transport or storage. Does the removal of that allen bolt actually do this, or is there more holding that stock assembly on?

2. The muzzle brake does not appear to be pinned. I assume it IS locktighted. Can it be unscrewed to shorten the rifle further or to allow installation of a suppressor?

3. The trigger seems fabulous. Is it as good in actual use as it appears to me to be?

4. It appears that the plate to which the Harris bipod mount is attached is itself easily removable - it appears to be bolted onto a flat surface on the bottom of the alloy for end, and looks like it can simply be unbolted. Once unbolted, a simply short Picatinny rail could be bolted on instead, and my Atlas bipod, which is already equipped to simply clasp onto a Picatinny rail, could be mounted. Am I seeing this correctly?

5. The chamber seems incredibly difficult to access for cleaning, because of the length of the chamber and its "depth" inside the alloy upper, due to the long OAL of the 338 Lapua cartridge. How in heck do you get in there to clean it effectively?

6. What do you use as a bore guide when running a cleaning rod from the receiver butt all the way through that loooooong rear housing and loooong chamber, to finally hit the barrel throat???

7. What is the finish used on the rifle?

8. The Savage / Accuracy International magazine used will apparently accommodate a COAL much greeter than the 3.68" "standard". How long a COAL will it handle without issues?

9. Can you readily attach a rear monopod to the stock?

I'd greatly appreciate if one of you who has a Savage 110BA, or access to one, could answer all or some of the above questions!

Jim G

 

[matthias]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

1- the stock is held on with 3 screws. one on each side and the rear action screw so i dont know how often you want to be removing the stock and re seating the action

2- the muzzle brake is threaded and clocked with a crush washer so yes it could be removed for storage although i dont know how well or easy it would work

3-the trigger is good. can be made better with very little work. also the savage precision target action triggers will fit if you can get your hands on one

4-yes it is easily removable and there have been others that have done just that

5- i use a pistol cleaning rod to do the chamber it is reall not that much harder than other magnum bolt guns just run the cheek piece all the way down

6-get in touch with sinclair international they can and do make custom bore guides. there are also several companies making good boreguides that will work for this weapon a little time on google will yield several options

7-the finish is thick and durable but i cant tell you exactally what it is? have not had any scratches through it yet with field use.

8- i use 300 grain sierras about 5 thousnds off the lands no issues . have not gone with anything much longer i will check teh gun later

9- the stock has location on the rear for mounting a monopod but i have yet to do it. the stock is marked magpul prs2 the hole spacing is 2" center to center
hope this helps

 

[normbal]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JimGnitecki</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This post is directed at shooters who either own a Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua bolt rifle, or have easy access to one.

I am researching precision bolt rifles in .308 and .338 Lapua , and the 110 BA is the cost effective lowest priced .338 out there. It is also locally available, whereas others like the Sako TRG models and Accuracy International models are not, so I have been able to actually handle a 110 BA and measure key dimensions on it.

The measuring and handling raised some questions, the answers to which are somewhat important to me because of my circumstances and the rifle's long OAL and weight:

1. It appears that the entire Magpul rear stock assembly is mounted to the Savage using a proprietary method, not the standard stock-over- buffer tube method. But, it also appears that there is ONE allen head bolt that goes through the rear of the receiver, which if unscrewed, would enable easy and rapid removal of the entire stock assembly including the proprietary rectangular tube mount. This would leave the rifle intact from muzzle brake to rear of receiver, but shorten its OAL to 39.75" for transport or storage. Does the removal of that allen bolt actually do this, or is there more holding that stock assembly on?
<span style="color: #3333FF">
It's not that allen bolt. On the right-hand side of the stock, just above the REAR edge of the grip/palm rest, is an oblong metal plate with two allen screws that go into a similar plate on the left-hand side. This is where the buttstock separates. I'm using an ARKTIS drag bag and even with the buttstock extended for LOP it still fits. </span>

2. The muzzle brake does not appear to be pinned. I assume it IS locktighted. Can it be unscrewed to shorten the rifle further or to allow installation of a suppressor?
<span style="color: #3333FF">
If you can get a thread protector, and carry a strap wrench, you can take it off and put it back on all day to your heart's content. I'm considering a suppressor (AAC Titan-Ti in .338) for my gun. My ears ring enough as it is (too much time spent in Blackhawks, riding motorcycles and using poor hearing protection elsewhere.</span>

