Worth it to have the action trued

[chevyman181]

Hello all,

Don't chew me up to much on this. My wife has a Savage 110 Storm that the barrel is ready to be replaced. She's getting a new Shaw 280ai barrel for V-Day.

I was planning on taking it in and having the action trued and barrel put on. I was told someplace else that's it's not worth it to have to the action trued, at least for our needs. (That person either shot factory rifles or full custom, nothing in between and didn't shoot enough to shoot a barrel out of a rifle yet)

It's a hunting rifle that when new ,shot pretty good out to 800+ on the range. It will be a hunting rifle that we'd like to get shooting 800-1000 on the range. It will still sit in the savage factory stock for the time being.

I was JW if anyone else had any experience and had an opinion.

I was going to have it trued and bedded because it was going to have work done on it anyway and might as well.

 

[TN2shot07]

I haven’t had an action trued but would like to see what our resident expert @p_ham has to say.

I have a model seven in the safe that may need some similar attention down the road

 

[nhenry]

If you'd like to have a shouldered barrel put on by them, truing is a must. But if it's just a barrel nut type of deal, you don't necessarily need it. It helps with accuracy, but if it was a straight shooter before it's not likely to get any worse unless the barrel is just bad.

 

[MThuntr]

I wouldn't bother on a Savage and I'd do the rebarrel myself using just about any Savage "pre-fit" and appropriate barrel nut. You'll need a wrench, barrel vise, and a set of gages. Most of this can be borrowed. Northland Shooters Supply or Midway have everything you'll need.

Personally I find Savage stocks to be too flimsy so I'd consider a new one. At that point you're getting into new rifle prices.

 

[howl]

The Savage bolt head self-trues. That's how they became known for accuracy. You can pay a knowledgable smith (Fred Moreo) to slick up a Savage so it doesn't fight itself so badly, but that's just to improve cycling. If you're not already fed up with how it feeds and cycles, then you wouldn't benefit.

The point of the accustock is you don't bed it.

Rebarreling a Savage is easy. It's not really worth dealing with a gunsmith unless you're one of those who doesn't know which end of a hammer to hold onto. Just buy the tools and spin on a pre-fit yourself.

I would add up all the money you were willing to spend in addition to the Shaw barrel and do one of two things. Option 1 is use the larger budget to buy a better barrel and tools for the swap. Option 2 is add the proceeds of selling the Savage and get a whole 'nother rifle.

There's a seller on gunbroker moving long range configured Browngin 280 AIs for a grand right now.

 

[p_ham]

I haven’t had an action trued but would like to see what our resident expert @p_ham has to say.

I have a model seven in the safe that may need some similar attention down the road

I wouldn't mess with truing the Savage. You can get away with a lot with the floating bolt head.

 

[DFS]

I would save some money for some flowers and leave the savage alone. How many rounds through the barrel? Savages shoot better than most of my guns.

 

[chevyman181]

I would save some money for some flowers and leave the savage alone. How many rounds through the barrel? Savages shoot better than most of my guns.

1500ish, I kind of screwed up fire forming brass. I didn't let it cool well. It still shot good about the first 1000 or so.

 

[schmalts]

I'd say see how it shoots first

 

[std7mag]

Myself,
It doesn't hurt anything to true the front of the receiver.
When i do my builds on Savages, i have just barely enough taken off the receiver face to true it.
Then ground recoil lug & nut from PT&G or NSS.
Your smith can probably true up the nut.

As for smoothing the action, you can lap the lug raceways and install a bolt lift kit.
Both easy & cheap.

 

[OntarioHunter]

A thousand yard gun for hunting? Hmmm.

 

[deer_shooter]

I'd screw another barrel on and see how it does. Whether you do it, or have Shaw do it, is probably a ~$100 question. I agree that the Accustock negates bedding but if you just want another stock go for it, and I don't think there is any real value in truing anything.
Fwiw, I've had 3 rifles rebarreled by Shaw and have had zero issues. Really good customer service (I've only dealt with Tom, the guys at the retail shop are lacking). Two of mine shoot under MOA and the 3rd is a few months away from the range but I expect the same.

 

[Don Fischer]

I'd screw another barrel on and see how it does. Whether you do it, or have Shaw do it, is probably a ~$100 question. I agree that the Accustock negates bedding but if you just want another stock go for it, and I don't think there is any real value in truing anything.
Fwiw, I've had 3 rifles rebarreled by Shaw and have had zero issues. Really good customer service (I've only dealt with Tom, the guys at the retail shop are lacking). Two of mine shoot under MOA and the 3rd is a few months away from the range but I expect the same.

I've never had one done. I think it simply depends on what you want in the rifle! But I've had several 1/2" rifles over the years and a slew of 3/4" rifles and they all did what I wanted. had a 222 Rem in a 788 years ago that went under 1/2" regularly. My 6.5x06 with 140gr SMK's will go under 1/2" quite often also. The groups I shoot are to feed my ego, not needed for hunting! My worst shooter's are a 30-06 that runs right at 1 1/4" @ 100yds but has killed three elk with three shots. Custom rifle I got when a friend died and haven't used it a lot, worth to much but finally decided to go for it. The other rifle is a Win Mod 70 featherweight I'd got around 2002 hoping some day my grand daughter would take up hunting, 6.5x55. She hasn't so I'm using it starting this year. Going hog hunting on the 27th of Feb. It does just over 1" @ 100yds with Speer 140gr Hot Cores.

 

[mrjashu]

I had an old flat back 110 trued and timed by Sharp Shooter Supply. I didn't do it for accuracy reasons, I did it to smooth up primary extraction and bolt manipulation. As expected there was no real discernable difference in accuracy after the work (it was already a really good shooter) but the difference in running the bolt is AMAZING. To me it was totally worth it as it really makes the gun a joy to shoot and makes good follow up shots much more achievable.

 

[Dakota79]

A thousand yard gun for hunting? Hmmm.

Learn how to read. He said 800 – 1000 at the range.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Learn how to read. He said 800 – 1000 at the range.

So it's a dual purpose gun. Makes sense.
Guess I should have figured it spends a lot of time at the range since he estimates the barrel had 1500 rounds through it. It would take me several lifetimes to shoot that much rifle ammo at game. I also use the same gun at the skeet range that I use to shoot geese. And I shoot it very effectively for both ... probably because I use the same gun for both.

 

[Doublecluck]

I’ve never trued savages. Waste of money.

 

[chevyman181]

A thousand yard gun for hunting? Hmmm.

It's not a CM. Ha

 

[cahunter805]

I agree with others. I wouldn’t true it but I’d use an aftermarket recoil lug and barrel nut.
Are you using the factory stock? I’d probably rough up the lug area and degrease it well. Then bed it and see how the rifle shoots.
You might also look into a bolt lift kit for the 110.

 

[220yotekiller]

lf it were me l wouldn't bother with truing a savage, it wouldn't hurt but it likely help that much. l would absolutely swap the stock and make sure that it was well bedded. get a good one from bell and carrlson or boyds and shoot happy.