Urgent question regarding a Savage

[Nannuk]

I have a Savage Synthetic stock model that shoots three shots in a nice touching cloverleaf but then throws the fourth and/or fifth. I let the barrel cool to touch between shots and cool completely between groups. However, as I have referenceed in a previous post, my fore-end is marking the barrel on the left side right where the foreend meets the barrel. I tried the wax paper shim, but in order for it to be thick enough to stay in place (not be squeezed out) it sent my shots high.

MY QUESTION (drum roll): Should I take a sanding block to the stock and work away an equal amount of clearance on the right to match the left? Or is there another/better way? I am desperate, because sometimes the 2nd round (very rarely) is the flyer. Also, I want to use this rifle in shiloutte shooting, and having one flyer in five won't cut it.

Any suggestions? Should I get a digicam and send in pictures? Please, Please help me.

Thanks
Nannuk

BTW it is a Savage 111fxp in .270 Winchester--if it matters

 

[TIGERSHARK]

FREE FLOAT THE BARREL

I have a Savege 30/06 and it's dead on at 300 yards.
The barrel is "free floated" which means the barrel DOES NOT touch the stock
if you can slide a dollar bill between the barrel and stock it's free floated, if not...take off the stock and lightly sand. it won't take much, you just need a little clearance for barrel whip.
If you need to ANY gun smith will do it.

If your barrel is free floated, Contact Savage, something is wrong. Savage arms makes very good quality rifles.

good luck

 

[dakotasin]

don't worry about making the sides equidistant from the barrel. just make sure the barrel is floated.

my brother's syn. stock savage was giving him fits... he gave it to me and asked me to 'fix' it. after playing w/ it a little and working through an error elimination process, we determined that the stock itself was the root of most of the problems. it is just way too flimsy for any sort of accuracy. in fact, under recoil, the grip cap came off the stock.

we ended up making sure the barrel was floated, and bedding the entire action (about 2" of the barrel all the way back, including the trigger guard and mag well). since the grip cap was already off, we put a steel pin in the wrist area (protruding through the top) and glued that in as well. worked the trigger over as best we could, and finally had a shooter. the goal was to stiffen the stock as much as possible.

the problem w/ all that is the savage stock is plastic, not fiberglass or whatever, meaning that the bedding work isn't going to be absolutely permanent. if you decide to bed the factory stock, be generous in creating the mechanical locks. i put what i thought to be too many, and ended up wishing i put more/deeper ones in.

good luck.

 

[Drift]

I had the same problem with my newly acquired 110 and it’s synthetic (read: plastic) stock. I tried sanding the stock down and I even tried to use a shim/spacer between the stock and action, but every time I’d tighten the action into the stock the barrel would rub.

So, I bit the bullet and spent $90 on a Bell and Carlson DuraMaxx stock. It’s a drop in, the stock is stiff, it’s pillar bedded and the barrel floats quite nicely.

End of problem.

------------------------------------
When there's guns in the house, one better be yours. - Tim Wilson

 

[Hemicuda]

I toldja in the other post to CAREFULLY dremel/sand out the barrel channel until it was FULLY floated...

i gots a Choate 'glass stock on my 110-E in 30-06... and it 0ne holes ALL DAY LONG that way!

 

[Nannuk]

Maybe I am testing for free floating incorrectly. A single dollar bill will (with a little effort) slide all the way up to the recoil lug. I have seen to use one bill, three bills, one index card, three index cards.... What is the minimum clearance for a barrel to be considered free-floated? The right fore-end doesn't make constant contact with the barrel, but it has nearly completely worn the finish off the barrel where it makes contact while firing. The left side fore-end has just under .25 inch clearance, however the right side is less that 1/32". The two gunsmiths in my area who were soooo much help *sarcasm* in my selection/purchase of a rifle will not work on a Savage synthetic stock. They tell me that if I want them to do anything to a Savage other than trigger work I need to buy a new stock. So I am stuck doing it myslef or buying a new stock before november and spending days and days w/o my rifle as a 'smith works on it. (Hence the urgent part of this to me--I'd have to buy the stock in the next couple of days to insure getting the rifle back and getting range time in before Nov)

The way I understand the reference material for bedding that I have seen, my stock is an iffy one for bedding. Might take, or might not. Maybe I will just get that new stock (envision the money flying out of my wallet...).

Once again everybody--Thank you for your help!

Nannuk

 

[Hemicuda]

it is that pesky like "with an effort" that you used that gets me thinkin' you need to do a bit of floating!

A singlr dollar bill needs to slide EASILY in there...

 

[Steve Smith]

Well, I can certainly understand why those smiths would act that way. I too have fought that Savage plastic stock.

You don't need one hole accuracy to hunt deer or elk with, though. I say don't sweat it. Take care of it after hunting season.

 

[Nannuk]

AARRRGGGHHH!

After working the stock just a little, I slipped the action/barrel back in and discovered !Ahha, the trigger meets the left side of the trigger guard!. Then I massage that out and discover !Ahha, the recoil lug does not seat in the stock properly (the notch in the stock does not match the tab on the lug). Ugh! Well, I guess I'll just work/wait for shots under 200yds. Realistic if I hunt in the cedar thicket. Anyway, it has become apparent that the stock must be replaced. My question: what do you Savage owners suggest for an aftermarket stock? Cost is a factor here, please keep that in mind. Thanks.

Nannuk

 

[Steve Smith]

I still thing you could make a 300 yard shot without fear of only wounding the animal as long as you take a good shot. I hear Choate makes a good light weight stock. (No need in putting a heavy "sniper" stock on a hunting gun.)

 

[Hemicuda]

My Choate has served me well... I also believe Brownells offers a pretty sweet 'glass stock (I have a couple for Mausers)

all failry reasonable in price...

you DO have to be CAREFUL to watch the location if the action when you seat a rifle in 'glass, but I'm sure you knew that...

Any way you do it, good luck!