Savage Bmag accuracy
- Thread starter soditide
- Start date
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
Yes they have. I know I've read way more bad than good on them and maybe I got lucky but mine is a really accurate little rifle. At first I had my doubts. The first 7-8 shots grouped quite well and then everything seemed to go to hell. Groups opened up severely. Now I will admit I dont break a new rifle quite the way I have read you're supposed to, but with this one I had to. The copper build up was worse than I had ever seen. . I cleaned every 5 shots till I hit 50 rds then every 10 till I hit 100 rds. Since that I haven't done alot of actual target shooting but on average I'm shooting 1/2" 3 shot groups at 50 yds with my best being .227" (only been shooting 3 shot groups because the Sporter barrel heats up pretty quick)I now have about 175 rds through mine and haven't cleaned the barrel in 50-60 rds and it's still shooting good. I shot a crow with it on Monday at around 225 yds which so far is the farthest one yet, but have gotten quite a few anywhere from 40-200 yds. Their a wicked little rifle.
Edit. I also glass bedded the stock with jb weld 2 part epoxy which I think has helped. Since these rifles have no recoil lug, I epoxied 2 small pieces of hardwood in the stock pockets right under where the 3 rings are cut in the barrel in the chamber area. I wrapped some masking tape around the barrel about 2 " from the end of the stock so when reassembling the tape would keep the barrel centered in the stock. I then used Hornady one shot for a release agent, and mixed the jb weld and laid it on top of the wood I put in earlier,and put everything back together. After it had hardened I broke it apart and cleaned everything up, and it turned really good with barrel perfectly centered.
Edit. I also glass bedded the stock with jb weld 2 part epoxy which I think has helped. Since these rifles have no recoil lug, I epoxied 2 small pieces of hardwood in the stock pockets right under where the 3 rings are cut in the barrel in the chamber area. I wrapped some masking tape around the barrel about 2 " from the end of the stock so when reassembling the tape would keep the barrel centered in the stock. I then used Hornady one shot for a release agent, and mixed the jb weld and laid it on top of the wood I put in earlier,and put everything back together. After it had hardened I broke it apart and cleaned everything up, and it turned really good with barrel perfectly centered.
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I must have read your bedding fix as I did the same and absolutely love the 17WSM. I agree that any 17 rimfire requires more cleaning than the average rifle but that is a small pill to push as fast as they are from less than ideal hardware. Mine shoots where it is aimed and does so consitently
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
Yeah I totally agree. They're deffinatly not a high end rifle by any means, and I think the speed is what causes the issues as well. Like I said I couldn't believe in the beginning the amount of build up. I was honestly ready to take it back when accuracy dropped so quickly. But after breaking in and the cheap bedding job, I love that little rifle. I still haven't tried the 25 gr ammo out of her yet.
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From what I read, they resolved most of the issues when they went to the heavier barrel. After the change there is the odd report that one dosnt shoot that well, but it looks like the majority of the new ones do shoot quite well.
I have an earlier pencil barrel style, it shoots well enough, though I've put a different stock, sleeved the barrel etc, but the accuracy was great before and at least as good after. Actually I put it up against a friend shooting a nice rem 700 in .308 at the range one day, He left feeling a bit bad about his performance.
I have an earlier pencil barrel style, it shoots well enough, though I've put a different stock, sleeved the barrel etc, but the accuracy was great before and at least as good after. Actually I put it up against a friend shooting a nice rem 700 in .308 at the range one day, He left feeling a bit bad about his performance.
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colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
I don't doubt that accuracy wise. I maybe got lucky with mine but it's shoots m.o.a. which is good enough for me. I use it mainly for varmints around the farm and smacking the odd crow. Ballistic wise though it's kinda like comparing apples and oranges. I did pull a wsm apart and weighed the charge (curiosity) and it was some type of small ball powder which weighed in at 8.9 grs. Not sure what the powder is,so it's pretty hard to compare from reloading data for the hornet but I'm guessing the hornets case capacity would be 2-3 grs more. Wsm case length is 1.300 and base of diameter .270 compared to the hornet length of 1.400 and base diameter of .299. I've actually always wanted either a 17 hornet or 17 Remington fireball. Just from reading up on them they sound like wicked calibers.
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I'd typed an amazing reply...then lost it! lol I just picked-up a new 17 Hornet (CZ527 Varmint) but have yet to shoot it. Finding ammo/reloading components/bore guide...even rings for this rifle~not exactly stuff you tend to find on the shelves in Ontario!
Anyhow, crows are on my hit list, though I don't tend to have much luck with them. (rifles from a distance, shotgun with caller/decoys) Anyhow, would have loved to have seen that crow hit...great that your 17WSM can get it done from that distance.
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
I'd typed an amazing reply...then lost it! lol I just picked-up a new 17 Hornet (CZ527 Varmint) but have yet to shoot it. Finding ammo/reloading components/bore guide...even rings for this rifle~not exactly stuff you tend to find on the shelves in Ontario!
Don't feel bad, I've wrote stuff and lost it don't know how many times. Lol. I think their was more luck in that shot than skill. Didn't hit exactly where I was aiming but close enough I guess. He was sitting in the field facing me and I was aiming at his neck and hit a bit low and smacked him in the guts. Unfortunately the field here is getting plowed up today so likely won't have too many more landing.The farmer next door is always wanting me shoot pigeons as well. His barns are overun with them. It does a great job on them. Ive shot quite a few of them out to 110-120 yds as well. Being quite a bit smaller I can't see them in the grain stubble much beyond that other than theirs heads. Have tried making head shots but can't quite accomplish that one.
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I look at the fact that I can load the 17 hornet for the price of 17wsm loads, or less, so to me it is an apples to apples comparison. I like to sit back at 200 yards or more, and shoot ground squirrels, often head shots, so moa would be marginal for my application.
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
I realize that you can load the hornet likely cheaper than buying wsm ammo. When I said apples to oranges, I meant the 2 aren't even in the same ballpark. The hornet is obviously is a faster,harder hitting, flatter shooting caliber in which the wsm can't compete with and I am not arguing that it can. If my post came across as disagreeing with you that wasn't what I meant. I know their accuracy isn't acceptable enough for some but its good enough for me.
