Hey guys,
I just recently bought this Savage 10 Precision Carbine, and I was wondering if I could get a second or 3rd opinion on the issue of short barrels and ammo types.
Now, while I was sighting in my rifle at the range last week a fellow shooter commented on how abnormally loud it was and that it's attributed to the short barrel not igniting all the powder before it leaves the tip. It makes sense if you ask me, but he also said that because of this I will notice a significant lack of accuracy due to bullet instability and that using a heavier grain bullet will slightly compensate for this.
Is this true or are there other steps I can take?
I should note that I'm actually very pleased with the consistent accuracy of the rifle at 100 yds. I was using Winchester SuperX JSP .308 150grain (just a cheapo paper pounder) and this is what i was shooting after 15 rounds of sighting:
He's full of s**t. Don't pay attention to his ramblings. As mentioned, length has nothing to do with it. 20"-22" is just about ideal in terms of ease of handling, weight, and general all-around use.
I don't have experince with the ammo you're shooting but you've sort of given the impression that it's cheap paper-punching non-match ammo. Correct? Generally, you get what you pay for...Garbage in, garbage out.
If you're intention is to use factory ammo, you're no doubt going to want to try different brands, bullet weights, ect., in order to find what's best for your rifle.
As others have said, handloading is likely your most accurate and economical option to wring the most potential from what you have. Match grade 168's are the gold standard, I suggest you start there.
If I were you, I'd lose the bipod and properly bench the rifle with sand bags and a decent rear rest. Unless you have a great deal experience shooting from a bipod, you'll likely see more consistency in your groupings when using bags. Improving your shooting technique will make you a better shooter no matter what ammo you are using. Put lots of quality time in at the range to realize the true accuracy potential of what you have.
I wouldn't call your results posted here stellar. I suspect your rifle's potential for accuracy is far greater than this. You've only shot (15) rounds of ammo down range. Don't pat yourself on the back yet. You've got lots of work ahead of you yet.
Twist-smisht. Big deal. Your barrel's twist is irrelevant. It'll properly stabilize any factory loaded .308 Win. ammo that is available to you. You're worrying about nothing here.
Nice rifle by the way. Enjoy it.