Best cost effective solution to the current issue with my Savage M110 Long Range Hunter in .300 WSM

[OntarioHunter]

Look on the used shelves and Gun Broker. I'm betting you can find a very nice older used .308 or 30-06 for a fraction of the cost of new Tikka, Vanguard, etc. Most of the new guns in affordable range leave me cold. They may shoot the lights out but synthetic, laminate, stainless, creakote, and rough machining don't do it for me. And beware the lightweight gun if you are recoil adverse. Who makes a gun these days that isn't "lightweight"?

This old WWII Springfield is easy on the eyes, smooth as silk (now), comfortable to shoot, and will kill anything in the ranges you're considering. I see sporterized Springfields up on Gun Broker all the time nicer than mine for $500-$600. But the ugly real deal original military configuration ones go for three times that much. Two years ago I passed on a very lightly used Sako Finbear in a Kalispell, MT shop for $900 (negotiable) and I don't think a finer rifle was ever made. A 375 H&H is not what you need but it's just one example of what's available if you shop used. Then you'll have enough money left for a really good scope. Truth be told, good optics can be MUCH more important for hunting success than rifle model or sub-MOA groups. Good luck

 

[Hammsolo]

Some of you that have been on HuntTalk before Sept of 2019 will recall that I bought a new Savage M110 Long Range Hunter in 300 WSM to accompany my longtime .270 Win. I mostly bought it thinking that I would use it out west for elk and mule deer and give me more bullet weight for possibly longer ranges and bigger bodied animals than the whitetail deer here in West Virginia.
Well I haven’t been able to get out west since my tag along trip to Idaho in 2019. So I wanted to make it a “killer” and have taken my first two branch antlered bucks with it. One at 25 yards and the other 50. Most places in WV are thick and shots under 75. Anyway I can’t get the supposed adjustable brake to turn off. As you know brakes are loud and with quick close quarters shots I can’t put in hearing protection.
Should I send it back to Savage even though I heard their customer service is horrible? Should I have a gunsmith fix it? Should I ask the gunsmith to cut it off and rethread my barrel for a brake that I can take off while hunting? Or should I sell it and buy a similar priced rifle in .300 WSM like a Tikka T3X Lite or Superlite or a Browning X Bolt Stalker or the Hells Canyon Speed or Long Range or similar option. Even though I prefer left hand, my current 300 WSM is a right hand. I am fine with that.
Any advice would be great.

Forrest

“Accuracy over Speed”

I just toured MacKay Manufacturing. They manufacture parts for SpaceX, the military and more. They have signs posted all over the place, and the quote above is one. Yes, their parts cost a fortune, but damn did I dream of them engineering a rifle.

So many cliches apply to this situation; you get what you pay for and garbage in = garbage out. Savage has always made inexpensive guns. They have really moved to trying to enter the current trends, and there is no way to engineer quality into the rifles they’re producing for their price range.

I love Tikka, because they’re fairly economical with fairly high end barrel and actions. There are also companies that manufacture great upgrade parts for the places they cut corners, Mountain Tactical for example. I’d go for a Tikka T3x lite and slowly tune it up.

 

[Hammsolo]

Wonder if it’s just corroded itself together then. Soak it in Kroil or penetrating oil for a couple days then try to turn it with a strap wrench.

Looks like this, correct?View attachment 226335

Did someone Loctite it?

 

[mtmuley]

So you would be taking a $300 hit to sell that Savage and buy a rifle in a lesser cartridge? Don't make sense. mtmuley

 

[WVgoodguy22]

@BAKPAKR my Dad’s first reliable rifle was chambered in 30/30 and he took some deer with it, but there was an instance where he was hunting and saw a buck at 300 yards in a field and tried multiple times and never touched it. After that he wanted a rifle that can literally reach out and touch them. So he went to his brother and got a Winchester M70 Super Grade in 300 WM, which he has had since 1978.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

So you would be taking a $300 hit to sell that Savage and buy a rifle in a lesser cartridge? Don't make sense. mtmuley

That was my thought about the lateral move to another rifle in 300 WSM and for some reason moved it over to the .308 information gathering question. My bad. If I were to go that route I don’t think that I would take the $300 hit for a slower less powerful cartridge. Yes Accuracy is more important than Speed, but each cartridge has accuracy potential depending upon the shooter, the individual rifle, and load used.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Yup!

