Savage 110FCP HS .338LM Modifications

Gunneegoogoo

Gunneegoogoo

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Hi All,

I'm in the midst of setting up my first loooooong range gun. I opted for an FCP, as the next best option, IMO, was 3-4x the cost.

I've done a few customization things to it that I wanted to share.

The gun comes out of the box at 10.7lbs. That scared me. So, off to the web I went. I first changed the brake to a Coretac. Available in, and made in Canada!! It's reviewed well, and adds some weight.

I then went looking for recoil reducers. I found the mercury tubes from C&H research in Kentucky. I tried calling them a few times, which was a bit frustrating, but whatever.... I eventually found them here in the north from Corlane's in Dawson Creek, BC. I bought 2, in the hopes that there'd be room in the buttstock for both, and there was. They're both 7/8"x5", and weigh 1lb each. I initially hoped to dremel out a socket for one in the forestock too, but I'm glad I didn't, and I'll explain why below.

So, I learned a couple things. First, the FCP in .338's recoil pad is glued on, not screwed. Get out your knife. Second, the buttstock of the HS stock is hollow. Laugh at me if you want for not knowing - but it felt solid to me. With a 7/8" drill bit from Princess Auto (our version of Harbour Freight) I was able to ream sockets for the tubes without any grief. I places them in, and used low E spray foam to secure them. Ta-da.

Then, I attacked the forestock with my dremel to make room from some more weight. i first was impatient and used .177 BB's - dumb. Thank goodness the garbage epoxy I bought from Can Tire didn't fire off, so I scooped it all out. By that time, I was able to procure some #9 shot - way better choice. Then I got impatient again and bought JB marine weld. I read somewhere that marine epoxy was a good choice - I was wrong, or at least I bought the wrong one. It's OK, but I really should've got a runnier and clear epoxy. I was able to get a full pound (16oz) of lead into the forestock (compared with 9oz of bb's). Once it cured, I took a nice round tip dremel bit and floated the barrel.

I reamed a cylinder of sprayfoam between the mercury tubes (by hand, didn't want to have an Hg leak!!) and filled it with shot held in place by gorilla glue.

With these mods the stock + harris bipod as gone from 3lbs 13oz to 6lbs 13oz. When it's all said and done with an enhanced ATACR on ATRS rings, it'll be 17lbs 6oz. I'm not scared anymore....!!!

I've also added a Kydex cheekrest from Matthew at #matthewsfabrication - great guy, would recommend him in a heartbeat. I was able to cross drill the upper part of the buttstock and still leave lots of room for the upper mercury tube.

So, I'm awaiting the arrival of my ATACR, and then I'm gonna ring some steel waaaaay out there!!! I will eventually glass bed the action. I'm a bit nervous, but what can possibly go wrong....??? (don't answer that).

-J.
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i have the Savage 111 LRH and i love it but, i did not like the stock as much. the only thing i changed is the Stock, i upgraded to a MDT LSS-XL and does that thing ever kick now. i was wondering if there is any point in putting Hydrallic Recoil reducers in your stock, do they really do that much? I am also shooting the .338 LM what ammo do u find is the best?
 
You had nothing to be scared about the factory break is good had you shot it before any of this work, I view these as a tactical rifle not a bench gun so my ideas may be different but I walk/quad a bit and take them out into the field.
 
I don't want to derail I weighted my rem 700 338lapua put a limbsaver and filled with sand but that thing weighed and 8 pounds and the break is marginal, the savage was very pleasant to shoot prone even with full power 285gr reloads.
 
If shooting 50+ rounds in an afternoon of .338LM out of a 10lb rifle doesn't concern you - you are a better man than me. This is a precision rifle for me. When I rest my cheek on the stock, I want it to feel like the cool side of the pillow on a weekend morning. From there, I can relax, steady, breath, and do what needs doing as good as I possibly can without concern for the donkey-kickin that's coming my way. I'm also considering 50x glass, so eye relief is a bit of a worry too.

My FCP is a range/bench gun. The only hunting it MIGHT ever do is off a tarp, dressed warm, with a spotting scope and a thermos full of coffee - and I'll only do that after I'm damn good and confident in my ability to hit an animal's boiler-room at 500,600,700 + yards....

I don't have a round developed yet for the .338. My friend has a 110BA in .338, and he's having a tough time finding a good load. We're going to try Retumbo next, with 250VLD's and 300VLD's.

I can't tell you if the hydraulic recoil reducers "work". What I know for sure is that they add weight, and that helps. I have 2 x 1lb mercury tubes, plus 1lb of lead shot in the forestock. I didn't do a before and after comparison, 'cause I know that my 7.5lb Tikka in .308 is abusive, ergo, a 10.5lb .338LM will be even more abusive. A 17.5lb .338LM, however, will be a giant, ass-kicking, kitten.

-J.
 
