Savage 11 Lady Hunter Accuracy Issues

[grouse]

I have a few of these actions and skinny barrels. Ther are lighter than the typical savage sporter. So you have to take your time at the range as they heat up fast. They all have shot pretty good for me. Including a 270 that is a tack driver with the short light 20" barrel. What rings and bases are on it? I ask because on a savage the front action screw is not very deep because of the barrel tenon. When you thread it in it feels tight, but its bottoming out on the tenon. I would check that first. one screw doesnt seem like much, but it really jacked with one of my rifles.

Other thoughts. Probably not the stock. The savage wood stocks are pretty solid and have pillars. check action screws to make sure they are snug.

 

[rsbhunter]

I know recoil is an issue, but I built an AR10 that wouldn't shoot but 1-1-1//2" at 100. Had alot of money into the build ($700 barrel) and expected better...even hand loads with H4350, Berger bullets, Sierra, etc. wouldn't group til I tried Hornady 147gr ELD-M factory ammo !!!!! Honest 1 hole groups..At 100 yds..found a load with RL26 and the 147's that are right there.....sometimes, it's just getting lucky on the load....but, may want to spend $50.00 on a Teslong bore scope or trip to gunsmith and check the bore...rsbhunter

 

[Savage99man]

Thanks for the replies! Upon further inspection I found that I can flex the barrel side to side rather easily. The receiver noticeably wiggles as well. The steel inserts/ pillars are .060 larger than the bolts which probably isn't helping matters so I'm going to replace the pillars and do a bedding job. I'll update you all on the progress.

 

[grouse]

Thanks for the replies! Upon further inspection I found that I can flex the barrel side to side rather easily. The receiver noticeably wiggles as well. The steel inserts/ pillars are .060 larger than the bolts which probably isn't helping matters so I'm going to replace the pillars and do a bedding job. I'll update you all on the progress.

The pencil barrel is going to have flex. The receiver wiggling could be an issue. Before I replaced the pillars I'd bed it at the recoil lug. And please check the front base screw and torque the action screws to spec.

 

[Barrelnut]

My wife had one of these in 243 for a long time. Basically shot 3/4 MOA if you held the front of it down. Shot 1 1/2 ~ 2 MOA otherwise. The faster the load, the more the recoil, and the more it will jump...
The stock has a very noticeably slanted butt and short light barrel. This causes it to be pretty jumpy at the muzzle. I think it will shoot better with some forearm pressure on it to hold it down a bit.
I agree that it needs to be bedded. BUT, I would not replace the pillars; they are very well done. Bedding at the recoil lug will help a lot.

 

[Muledeerhuntingfreak]

If you are shooting a 6.5 creedmore H4350 is the best power known for that rifle I shoot 6.5 Create more using 41.5 grains I am getting 5 rounds consistent you can cover up with a dime At 100 yd Remington 783

 

[SSG Graybush]

Hello there this is my first post! I purchased a savage model 11 lady hunter with a Nikon 3x9x40 scope as a Christmas present for my wife a couple years ago and we've never spent an extensive amount of time at different ranges with it. Mostly shooting 100yds and the accuracy wasn't great but serviceable for the range of shots we typically encounter where we hunt. This year she missed 3 shots at a standing buck which was about 240-250yds away. She wasn't close as she didn't startle it at all. I set up a target at 200 hundred and benched and bagged was getting a 6-7" group ( barnes lrx ammo) I shot a sub 1" group with the Remington I was hunting with just to make sure that it wasn't something I was doing. I shot Win deer season xp, Hornady superperformance, with similar results and all hit the chronograph 50fps slower than advertised. I shot a sub 1" group with hornady precision hunter ammo exiting the barrel at 2550. That ammo shot 3" at 300 and 4.5" at 400 however 5" lower than the ballistic marks on the scope. That ammo has the longest col so I loaded 130 and 140 Sierra gamekings thirty thousandths off the lands starting with a 2700fps load and working up. I started with a 2" group and as the velocity increased so did the size of the groups. I've had finicky rifles before but never one that wouldn't shoot fast. Usually the opposite. Has anyone had issues with this particular rifle or any savage for that matter shooting this way and how did you correct it? I have an axis 2 in 6.5 creedmore for the kids to use which shoots 1 to 2 moa with the same ammo. 22" barrel vs 20"

