Savage 220 accuracy issues! (Updated)

JR86

JR86

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I purchased a brand new savage 220 on Friday and made it to the range today to test it out. The results were somewhat disappointing.

Shotgun has a 1 piece Weaver mount. Leopold steel rings. Bushnell elite 3500 scope. Shooting Hornady SST sabot slugs. Grouping at 100 yards was to the tune of 5" wide and 3" tall except one shot that dropped 5" lower than the next closest shot.

I am not recoil shy. Was holding the gun by the forestock with my off hand and pulling lightly down and back while using a sandbag rest.

I am capable of shooting sub minute 5 shot groups at 100 with handloads in a center fire rifle. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong or is it really just the ammunition?

Thanks
Jeremy


(Update)

Ran some solvent patches through the bore. Took the scope off and put locktite on all the screws then remounted. Took rifle to the range today with Federal 3" 275gr trophy copper.

At 100 yards. 1.5" horizontal dispersion. 3" vertical dispersion.

Thanks for the help. I will accept this for controlled hunt this year. Then I will explore Remington accutips for next year and see if they group better.
 
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I would try different ammo...

I know for a fact I tried more than 10 types of ammo in my BCL102 before I found 2 that shot very well.

Cheers
Jay
 
Who mounted the scope? Just asking because a fellow hunting buddy just bought the same shotgun and had the scope base shake itself loose due to recoil after being told that Loc-Tite was used on the base to receiver. I would take it apart, de-grease and re install the base with thread locker.
 
I've got a Mossberg 930 which I reload my own slugs for. I cast the 525gr Lyman Sabot slug which is fantastic and I have had great accuracy at 80-100 yards. Just to see the difference with store bought Sabots, I tried the Hornady and couldn't hit a damn thing, not sure if it was me or the slug but not spending that kind of money again for something that doesn't seem to like me. I would suggest trying another brand.
 
Try some Remington accutips see if the savage spits em better. Good luck ! Slug guns a a beast to figure out what ammo they like ...but ya gotta spend the $$ and the bruised shoulder to figure em out!
 
Thanks all! I mounted scope but base was already mounted when I got it. They claimed locktite was used. I ll double check it all

Remington accutip is my next stop for ammo. I've heard it's recommended. I also have the 20ga Lyman slug mold on order for next year :).
 
Rem Accu-Points...........it was all my son's 212 would group half decent 1.5" at 100 yards.Flattened a doe with it 3 weeks ago.At $5 a round might as well be shooting a 50 BMG
 
mbogo3 said:
Rem Accu-Points...........it was all my son's 212 would group half decent 1.5" at 100 yards.Flattened a doe with it 3 weeks ago.At $5 a round might as well be shooting a 50 BMG
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I've heard they are the best round for the savage. I didn't expect Hornady to group that poorly. I ll be trying to source some good rounds to try again. Hopefully the Remingtons do better
 
kamlooky said:
I just can't fanthom shewt'in a shotgun at the 100 yard distance and expect tite grewps.
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I dunno. A one ounce slug at 1800fps out of a 8lb gun is only pushing about 34ft/lbs of recoil energy, which is basically the same as a 338 win mag. Certainly not light recoil, but not ridiculous either. (its a bit less than the 375 h&h, for instance) I can't say I envy the guys who have to use slug guns though.

To the OP, maybe try some cheap foster style slugs just to see how they shoot too? If you can get better groups w/ foster than you did with those Hornady, then you know its the ammo and not the gun at least.
 
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Suther said:
I dunno. A one ounce slug at 1800fps out of a 8lb gun is only pushing about 34ft/lbs of recoil energy, which is basically the same as a 338 win mag. Certainly not light recoil, but not ridiculous either.

To the OP, maybe try some cheap foster style slugs just to see how they shoot too?
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And fill the rifling full of lead. No thanks. Try Remington accutips 2 and 3/4 inch
 
I was aware that it was rifled. Wouldn't make much sense to shooting sabot slugs if it wasn't. I figured if you can drive cast lead to 1500+ fps in a rifle without leading being a big issue, you would be able to do the same with a slug?

Or are rifled slug barrels particularly susceptible to leading up for some reason? (also, is there anything that makes it particularly hard to clean leading out of a slug barrel? or is it basically the same as any other barrel?)
 
Foster slugs are pre rifled. I wouldn't touch that in anything other than a smooth bore. I've got a Lyman sabot mold on order. Hoping I can get something decent out of that.
 
JR86 said:
Foster slugs are pre rifled. I wouldn't touch that in anything other than a smooth bore. I've got a Lyman sabot mold on order. Hoping I can get something decent out of that.
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Yeah but they aren't rifled to make them spin. They are rifled to reduce bearing surface in the barrel and swage through chokes. A quick google search seems to suggest some people are getting respectable results with them. It was merely a suggestion, I'm cheap so using foster slugs to see if they shoot better than the hornady seems like an easy and effective way of determining if the Hornady is particularly bad in your gun or what.
 
JR86 said:
Foster slugs are pre rifled. I wouldn't touch that in anything other than a smooth bore. I've got a Lyman sabot mold on order. Hoping I can get something decent out of that.
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Based on my experience, albeit with 12 gauge, you will get great results with the Lyman Sabot slugs. Lyman makes a nice mold and they are super easy to produce in quantity once you get the lead melting process going. Only challenge is finding the best wads, hulls and powder. Fwiw, Unique has been great for me along with down range wads, cork spacers and Remington STS Hulls, ymmv.
 
Local cad tire did not have Remington so I picked up federal copper 275gr 1900fps 3". I ll give that a try. A quick glance of reviews seemed to suggest they work for many guys in the 220
 
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