Did you get Savage to get you a new barrel? Could something else, like the chamber be the culprit?I bought the 6.5 PRC ultralight. Bolt is not user friendly. Very jumpy and not smooth at all. Then I lost track of how many rounds I put thru it to find a decent load. It's definitely not a shooter. I have a new barrel ordered for it. I have 2 other proof research barrels that shoot just fine. But this barrel won't shoot worth a darn. I disliked the bolt so much I swapped it for a regular non fluted bolt in the gun.
I know what you mean about the spiral-fluted bolt. My daughter's Lightweight Storm has a fluted bolt, and while it is smoothing in, it is nowhere near as smooth as the standard 110 bolt. Is it really worth the savings in weight?