Very new to the sport and looking for some advice

[Arcticfox6]

Good Evening! I have recently gained an interest in pursuing long range shooting as a hobby along with a friend of mine. I have narrowed down my first larger cal rifle to two of the Savage models, the BA 110 or the 110FCP. I have decided on the 338 Lapua. For my optics i intend to go with the Nightforce 5.5-22X56. My question comes from what are folks thoughts on the BA v. FCP. The FCP is much lighter, but isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the BA IMO and doesn't have an adjustable cheek rest. Would there be any reason to not go with the cheaper FCP that i am missing (with ref to the BA?) as i really do love the look of the BA but that seems to be the only con over the FCP. initially I will only be doing targets but want the option to eventually go hunting (in the distant future). Thanks in advance to any help you all can impart.

 

[royinidaho]

Welcome aboard.

Hmmmm, one weighs ~5lbs more. The Magpul stock is the cats meow but heavy.

One has all the bells and whistles. 20 MOA rail, brake etc.. These will need to be added to the other one.

One is a ton more money than the other.

A decent workable cheek riser can be had for as little at $10.00 DIY and as much as ~150.00 installed.

If "hunting in the distant future" is long enough and money is no object the cool looking one may be the ticket. Maybe not.

Have the dealer put bipods on both and get down on the floor with both and see which one feels best to you. IMO looks don't mean squat.

 

[OneShot0351]

according to savage site, the 110 FCP HS Precision is 5.75Lbs lighter than the BA, and more than $1000 cheaper retail price, and comes w/ a 20MOA rail and detach mag, virtually the same gun just with different stock, as far as cheekpiece if needed, D.E. sold on this site and Karsten are both good options and easy to install if you can operate a drill.also for a more removable adjutable option blackhawk or other manufactures make some that will work. i seen an article not long ago comparing the HS precision to a Styer in .338L, great accuracy from this rifle w/ factory ammo,1/2 MOA, and if used in a hunting situation, that 5.75lbs will def make a difference! I seen a Savage in .338L yesterday at a local gun shop, not sure of the model, it had a factory black Tupperware stock and a skinny sporter contour barrel w/ brake(not fluted), def would stay way clear of that model if you see it, i believe it was about $1k, cant see accuracy or manageable recoil being too great at all from this rifle. if this is the plain jane 110 fcp your speaking of then dont even consider it for the long range game.

 

[Arcticfox6]

Thank you both for the responses. So my next question is twofold... I see all the railing on the top and sides of the BA110... Are there any uses for such a tactical-looking setup, like attachments that people actually use (Aside from the optics of course)? Also does the extra weight of the BA provide an advantage when firing over that of the FCP?

(Oneshot i believe the FCP I was considering was fluted but i will double check that to make sure. Thanks for the heads up!)

 

[royinidaho]

The rails are just glitz. . .


Second answer is "no".

 

[OneShot0351]

The rails are whack on a LR rifle... the top rail(maybe) if you are law enforcement,military, or in a state that allows predator hunting at night and have a multi thousand $$ forward mounted Thermal or NV optic. the side rails total waste.. you can mount an extra bipod on the side for the modified prone gangsta positon, the extra weight will have a difference on recoil but when comparing 15lbs+optics+brake to 10lb+optics+brake the difference will not be that significant.

 

[angus-5024]

The 110 BA is all show, though they do shoot. I handled one and liked it, but it would be way to heavy for the way I hunt. I have a .338 RUM thats around 9 lbs (i think?).
I feel that the Hs stock on the other model you mention is a much more hunting friendly stock. The 110 BA is gonna be a better range gun.

I hope not to be a pain in the *** but you might want to consider a diffrent call to learn on. The .338 pills and brasss aint cheap and for the first bit you'll be just throwing them down range trying to learn systems, and getting your butt kicked by the wind (trust me I know). 90 grains of powder and over $1/ bullet is more than most rounds to shoot, and that doesnt include brass.

I bought a .243win a few years to practice on and I wish I did it earlier (.308 Norma wa the smallest in the stable).

 

[DREBS]

I have a savage 11/111 in a 6.5 x 284 norma with a Nightforce 8-32x and what your missing is it has an adjustable check rest and a ADJUSTABLE MUZZLE BREAK. in the FCP it will be cool the shoot the first 2 times then the recoil( almost twice as much as a 300 win mag) will start kill your shoulder and to affect accuracy as well. the adjustable muzzle break on the 11/111 in the 338 luapa cuts recoil by 40-50% making it much more manageable I would highly recommend that! Good luck!

 

[D.ID]

I am confused, both the 110fcp and model 111 have the same brake which will make recoil tolerable but there are better brakes out there, but the 111 is lighter so it will recoil worse. The stock on the fcp is far superior to the model 111 and the extra barrel rigidity of the fcp will aid in accuracy. I would avoid the 111 and extra weight and coin of the 110ba. That leaves the the 110fcp as the obvious winner in my opinion.

 

[DREBS]

D.ID... You are absolutly right^^^^... I apologize i got my information wrong. the FCP does have a muzzle break and is heavier thus reducing recoil, it would be the better choice for a target gun with the HS Stock

 

[Arcticfox6]

Thank you all for the help in this matter. I had my eyes set on one of those two models but have not yet made my purchase and so Angus, what models would you recommend? What models would any of you recommend for a first time shooter? I am looking to spend no more than $5k on the setup if possible. I live just north of Seattle so the near ranges only go out to 300 yards in the immidiate area (that i have found), but i would be willing to drive a ways to get to a good range and as i've hinted at, would like to hunt in the distant future (once i get the hang of shooting. I have two friends who are serious about getting into long range shooting and two of us are looking to getting into loading in the near future. Please advise!

 

[ajhardle]

Just my two cents here: I learned to shoot long range with a 223, and I wouldn't recommend anything else to someone getting into long range.

You're not going to learn bad habits with no recoil.

Good bullets will give you ballistics better than .308 175gr loads that so many love.

Having to make good windage calls will hone your skills.

You're going to learn more by shooting more, and with a 223, you will shot more, a lot more.

You're probably going to have a learning curve in hand loading and load development, so I'd rather make mistakes with the 223.

And the best part is, after you've shot a few thousand rounds and are now an excellent shot making good wind calls, you've still got enough money to buy that 338.

It gets better, because now you have 338 with a barrel that's not worn from learning long range, and you have the skills to load accurate rounds and develops a load quickly.

If you can hit a 10" gong with a first round hit at 1100 yards with a 223, think what you can do with 338.

And during the time you spent shooting the 223, the most important thing you might learn could be that a 338 lapua is not what you need. But maybe you've got more money to throw away than I do?