The very first thing I should admit to is that I am a 'flip-flopper' on the whole issue of owning a .338 Lapua as it was only a couple of weeks ago that I posted:
"
Well, since that posting I turned around and purchased one of these beasts. Why ? Only the Gun Gods know the answer to that question, but it sure is a cool toy to have
In the other reviews I've written on this forum, I've always compared three or four firearms and habitually included a relative cheapie in the mix. Well, as far as .338 boomers go I only have one to review and, since I don't know anyone who can lend me a TRG 42 or Timberwolf, the one I am writing about is the relative cheap one - yes, the Savage 110 BA is cheap as far as these things go. I'll stick to the usual formula of commenting on price, the barrel, action and trigger, looks, fit and finish and accuracy.
But first the story of how I flip-flopped: Relaxing at the beach, I'm reading a gun rag ( yeah, not exactly the usual reading material one sees at Kits beach but fcuk'em if they can't take a joke eh ) and the magazine had an article about the 110 BA complete with those 'Ooooo, aaahhh' glossy pics; a few moments later I'm surfing CGN from the blackberry and lo and behold the self same rifle pops up as a WTS.........yes, friends I am living proof that you can be 50 years old and still cave into impulses.
So what do I think:-
Price:
I bought this (barely used - fired 6 times) of a fellow CGN'er ( thanks Tyson - you are a good 'Nut ) but, new, these rifles can be had for about $2500 or so. Given that respectively a TRG 42 and the PGW Timberwolfrun about $4K and $6K and the offerings from Accuracy International are priced even higher, the Savage is a steal. But..... and it is a big 'but'.... just like the hotties in the bar it 'ain't the initial cost, it's the upkeep' that is the thing to consider with the .338 Lapua. Let's get that out of the way up front - this is a rifle that is friggin' expensive to feed. I have reloading supplies on order but being the impatient bloke I am I went to Reliable Gun here in Vancouver and bought a box of Federal GMM ammo - one box - and the cost was.... wait for it.... $149.99 + HST. Yes, fellow GunNutz I can do the math - over $7 a round. Is there cheaper factory ammo available - yes there is, but the cheapest in my neck of the woods is Hornaday for the give-a-way price of $90 a box ! So, while reloading is a very good idea for all rifles this is one where reloading is almost a necessity.
Barrel, action and trigger and stock:
I believe Savage make their own barrels and they use a lot of steel on this one - thing feels like a scaffolding pole. Anyway, the barrel is a 1:9 heavy profile ( I mean really heavy ) version with nice longitudinal fluting and is 26" long. Capped with a gigantic brake
means that the effective barrel length is 29" and the rifle has an overall length of 50.5 inches - be forewarned: this is a BIG rifle and it won't fit in many cabinets or cases.
The action is, of course, a bolt action and is long to fit the oversize magnum cartridges.
The bolt knob is the oversized version and the trigger is Savage's well-regarded Accutrigger which most people really like though there are some haters out there. I have owned a number of Savage rifles and don't dislike the Accutrigger but it isn't as nice as premium factory triggers like the ones on the TRG nor is it as nice as a good aftermarket trigger like a Jewel. It does the job though, and on most Savage rifles adjustment is really easy - pop the action out of the stock, use the supplied tool and make the adjustment. I say 'most Savages' as I have no idea whatsoever what the procedure is to strip down this beast and the manual is as much use as fleas on a dog when it comes to an explanation. Guess I will figure it out in due course.
The stock is Savage's Accustock which is a clamshell kind or arrangement and the ass end is a AR15 (PRS) style of affair which is adjustable for LOP and cheek-weld. This buttstock is really very comfortable and is much more sturdy that it at first appears.
Looks:
Well, if you've read any of my other stuff you will know that I'm not a complete stranger to nice firearms and I own or have owned some really nice ones but this is the first rifle that, upon unpacking, caused me to say out loud "Good Lord" (well, actually, I spoke in much broader Anglo-Saxon but I don't need an infraction from the mods so use your imagination as to what, exactly, I said Seriously, this is a very impressive piece of kit - it is very big and very mean-looking and it is very, very heavy. No, we are not talking Barrett M107 heavy but we are talking about a rifle that, naked, weighs over 15lbs. Add scope, rings, bipod and empty mag and mine tipped the trusty bathroom scale at an even 20 Lbs. Don't think 'walk in the woods' think 'hump from truck to firing line'. Festooned with mil-spec rails along the top and sides there would appear to be no limit to what one could attach to this rifle - I imagine more serious shooters could attach lasers and lights etc etc.... but, personally, I'm in the market for a mil-spec and hard anodized tacticool cup holder !