3. The trigger seems fabulous. Is it as good in actual use as it appears to me to be?
<span style="color: #000099">
Yes. It's amazing. NO creep. Breaks like glass. About 1mm overtravel set at 1.5 lbs it breaks at 1.5 lbs every time. I like it.
</span>
4. It appears that the plate to which the Harris bipod mount is attached is itself easily removable - it appears to be bolted onto a flat surface on the bottom of the alloy for end, and looks like it can simply be unbolted. Once unbolted, a simply short Picatinny rail could be bolted on instead, and my Atlas bipod, which is already equipped to simply clasp onto a Picatinny rail, could be mounted. Am I seeing this correctly?

<span style="color: #3333FF">Yes. That plate is held in place with two countersunk allen screws which go THROUGH the metal and are held down with nylock style nuts inside . You could drill and tap the fore end any place you need to get your rail in place.</span>

5. The chamber seems incredibly difficult to access for cleaning, because of the length of the chamber and its "depth" inside the alloy upper, due to the long OAL of the 338 Lapua cartridge. How in heck do you get in there to clean it effectively?
<span style="color: #000099">
? I use a chamber-sized brush (something I had on hand, I think from a .308 AR10 cleaning kit) on the end of a shorter cleaning rod I had on hand.</span>

6. What do you use as a bore guide when running a cleaning rod from the receiver butt all the way through that loooooong rear housing and loooong chamber, to finally hit the barrel throat???

<span style="color: #3333FF"> Dewey Adjustable bore saver rod guide with solvent port .338-.358 model # ABS-4 fits a little loosely but will keep crud out of your action. You'll need a LONG (44" at least) rod. I just run a rod through the gun with the magazine removed and hose it and any dripping off with gun scrubber. The finish is nearly indestructible.
</span>
7. What is the finish used on the rifle?

<span style="color: #3333FF">Unobtanium? I have no idea. The scope rail is anodized, otherwise something proprietary.
</span>
8. The Savage / Accuracy International magazine used will apparently accommodate a COAL much greeter than the 3.68" "standard". How long a COAL will it handle without issues?

<span style="color: #3333FF">The magazine is stamped "ACCURATE MAG .338 LM (3.850)" and I've put cartridges measuring 3.851 in it with no problem. If you dig around this board some you'll find other answers to this question as it was beaten like a cheap mule several times over.
</span>
9. Can you readily attach a rear monopod to the stock?

<span style="color: #3333FF">Why would you want to use a monopod? Bean Bag. Sand bag. That's been drilled in to me by several other shooters/trainers, lately by Ed Shell at Central Virginia Tactical has been helping me with my technique (thanks, Ed). I had a monopod on ONE gun about five years ago and sold it about four years ago and haven't looked back. Bags are cheap.</span>

I'd greatly appreciate if one of you who has a Savage 110BA, or access to one, could answer all or some of the above questions!

<span style="color: #3333FF">I've only got about 60 rounds down the pipe so far, pretty much decided on VV 570 powder at 95 to 95.5 grains with a 300 grain SMK during OCW testing, Retumbo is next on the list with 95 grains. Both loads gave me velocities at/around 2790 fps, the VV570 variation was within 2 fps (Retumbo was higher, around 8-11 fps variation), best groups at or under an inch at 300 yards. Yeah. about 0.3 MOA. Dig it. And it was cold, and I was futzing around with an oversized rear bag I'm not used to and the dog ate my homework and billy pushed me off the slide...

You are going to LOVE this gun. I sold a bunch of shit and bought a Schmidt-Bender PM2 5-25 MRAD scope with a Gen 2 XR reticle so I could get the elevation needed for well beyond 2000 yards. I only need 15.5 mils to get on target at 2000 yds with the current load if JBM is close to real world (which it usually is).

Depending on what you're shooting and where, others will argue that the 300 Win Mag will do the job. PAST 2000 yards, the higher BC of the .338 seems superior.

Get what you feel good about. You will burn some powder.

Thanks for the workout and review.
</span>

Jim G</div></div>

 

[JimGnitecki]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

Mathias: Fantastic! Thank-you.

About that stock removal: You mention THREE bolts one on each side plus an "action" screw.

1. Does removing the 3 bolts then also remove the pistol grip, trigger housing, and other parts, or only the stock with its proprietary extension?

2. When these 3 bolts are removed and the rifle thus shortened for transport, what is the new overall length of the rifle?

