Shooting the 110ML with Aimpoint Sight

The Savage 110 ML by Bob Shell

http://writerbobshell.com

I received a Savage 110 ML for testing in 50 caliber. This unique inline has some novel features such as it s a bolt action and it can be used with smokeless powder per manufacturer s recommendations. As far as I know it the only such inline being manufactured at this time that has that capability. It has a black stock which while not as attractive as wood is durable for hunting. It also sports the Accu trigger found on Savage model 110 bolt action rifles and it s one of the best on the market. One of the biggest detriments to accuracy is a poor trigger pull. When you have to concentrate on the trigger instead of the target it makes shooting well a lot more difficult. I have shot a lot of older guns with atrocious triggers so I can definitely appreciate a good one. The 24 barrel has a 1 in 24 twist which is necessary to stabilize the new bullets that are available. It has a set of high resolution sights and is drilled and tapped for a scope. The safety is a three position item where all the way back it locks the bolt, center allows the bolt to open but not fire and the forward position to fire showing a prominent red dot. All in All it looks like a no nonsense hunting rifle.

The Savage Arms company has been around for many years. Innovations are nothing new to them as the model 99 lever action was ahead of it s time with a rotary magazine which allowed spitzer bullets to be used. They are also strong enough for such cartridges as the 308 Winchester. They are well made and popular arms. I have several and I enjoy shooting them a lot. Another innovation brought out by Savage was the 250-3000 designed by Charles Newton. It was the first big game cartridge that safely shot a deer bullet at the magic 3000 FPS. The 300 Savage is a forerunner to the 308 the only difference is the 308 has a longer neck.

They have a detailed manual that comes with the gun and I suggest you read it before taking apart or shooting the gun. The manual has safety tips all through it which you would do well to follow. It has the info on adjusting the trigger. Mine is set at 2 Lbs. and 14oz which is fine. I don t recommend it to be much lighter in a hunting rifle especially one that has this much power. The trigger breaks cleanly and is a joy to use. To remove the bolt you need to take part way out one of the screw which is the front of the trigger guard. a minor inconvenience. Also if you tighten the front trigger guard screw too much the bolt is extremely difficult to operate. You will notice that there are no locking lugs such as a conventional bolt possesses. The strength is in the breech plug. It can easily be removed with the wrench supplied after you remove the bolt. It has a small insert in it that is needed to safely fire the weapon. It looks like a screw but has a vent hole in it and it when it wears out then it needs to be

replaced. Savage states that it s good for about 200 shots. I would advise to have a few on hand especially if you shoot the gun a lot. The action is pillar bedded in the stock which should help in the accuracy dept. The gun weighs in at 7 & Lbs and considering that it can put out over 1 & tons of energy I wouldn t want it much lighter. It is a bit muzzle heavy as the metal parts are a lot heavier then the stock. You can go to the Savage website @ www.savagearms.com

for more info on their products. I was given an Aimpoint sight which I mounted on the 110 Ml and it performed flawlessly at all times. I would recommend that you look at their sights if you are setting up a hunting rifle. For more info you can go to http://www.aimpoint.com/products

Lightfield slugs give great performance

Since this gun is ok to use with smokeless powder that is primary the propellant I am going to go with. I will use some White Hots and Triple 7 tablets as they work well and are consistent in other inlines I have shot but that will be a secondary test. I have bullets from a couple of manufacturers including Hornady and Barnes weighing from 250 to 350 grains. If they shoot as well in this gun as they do in the Knight then I am going to be treated to some splendid accuracy. Savage recommends AA-5744 as one of their loads and since I have some on hand that s where I will start. They also list VV 110 and SR 4756 which gives about the same results. Like all aspects of reloading your gun might prefer one brand over another which is also true of the projectiles. Barnes bullets shot well as usual and for more info on those you can go to www.barnesbullets.com

Savage 110 ML with the Aimpoint sight which aided in accuracy

I tried 44 X AA 5744 with a 250 grain Barnes skirted bullet. That was exactly what was recommended by Savage. However they were extremely weak to the point where there was no power or recoil. I tried some Triple 7 pills and that immediately solved the problem. The bullet just wasn t giving enough resistance to properly burn the powder. I tried a 290 grain Barnes which was very hard to seat and a 350 grain Hornady skirt less bullet. They both seemed to work better but will have to chronograph them to determine if they are doing what they are supposed to. I may increase the powder charge until I get satisfactory ballistics as I have run into this type of situation in the past. Since I don t see any advantage to using smokeless powder I dropped that part of the test. I also shot Lightfield slugs which were extremely accurate. They are pure lead with a hollow point and a boattail; you can go to www.lightfieldslugs.com

for info on these projectiles. Like any firearm you will have to try different combinations to see what works best in your smokepole. For loose powder try Clean Shot which is non corrosive but does require cleaning out the residue between shots. After two or three shots the bore starts to accumulate fowling making it difficult to seat a bullet. Of course black powder works but you have the corrosion and less velocity then some of the more modern propellants. It does produce excellent accuracy and consistency because it is so easy to ignite. Pyrodex would also work ok if you want to try it.

I shot some 350 grain Hornady skirtless bullets back with 100 X 209. The average velocity was 1837 FPS but I had a very high ES & SD. I probably needed a little more powder. The bore stayed clean and didn t have to clean between shots as with some other powders. Using 120 grains of Blackhorn gave me 1964 FPS a really potent load with the ES and SD going down also. That is about all you want in such a rifle as the recoil was somewhat substantial. Accuracy was good for such a potent load. For info on Hornady bullets go to www.hornadybullets.com

Hornady bullets give superior accuracy

Since it s a smokeless gun I decided to try some Trail Boss behind a 250 grain Barns. 30 grains only produced a little over 800 FPS while 35 managed 1144 both too light for any useful purpose. Upon reflection I didn t see the need for smokeless powders. The Triple 7 and White Hots give you all velocity and accuracy you need. They also shoot clean enough so that follow up shots won t be impeded by residue. The tablets are also very convenient and fast to load. I just don t see any reason to use smokeless but if it works for you by all means use it. Just be careful that you don t overload it or you will destroy the rifle. If you are able to safely push the bullets much faster then recoil will become a problem, which is especially true with the heavier bullets. For practical purposes these rifles shoot as well as modern weapons, they don t load as fast. Accuracy and power will allow a skilled shooter to hunt to about 250 yards or so which is where most game is harvested. Properly maintained they are extremely reliable even in bad weather.

Copyright 2010 by Bob Shell. All rights reserved.