Its a 338, recoil is half the fun, but hawk-i is right. The stock brake works just fine. A touch over 10lbs is great for a factory 338. A Timberwolf is just over 14lbs with no optic, and I find its comparison to a .308. Ill admit, not the best hunting rifle, but meh... its fun :)
 
When I want a good, demented, laugh and/or to prove what man I am, I use my buddies 10g to shoot clays.

When I want to prove that I can be precise, I prefer not to have a mule booting me.

The Timberwolf numbers are about what I am at. 14 before optics, 17 with.

-J.
 
Id like to take part in some ranged shooting competitions, but I think my rifle would be over the weight limit... Im also too cheap to pay 300 bucks for a club membership when I have +/-600y to shoot at home.
 
285 grain bthp and 93 grains of retumble cci mag primer, I was using federal match but switched in the rem700 2800fps in the savage I backed down to 92gr and didn't have a chance to chrono but the savage chamber was diffenitly tighter can't stress it enough use lapua brass. These are warm loads but I chrono some factory hornady and they were zipping around that speed too. I find the muzzle blast almost as bad as the recoil and 50 rounds is a lot out of one of these.
 
Gunneegoogoo said:
If shooting 50+ rounds in an afternoon of .338LM out of a 10lb rifle doesn't concern you - you are a better man than me. This is a precision rifle for me. When I rest my cheek on the stock, I want it to feel like the cool side of the pillow on a weekend morning. From there, I can relax, steady, breath, and do what needs doing as good as I possibly can without concern for the donkey-kickin that's coming my way. I'm also considering 50x glass, so eye relief is a bit of a worry too.

My FCP is a range/bench gun. The only hunting it MIGHT ever do is off a tarp, dressed warm, with a spotting scope and a thermos full of coffee - and I'll only do that after I'm damn good and confident in my ability to hit an animal's boiler-room at 500,600,700 + yards....

I don't have a round developed yet for the .338. My friend has a 110BA in .338, and he's having a tough time finding a good load. We're going to try Retumbo next, with 250VLD's and 300VLD's.

I can't tell you if the hydraulic recoil reducers "work". What I know for sure is that they add weight, and that helps. I have 2 x 1lb mercury tubes, plus 1lb of lead shot in the forestock. I didn't do a before and after comparison, 'cause I know that my 7.5lb Tikka in .308 is abusive, ergo, a 10.5lb .338LM will be even more abusive. A 17.5lb .338LM, however, will be a giant, ass-kicking, kitten.

-J.
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the 10 lb 338 with a brake will kick less than the non braked 308 in your example. But if you find the recoil of a 308 "abusive" then you are very sensitive to recoil.

Hopefully you are not as sensitive to muzzle blast as that is more abbusive than the recoil in my experience.
 
Brian46 said:
the 10 lb 338 with a brake will kick less than the non braked 308 in your example. But if you find the recoil of a 308 "abusive" then you are very sensitive to recoil.

Hopefully you are not as sensitive to muzzle blast as that is more abbusive than the recoil in my experience.
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Your honestly going to argue about how this guy feels about recoil? Get out and shoot your guns!

The OP is looking to shoot his the best he can. The lighter the recoil the better you will shoot. End of story.


On a side note, you would find me deep inside the "very sensitive to recoil" category. I think my 110BA now weights 18.5 pounds and I replaced the brake with a more effective one, and it still kicks harder then I want.

Also remember that not everyone has a build in fat recoil pad on their shoulder.
 
THANK YOU Stinky!!!

I'm not fat, and I'm not small, and I'm not a pu$$y, but I want to sit and enjoy my shooting, and I REALLY enjoy doing things well.... If I'm flinching, I won't be making many long shots, now will I?

As for calling me sensitive to my tikka .308, I suppose my 190lb friend, and my 225lb brother are also "sensitive", cause they agree. Before we braked those guns, 20 rounds for a sight-in was enough.

-J.
 
K0na_stinky said:
Your honestly going to argue about how this guy feels about recoil? Get out and shoot your guns!

The OP is looking to shoot his the best he can. The lighter the recoil the better you will shoot. End of story.


On a side note, you would find me deep inside the "very sensitive to recoil" category. I think my 110BA now weights 18.5 pounds and I replaced the brake with a more effective one, and it still kicks harder then I want.

Also remember that not everyone has a build in fat recoil pad on their shoulder.
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To each their own I guess.

If I only shot at the range I would likely have much heavier rifles and only shoot them from fixed pods or sleds that allow next to no movement. Reducing carrying weight while keeping recoil manageable is key for the shooting/hunting I do

There are lots of heavier options out there if you are looking for a bench rest rifle rather than taking more of a portable/tactical design and adding weight, but again, to each their own.
 
The price of the FCP vs those heavier options was quite a difference. One day I'll have a custom. Maybe a .338 snipetac??!!!

Agree with you fully, that in a carrying/hunting gun lighter is better - hence the T3 lites, and their brakes.
 
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