Savage 270 advice

Joined
May 14, 2015
Messages
94
Alright guys I am looking for some advice on a savage model 111 that I have. It has a wood stock, blued barrel, iron sights and a left handed bolt (I’m left handed, obviously) but is drilled and tapped and ready for bases, rings, and a scope. It is also an older model that does not have the accu trigger. I have two other left handed savage bolt action rifles (243 and 22) that I thoroughly enjoy and shoot extremely well for what they are (budget rifles in my opinion).

I picked the .270 up at an auction for next to nothing and it is immaculate. I have yet to shoot it though. I am looking to put together or buy a rifle that I can use for every species in North America (with the exception of moose and grizzly? Thoughts appreciated). Rifles are legal for whitetails in my home state. My initial thought is that since I already have this gun it would be best to use it as I can use it at home and out west. I have concerns about it being blued and wood and hunting the backcountry in bad weather. Should I not worry about this or do I need to look into trading this off for a synthetic and stainless rifle? I also have concerns about its size. It is 43” overall but weighs 7 pounds without a scope, sling, or ammo. Regardless of whether I keep it or get something else I am going to need a scope so what would you all recommend for bases, rings, and a scope? I’ve been a long time leupold fan as I feel they are a good bang for the buck but don’t have a clue as to the best bases and rings for this application. I am looking to hunt out to 500 yards MAX. I’m not a long range hunter. Not yet anyway.

I am looking for some feedback from you more experienced backcountry rifle hunters. What would you do if this was your gun and you were looking outfit a rifle as your “go to” and “do it all” rifle?

Pros:
-I already own it and I am in it cheap
-.270 is a versatile caliber with plenty of ammo choices
Trigger is adjustable by me (from what I have read. Feel free to chime in if I am misinformed)

Cons:
Wood and blued
Heavy

I see a lot of talk on the forum about custom rifles and while money is not really an issue I would prefer to not spend hundreds to simply cut an ounce or three. So again, if this rifle was yours, you were looking for a gun capable of killing out to 500, and being used on whitetails, elk, sheep, caribou, goats, moose, etc. how would you outfit it? Or would you trade it off on something else? Your advice is appreciated.
 

howl

WKR
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
463
Location
GA
Wood and blued isn't really a bad thing. Most stainless rifles have blued parts. And the stainless will rust, too. Spray paint is a good rust preventative! If you can adjust that old Savage trigger, you can probably handle floating the barrel and bedding the action into the stock. Don't forget to float the tang on that Savage.

If weight is a concern, use a light scope and mount. You can probably get half a pound of wood out of the stock. See thread asking for scope and mount recommendations for Tikka for some ideas on a scope and mount to suit a budget build.

As for what to do otherwise, you need to shoot the thing to see if it's 500 yard accurate. If it looked like it'd need work to get it to shoot, I'd cut my losses. If it stacks factory loads sub-MOA with no work done, then it might be worth the trouble. Under no circumstances would I sink real money into a Savage. You can do everything you can think of to it, but all you have in the end is a LH Savage with value really only to you. Been there, done that. Gimme quality from the start, please!
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
3,234
Location
Some wilderness area, somewhere
Pre accutrigger is not user adjustable. Having said that replacing the trigger with a good one is easy enough.
The stock would be no big deal to me, but you know...different strokes for different folks. It is not all that difficult to put a synthetic stock on it if you want it.

Esse quam videri
 
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Messages
1,018
Location
Central Cal
The pre-accutrigger units are actually highly adjustable if it's the 3 screw. If it's the 2 screw, you are, well, screwed. Go here for details Savage Shooters - Factory 3-Screw Trigger Adjustment Proceedures

If you really want to replace the trigger I suggest a Rifle Bassix- the $100 one- or a Sharp Shooter Supply trigger.

I would pick up a factory plastic stock to replace the wood. Cheap and you'll loose a decent amount of weight.

Good luck
 

howl

WKR
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
463
Location
GA
flyingsq. is on it re: the trigger.

I like tang safeties so I usually end up buying A-Bolts. I've never had one that wouldn't stack them tight with handloads. However, if you're wanting lightweight, the Browning might not be the thing. My lightest A-Bolt is still a hair over 7# all up. With a tang safety, a little lighter and cheaper, the new LH Ruger American Predator in 6.5 looks like a good choice. It's not as cheap to feed with plinking ammo as a .308, but if you're serious about 500 yards, appropriate ammo costs about the same for the common cartridges. The LH Ruger American I had, had a flimsy forend. A true lightweight bottom budget solution would be to cut the flimsy part off. If you go trying to strengthen the thing you add weight; might as well go Boyd's laminate as that.

So, I sold a Ruger American to put the money toward another A-Bolt. The reason I would go for the Ruger over the Savage is that the Ruger uses a real action instead of an assembled box of parts that fight one another and wear prematurely.

Examples of next steps up in quality LH would be Tikka and then SAKO. There are others and plenty of options on the market to suit most people.
 

elkduds

WKR
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
956
Location
CO Springs
Timney trigger in my Stevens (Savage) 200 .270. Weight w optics 6.5#. Shoots all factory ammo into MOA. Tupperware stock, but effective. Internet search will reveal a crowd of builders who start w Savage 110/111 actions for custom builds.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2017
Messages
567
Location
sw mt
I have a 110 in 270 that I bought new around 1990. barrel is floated, and action bedded to the factory wood stock. The trigger on mine was adjustable. The thing basically shoots everything moa or much better. It is heavy though.

If starting over on the same rifle, I would bed it into a lightish synthetic stock (factory stock is kinda fat)
 

gumbl3

WKR
Joined
Nov 27, 2016
Messages
511
Location
Texas
My advice, spend $100 and put a Rifle Basix SAV 1 trigger on it. These are great Savage triggers, and are easy to install. I've done the home trigger job before and it's nowhere near the crispness as the drop in. While you have the action out, float the barrel, a lot of times these things are touching at the foreend. No bueno when you're dealing with moisture and temperature fluctuations being a back country rifle. Sandpaper wrapped around a piece of pipe or socket til you get it where it doesn't touch. Seal the inside where you sanded with some clear poly or whatever you have laying around, not necessary but I like to do it. Spend another $25 and get you an acraglas kit from Brownells. It's enough to bed two rifles so if you have one to practice on first, it may be worth it to practice as you get better and do a cleaner job with each time. Bed the action, the recoil lug, don't bed the tang, Savages don't like it. Playdough is your friend to fill in all the holes. Use cooking spray along with the release agent in the kit. I've been pretty happy with EGW bases on Savage rifles, they're only like $40, make sure you get the right one, LA or SA, flat back or rounded. If you're trying to say cheap on scope, look at the Burris Fulfieds, One of the better budget scopes IMO and sales are regular. If you have more cash to spend then go for the best glass you can afford.
 
Top