I'll buy used rifles in whatever cartridge and just swap the barrel to what i want.
Savage prefits are usually readily available.
E.R. Shaw, Douglas, Green Mountain usually run under $300.
My Shilen barrel from Northland Shooters Supply was $330.

That’s awesome. Being a creative person I would love to learn and do some safe and legit customization of rifles. Even at the “base” level of switching out barrels and stocks, maybe put in a TriggerTech or Timney trigger etc… I have looked at using a Rem 700 ADL or Savage Axis or M110 etc.. as a donor rifle.
Good to know that the barrel costs isn’t too bad unless I go Proof Research or the like.

 

[OntarioHunter]

That’s awesome. Being a creative person I would love to learn and do some safe and legit customization of rifles. Even at the “base” level of switching out barrels and stocks, maybe put in a TriggerTech or Timney trigger etc… I have looked at using a Rem 700 ADL or Savage Axis or M110 etc.. as a donor rifle.
Good to know that the barrel costs isn’t too bad unless I go Proof Research or the like.

My Springfield was rebarreled last year and I dropped a Timney trigger in it. Had the gun reblued last month and last week finished adding the iron sights. Early spring I ditched the Weaver bases and rings for quick detach rings and a rail. Now I can jump to iron sights in really bad weather or when hiking in rough dangerous country. At the same time I changed the safety to left side. To access it with right thumb I cut off the Springfield's trademark (mostly decorative) striker knob. Back in the early eighties I replaced the stock but I'm beginning to think it might need it again. Seems to have some bedding issues that won't go away. It can be fun modifying a gun you're comfortable with. Or one with family history.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Another reason to avoid the exotic and go with an "old-fashioned" caliber. Almost every time I go to the gravel pit/dump to zero my rifle I find a bunch of new once-fired 30-06 brass left on the ground. Thirty rounds of Sako brass just today. Occasionally I'll see .308 and 30-30 cases too. Rarely 300 Win mag. When did I last see 300 WSM or RUM brass left on the ground? Or anything in 280? Ummm ... never. If you don't reload now, you will soon enough the way things are going. Shoot a 30-06 or .308 and you'll always have plenty of fresh brass.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

My Springfield was rebarreled last year and I dropped a Timney trigger in it. Had the gun reblued last month and last week finished adding the iron sights. Early spring I ditched the Weaver bases and rings for quick detach rings and a rail. Now I can jump to iron sights in really bad weather or when hiking in rough dangerous country. At the same time I changed the safety to left side. To access it with right thumb I cut off the Springfield's trademark (mostly decorative) striker knob. Back in the early eighties I replaced the stock but I'm beginning to think it might need it again. Seems to have some bedding issues that won't go away. It can be fun modifying a gun you're comfortable with. Or one with family history.

That’s a pretty awesome project on a weapon with history. Practically tells a story. I am scouring GunBroker now to see what I can find. Preferably a left hand action which is rare, but my late 90s Savage M110 in .270 Win is a lefty.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

@std7mag @OntarioHunter @VikingsGuy is something like this very used LH Savage M110 in .243 what you are talking about? Finding something like this. Since it’s a short action via being a 243, I could rebarrel it in a 300 WSM with a threaded 22 in barrel and probably find a good clean rigid and light replacement stock?

 

[WVgoodguy22]

This one is a long action so no rebarrel to 300 WSM or even 308, but the classic 30-06 is tough to beat in many peoples eyes. Could make it a 280 AI or something in that lines. Definitely a cartridge that I am interested in.

 

[TN2shot07]

This one is a long action so no rebarrel to 300 WSM or even 308, but the classic 30-06 is tough to beat in many peoples eyes. Could make it a 280 AI or something in that lines. Definitely a cartridge that I am interested in.