2. If more than the stock is removed by undoing the 3 bolts, is there any precise refitting involved when reassembling, or simply inserting the parts and threading in the bolts?

3. Is the crush washer for the brake readily available? (I assume it would need to be replaced each time the brake is removed)

4. If you run a suppressor, do you still need a brake? Is it even possible to tandem them?

Jim G

 

[JimGnitecki]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

normbal: You posted while I was replying above! Thank-you! This is great info, and I am especially glad to hear that Vihtavuori powder works well in it. I love VV powder - very clean burning and consistent.

I haven't bought a 110 BA, at least yet, but it is a finalist in my market research. I will be posting separately about that research, as others may find it helpful as well.

One of my concerns on the 110 BA has been sheer size. I have a Mustang as primary transportation, and I live in an RV. 50" rifles are an issue with both. This is why all the questions on OAL and how it can be managed for transport and storage. I need to figure out how short the TRANSPORT-mode OAL can be.

I love the modularity and SR-type standardization of the 110 BA compared to some of the other choices.

Jim G

 

[normbal]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JimGnitecki</div><div class="ubbcode-body">normbal: You posted while I was replying above! Thank-you! This is great info, and I am especially glad to hear that Vihtavuori powder works well in it. I love VV powder - very clean burning and consistent.

I haven't bought a 110 BA, at least yet, but it is a finalist in my market research. I will be posting separately about that research, as others may find it helpful as well.

One of my concerns on the 110 BA has been sheer size. I have a Mustang as primary transportation, and I live in an RV. 50" rifles are an issue with both. This is why all the questions on OAL and how it can be managed for transport and storage. I need to figure out how short the TRANSPORT-mode OAL can be.

I love the modularity and SR-type standardization of the 110 BA compared to some of the other choices.

Jim G</div></div>

I was typing while Matthias was posting.

Crush washers could probably be bought in bulk through MSC Industrial Supply co., if not Savage themselves; they're very friendly and helpful there. F'rinstance, there's no information in the manual that comes with the gun to tell you how many inch-lbs to torque up the scope rail screws, but the technician there was really quick to give me an answer (25 in-lbs, IIRC, but I don't have the manual handy, I took notes.<span style="color: #3333FF"> Several minutes later... manual was on the shelf with the REST of my gun manuals. Every once in a while I get organized and it really confuses me</span>).

Suppressor does a lot of the same function as the brake. I find when shooting .308 with a can, it works as well as a brake I got from Doug Melton at SRT. I'm pretty sure the same would hold true of .338 LM and I'm willing to try it. Just coughing up the money for the can and starting the NFA dick dance again is a little off-putting.

Any time you remove a stock from a gun you need to retorque the screws when reassembling the gun. If properly bedded, or machined, this shouldn't' affect accuracy, but YMMV, as with many things.

Brake is 4" long, barrel/receiver "unit" is approx. 33" minus the brake, "stock" is also about 33". The stock can be further disassembled into two pieces 21" and 12" long rear and front, respectively. It just slaps together again.

It ain't going to fit in a briefcase so's to smuggle it into the Kitomer conference.
Duffel bag maybe.

It's a BFG all right. About 18 lbs with scope and 6 rounds of ammo, I'm guessing. Not something you'd want to sling around all day, then again, Barretts and other guns in similar calibers aren't .22 LR crickets either.

You'd like this gun. Do keep us posted on your research.

Happy New Year.

 

[JimGnitecki]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

Guys, thank you both for the help here. I am continuing my research (which I'll post about separately on this forum soon), but the 110 BA is a strong contender at this point for reasons that the separate posting will detail.

Jim G

 

[mooner]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

I love my 110BA, but didn't like the stock. So before I ever shot it,I got a XLR chassis. Ther is a folding stock option, which I might do later.

 

[Ticeman]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

I just bought (two weeks ago) the 111 in Lapua, I think it's called the hunter? I've only sent exactly 10 rds. down range, I like the trigger, I have a Savage 17HMR with the same trigger, so I'm used to it. It's a screamin round, I think you'd be happy with it.

 

[shaky1]

Re: Questions on Savage 110 BA 338 Lapua rifle

If yyou are going to change to that XLR chasis, start with the 110 FCP-HS, not the BA. They are the same rifle apart from the stock, but the BA costs $600 more! Plan on buying a 20 MOA rail for real long work however.