Fit and Finish:
The current trend for things to be matte black etc is a boon for manufacturers as it is a lot cheaper to make something dull and black than it is to make the same thing high-polished blued. If you look very carefully you can see that the finish is spartan but very functional. As far as fit is concerned, all appears to be put together perfectly. Nothing rattles, nothing wobbles. The AI magazine (5 rounds) slots into place nice and tight and in every way this whole thing looks to be well machined and assembled.
Accuracy:
Normally I do a series of 5 shot groups using different ammo and report the best five and any appreciable spread but not today. Today was the first day I shot this rifle and, after a few rounds to zero and letting a buddy touch one off, I shot a group at 200m ( yes, I know, a laughably short distance for this rifle but it is what it is ) that measured just over 1.25". Very respectable performance for the first time out. Rifle wore a Falcon Menace 4.5-18x56 as, quite frankly, I didn't want to take a NXS' off another rifle and anyway the Falcon scopes are pretty good optics and are very solid. I used TPS HRT rings (steel, not aluminum) to attach the scope to rifle's included from factory 20MOA rail. In total 10 rounds - or $75 worth before tax - were fired and the rifle performed without a hitch. Recoil was stout but not uncomfortably so but it was LOUD. Yes, really LOUD - I wore plugs under the muffs and recommend others do likewise.
Conclusion:
Many would say that for someone like me this rifle is a complete waste of money as I don't have ready access to any distance worth shooting this rifle at. People who have that opinion are entitled to it and I don't necessarily, disagree with them. What I will say is that the sheer fun factor of shooting this rifle is very high. Will I shoot it often ? No, almost certainly not - it will, like my .300 Win Mag, be the rifle I turn to after a morning of .223 or .308 practice when I want to make some serious noise. I will certainly try to take this one out for some serious LR stuff but most weeks it will sit in the safe. Having said that, I was smiling all the way home after this morning's adventure and the other 10 rounds are heading down the pipe first thing tomorrow !!
"
Like others I have thought about a .338LM but decided against - not because of cost ( I can waste $ with the best of them LOL ! ) but because I am limited by the distance I can shoot out to. If you have less than, say, 750m to play with on a regular basis you are best off sticking to .308 and .300 wm IMO.
" Well, since that posting I turned around and purchased one of these beasts. Why ? Only the Gun Gods know the answer to that question, but it sure is a cool toy to have
In the other reviews I've written on this forum, I've always compared three or four firearms and habitually included a relative cheapie in the mix. Well, as far as .338 boomers go I only have one to review and, since I don't know anyone who can lend me a TRG 42 or Timberwolf, the one I am writing about is the relative cheap one - yes, the Savage 110 BA is cheap as far as these things go. I'll stick to the usual formula of commenting on price, the barrel, action and trigger, looks, fit and finish and accuracy.
But first the story of how I flip-flopped: Relaxing at the beach, I'm reading a gun rag ( yeah, not exactly the usual reading material one sees at Kits beach but fcuk'em if they can't take a joke eh ) and the magazine had an article about the 110 BA complete with those 'Ooooo, aaahhh' glossy pics; a few moments later I'm surfing CGN from the blackberry and lo and behold the self same rifle pops up as a WTS.........yes, friends I am living proof that you can be 50 years old and still cave into impulses.
So what do I think:-
Price:
I bought this (barely used - fired 6 times) of a fellow CGN'er ( thanks Tyson - you are a good 'Nut ) but, new, these rifles can be had for about $2500 or so. Given that respectively a TRG 42 and the PGW Timberwolfrun about $4K and $6K and the offerings from Accuracy International are priced even higher, the Savage is a steal. But..... and it is a big 'but'.... just like the hotties in the bar it 'ain't the initial cost, it's the upkeep' that is the thing to consider with the .338 Lapua. Let's get that out of the way up front - this is a rifle that is friggin' expensive to feed. I have reloading supplies on order but being the impatient bloke I am I went to Reliable Gun here in Vancouver and bought a box of Federal GMM ammo - one box - and the cost was.... wait for it.... $149.99 + HST. Yes, fellow GunNutz I can do the math - over $7 a round. Is there cheaper factory ammo available - yes there is, but the cheapest in my neck of the woods is Hornaday for the give-a-way price of $90 a box ! So, while reloading is a very good idea for all rifles this is one where reloading is almost a necessity.
