Hey guys I just want to ask a few questions before I make a buy. I am looking to get a good base rifle for building up into a distance shooter maybe out to 1K yards. I have been doing some research and have been teetering between a 300WM and the 6.5 Creedmoore. I went to my local gun shop to see if they had a savage in 6.5 and they did not, but he was showing me some an handed me the Savage Hog Hunter in .308. They have it on sale until the end of the month for $399. This seemed like an inexpensive way to get an action that I could use to slowly build upon and a fun rifle to shoot as is. So here are the questions #1 can I put a 6.5 Creedmoore barrel on it (like a McGowen) with no other modifications? #2 I want a removable magazine do the normal short action bottom metal kits work for this. Mainly I just want to make sure all the "aftermarket" accessories will work on this like a model 10 etc. I will probably start the upgrade with a stock first, so I will shoot the .308 for a while.
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Savage Hog Hunter
- Thread starter Bull_frog
- Start date
6.5 creedmoor and .308 share the same size boltface and the cartridges are similar in size so they have a common magazine system (internal or dbm). You can install a 6.5 creedmoor barrel and have no issues assuming it's headspaced correctly.AFAIK anything that goes for .308 in terms of parts and accessories will be okay with 6.5 creedmoor.
A 308 Hog Hunter for $399 is a pretty good deal.
Since it has the smooth barrel nut, plan on cutting or pipe wrenching the thing off and replacing it with a standard 'notched' nut.
The action is centerfeed (4.41") small/standard shank and any small/standard shank prefit barrel will work. For DBMs you can buy a Savage factory steel DBM frame and steel DBM mag base plate, slap it on the mag box/follower that comes with your Hog Hunter, and you're in bidness. Otherwise, CDI Precision, Accurate-Mag and perhaps now PTG make Savage centerfeed DBMs.
The best immediate accessory you could buy for that rifle would be a stock; the Bell & Carlson A2 Medalist is a great choice for $250ish but any chassis system or other Savage/centerfeed stock would work.
Since it has the smooth barrel nut, plan on cutting or pipe wrenching the thing off and replacing it with a standard 'notched' nut.
The action is centerfeed (4.41") small/standard shank and any small/standard shank prefit barrel will work. For DBMs you can buy a Savage factory steel DBM frame and steel DBM mag base plate, slap it on the mag box/follower that comes with your Hog Hunter, and you're in bidness. Otherwise, CDI Precision, Accurate-Mag and perhaps now PTG make Savage centerfeed DBMs.
The best immediate accessory you could buy for that rifle would be a stock; the Bell & Carlson A2 Medalist is a great choice for $250ish but any chassis system or other Savage/centerfeed stock would work.
Thanks guys, that gives me the confidence that I am not purchasing something that is "odd" that has a small upgrade market. I agree the first upgrade will be the stock, I may shoot the crap out of the .308 for a while before I upgrade the barrel. Cool that it comes with a threaded barrel as the upgrades may go, stock and then suppressor.
Or, just set that Hog Hunter in a stock and shoot it in 308. Switch calibers if you feel that it holds you back (wind calls).
6.5s are obviously "better" - just don't forget that the "better" is very quantitative - you still have to know your range and wind dope.
We are talking about a realistic 10% advantage.
Lets say - if you are hitting 5 out of 10 with 308, with 6.5 you will still only hit 5/10.
On the other hand if you are at 9 out of 10, the 6.5 might give you the edge to get 10/10.
6.5s are obviously "better" - just don't forget that the "better" is very quantitative - you still have to know your range and wind dope.
We are talking about a realistic 10% advantage.
Lets say - if you are hitting 5 out of 10 with 308, with 6.5 you will still only hit 5/10.
On the other hand if you are at 9 out of 10, the 6.5 might give you the edge to get 10/10.
Yeah I will shoot the .308 for a while probably. From what I have read it is more challenging to shoot the .308 at distance, but it provides a good learning base that will help a shooter in the long run for more forgiving rounds like the 6.5. I am new at long distance, longest shot I have ever taken hunting was probably 150 yards. I am in Ohio so Thunder Valley is my closest long range (range) going out as far as a mile.