First off check the scope mounts and action screw are tight and maybe try a know good scope for the load development.
Your doing the load development backwards. Start at 2 grs below max. Find the right jump. Start at 5 thou jump and go up in 5 thou increments, I do 3 thou. Bergers like 50 to 80 thou, a lot of the time. Nosler bullet under 50 thou usually. Try a flat base Interlock, they are super easy to tune. Once you find the best jump (accuracy node, smallest group)go back and test powder charges(speed node). Load from 2 grs below to max at .1 gr increments ( so 20 rds) and find a speed node where theres only 20 fps difference across .4+ grs of powder/4 shots or more preferably. And load the middle. This way youll have a round that shoots tiny groups and has a good sd as well.
Watch Eric Cortina videos, chasing lands etc.

 

[LongWalker]

Great bull, and thanks for the pictures and story. That is a heavy bullet for the 7mm and I may have to expand my horizon on my 7mm!

My wife had one of these in 243 for a long time. Basically shot 3/4 MOA if you held the front of it down. Shot 1 1/2 ~ 2 MOA otherwise. The faster the load, the more the recoil, and the more it will jump...
The stock has a very noticeably slanted butt and short light barrel. This causes it to be pretty jumpy at the muzzle. I think it will shoot better with some forearm pressure on it to hold it down a bit.
I agree that it needs to be bedded. BUT, I would not replace the pillars; they are very well done. Bedding at the recoil lug will help a lot.

I bought a Savage Lightweight Hunter in 6.5 creed. Basically the same rifle with a synthetic stock. Muzzle jump as described above and the pencil barrel heating up fast were the two issues. If I kept my left palm with a little bit of pressure on the elevation turret and let the barrel cool between shots/groups it was fine. I rebarreled it because I don't have the patience to let it cool and didn't want to have to shoot it differently than my other rifles

 

[jfloyd]

I've got a 16 lightweight Hunter. Same basic rifle. I had a noticeable improvement by doing this test. https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/savage-action-screw-torque-tuning/

I was around 1.5-2 MOA before finding the proper torque for my rifle. Once dailed in, it is sub MOA now. Sub 3" at 300 yards anyway. No other changes were made, just shot at different torque on the rear screw. Lightweight rifles are not easy to shoot well but I find using more down pressure with my check gives the best results. I've heard many reports of using the off hand on top of the scope helps but I've never tested it. Try this test, it's cheap and gets you more practice shooting a lightweight. Good luck!!!

 

[Gunin4m]

Want to tag in on this and bring it back to the top. Hoping the original poster can update us on any progress. I bought the same rifle several years ago, in 7mm-08 for my daughter and have the same problems. I've already tried everything that has been mentioned here with no improvement. I'm at the point now that I'm considering giving Savage a call to see if they can be of any help.

 

[Savage99man]

Want to tag in on this and bring it back to the top. Hoping the original poster can update us on any progress. I bought the same rifle several years ago, in 7mm-08 for my daughter and have the same problems. I've already tried everything that has been mentioned here with no improvement. I'm at the point now that I'm considering giving Savage a call to see if they can be of any help.

No update yet. I've been too busy with house projects to finish working on it yet but I did knock out the original steel inserts/pillars and replace them with more substantial ones from Pete's pillars. I'll hopefully complete the bedding job in a couple weeks and see if it helps.

 

[zr600]

I'm kind of wondering if the action is stress free bedded if this torque process would work or not? Kind of seems by working the torque it's just getting the action in the best stress free spot when you torque test it or are you bedded too?

 

[jfloyd]

I'm kind of wondering if the action is stress free bedded if this torque process would work or not? Kind of seems by working the torque it's just getting the action in the best stress free spot when you torque test it or are you bedded too?

There is definitely something to it. I've done this process on two Savages and my Ruger American Ranch. There is a sweet spot for each and they are all different from each other. I'm going to play with a few more rifles but I'll probably wait until the components are available for ammo. After I find the torque specs that rifle likes I right them inside each stock.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

Savage wood stocks have pillars. I havent seen the lady stock but suspect it does too. They arent beefy pillars, sleeves may be more appropriate. But still enough to prevent or stop crush.

Ive had plenty of loads shoot well at 100 and open up significantly at 200 plus. Try another bullet. If it keeps shooting 2 moa look at the obvious stuff ending with a new barrel.

Make sure your load will have acceptable accuracy and hit at your intended ranges as well before slinging at game and questioning if the rifle has a problem afterwards without checking first.