Barrel, action and trigger and stock:
I believe Savage make their own barrels and they use a lot of steel on this one - thing feels like a scaffolding pole. Anyway, the barrel is a 1:9 heavy profile ( I mean really heavy ) version with nice longitudinal fluting and is 26" long. Capped with a gigantic brake
means that the effective barrel length is 29" and the rifle has an overall length of 50.5 inches - be forewarned: this is a BIG rifle and it won't fit in many cabinets or cases.
The action is, of course, a bolt action and is long to fit the oversize magnum cartridges.
The bolt knob is the oversized version and the trigger is Savage's well-regarded Accutrigger which most people really like though there are some haters out there. I have owned a number of Savage rifles and don't dislike the Accutrigger but it isn't as nice as premium factory triggers like the ones on the TRG nor is it as nice as a good aftermarket trigger like a Jewel. It does the job though, and on most Savage rifles adjustment is really easy - pop the action out of the stock, use the supplied tool and make the adjustment. I say 'most Savages' as I have no idea whatsoever what the procedure is to strip down this beast and the manual is as much use as fleas on a dog when it comes to an explanation. Guess I will figure it out in due course.
The stock is Savage's Accustock which is a clamshell kind or arrangement and the ass end is a AR15 (PRS) style of affair which is adjustable for LOP and cheek-weld. This buttstock is really very comfortable and is much more sturdy that it at first appears.
Looks:
Well, if you've read any of my other stuff you will know that I'm not a complete stranger to nice firearms and I own or have owned some really nice ones but this is the first rifle that, upon unpacking, caused me to say out loud "Good Lord" (well, actually, I spoke in much broader Anglo-Saxon but I don't need an infraction from the mods so use your imagination as to what, exactly, I said
Seriously, this is a very impressive piece of kit - it is very big and very mean-looking and it is very, very heavy. No, we are not talking Barrett M107 heavy but we are talking about a rifle that, naked, weighs over 15lbs. Add scope, rings, bipod and empty mag and mine tipped the trusty bathroom scale at an even 20 Lbs. Don't think 'walk in the woods' think 'hump from truck to firing line'. Festooned with mil-spec rails along the top and sides there would appear to be no limit to what one could attach to this rifle - I imagine more serious shooters could attach lasers and lights etc etc.... but, personally, I'm in the market for a mil-spec and hard anodized tacticool cup holder !Fit and Finish:
The current trend for things to be matte black etc is a boon for manufacturers as it is a lot cheaper to make something dull and black than it is to make the same thing high-polished blued. If you look very carefully you can see that the finish is spartan but very functional. As far as fit is concerned, all appears to be put together perfectly. Nothing rattles, nothing wobbles. The AI magazine (5 rounds) slots into place nice and tight and in every way this whole thing looks to be well machined and assembled.
Accuracy:
Normally I do a series of 5 shot groups using different ammo and report the best five and any appreciable spread but not today. Today was the first day I shot this rifle and, after a few rounds to zero and letting a buddy touch one off, I shot a group at 200m ( yes, I know, a laughably short distance for this rifle but it is what it is ) that measured just over 1.25". Very respectable performance for the first time out. Rifle wore a Falcon Menace 4.5-18x56 as, quite frankly, I didn't want to take a NXS' off another rifle and anyway the Falcon scopes are pretty good optics and are very solid. I used TPS HRT rings (steel, not aluminum) to attach the scope to rifle's included from factory 20MOA rail. In total 10 rounds - or $75 worth before tax - were fired and the rifle performed without a hitch. Recoil was stout but not uncomfortably so but it was LOUD. Yes, really LOUD - I wore plugs under the muffs and recommend others do likewise.
Conclusion:
Many would say that for someone like me this rifle is a complete waste of money as I don't have ready access to any distance worth shooting this rifle at. People who have that opinion are entitled to it and I don't necessarily, disagree with them. What I will say is that the sheer fun factor of shooting this rifle is very high. Will I shoot it often ? No, almost certainly not - it will, like my .300 Win Mag, be the rifle I turn to after a morning of .223 or .308 practice when I want to make some serious noise. I will certainly try to take this one out for some serious LR stuff but most weeks it will sit in the safe. Having said that, I was smiling all the way home after this morning's adventure and the other 10 rounds are heading down the pipe first thing tomorrow !!
