Back the beginning of the month I picked up a brand new varmint rifle for this year. It was a Savage 16FLHSS in .22-250. thats the Synthetic stock, left handed, hinged floor plate mag. with the Stainless steel sporter barrel. I topped it off with a 4-12x40AO BassPro/Redhead Pursuit brand scope and Millets steel rings. This is the fifth Savage rifle for either me or my boys but is the first center fire. All the others are .22lr's, .17HMRs or combo guns (.22lr/.410). I've waited a bit before posting about to give me some time to break the barrel in and work up some loads. I've got it going pretty good now so I figured I'd give a bit or a report on it with the time to be pounding on the Coyotes right around the corner.
WhenI first got the gun I picked up a box of a 40 pack of Winchester "White Box" 45grn Hollowpoints. they were listed at an even 4000fps. I bored sighted the gun at home and then head to my buddies 200yrd back yard range. The first shot was one paper so I continued with more cleaning the barrel between each. After the first five I checked things out and had a 5 shot 100RD group at just under 1 1/8". Not bad for the first 5 shots out of a new gun but not what I'd really be happy with for my varmint rig. By the time I had gotten about 30 shells through he gun its was down to shooting steady 3 shot 100yrd groups of 3/4"-7/8" defiantly better. Now that I had a small supply of brass and a few rounds through the gun it was time to find out what I could really get the gun doing. I was hoping to be able to get down into .500"s with 3 shot groups. Thats always been my goal with a varmint gun. I decided to go with 55grn Sierra BlitzKing bullets. I've had good like with their stuff in the past and went with the 55grns instead of something lighter because down here it can get pretty flat and open and the heavier bullets take the wind better. I sized the chamber for overall length and then back off by .010" to get a starting point for OAL. I load up several different combinations of powder type and charges with the two powders I had on hand for a .22-250. Hodgdon's H380 and Varget. I went with 1 grn changes from the minimum load to max. The H380 loads started of slightly better than the factory loads but always seemed to have a flyer in the group. Not far but just enough to turn a 1/2" group into a 3/4" group. Call me picky but it wasn't what I was after. I got into the load I did up with Varget and immediately notice an improvement. Very consitant groups. No flyers at all. The minimum load groups were right around 5/8". each time I stepped things up in powder to wards max. things got better. At 35.5grns I printed two groups in the .500"s.
I was pretty happy with that and wasn't expecting much more out a 22" sporter barrel gun. I loaded up with the last loads I had at 36.2grns just under max. I fired the first two shots and could believe my eyes.....one hole. I fired the third and it dumped right in there leaving a nice clover leaf in the paper. I waited for the barrel to cool then loaded up with my last 3 shells in the same charge.......same results. When I retrieved the targets I measured them up at .365" for the first group and a .291" center to center for 3 shots at 100yrds. I'm one happy camper. I went back out yesterday with a slight breeze and shot a couple more groups to dial the scope right in and make sure I didn't just have a fluke day. Same results 5 shots at 100yrds..... .379"!!! I am completely amazed with the gun right now. It's out shot any rifle I've ever owned. The only gun I've come across that shoots close is by buddies heavy barreled Savage in .204 Ruger. That gun is just amazing with his hand loads. I've seen him shoot some groups in the low .200"s and high .010"s with it on a calm day. If any one has been looking at a Savage rifle I'll be giving them 2 thumbs up right now. I've had the chance to do much hunting with it yet but I've manged to bust a couple crows out over 200yrds and missed a couple Jacks through no fault of the gun but I've got some time off over the holidays and thats going to change. Here's a pic of the gun and the .291" group
Good Huntin' and Merry Christmas
Tim
WhenI first got the gun I picked up a box of a 40 pack of Winchester "White Box" 45grn Hollowpoints. they were listed at an even 4000fps. I bored sighted the gun at home and then head to my buddies 200yrd back yard range. The first shot was one paper so I continued with more cleaning the barrel between each. After the first five I checked things out and had a 5 shot 100RD group at just under 1 1/8". Not bad for the first 5 shots out of a new gun but not what I'd really be happy with for my varmint rig. By the time I had gotten about 30 shells through he gun its was down to shooting steady 3 shot 100yrd groups of 3/4"-7/8" defiantly better. Now that I had a small supply of brass and a few rounds through the gun it was time to find out what I could really get the gun doing. I was hoping to be able to get down into .500"s with 3 shot groups. Thats always been my goal with a varmint gun. I decided to go with 55grn Sierra BlitzKing bullets. I've had good like with their stuff in the past and went with the 55grns instead of something lighter because down here it can get pretty flat and open and the heavier bullets take the wind better. I sized the chamber for overall length and then back off by .010" to get a starting point for OAL. I load up several different combinations of powder type and charges with the two powders I had on hand for a .22-250. Hodgdon's H380 and Varget. I went with 1 grn changes from the minimum load to max. The H380 loads started of slightly better than the factory loads but always seemed to have a flyer in the group. Not far but just enough to turn a 1/2" group into a 3/4" group. Call me picky but it wasn't what I was after. I got into the load I did up with Varget and immediately notice an improvement. Very consitant groups. No flyers at all. The minimum load groups were right around 5/8". each time I stepped things up in powder to wards max. things got better. At 35.5grns I printed two groups in the .500"s.
I was pretty happy with that and wasn't expecting much more out a 22" sporter barrel gun. I loaded up with the last loads I had at 36.2grns just under max. I fired the first two shots and could believe my eyes.....one hole. I fired the third and it dumped right in there leaving a nice clover leaf in the paper. I waited for the barrel to cool then loaded up with my last 3 shells in the same charge.......same results. When I retrieved the targets I measured them up at .365" for the first group and a .291" center to center for 3 shots at 100yrds. I'm one happy camper. I went back out yesterday with a slight breeze and shot a couple more groups to dial the scope right in and make sure I didn't just have a fluke day. Same results 5 shots at 100yrds..... .379"!!! I am completely amazed with the gun right now. It's out shot any rifle I've ever owned. The only gun I've come across that shoots close is by buddies heavy barreled Savage in .204 Ruger. That gun is just amazing with his hand loads. I've seen him shoot some groups in the low .200"s and high .010"s with it on a calm day. If any one has been looking at a Savage rifle I'll be giving them 2 thumbs up right now. I've had the chance to do much hunting with it yet but I've manged to bust a couple crows out over 200yrds and missed a couple Jacks through no fault of the gun but I've got some time off over the holidays and thats going to change. Here's a pic of the gun and the .291" groupGood Huntin' and Merry Christmas
Tim
But as close as I can figure its running around 3575fps. I can still bump it up a little more but why? I've got a few other bullets I want to try rangeing from 50grn sp to 52grn hp's to some 63 grn sp's. I'm not sure how the 63's are going to shoot but the 1-12" twist might be enough to stabilize them. The load I posted above about is going to be my goto load though for sure. I'm looking at another one of the same gun but havn't decided on 7mm Rem Mag or .300 Win Mag yet though........
