Savage 111 Long Range Hunter 338 Lapua Review

Incorporating two of the features for which the company has become most-known in modernistic times, the AccuStock and AccuTrigger systems, the Savage Model 111 Long Range Hunter is equally at home in big-game hunting and long-range shooting applications. A mid-weight commodities-activity burglarize available in nine chamberings, from .260 Rem. to .338 Lapua Mag., the subject of this review is a Long Range Hunter chambered in 6.5 mm-284 Norma—a cartridge chosen for both its utilitarian appeal and long-range accuracy.

The Long Range Hunter wears a soft-to-the-touch composite AccuStock to which its barreled action is attached. 2 features truly arrive a dual-use rifle. One is an adjustable comb on its buttstock that customizes cheek weld then that the shooter's eye aligns with the scope perfectly for every shot, regardless of body type, telescopic height or shooting position. A consistent cheek weld is a primal component of long-range accuracy. Cheekpiece removed, the buttstock becomes a downward-sloping, straight-line rifle stock, only with a couple of iii/viii" holes drilled through it. A wait through those holes reveals that the stock is not hollow, simply rather filled with polystyrene—another name for Styrofoam.

Secondly, and at the other end of the burglarize, the Long Range Hunter comes standard with an adaptable muzzle brake. The brake is a 2"-long, three/iv"-diameter steel sleeve that features 36 uniform, one/8"-diameter ports. It'southward partially threaded onto the barrel and pinned in place past the muzzle's crown. With a simple quarter twist, the shooter can choose whether to let the gases to laissez passer through the brake or non, finer turning it on or off.

The Model 111 Long Range Hunter'south AccuStock makes utilize of a monolithic, milled-aluminum chassis (inset) that is epoxied in place to provide consistent and repeatable bedding.

Turned clockwise, the ports in the sleeve practise not align with the barrel's ports, and therefore gases from the fired cartridge are forced out of the barrel usually. This results in a shot that has a full recoil value, only one that isn't as perceivably loud as a rifle with a muzzle brake. Withal, if the shooter finds himself in a scenario where recoil mitigation is important, a simple counterclockwise twist aligns the sleeve's ports with the barrel's ports, so that gases can escape in a 360-degree blueprint around the barrel, thereby countering the rearward forces of recoil and mitigating them. In testing, turning the restriction on and off did non touch point of impact.

The medium-contour, chrome-moly steel barrel is 1.02" in bore before tapering to 0.734" at the muzzle. The 6.5 mm-284'southward barrel is rifled with a i:eight" twist and, although listed as 26" long, actually has 24" of rifled bore to which the two" brake is attached.

The barrel on the Long Range Hunter features 24" of rifled bore capped by a 2"-long adjustable muzzle brake. In testing, turning the brake on and off did not affect the burglarize'due south point of impact.

Savage's oft-copied barrel nut can be precisely adjusted for headspace by the barrel installer, and the Long Range Hunter takes full advantage of the system, which no doubt contributes to the rifle'due south accuracy. Another factor is its bedding arrangement; one recoil lug is sandwiched betwixt the barrel nut and the receiver to provide a recoil block into which the action is mated with the stock.

Savage's proprietary AccuStock features a monolithic, milled-aluminum bedding cake that traverses the entire length of the action, from the rear action screw to the fore-end's sling swivel stud. The aluminum chassis is epoxied into the stock then it will not budge. The barreled activeness is then screwed down onto the block, so that the activity screw zipper points are unwavering metal on metal. The barrel remains free-floated. A slender nine¼" tongue runs most of the length of the fore-terminate to requite information technology rigidity and so that information technology'south impervious to fore-finish pressure. This entire system does abroad with meticulous hand bedding because the barreled activeness and the aluminum chassis to which it is mated are precision-machined, so bedding is consequent and repeatable via the action screws.

The commodities is distinctly Savage: A dual-lug head is backed by a gas-escape baffle, and a plunger-style ejector lies in its recessed face. A sliding-plate extractor is incorporated within the commodities'southward right lug. The knurled, round knob of the bolt handle is equally suitable for target shooting and hunting scenarios.

Attached to the action is Savage'southward renowned AccuTrigger. User adjustable, it allows crisp, sub-ii-lb. trigger pulls to also remain safe and incapable of misfiring due to drops or jars. In testing, the Long Range Hunter's trigger proved to be highly consistent; the examination unit of measurement's trigger had a standard divergence of +/- 0.3 ozs. A simple, forward-to-fire, rear-to-safe, tang-mounted rubber features iii positions for locking the commodities closed or allowing information technology to be cycled while keeping the rifle on safe. An internal mag with a hinged floorplate holds three rounds.

The just complaint generated throughout testing was the significant strength required to piece of work the bolt after firing several types of half dozen.five mm-284 ammunition. While this is more than probable a product of hot ammunition and not the rifle, it's worthy of mention. Regardless, the Long Range Hunter was capable of v-shot, 1" groups at 100 yds. with diverse types of armament. It seemed to recoil less than expected thanks to its brake, a generous recoil pad, 8-plus-lb. heft and tailored cheek fit.

The Savage Model 111 Long Range Hunter's adjustable rummage, on-off muzzle restriction and 1 k.o.a. accuracy potential get in a real value at the rifle's suggested retail price of $1,171. Riflemen attempting to select a practice-all burglarize for both target practice and for hunting Due north American game volition probable detect it to exist a worthy out-of-the-box pick.

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Source: https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/tested-savage-model-111-long-range-hunter/

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