Savage 110.

[Cory]

I've been toying with the idea of picking up a bolt action rifle. Use would be deer and hog hunting. Perhaps trying out some form of long range competition if I really enjoy it, but I kinda doubt it. I'd like a threaded barrel so I can put a can on in the future if I want.

I've been heavily looking at Tikka Roughtech in 6.5 creedmoor. Base cost of the rifle, plus glass means a hell of a lot of coin.

My local rural king has this in stock:
https://www.rkguns.com/savage-arms-1...4rd-58119.html

It looks to offer most of what I like about the Tikka (except for being a Beretta fan) and comes with a scope for around half the price. Is it a decent/respectable rifle? It would be my only real rifle. So I'd like it to do anything a bolt gun in 6.5 creed should reasonably do.

Thoughts? Thanks.

[Duelist]

Very decent rifle, and will do anything a hunting rifle of that caliber will do.

Competition bolt rifles usually have heavier barrels to absorb heat and reduce wandering bullet impacts as shooting strings get longer. Some consider the heavier barrel stiffer as well.

Hunting rifles usually have a lighter taper to reduce weight, and they may have a shorter barrel for the same reason. Since most hunting with bolt action rifles does not require many shots at a time, the competition advantages of longer, heavier barrels are irrelevant.

If you get a Savage and like it, you will have nothing to worry about as far as the rifle is concerned.

I have had a .243 Savage 11 for a long time. My longest big game kill is with that rifle - 300 yards. I am not exactly sanguine about hunting elk with it because .243, though I have when it was my only rifle, but deer, antelope, coyotes, etc, are all perfect for it. I never have a doubt that I can hit what I need to.

[HCM]

I've been toying with the idea of picking up a bolt action rifle. Use would be deer and hog hunting. Perhaps trying out some form of long range competition if I really enjoy it, but I kinda doubt it. I'd like a threaded barrel so I can put a can on in the future if I want.

I've been heavily looking at Tikka Roughtech in 6.5 creedmoor. Base cost of the rifle, plus glass means a hell of a lot of coin.

My local rural king has this in stock:
https://www.rkguns.com/savage-arms-1...4rd-58119.html

It looks to offer most of what I like about the Tikka (except for being a Beretta fan) and comes with a scope for around half the price. Is it a decent/respectable rifle? It would be my only real rifle. So I'd like it to do anything a bolt gun in 6.5 creed should reasonably do.

Thoughts? Thanks.

Savage 110s are decent rifles - my concern with that combo is the scope.

Something with better glass, illumination and a reticle which includes drops and wind holds like a Vortex PST II (next step up the Vortex food chain) is going to be a lot better suited to hunting and longer range shooting.

Primary Arms, Althon etc have similar options.

[Duelist]

Savage 110s are decent rifles - my concern with that combo is the scope.

Something with better glass, illumination and a reticle which includes drops and wind holds like a Vortex PST II (next step up the Vortex food chain) is going to be a lot better suited to hunting and longer range shooting.

Primary Arms, Althon etc have similar options.

The reticle on that scope is the Dead Hold BDC. That’s a pretty good hunting reticle, with drops and wind holds. I have the 3-9 version of it on my .270.

[Bigghoss]

The 110 has been around a long time. I had one in .243 and one in .30-06, really should't have sold either but what's done is done. They don't get as much love as a model 70 or Remington 700 but they're still a very good rifle. Maybe something out there offers better performance-to-price ratio but I doubt you'd be unhappy with a Savage.

[Tannhauser]

I’ve owned a couple Savage 110 rifles over the years, and still have one. The 110 will do a fine job as a hunting rifle. I like how the newer Savage stocks have adjustable LOP.

I would not buy a package with an optic. I’d buy the rifle, then source the optic separately. While I own several Virtex optics, I was not impressed by the example of a Diamondback I owned.

[mmc45414]

I have three of them. There are a couple of things about Savage rifles that probably originated as cost-cutting that IMO are great features, the separate blot face and the jam nut barrel. The bolt face floats a bit so it doesn't need precise fitment, and if you ever want to make a change (like when I decided to do a 7mm-08 instead of 7mmRM) it is simple and cheap to swap. The jam-nut barrel means if you ever want to change or upgrade the barrel you need some wrenches instead of a lathe.

For example I find myself with a .243 that I do not need of I also have a 7mm-08. I might sell it, or....
I could buy a bolt face and a barrel and have a .223.

ETA: The Savage trigger is also pretty nice.

[Duelist]

I have three of them. There are a couple of things about Savage rifles that probably originated as cost-cutting that IMO are great features, the separate blot face and the jam nut barrel. The bolt face floats a bit so it doesn't need precise fitment, and if you ever want to make a change (like when I decided to do a 7mm-08 instead of 7mmRM) it is simple and cheap to swap. The jam-nut barrel means if you ever want to change or upgrade the barrel you need some wrenches instead of a lathe.

For example I find myself with a .243 that I do not need of I also have a 7mm-08. I might sell it, or....
I could buy a bolt face and a barrel and have a .223.

ETA: The Savage trigger is also pretty nice.

Truth. I think you’d also need a different magazine since you’d be leaving the .308 family jumping down to .223, but the point remains very valid. Anything .308 or similar, the same magazine works just fine.

[TOTS]

Please listen to the advice @HCM and a couple others have given. Scopes packaged in with rifles are like the stock plastic sights on Glocks. Pretty worthless to those who will actually use the weapons. You are wasting your money by paying more for the package. And will end up buying a different optic later.

A Savage Axis was my building block for my first bolt gun build. I had a couple of actual Socom snipers help with the build and their advice was collectively, “spend more on the optics than the rifle- you’re looking through the optic more than you are pulling the trigger” - and the other one: “You can always make a shitty rifle shoot decently, but a shitty optic will always look like shit.” Through hand loading I got the $200 Axis sub-MOA and have always followed the advice since. They are 100% correct.

I have since sold the Savage and my second build was a Tikka trainer in .223. It’s refined in the same way a HK is over a Glock. You can also (relatively) easily change barrels and chamberings on Tikkas due to their actions. I’m 1000% a Tikka fan now.

You’ll never regret spending more on an optic.

[mmc45414]

And will end up buying a different optic later.

At one point my first 110 was a $400 rifle sitting in a $500 McMillian under a $600 Leupold.