Just curious, are you looking at the Savages based on price? Tikkas are a little more expensive but I think you would enjoy the shooting experience more. They also fall into that easy project category like a Savage

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Just curious, are you looking at the Savages based on price? Tikkas are a little more expensive but I think you would enjoy the shooting experience more. They also fall into that easy project category like a Savage

Well all I have ever known is Savage and Winchester (My Dad owns two Winchester and my youngest brother has one) so I am familiar. However I have always wanted to try another manufacturer and broaden my knowledge and experience. Tikka as I have mentioned above is definitely close to the top of the list of somewhat reasonable priced factory rifles. The The Tx3 Lite, Lite SS and SuperLite being in the $650-$800 range. Plus the T3X Lites have a left hand available. Sadly the SuperLite and the RoughTech do not.
I looked on GunBroker and couldn’t find any reasonably priced used ones to make a project rifle out of.
I probably would turn that 30-06 into a 280 AI or 7mm Rem Mag or the 243 into a 7mm 08.

 

[std7mag]

Yes, those are exactly what i look for.
Bear in mind, the 110, 111,112, 116 series are long actions.
The 10, 11,12,16 are short actions.
All of the Edge , Axis & Axis II's are built on a single action, long.
The difference in cartridge length is taken up by the plastic trigger gaurd.
Ditto with Tikka.

My wife's 223 Rem is a Savage 110 FP. Yup, 223 in a long action.
Whoever thought of that has lost their marbles.

The one thing i miss about WV. is their pawn shops.
I could always find a decent deal in the pawn shops.
Might not be what i was originally looking for.
But i'd check local before Gunbroker.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Yes, those are exactly what i look for.
Bear in mind, the 110, 111,112, 116 series are long actions.
The 10, 11,12,16 are short actions.
All of the Edge , Axis & Axis II's are built on a single action, long.
The difference in cartridge length is taken up by the plastic trigger gaurd.
Ditto with Tikka.

My wife's 223 Rem is a Savage 110 FP. Yup, 223 in a long action.
Whoever thought of that has lost their marbles.

The one thing i miss about WV. is their pawn shops.
I could always find a decent deal in the pawn shops.
Might not be what i was originally looking for.
But i'd check local before Gunbroker.

I remember the number system, thanks for the reminder. Not sure why they would put a 223 in a long action platform. Makes their number system confusing and inconsistent.

Yes there’s definitely some pawn shops around and we use to gun shows regularly before a certain thing took over the world for two years. I will have to check them out again. Never know what one may find. Thanks.

 

[std7mag]

The gun shows they have at our convention center are a waste of money getting into.
I've told more than one vendor they should be arrested For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge!

I hear that the gunshows out towards Pittsburgh are actually worth checking out.

Gone are the days the local volunteer fire departments have gun shows.
THOSE were worth going to!

 

[Jbotto]

Yes, those are exactly what i look for.
Bear in mind, the 110, 111,112, 116 series are long actions.
The 10, 11,12,16 are short actions.
All of the Edge , Axis & Axis II's are built on a single action, long.
The difference in cartridge length is taken up by the plastic trigger gaurd.
Ditto with Tikka.

My wife's 223 Rem is a Savage 110 FP. Yup, 223 in a long action.
Whoever thought of that has lost their marbles.

The one thing i miss about WV. is their pawn shops.
I could always find a decent deal in the pawn shops.
Might not be what i was originally looking for.
But i'd check local before Gunbroker.

Don’t forget that all new savages, both long and short actions are now the 110. Just to add a bit more confusion.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Don’t forget that all new savages, both long and short actions are now the 110. Just to add a bit more confusion.

I saw that they did that a 4 years ago when they came out with their new updated lineup. Most firearms people know which cartridge is a long or short action.

 

[Doublegunner]

I agree with those who suggest soaking it in some carbon disolver. That should fix that problem and you're back in business. If you want to trade it off anyway you might want to consider going with 308 solely based on ammo costs. With the distances your talking 308 will do just fine with a good bullet. As for losing some $ on the swap you'll make it up on the ammo cost savings. Right now 308 is the most economical big game choice. 300 wsm on the other hand is hard to find and spendy. Reloading would fix that though.