Savage 16/116 lightweight hunter

[dakotakidd]

Does anyone have any experience with these rifles? Brother wants a reasonable priced light gun for packing around the hills and these look pretty good. 20" barrel might rob a little speed but they're light. Under 5.5lbs I thought they said. Local gun shop will match budsguns price ($600) I think it would make a good gun. I just have a hard time liking a savage haha

 

[Deleted member 25294]

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Does anyone have any experience with these rifles? Brother wants a reasonable priced light gun for packing around the hills and these look pretty good. 20" barrel might rob a little speed but they're light. Under 5.5lbs I thought they said. Local gun shop will match budsguns price ($600) I think it would make a good gun. I just have a hard time liking a savage haha

I got one for my wife in 7mm-08, and aside from being a savage it's a nice light brush rifle. Oh and 5.5 lbs is not a realistic weight, mine weighs 6.1 lbs.
Accuracy is right at moa with my loads, again the only downside for me is that it has that crappy savage feel.
You know, the sh#@y accu trigger, sloppy bolt etc...
If I were to do it again I would have bought my wife a tikka t3 super light ( 5.8 lbs) with a 22 3/8" barrel.
If your brother really wants the light weight hunter pm me and I'll make him a deal..

 

[bstomper]

My son has one in 30-06 that his grandpa bought him for his 16th birthday. It shoots sub MOA and is a decent gun. I agree that the plastic feel is a cheap feel, but it does shoot well.

 

[dakotakidd]

I know exactly what you mean with the cheap plastic feel. I haven't personally handled a lightweight hunter myself but have handled plenty of other savages new and older models. They just don't seem like a gun you hang onto forever and tell stories about it to your kids and grandkids haha. What he really wants is a Kimber Montana, but double the price and who knows how it'll shoot.

 

[ohiohunter]

Doesn't the light weight hunter have a wood stock?

 

[Barrelnut]

Doesn't the light weight hunter have a wood stock?

They have a stainless model now with a synthetic stock (non accustock).

 

[toasty]

I have a model 16 lightweight in 6.5 creedmoore. My rifle weighs 5.6lbs bare. With talley lightweight rings and a leupold ultralight scope, I have a rifle that weighs 6.35lbs. I carried it this year on the deer hunt and at 1.5lbs lighter than my browning, I really enjoyed it and it made a difference on those long steep hikes.

Finding a load was a challenge, and I struggled to find a consistent load for 140gr bullets, but dropped down to 123 amax and found a very good .5moa load with varget. The rifle is so light, the recoil was unpleasant with the 140gr bullet and much more manageable with the 123gr bullet. I ended up loading about 1.5gr below max which gave a little better accuracy and caused less flinch for my kids. On a bench the light weight isn't a problem, however, out in the field, it was tough to get stable and shoot off of sticks. A prone rest wouldn't be a problem, but the only shot I had was on sticks and I missed a moving buck at 275. He stopped at 325 and I took some time to get stable and hit him.

After 1st year, I like the gun and plan to keep and continue to hunt with it. Looking forward to trying it out on elk and antelope next year.

Here is a pic of the deer I took. I did you a favor by removing my face.

 

[toasty]

BTW, I love wood stocks and do not care for the synthetic stock on this rifle. I got a smoking deal on it, but wished I would have bought the wood stock. If anyone has a short action lightweight hunter wood stock. I will trade you my synthetic and some cash for it.

 

[dakotakidd]

I have a model 16 lightweight in 6.5 creedmoore. My rifle weighs 5.6lbs bare. With talley lightweight rings and a leupold ultralight scope, I have a rifle that weighs 6.35lbs. I carried it this year on the deer hunt and at 1.5lbs lighter than my browning, I really enjoyed it and it made a difference on those long steep hikes.

Finding a load was a challenge, and I struggled to find a consistent load for 140gr bullets, but dropped down to 123 amax and found a very good .5moa load with varget. The rifle is so light, the recoil was unpleasant with the 140gr bullet and much more manageable with the 123gr bullet. I ended up loading about 1.5gr below max which gave a little better accuracy and caused less flinch for my kids. On a bench the light weight isn't a problem, however, out in the field, it was tough to get stable and shoot off of sticks. A prone rest wouldn't be a problem, but the only shot I had was on sticks and I missed a moving buck at 275. He stopped at 325 and I took some time to get stable and hit him.

After 1st year, I like the gun and plan to keep and continue to hunt with it. Looking forward to trying it out on elk and antelope next year.

Here is a pic of the deer I took. I did you a favor by removing my face.

Can you tell me the twist of the 6.5 creed,if you know it? I would assume a 1-8" but Savage's website say's N/A for rate of twist.

 

[toasty]

I haven't measured it, but everything I have read says 1:8.

 

[dakotakidd]

Good because I just ordered one. Pretty excited. I think it'll be a nice rugged little mountain gun.

 

[Gregg C]

BTW, I love wood stocks and do not care for the synthetic stock on this rifle. I got a smoking deal on it, but wished I would have bought the wood stock. If anyone has a short action lightweight hunter wood stock. I will trade you my synthetic and some cash for it.

Have you considered a Body's laminate? Beautiful, colorful, functional, wooden all- shucks, after glass bedding, it might help that thing shoot better!

 

[Rich Coyle]

I weighed a .308 at the store. It weighed 5.5 pounds so I bought one.

 

[toasty]

Have you considered a Body's laminate? Beautiful, colorful, functional, wooden all- shucks, after glass bedding, it might help that thing shoot better!

That would completely defeat the whole point of a lightweight rifle. I have a boyd's laminate on a custom savage, love it, but it is 2x a heavy as a savage lightweight stock.